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HP Spectre Fold
The HP Spectre Fold is one of the newest Windows 11-powered foldable PCs. It can be used as a laptop, tablet, or even a desktop thanks to its big 17-inch foldable OLED display, which has a 4:3 aspect ratio and 2560x1920 resolution. It also has a Bluetooth keyboard and comes with an HP MPP 2.0 pen for versatile use.
Pros- Has a bigger 17-inch screen
- Has a built-in kickstand
- Keyboard and pen included, and keyboard can recharge on screen
Cons- Crazy expensive
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2
The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is a much better foldable PC from Lenovo when compared to the original. It sports a faster CPU, a bigger screen, a better keyboard, and so much more.
Pros- Sports a classic ThinkPad look
- Has a higher resolution screen
- Made with recycled materials
Cons- Not yet avaialble for purchase
While the market for foldable PCs is quite niche and isn't as big as the best laptops, they are still quite special. It's why when compared to the best HP laptops, the new HP Spectre Fold is unique since it can be used in three different ways thanks to the massive foldable 17-inch OLED screen. But before that, there was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, which stands out from the best tablets on its own due to that foldable form factor.
No doubt, along with the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, which came before it, the HP Spectre Fold is yet another foldable PC. So, are you wondering how the new HP Spectre Fold compares to Lenovo's own ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2? Worry no more. We'll be taking a look at the design heritage, the performance, the display, and much more between these two devices.
HP Spectre Fold vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Pricing and availability
Neither of these devices are currently available for purchase right now. The HP Spectre Fold is currently up for pre-order at Best Buy and HP's website and is set for availability in October. On the other hand, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 was announced September 2022. Lenovo promised that it'd be on sale in November 2022, starting at $2,500, but that time has since passed, and it's still not available for purchase.
HP Spectre Fold Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 CPU 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1250U Up to 12th-generation Intel Core i7 with vPro GPU Integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics Integrated Intel iris Xe graphics RAM 16GB LPDDR5 Up to 32GB LPDDR5 Storage 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 Display (Size, Resolution) 17-inch 1920x2560 foldable OLED touch screen, 400 nits SDR brightness, 500 nits HDR brightness 16.3-inch OLED display, 4:3 aspect ratio, 2560x2024 resolution, 600 nits brightness Camera HP True Vision 5MP IR webcam 5MP Windows Hello IR Webcam Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2, Optional Nano SIM Slot Dimension Folded: 7.53x10.91x0.84 inches Unfolded 14.81x10.91x0.33 inches Folded: 10.87x6.9x0.68 inches Unfolded: 10.87x13.61x0.34 inches
Design
Both of these products are foldable PCs, but that's just the core form factor that they share. Generally, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is a smaller device than the HP Spectre Fold, since it comes in at 16 inches. On the other hand, the HP Spectre Fold is an inch bigger at 17 inches. That's pretty much the difference here, but HP still calls the Spectre Fold one of the thinnest foldable PCs.
If you look at the dimensions, you'll see why. The HP Spectre foldable comes with a 10.91-inch width, a 14.81-inch depth, and a 0.33-inch thickness when unfolded. Folded, it has a 10.91-inch width, a 7.53-inch depth, and a 0.84-inch thickness. The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, meanwhile, is slightly smaller, but it is thicker. When unfolded the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 has a 10.87-inch width, a 13.61-inch depth, and a 0.34-inch thickness. Folded, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 sports a 10.87-inch width, a 10.87-inch depth, and a 0.68-inch thickness. In terms of thickness here, the Spectre Fold wins.
Of course, other than those measurements, these devices look different, too. The Spectre Fold sports a Slate Blue color, and the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 has your classic Storm Gray ThinkPad look to it. Note that the Spectre Fold doesn't have a physical cover, though. The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 uses a cover to help stand it up in the horizontal position, whereas the HP Spectre Folable has a kickstand on the rear. Both devices also use recycled materials. The ThinkPad top cover uses 100% recycled PET plastics, and other recycled materials in the speakers, battery, and power adapter. As for the HP, it uses 50% recycled plastics and 90% recycled metals.
