The HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) is a 13-inch 2-in-1 convertible Windows laptop. It replaces the HP ENVY x360 with AMD Ryzen 4000-series CPUs from early 2020. This new model is very similar to its predecessor in design, as it's largely an internal upgrade. It's available with Intel 11th Gen. or AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs and multiple display options, including a new OLED panel. There's also now Thunderbolt 4 support, but only on Intel models.
We tested the 13.3 inch HP ENVY x360 laptop with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 1080p 60Hz IPS display with an advertised brightness of 1000 cd/m². It's also available with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Core i7-1195G7, AMD Ryzen 5 5600U, or AMD Ryzen 7 5800U CPU. You can get up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. There are four display options: a 1080p 60Hz IPS panel with 250 cd/m² brightness, a 1080p 60Hz IPS panel with 400 cd/m² brightness, a 1080p 60Hz IPS panel with 1000 cd/m² brightness, and a 1080p 60Hz OLED panel with 400 cd/m² brightness.
Our Verdict
The HP ENVY x360 is very good for school use. It's a versatile laptop that you can use as a tablet to take notes, with a compact size that makes it easy to carry around. Its battery life is outstanding and will last through a full day as long as you don't perform any demanding tasks like gaming. The display looks sharp, the keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods, and the touchpad is smooth and responsive. You can configure the laptop with an Intel 11th Gen. or AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPU, all of which are fast enough to handle light productivity tasks.
- Very bright display is well-suited for well-lit environment.
- Compact design makes it easy to carry around.
- Long battery life for light productivity and video playback.
- Keyboard feels great to type on.
- Very good port selection.
- Poor webcam video quality, microphone sounds hollow and tinny.
- Reflections can be distracting.
The HP ENVY x360 is sub-par for gaming. As it's a thin and light laptop designed for productivity, you can only configure it with a 60Hz screen. Also, it's only available with integrated graphics, which aren't powerful enough to handle graphically demanding games. Unfortunately, the CPU throttles under load, and only the storage is user-upgradeable.
- Very good port selection.
- Outstanding single-core CPU performance.
- Integrated GPU not powerful enough for demanding games.
- 60Hz refresh rate and no VRR.
- CPU throttles under load.
- Hard to access internals; few user-upgradeable parts.
The HP ENVY x360 is decent for media consumption. Our unit has a very bright 1080p display with an excellent contrast ratio and full sRGB coverage, and you can upgrade to an OLED screen if you want even better image quality. If you view content on the go, the battery life is outstanding, and the compact chassis makes the laptop very portable. The screen's out-of-the-box color accuracy is terrible, so you might have to calibrate it to get the best experience. Also, the speakers are sub-par, as they sound tinny and hollow.
- Very bright display is well-suited for well-lit environment.
- Compact design makes it easy to carry around.
- Long battery life for light productivity and video playback.
- Great for dark room viewing due to excellent contrast ratio.
- Terrible color accuracy out of the box.
- Sub-par speakers.
- Reflections can be distracting.
The HP ENVY x360 is okay for use as a workstation. Although it's available with CPUs that can handle relatively demanding tasks, its graphical performance is limited because you can't configure it with a discrete GPU. The CPU also throttles under load, which isn't ideal for heavy sustained workloads. On the bright side, it has a fast NVMe SSD and a very good port selection, including Thunderbolt 4 support on the Intel configurations. Sadly, the only user-upgradeable part is the storage drive.
- Very good port selection.
- Outstanding single-core CPU performance.
- Fast NVMe SSD.
- CPU throttles under load.
- Integrated GPU can't handle heavy workloads.
- Hard to access internals; few user-upgradeable parts.
