HP offers some of the most beautiful laptops on the market, with its Spectre range being the most stunning. However, with the new Spectre x360 16, a 16-inch 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop, that dynamic will be flipped. This laptop isn’t just lovely; it also wants to make you beautiful.
HP claims that the Spectre x360 16, which starts at $1,639, is the first 16-inch laptop with an “integrated, intelligent” 5MP webcam. That isn’t all, though. It also comes with an application called HP GlamCam. It’s unclear what GlamCam will accomplish, but one of its key features, Beauty Mode, is supposed to “touch up skin, teeth, and eyes” during video conversations, according to HP. According to HP, the idea is to maintain users’ focus on what they’re saying, not their appearance.
Of course, there are valid reasons to oppose the widespread usage of beauty filters, which are available on a variety of social media platforms and have been popular for decades (though their use in real-time video is a recent advance). Some experts have warned that their widespread use of social media may contribute to children’s and teenagers’ excessive beauty standards. On the other hand, this is a function that Zoom has had for over a year and one that many adult employees have hailed as a lifesaver during a stressful period when it was impossible for many to prioritize primping. (As a premium workstation, the Spectre x360 16 isn’t the type of laptop I’d expect to see many kids using.) It will undoubtedly be a fascinating feature to test.
Other features of GlamCam include Auto Frame (which keeps the camera’s focus on you if you stand up and move around) and Lighting Correction, which make video chats easier. When the camera detects you leaving your workstation, the laptop may auto-lock and unlock itself, lower its screen when you look away and add blur if someone is behind you.
Aside from the software, HP has started including 5MP webcams in some of its other high-end devices. The $2,600 Elite Dragonfly Max gives a better picture than you’d expect from a laptop webcam, but it wasn’t a huge improvement. This one, on the other hand, features a real privacy shutter and supports Windows Hello facial recognition.
Aside from the webcam, the redesigned Spectre is available in two colours: “nocturne blue with celestial blue accents” or “nightfall black with pale brass accents.” With up to a UHD+ OLED display, it boasts a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio. It’s HP’s first consumer notebook constructed from recycled CNC aluminium, and it’s part of a larger sustainability initiative that HP has included into a number of its recent premium models. It has an Intel Core i7 processor up to 11th generation, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, and Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 compatibility. It will be accessible on HP’s website in October.
