HP Announces The Spectre Folio: Leather Laptop
by Brett Howse on October 1, 2018 6:20 PM EST
This morning at an event in NYC, HP revealed the HP Spectre Folio, which is a very unique take on the laptop, thanks to its all leather exterior. Featuring 100-percent chromed tan, full-grain leather, the Spectre Folio is going to be an even more luxurious feel than we’ve been accustomed to in the laptop space. It’ll be offered in two colors, with Cognac Brown and Bordeaux Burgundy leather choices.
The Spectre Folio is also a convertible PC, with the ability to transform from a laptop into a tablet form factor, as well as an easel mode which would be similar to the tent mode in a Yoga form factor. But rather than the fold around keyboard like you’d see on a Lenovo Yoga, HP has gone the same route as Acer did with the Aspire R 13 several years ago.
Powering the HP Spectre Folio is the Intel Core i5-8200Y processor, which is the latest in the Y series, featuring a 5-Watt TDP for fanless operation, a base frequency of 1.3 GHz, and a maximum turbo frequency of 3.9 GHz. For those that need a bit more grunt, there will also be a Core i7-8500Y which is 1.5-4.2 GHz. You can get either 8 or 16 GB or LPDDR3 RAM, and up to 2 TB of NVMe SSD storage.
| HP Spectre Folio | |||||
| Core i5 | Core i7 | ||||
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8200Y 1.3-3.9 GHz 5W TDP |
Intel Core i7-8500Y 1.5-4.2 GHz 5W TDP |
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| RAM | 8 to 16 GB LPDDR3-1866 | ||||
| Storage | 256GB to 2TB NVMe SSD | ||||
| Display | 13.3" 1920x1080 IPS Corning Gorilla Glass 4 UHD Panel Available Soon |
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| Wireless | Intel 802.11ac Wi-Fi Intel XMM 7560 LTE Advanced Pro optional |
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| Audio | Bang & Olufsen quad-speakers | ||||
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit | ||||
| I/O | 2 x Thunderbolt 3 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A (via included dongle) Headset jack |
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| Battery | 54.28-Wh battery 65-Watt AC Adapter |
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| Dimensions | 12.6 x 9.23 x 0.60 inches | ||||
| Weight | 3.28 lbs | ||||
| Ships with | Digital Pen USB-C to A dongle |
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| Prices | $1299.99 and up | ||||
There are a couple of display options, with the base model coming with a 1920x1080 13.3-inch panel HP is rating for 300 nits, or a 1-Watt model that’s rated for 400 nits. Later this year, there will be a UHD panel as well. All of the displays of course offer touch, and pen support.
HP is claiming up to 19 hours of battery life in “mixed” usage from the 55 Wh battery, and the 65-Watt AC adapter should charge it quickly.
The laptop isn’t as thin and light as other recent 13-inch models, but it should still be fairly easy to tote around thanks to the 0.6-inch thickness and 3.28 lb weight.
Those that need lots of connectivity will be happy to see the two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support though, and the laptop will be available with LTE as well.
At HP’s event, their tagline was “HP Reinvents the PC” and on some level they have done that. The leather form factor is definitely an interesting idea. The leather is used as the hinge, and there are magnets strategically placed to lock the laptop into the various positions. The form factor itself has been done before though, with reasonable success by Acer.
For those that want to take the new Spectre Folio for a spin, it is available today starting at $1299.99.
Source: HP
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IntelUser2000 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
It's heavy for a convertible. Their Spectre x360 2-in-1 is 2.8lbs, with a 15W U chip.I'm afraid at this high price, it might turn out to be a short-lived product. And we've yet to see if Amberlake is a decent advancement in the battery life department. I'm not expecting any gains on the platform side.
You have to go for the 1W panel to have advantages. 1W saving is pretty decent. It'll be anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours of gain. But the rest? I'm not so sure.
Byte - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
This or a iPhone XS Max. Decisions, decisions.Manch - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Yes its heavier than the other but it's not heavy. Do some curls!!erple2 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
I'm worried that if the hinging mechanism relies on Leather for it's "structural integrity", that's doomed to break (based on looking at various of my leather watch bands that I use daily). Is it metal-reinforced? Or literally all just leather?Rayb - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Leather, when is well processed will last a long time. The thickness is a factor on how well the leather will fare over time, a watch band is usually 2 thin pieces sewn together.I've own a leather belt for over 15 years and still my favorite, this looks to have that same thickness.
Sunrise089 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Concur. Full grain leather is plenty strong if it’s reasonably thick.I think this is a cool device. I’m not sold on the media mode as superior to a detachable keyboard, but at least the tradeoff is made for greater key travel. The real issue to me is the 5w processor. I’m not expecting a hex core but given the size of the device it seems like a 15w quad would make this much more viable as a productivity device.
wr3zzz - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
I think 15w might be too much for something that is wrapped in leather. I personally prefer 5w over fans.It does look like a stressed line could develop where the notebook bends into tablet mode. Decent leather could still easily last years though, if not decades. A lot of leather watch bands or even belts are cardboard/foam sandwiched within thin sheets of leather. Those are lucky to last over even a few months. I doubt HP will use those on their flagship laptop.
Stressed lines and scratches also look way classier on good leather than on plastics or metals. A "seasoned" briefcase looks dignified but on phone or notebook just screams "replace me".
Samus - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
I agree, the design choices of internal components match the design choice of external construction.The i5-8350, which 15w TDP, has a TDP up of 25w TDP and has been measured at 32w during prolonged boost. So it was entirely unreasonable for consideration in a LEATHER WRAPPED device.
5W, with a TDP up not exceeding 10w, on the other hand is is pretty realistic assuming the frame is magnesium and there is enough surface area. Keep in mind the NVMe SSD could consume up to 5w at load for all we know...
MonkeyPaw - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
I have a really good pair of boots that I’ve worn to work every single day for 5 years. The soles are worn, but the leather is still perfectly in tact. I have a leather sofa that is over 10 years old that has also held up really well—worn, but no rips or failures. If done well, leather can last a really long time, probably longer than the internals of the laptop itself.digiguy - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Please note that there is no USB A, just a dongle in the box...