Good value when selling
The most popular Chrome OS tablet right now is the HP Chromebook X2 11. Of course, there aren’t many Chrome OS tablets out there, but still: this is the last one to consider. And there are a lot of things that I really like about this little 11 inch slate. In fact, I love it more than when I shared my first impressions. Is it worth your consideration and your budget? I would say yes, provided you can find it on sale from its regular price of $ 599.99. I explain why in this HP Chromebook X2 11 review.
Excellent design, look and feel
I think most of the excitement surrounding the HP Chromebook X2 11 is around the overall design. It’s also justified: compared to previous Chrome OS tablets, this is an observer. And it has some cool hardware features that are omitted on other older slates.
For starters, the 11-inch touchscreen is a pleasure to watch, thanks to its 2160 x 1440 resolution touchscreen. The screen is bright at 400 nits and has excellent color and viewing range as well as reasonably sized bezels. small. I like to use this screen for both content consumption and general web use.
The device itself is made from aluminum and, as I mentioned before, looks like an iPad at first glance. I’d call him a pro, not a jerk, but it’s just me. What this really means is that the tablet is sturdy and well made. Without any plastic involved, I can’t flex the device and display it at all.
As well as having the two USB Type-C ports on the bottom left of the side, HP made some excellent design choices with the rest of the slate. Yes it’s nice to have two USB ports but I would rather see them on opposite sides.
The power button at the top left that doubles as a fingerprint sensor? It’s great and I connect to the HP Chromebook X2 11 quickly. The volume rocker and the microSD card slot next to the USB ports on the left are fine for me as well. This leaves room for the included HP stylus on the right side where a magnet holds it and charges it.
And maybe the best part are the accessories, with one exception.
These are similar to those included with last year’s Lenovo Duet Chromebook, but a bit better in some ways. The magnetic kickstand attaches strongly to the back of the screen and offers a wide range of custom angles, for example. The detachable keyboard is also carefully designed, even attaching to the bottom of the screen for a better typing angle and for more stability in your lap. I find the keyboard acceptable but not great for typing and the trackpad is also average.
However, this particular component is insufficient for me personally for a specific reason. I know this is a 2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard and not a laptop. But the whole point of adding a keyboard to a slate is to create a laptop-like form factor. If you plan to use this device on a flat surface, such as a desk or table, you will be fine. But using it on a tour for me was a disappointment.
The keyboard mount has far too much flex for this purpose. I can’t seem to get over the many times that lightly resting a palm triggers a mouse click when using the HP Chromebook X2 11 in my lap.
And it’s not just me: I’ve read a few reviews that mention the keyboard as a downside. It’s a shame because the idea of ââa portable device like this is to allow for on-the-go use in almost any scenario.
Is performance representative of a $ 600 Chrome OS device?
Stepping away from the overall design and general use, let’s talk about what’s inside the HP Chromebook X2 11.
Due to timing and possibly other issues, HP chose Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c compute platform to power the X2 11. This chipset was introduced in 2019, so keep your performance expectations under control. Initially, there wasn’t much of a performance difference between this device and last year’s Lenovo Chromebook Duet. After spending more time with both, however, I saw that the X2 11 runs a little easier and slightly faster than the Duet when it performs the exact same tasks. It’s not a huge jump in performance, but it is there.
I see a little more pep from the X2 11 when opening apps or browser tabs, for example. Switching between apps in preview mode is also always smoother. The same goes for opening and running most of the Android apps I’ve tested, although I wouldn’t buy it as a replacement for an Android tablet.
It’s possible, probably even, that having twice the Duet’s memory helps the X2 11, but does it matter? You get a slightly better experience
Benchmarks are perhaps the best way to provide tangible insight. Remember that these are general performance indicators.
Note that I’m including another Chrome OS tablet that you can still buy second-hand for less: the old Pixel Slate. And, for reference, the recent Lenovo IdeaPad 5i with its new Pentium processor. No, it’s not a Chrome OS tablet, however, it’s included simply as a benchmark between processors available in entry-level devices. It’s more of a âbang for the buckâ inclusion since this Chromebook is cheaper than the HP Chromebook X2 11.
