Most of the thirteen-inch laptops I’ve reviewed over the past few years were excessive-end options, typically beginning at or above $1,000. Usually you’d get pretty first rate hardware and features for this rate, such as metallic our bodies, appropriate high-resolution displays, and powerful Intel Core i5 or i7 processors.

But for many people, spending $1,000 on a laptop isn't always viable, even if high-cease hardware is crucial. This is in which the HP Envy 13 comes in: it packs hardware that’s similar to a $1,000 laptop in a MacBook Air-like package deal, whole with a fee that starts at just $800. In a few methods, the Envy is the finances excessive-quit laptop that rate-aware shoppers may be after.

Read More : >For $800, you get a very respectable series of hardware. On the processor aspect, it’s equipped with an Intel ‘Skylake’ Core i5-6200U, paired with eight GB of RAM and a 128 GB solid kingdom drive. The display is a thirteen.3-inch 1080p IPS LCD, despite the fact that for just $50 (a bargain in the PC space) you can upgrade that to a excessive-resolution QHD+ panel.

In different markets, inclusive of Australia, there’s an even inexpensive version to be had with a Core i3-6100U and simply 4 GB of RAM. That’s the model I even have reachable for review, and it will likely be exciting to peer how the weaker hardware on provide stacks up.

As a ways because the layout is involved, the Envy 13 is one of the higher laptops I’ve visible at this fee factor, and it competes very well with Apple’s greater high priced MacBook Air. By far my favored feature is the size: sure, it’s larger than Dell’s XPS thirteen in both axes, however it’s a lot thinner at simply 12.95mm at its thickest factor. The Envy is likewise quite mild, at 1.27 kg (2.eighty one lbs), which allows make the laptop feel very transportable.

HP’s all-metallic body for the Envy thirteen is notable from each a visual and textural viewpoint. The use of silver aluminium at the lid, across the keyboard, on the bottom, and even around the sides of this computer offers it a awesome unibody appearance. The only seam I observed became between the bottom panel and the edges, which is hidden in most cases. And permit’s now not forget how amazing it feels to keep a steel laptop; it’s without a doubt leagues ahead of some thing plastic.

Due to tremendous use of metal, there’s no longer a lot flare to the design. The lid functions a easy monochrome HP brand, even as the keyboard surrounds includes some primary textual content emblems. There is no coloration found everywhere across the frame, and the handiest point of comparison is the black show bezels. This gives the Envy a clean and understated look, that is something I decide upon in my pc layout.

Not every visible component to the Envy thirteen is wonderful, and no longer the whole thing is in reality made from metallic. I’m no longer a fan of the plastic black bezel that surrounds the display, and after opening the lid for the first time it at once stood out to me as searching reasonably-priced. The matte end to the plastic, mixed with an inset matte non-touchscreen show, is excellent for lowering fingerprints, however it jogs my memory of an access-level laptop rather than some thing top-tier.

On the opposite hand, I’m a large fan of the Envy thirteen’s hinge layout. The lid is curved on the hinge, and whilst opened, this curve transforms into the rear stand for the pc, propping up the bottom at a comfortable perspective for typing. Aside from its exquisite capability, it looks splendid, and from some angles makes it seem like the base is floating above the display’s curved stand. The hinge lets in for a first rate variety of show angles, though you’re not getting a a hundred and eighty- or 360-degree hinge like some competitors.

The main function to the bottom of the Envy 13 is the Bang & Olufsen audio machine, which sees prominent speaker grilles on either facet of the keyboard. Obviously these grills are broadly speaking for show – the speakers aren’t really as huge as they’re made out to be – however I was inspired with their high-quality considering they’re small computer drivers.

The bottom of the Envy includes some small rubber ft to elevate the computer for cooling. As for cooling, there are only some small vents in the direction of the rear of the frame that intake and exhaust into the hinge place. For the maximum element, the cooling answer remained inaudible in all but the most intense use instances.

For ports, the Envy includes a median choice. On the left is a USB 3.0 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and SD card slot; while on the right are a similarly USB three.zero ports, HDMI, and a proprietary electricity port. One brilliant and disappointing omission is USB Type-C, that's turning into increasingly more famous, and as a end result you pass over out on Thunderbolt three and USB 3.1 gen 2. I’d have favored to look a USB 3.0 port replaced through Thunderbolt 3 to future evidence this computer to a better quantity.

The different exceptional function located on this pc is a swipe fingerprint reader, which is located at the bottom proper fringe of the keyboard. The sensor works with Windows Hello to offer better safety for the pc, and it was reasonably correct and rapid to apply all through my time trying out the feature. I’d have preferred to look a touch fingerprint sensor like on present day smartphones but I’m yet to look this on any computer.