Updated

Updated · CNET · Jun 18

HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Wins Review at Under $2,000 as Snapdragon X2 Beats Intel on Battery

Updated

Updated · CNET · Jun 18

HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Wins Review at Under $2,000 as Snapdragon X2 Beats Intel on Battery

Q: HP’s new laptop has a powerful AI chip, but will users notice the difference in their daily tasks?

Yes, but mostly in specific situations rather than in basic everyday computing. On the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, the Snapdragon X2 model’s 80-TOPS NPU is powerful enough to accelerate on-device AI features such as live captions, translation, webcam effects, image tools and other Copilot+ functions. Users who rely on those features, or who run local AI models, are the most likely to notice a real difference in speed, responsiveness and privacy because more of the work happens on the laptop instead of in the cloud. For routine tasks like web browsing, email, documents and streaming, the AI chip itself is less likely to feel transformative. What users are more likely to notice day to day is the Snapdragon model’s broader package: very strong CPU performance and much longer battery life, with testing showing about 19.5 hours in video streaming, more than two hours ahead of the Intel version. That kind of endurance is a practical benefit most buyers will feel immediately. There is also an important caveat. The hardware is ahead of some of the software. Reviews note that the full value of these NPUs depends on Windows and app developers making better use of them. In other words, the chip is ready, but not every daily app is. So for most buyers, the immediate payoff is better battery life and fast overall performance. The AI advantage becomes clearly noticeable if they use AI-heavy features regularly and if their software is optimized for Windows on Arm.

3 articles · Updated · CNET · Jun 18

HP’s OmniBook Ultra 14 emerged as the reviewer’s top all-around Windows pick, with the Snapdragon X2 version favored for stronger overall performance and longer battery life.
19.5 hours of battery life on the Snapdragon model topped the Intel version by more than two hours, while the Arm-based system also led in Geekbench 6, Cinebench 2024 and AI tests.
Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H model still held the graphics edge, posting 72 fps in Guardians of the Galaxy versus 23 fps for Snapdragon and 59 fps versus 35 fps in Tomb Raider.
At roughly 2.8 pounds, the 14-inch laptop was praised for its thin aluminum build, keyboard, touchpad and 3K OLED option, though sharp edges and a three-port USB-C-only setup were drawbacks.
Pricing remains the main caveat: Snapdragon configurations start at $1,900 but have dropped to $1,200, and the reviewer pegged the lineup’s sweet spot near $1,980 with discounts.