Test | Lenovo Chromebook Duo MediaTek P60T |
HP Chromebook X2 11 Snapdragon 7c |
Google Pixel Slate 8th Generation Core i5-Y |
IdeaPad 5i 11th generation Pentium |
---|---|---|---|---|
Speedometer 1.0 | 48.59 | 90.93 | 137 | 249.8 |
Speedometer 2.0 | 29.52 | 51.4 | 84.2 | 144.0 |
JetStream 2 | 37.65 | 58.25 | 146.52 | 130.35 |
Reference 3.0 | 210.02 | 276.69 | 476.86 | 1032.8 |
Octane 2.0 | 10,518 | 22,314 | 32,022 | 47 152 |
Obviously, the comparison numbers between the Chromebook Duet and the HP Chromebook X2 11 show that the latter has more power. Some numbers might suggest it, but don’t think it’s twice as fast in most use cases.
Make no mistake, though: it’s still underperforming most other newer entry-level devices that cost a lot less. I would say you buy the HP X2 11 Chromebook for the portability factor versus productivity usage.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use the device to be productive. I did this for a full week. And aside from the relative slowness of other devices that cost less, that’s fine. But the strength of this tablet is really when you want to watch something or do light work in a burst of various places.
What else is inside the HP Chromebook X2 11?
I’ve covered display and processor attributes, so here’s a look at the rest of the hardware in terms of specs:
CPU | Eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c computing platform up to 2.4 GHz |
GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 618 GPU |
Display | 11 inch IPS 2160 x 1440 display, glossy finish, 3: 2 aspect ratio, 400 nits brightness |
Memory | 8 GB DDR4x-2133 MHz memory |
Storage room | 64 eMMC storage, MicroSD card slot for expansion |
Connectivity | 802.11ac (2 Ã 2) Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Grab | Detachable non-backlit keyboard, multitouch trackpad 5M wide view webcam and 8 MP wide view rear camera, Dual array microphones and stylus included |
Ports | 2 SuperSpeed ââUSB Type-C ports with 5 GB transfer speeds, PD, Data and DisplayPort 1.2 support |
Drums | 32 WHr, expected autonomy up to 11 hours |
Weight | 2.57 lbs with accessories |
Software | Chrome OS automatic updates until June 2029 |
You don’t get the fastest USB Type-C speeds, memory, connectivity, or storage here. But that’s fine for a small portable Chrome OS tablet. For many buyers, this is more of a secondary device than a primary device. Keep in mind that there is no headphone jack, so you will need a pair that supports Bluetooth or USB Type-C. The Bang and Olufsen dual speakers also don’t sound any different from most entry-level Chromebooks.
Webcams are like many other things: acceptable and functional, but not great. And the stylus falls into the same category, although that could be due to a lack of optimized writing or drawing apps. I’m seeing annoying pen latency, depending on the app. Still, using the stylus is convenient.
And kudos to HP for their battery complaints. No, I have never seen the “up to 11 hours” run time. But I hit 10 hours once and used an average of 8-9 hours most days. The included 45W USB-type charger is also quite fast, so in just an hour you can fully charge your tablet.
Should you buy the HP X2 11 Chromebook?
If you are specifically looking for a lightweight and portable Chrome OS solution, this device is worth considering. No, it’s not the fastest by any means, but the general use-case of using the web on the go is fulfilled here. However, at the full price of $ 599.99, I would say we have to wait. Just wait for a sale as we saw the price drop to $ 379. At this price you get a a lot best value. At full cost I think you are paying too much for what you get.
Another way to look at it. I have seen many HP Chromebook X2 11 buyers who are very happy with their purchase. They are not looking for a powerful device. But almost all of them bought this tablet at a discount. I’m sure there are a few people who are happy with their $ 599.99 purchase, however, I haven’t heard from any of them. If you are in either camp let me know what you think of the device and if you bought it for less than the retail price.
Also, don’t forget: the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook with a next-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c is available now and costs $ 499. This chip is mostly the same as the first generation processor but is slightly more clocked.
You keep the 8 GB of memory and get double the storage. Yes, this is a larger device with a 13.3 inch 1080p OLED touchscreen. But in a laptop scenario, you are less limited by the size of the keyboard. This detachable Chrome OS tablet weighs 1.5 pounds without the keyboard and kickstand, so it probably weighs a little more than the HP Chromebook X2 11 while still being nearly as portable.
Or, if a smaller screen, better keyboard, and half-step performance does the trick, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet can be bought for $ 300 or less. It really depends on the performance you’re looking for in a portable Chrome OS tablet.