Other than that, the port selection is different, too. The HP Spectre Folable only has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. On the other hand, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 slightly outmatches that, since it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a USB-C 3.2 port. You get an extra port on the HP.
Display
The other big difference between these foldable PCs are the displays. Indeed, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 sports a smaller 16.3-inch display, or a 12-inch display when folded. Its resolution comes in at 2560x2024, which is quite high, and the aspect ratio is 4:3, with brightness peaking at up to 600 nits in HDR content. On the other side of things, the HP Spectre Fold has a bigger 17-inch display. Its resolution is lower at 1920x2560, too, but it supports HDR 500. Of course, both devices sport OLED panels, which brings superb levels of contrast, and color accuracy, so that should not be a concern. These aren't the typical IPS or LCD displays you see on laptops.
In choosing the right foldable laptop, you'd want to consider those two factors. What's more important to you? A bigger screen, or a screen with a higher resolution? For sure, either will be great, since you'll get plenty of room for multitasking. But we understand that some people might prefer the additional resolution of the ThinkPad when it comes to pushing the most possible pixels out of the available screen real estate. And yes, both of these devices have pen support. On the ThinkPad, it's optional. But with the HP Spectre Fold, you get one in the box. Lenovo makes it optional.
Keyboard
Both of these devices have a keyboard, which can prop on the bottom screen, so you can use these foldables as a traditional laptop. On the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, it's optional, and you'd have to buy it separately. The Bluetooth keyboard is pretty great, though. It's a full-size keyboard that's backlit with a ThinkPad TrackPoint and Haptic Touchpad. HP offers a similar keyboard, and it's included in the box for you. HP mentioned the keyboard can wirelessly recharge when it's attached to the bottom screen, which is pretty neat. Lenovo's keyboard has to be charged externally.
Performance
While we haven't had the chance to test the performance on either of these devices, both the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 and the HP Spectre Foldable share the same CPUs. That means performance should be the same. Lenovo hasn't been specific on which CPU is inside the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, but we believe that it's Intel 12th Generation U9-series Core i5 or Core i7, vPro, and non-vPro CPUs. That's a similar part on the HP Spectre Foldable, which uses the 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1250U. Lenovo has a slight advantage, though, since there's a Core i5 option, which is usually cheaper.
Generally, this is an extremely low-wattage CPU, so you can't expect performance for photo editing or gaming. Rather, these foldable PCs will be for web browsing only. The low wattage will benefit battery life, though, especially when you consider the power-hungry OLED screen. We reviewed the cousin to these foldables, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, which uses the same CPU as the HP Spectre Foldable, and performance was just fine for gaming in Asphalt Xtreme, though gaming was really poor. Productivity excelled, though, with six tabs in Chrome without any problems. Expect the same performance from HP's and Lenovo's foldable, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z1 Fold Gen 2 does have more RAM at 32GB over the HP's 16GB.
We'd settle for the HP Spectre Fold
We're looking forward to testing it, but right now, the HP Spectre Fold definitely seems to be one of the best foldable PCs. The design is great, it has a large screen and comes with a keyboard and pen, and we have hope the performance will be great. As one of the newest foldable PCs, it takes lessons learned from Lenovo's first ThinkPad X1 Fold, and even the Zenbook 17 Fold, and seems very promising. The only issue is that it's crazy expensive at $5,000.
HP Spectre Fold
The HP Spectre Fold is one of the newest Windows 11-powered foldable PCs. It can be used as a laptop, tablet, or even a desktop thanks to its big 17-inch foldable OLED display, which has a 4:3 aspect ratio and 2560x1920 resolution. It also has a Bluetooth keyboard and comes with an HP MPP 2.0 pen for versatile use.
On the other side of things, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is still a good foldable PC. It has a smaller screen, but its starting price is nearly half that of what HP asks for the Spectre Fold. Performance should be similar to what you'd get with the HP Spectre fold, but you end up having to spend extra for peripherals like the keyboard and pen.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2
The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is a much better foldable PC from Lenovo when compared to the original. it sports a faster CPU, a bigger screen, a better keyboard, and so much more.