HP announced ‘the world’s thinnest laptop’ at the New York Times International Luxury Conference in Versailles this week: the 10.4mm Spectre 13. It is, as HP reminds us, as thin as an AAA battery.
The device “doesn’t compromise power or features,” said HP’s consumer personal systems VP Kevin Frost. It has a machined aluminium chassis and carbon fibre bottom, keeping total weight down at 1.1kg. A hidden piston hinge creates the illusion of a hinge-free design.
One of the ways in which HP achieved the thinness was to split the battery in two. The hybrid battery provides up to nine hours of life. The space thus saved means that, rather than an Intel Core-M processor – seen in most of today’s ultrabooks – HP has managed to squeeze in an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. Up to 512GB of SSD storage, and 8GB of RAM, are built in.
A new cooling system had to be designed for the laptop, which HP refers to as ‘hyperbaric’. Rather than simply venting hot air, the Spectre also draws in cool air.
The 13.3″ IPS panel has 1920 x 1080 resolution and is protected by Gorilla Glass, although there is no touch functionality – again, a compromise to keep the Spectre as thin as possible. For ports, HP has fully committed to USB-C, with three connectors, two of which support Thunderbolt 3.
HP will make the Spectre 13 available for pre-order on the 25th April, starting at $1,170.
