It was last year when HP simplified its branding. Instead of various series such as Pavilion, Envy, and Spectre, which more often than not confused potential buyers, it brought all its consumer-grade laptops under the OmniBook series, while enterprise-grade machines went under the EliteBook branding. While we’ve already seen the OmniBook laptops last year (I personally use an OmniBook 7), this strategy is bearing fruit at this year’s CES with a suite of offerings.
The OmniBook series now has a full-fledged portfolio, but we’ll be focusing on the OmniBook number series in this article.
Table of Contents
Understanding the lineup
Even in the number series, HP is offering a ton of models under the OmniBook branding:
1. OmniBook 3 comes with three screen sizes of 14-inch, 16-inch, and 17.3-inch, and is an ideal option for students or casual users.
2. OmniBook 5 ships with 14-inch and 16-inch panels, as well as a Flip model with a 14-inch display, making it perfect for those who are looking for a workhorse.
3. OmniBook 7 is available in 14-inch and 16-inch options, and is targeting creative professionals as well as power users.
All three series offer options with AMD or Intel, including AI chipsets as well as next-gen processors introduced by the chipmakers.
To make it easier and avoid confusion about the spec differences among multiple laptops, we’ll share our experience with the OmniBook 7.
Design: classy with appealing colours
The OmniBook laptops are a brilliant example of subdued elegance: while they don’t scream for attention, they still manage to do so. Available in three colour choices of Glacier Silver, Meteor Silver, and Powder Pink, they are perfect for carrying to meetings or working out of a cafe.
They’re also sturdy and durable, thanks to MIL-STD-810H certification. Weighing less than 2kg, they can be carried in one hand.
There’s no shortage of options regarding the ports. You get 2 USB Type-C ports, 2 USB Type A ports, 1 HDMI 2.1 port and 1 3.5mm socket. There’s support for the latest wireless technologies too – Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.
For video calls, there’s a 5MP IR camera.
I liked the typing experience on the laptop too. The keys have good travel, and it didn’t take me long to get used to them.
Display: for your eyes only
The 14-inch model of the OmniBook 7 ships with IPS/OLED panels and offers up to 3K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 16-inch option, on the other hand, comes with up to 2.5K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate.
Performance: wouldn’t break a sweat
As mentioned earlier, you can choose either Intel or AMD processors for these laptops. Graphics-wise, AMD models include up to Radeon 890M graphics or Next-Gen AI Graphics. In contrast, select Intel SKUs can be configured with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU with a dedicated 8GB GDDR7 memory.
As far as memory is concerned, you can get up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM and up to 2TB SSD (for the OmniBook 7 16).
Battery: One charger to rule them all could finally be a reality!
The HP OmniBook 7 draws power from a 4-cell battery. But the biggest change is that you can opt for an SKU with a 100W USB Type-C GaN charger. Yes! You can get a laptop charger which isn’t bigger than your smartphone’s charger. It might seem like a small thing, but believe me, it’s a game-changer for those who have to lug around multiple chargers for their devices.
AI and more
Over the last year or so, AI has proved itself that it’s not just a buzzword anymore. And HP can be considered the pioneer for introducing AI capabilities in its PCs. It was also one of the earlier partners with Microsoft for enabling Copilot+ PC experiences. The latest models are no different, as you get a dedicated Copilot key and Microsoft Studio Effects. HP has also refined a lot of its AI-based offerings, such as Look-to-Move, which moves the cursor based on camera tracking your head movement, and Task Group, which lets you capture all applications and your positions for each of them with just one button click, bringing them back. These are quite helpful features in day-to-day usage.
Closing thoughts
With the refresh, the HP OmniBook number series ensures that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for an affordable option or a specc’d-out model. Sadly, HP hasn’t disclosed pricing info or launch plans for the Indian market yet. Stay tuned to 91mobiles to know when these details come out. However, as mentioned in the introduction that I’m a proud owner of the OmniBook 7, and I’ve no doubts these new machines will impress potential buyers across price segments, if priced right.
Disclaimer: The writer attended HP @ CES Preview Event in New York in December. The opinions expressed in this article are entirely personal and remain independent of any brand influence.
