HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Spec Comparison

Ultrabooks are officially past that awkward teenage phase that involves experimenting with different styles and identities. A premium ultrabook in 2017 is convertible, lasts a long time without charging, is slim and compact, doesn’t struggle when running demanding applications, and features a high-resolution, touch-enabled display.

Both the HP Spectre x360 and the Lenovo Yoga 910 are prime examples of modern ultrabooks. They feature similar hardware components, are available at similar prices and are intended for similar target users. Yet, several fundamental differences are likely to make you choose one over the other.

HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Spec Comparison

HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Design: More Similarities Than Differences

With different-looking but otherwise identical 360-degree hinges, both ultrabooks can be used in the laptop mode, the tent mode, the tablet mode, and the stand mode. The Yoga 910 is the larger of the two, measuring 12.72 x 8.84 x 0.56 inches, while the Spectre measures 12.03 x 8.58 x 0.54 inches. It’s hard to notice it when carrying the ultrabook in a backpack, but there’s 0.19 pounds of weight difference in favor of the HP Spectre x360.

The most significant design difference comes from Lenovo’s ability to fit a 13.9-inch display into what’s essentially a standard 13.3-inch frame. To do that, all except the bottom bezel, have been eliminated. This blurs the line between the content on the screen and the real world around it. HP stuck with a traditional 13.3-inch display with a webcam where you would expect it—embedded in the top bezel. If you don’t use a webcam too often, you likely won’t mind it pointing at your nostrils. But if you do, the HP Spectre x360 can spare you some awkward moments.

HP and Lenovo are embracing the USB Type-C connector as the future of PC connectivity, but neither company is leaving out legacy devices. The HP Spectre x360 has two USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 3 for charging and 4K monitors, and the Lenovo Yoga 910 has one USB-C port for charging and one for video. Both ultrabooks also have a combo audio jack, and the Yoga 910 even features a 4-in-1 memory card reader.

For the latest version of the Spectre x360, HP has revamped the keyboard, decreasing the essential travel from 1.5mm to 1.3mm. The new keys require more force to press, which results in a more precise and assured typing experience. The keyboard on the Yoga 910 is up to Lenovo’s highly regarded standard, and the same applies to the high-precision touchpad. The Yoga 910 also has a fingerprint reader below the arrow key cluster, whereas the Spectre x360 lacks this security feature.

Winner: Tie. For the engineering point of view, the Yoga 910 is undeniably more impressive, with its large display in a compact body. But the awkwardly-placed webcam is guaranteed to turn off many potential buyers.

HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Display: Who Said 4K?

It’s 2017; when you spend some substantial amount on an ultrabook, you have every right to expect it to come with a  fantastic display. With the Spectre x360, you get a 13.3-inch screen that features an optically bonded design, making the pixels look like they’re floating on the glass touch panel that covers them. The Yoga 910 comes with a 13.9-inch display with up to 4K resolution. The Spectre x360 stops at the Full HD resolution, which we consider to be perfectly adequate for the size of the screen.

Given that the Yoga 910 has a 0.6 inches larger display than the Spectre x360, it makes sense for Lenovo to offer a version with the 4K resolution. Having four times as many pixels compared to the Full HD resolution on a 13.9-inch display makes for an incredibly sharp picture, but those extra pixels also drain the battery much faster. The choice then depends on what you value more: battery life or display quality.

Winner: Lenovo Yoga 910. Having the option to choose a version with a 4K display makes the Yoga 910 a winner, even if the extra resolution has a noticeable negative impact on the battery life.

HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Specifications:

Available with up to the Intel i7-7500U processor, the Intel HD 620 GPU, and 16 GB of RAM, the Spectre x360 and the Yoga 910 don’t struggle under any conditions. Both laptops are available with up to 512 GB PCIe SSD, offering plenty of room for data and applications. Benchmark scores aside, the two ultrabooks perform identically in the real world.

In terms of performance, the most significant difference is how long each ultrabook lasts on a full charge. The Lenovo Yoga 910 has a massive 78-Watt-hour battery, while the HP Spectre x360 has a lot smaller 57.8-Watt-hour battery. The extra battery capacity translates to roughly two more hours of battery life for the Yoga 910.

Even when pushed to the limit, neither ultrabook is unreasonably loud, but you can notice the fan spinning. When used for the web and document editing, both ultrabooks are dead quiet and pleasantly cold.

Winner: Lenovo Yoga 910. With otherwise identical internal components, the larger battery is enough to give the Yoga 910 an edge over the Spectre x360.

HP Spectre x360 vs Lenovo Yoga 910 Spec Comparison Verdict

Indeed, we would say that you should go with the Spectre x360 if you don’t need 16 GB of RAM nor a large storage capacity. If you do, however, the premium version of the Lenovo Yoga 910 is just a bit more enticing than the almost identically priced premium version of the Spectre x360.