HP Spectre 13 (13.3-Inch, 2017) Series

Impossibly thin and light ; Top-notch looks ; Powerful hardware ; Not a bad price

Light on ports ; Second-rate trackpad

Positioned to compete with the likes of the Dell XPS 13 and the MacBook Pro, the HP Spectre 13 is pricier than the former, more affordable than the latter and more attractive than both.

Superb design ; USB-C-ness ; So light

Only a Full HD display ; Feels slightly flimsy ; No backlit keyboard

Truly striking design and high-quality build, more power than you might expect, good screen

Loud fans kick in at the drop of a hat, limited connections, battery life worse than some rivals

Quality, quality, quality with a side order of shiny gold hot pants is the HP Spectre 13's way. Whereas other recent HP laptops have made a great impression with their price, this one wants to make its design presence the appeal.

The HP Spectre 13 is desperate to appear a laptop of the future, and that comes with substantial pros and cons. Its supreme portability is quite wonderful, and while its design may polarise, it certainly is fancy. There's substance too, with a...

Super-thin – you’ll barely notice it in your bag ; Power, storage, battery life – it’s a petite performance champ ; We could type for days on that keyboard

Touchpad trouble ; So-so screen compared to the MacBook ; The bling thing

The thinnest laptop in the world isn’t a one-trick pony; HP’s crammed a lot of power into the Spectre’s tiny frame. It’s not quite “move over MacBook”, but it comes close.

At this price, the HP Spectre 13 finds itself pitted against everyone’s favourite ultraportable, the Dell XPS 13. And for all the Spectre 13’s plus points, that buying decision boils down to one simple question: how much do you value having a laptop...

Gorgeous white and gold styling. Extremely thin and light. Full HD touch screen. Excellent keyboard.

Diminutive, unresponsive touchpad.

Bottom Line: The HP Spectre 13 is powerful and thin, with a gorgeous white and gold design, making it both a status symbol and a very capable ultraportable laptop.