The HP ENVY x360 is good for business and light productivity. It's a compact laptop that's easy to carry around, with enough battery life to last through a typical 8-hour workday. As it's a 2-in-1 convertible, you can use it as a tablet to take notes or put it into tent mode to show your work to clients. It's available with an Intel or AMD CPU, all of which are powerful enough to handle light productivity tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The keyboard feels comfortable to type on, and there are plenty of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 ports. Sadly, the webcam is sub-par, and it's hard to access the internals for repairs and upgrades.
- Very bright display is well-suited for well-lit environment.
- Compact design makes it easy to carry around.
- Long battery life for light productivity and video playback.
- Keyboard feels great to type on.
- Very good port selection.
- Poor webcam video quality, microphone sounds hollow and tinny.
- Reflections can be distracting.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 02, 2022: We've updated the review to improve readability.
- Updated Oct 13, 2022: Added mention of the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) as an alternative with a better touchpad.
- Updated Jan 18, 2022: We've re-evaluated the scoring for ports and lowered the score by 0.5 point.
- Updated Nov 01, 2021: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 13.3-inch HP ENVY x360 2 in 1 (model 13m-bd0023dx) equipped with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 1080p 60Hz IPS display with an advertised 1000 cd/m² brightness and optional privacy screen. The CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and display are configurable; you can see the options in the table below. The stylus is usually included when you purchase the laptop directly from HP. Our unit comes from a third-party seller.
Note: We performed all the display tests with the privacy screen disabled.
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Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar HP ENVY x360 convertible that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The HP ENVY x360 is among the best 2-in-1 convertible laptops in its price range. It stands out for its sturdy build, comfortable keyboard, and excellent battery life.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops, the best business laptops, and the best 13-14 inch laptops.
The HP Chromebook x360 14 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both laptops with 360-degree hinges and touchscreens that you can use in tablet mode, but the Chromebook runs Chrome OS, while the ENVY runs Windows. The ENVY is a significantly better laptop overall, with a better-quality build, an extremely bright screen you can use in direct sunlight, a better-feeling keyboard, and a more flexible port selection. Also, the ENVY is more portable, its battery lasts much longer, and you can get it with a variety of powerful AMD and Intel CPUs and faster NVMe SSD storage. On the other hand, the Chromebook has better-sounding speakers, and since it's fanless, it's completely silent even under load.
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2, 2022) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both ultraportable laptops designed for general productivity. The Apple laptop is a better device overall as it has a sturdier build, a sharper display, a larger and more responsive touchpad, and a much better webcam. The Apple laptop's M2 SoC is faster than the HP laptop's Intel 11th Gen processors, which means you can perform more demanding tasks while experiencing fewer slowdowns and stutters. However, the HP has a wider port selection, and it's a 2-in-1 convertible, meaning you can use it as a tablet. It's also available with some features that the Apple laptop lacks, like a 1000 cd/m² display and a privacy filter to hide the contents of your screen from prying eyes.
The LG gram 17 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both thin and light Windows laptops. Both are configurable with Intel 11th Gen CPUs, though the HP has additional AMD Ryzen 5000-series options. The HP has a smaller screen, but unlike the LG, it supports touch input, and its 360-degree hinge lets you use the laptop as a tablet. The HP also has multiple display options like an IPS panel with 1000 cd/m² brightness and an OLED that produces inky blacks. On the other hand, the LG has a larger touchpad with better tracking, better-sounding speakers, and a much better webcam for video calls. The LG also has a wider port selection as it gives you an HDMI and a second USB-C port, and its battery life lasts nearly 3 hours longer for light productivity workloads.
The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both ultraportable Windows laptops. However, the HP is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge, while the Dell is a standard clamshell laptop. The Dell laptop offers a better user experience as it has a larger and more responsive touchpad, much better-sounding speakers, and a better webcam for video calls. On the other hand, the HP has USB-A ports in addition to its USB-C port, whereas the Dell only has USB-Cs. The HP also has longer battery life, especially for video playback. The Dell is available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs only, while the HP is available with Intel 11th Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs. The display's performance depends on which panel you choose, as both laptops offer various display options.
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