HP’s leather-clad Spectre Folio is one classy notebook – CNET

Laptops are often referred to as notebooks, but HP’s Spectre Folio is perhaps the first laptop that could pass for one in the most classic sense of the word.

Wrapped in genuine leather with aluminum touches and delicate stitching, the latest convertible PC from HP is designed to turn heads. When it folds, the leather edge has been shaped to mimic the spine of book, making it the perfect to device to write your novel on in a library while smoking a cigar — or you could just impress your colleagues at a business meeting.

The Folio has three modes: laptop, media mode and tablet mode. It moves smoothly between the three thanks to a series of hidden magnets and hinges.

Laptop mode allows you to take full advantage of the keyboard. It also exposes the speakers, which have been engineered in collaboration with high-end audio brand Bang & Olufsen. Swing the screen forward and it’s in media mode, with the keyboard hidden, but the trackpad still on display. It then folds down into a tablet, which doesn’t sit quite flush with a flat surface, but instead remains on a slight angle.

The focus is firmly on the design of the laptop, but don’t think that means it’s all style and no substance. Inside is HP’s smallest-ever motherboard, capitalizing on Intel’s eighth-gen core i5 and core i7 processors. This is complemented by up to 16 GB of memory and up to 2 TB of SSD storage. Inside is a battery that promises to keep the Folio alive for up to 18 hours allowing you to move between modes, tasks and locations easily throughout the course of the day.

Connectivity is a key element of the Folio, with support for gigabit-class LTE and dual-eSIM. There’s an optional nano SIM slot under the  display and an optional embedded digital eSIM to easily and quickly connect to cell networks.

The Folio also comes with HP’s stylus, the Tilt Pen, which attaches to the device with an optional leather loop. With the stylus you can mark up the Folio’s 13-inch display to your heart’s content.

There are various versions of the Folio, which will be available at different times, so pay attention carefully to release dates to make sure you get the variation that’s right for you. Firstly, it will come in two colours: a brown cognac, and a burgundy bordeaux, with the latter of the two coming later this year. A 4K version will also be available in December 2018.

Key specs

• 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8500Y or Core i5-8200Y
• Intel UHD Graphics 615 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD 
• 13.3-inch diagonal FHD (1,920×1,080) display, with 4K version coming later this year 
• Front-facing camera above display 
• Three USB-C ports, headphone jack