In use

Every time I write about a convertible Chromebook, I have to preface things by saying that I find very little utility in flipping a relatively large and heavy device around into tablet mode, so how well that works has little bearing on my evaluation. That said, the Chromebook Flip C436 has a strong and smooth hinge, whether you flip the screen all the way around or just use it as a laptop. And the recent release of Chrome OS 81 actually makes that tablet experience better with some new gestures and UI tweaks. Tablet mode has long been a sore spot for Chrome OS, with plenty of lag switching apps and moving through the UI, but it’s actually pretty smooth on the C436.

More important is how the C436 performs as a laptop — and with the powerful hardware on board here, this was one of the best Chrome OS experiences I’ve ever had. The $799 base C436 comes with a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s more than enough Chromebook for most people, but the $999 model I’m testing steps up to a Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. In both cases, ASUS is using Intel’s more powerful U-series processors rather than the low-power Y series chips found in the previous Flip. That means better performance, but also the fans kicked in regularly, even if I wasn’t pushing things too hard.

Even that base model represents a big upgrade over the 2019 Flip, which had an m3 processor and a relatively paltry 4GB of RAM. Unsurprisingly, the $999 Flip C436 I used had no problem keeping up with my workflow, which isn’t terribly processor-intensive.. I usually have a couple Chrome windows going with six to 10 tabs in each, and then a host of Chrome apps in their own windows. Those include Todoist, Keep, Hangouts, Telegram, Trello, Tweetdeck and Slack; I also usually stream music with the Spotify or YouTube Music Android apps. The C436 has the same processor as the Galaxy Chromebook, but double the RAM. This meant I basically never hit any slowdowns or hiccups.

Last year’s Flip was a computer I could throw in my bag if it was charged and not have to worry about the battery running out, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for the Flip C436. I got a good nine hours of work time on the older Flip with its m3 processor, but this year’s model only lasted about six hours in my testing. That’s not terrible, but far from the exceptional performance I got out of the older Flip or Google’s Pixelbook Go. When running a playback test of an HD movie downloaded to the Flip’s local storage, it lasted seven hours and 55 minutes before shutting down. That’s not bad, but overall the laptop falls far short of ASUS’s estimates. 

The competition

Throughout this review I’ve been comparing the Chromebook Flip C436 to the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. As of this writing, the Flip C436 configuration that I reviewed is priced the same as the Galaxy Chromebook and has the same processor and a 360-degree hinge. Samsung’s offering has less storage and RAM, but it’s smaller in every dimension and lighter, as well. But probably the biggest differences are the 4K screen and stowable stylus, two things you can’t get on ASUS’s model. There’s a lot to like about the Galaxy Chromebook, but its terrible battery life means it’s hard to recommend. 

Naturally, Google has a few models worth considering. 2017’s Pixelbook was a great computer when it launched, but it still costs $999; it’s a bit difficult to recommend a laptop that’s well over two years old at this point. It’s very well designed and can run Chrome OS well, but unless you really want a convertible form factor, Google’s Pixelbook Go is probably a better choice.

The Go doesn’t have a 360-degree hinge, but it does have a newer processor than the original Pixelbook. The Go is an all-around great Chromebook, with an excellent keyboard and long battery life. The base $649 model only has Intel’s m3 processor and 64GB of storage, but that’s probably enough for most people; spending $849 steps things up to an eighth-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s still less than the $999 Flip C436 I tested but again, it should be more than enough for most. 

If these models are all too pricy, consider the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 from 2019. The company says it’ll still be selling it, though it’s been out of stock in my recent searches. The processor isn’t as powerful, and it has less RAM and storage, but it still offers a great screen, keyboard and better battery life than the C436. With a price point just over $500, it’s a solid option.

HP managed to fit in an IR camera for Windows Hello face authentication. That’s something we missed on the XPS 13 2-in-1, which only featured a fingerprint sensor. The Spectre’s super small camera is terribly grainy and blurry, unfortunately, but that’s the price you pay for squeezing it into a tiny screen bezel. The x360 also has a fingerprint sensor, if you don’t quite trust Windows face-mapping biometrics yet.

Thanks to its smaller frame, the x360 now features a wide edge-to-edge keyboard. Its large keycaps are luxurious, and I really appreciated the deep key travel, which feels reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface. This is one area where, for many people, HP has an advantage over Dell. While I got used to the XPS 13 2-in-1’s fairly flat Mag-Lev keyboard, I’ve talked to plenty of folks who found it only slightly better than Apple’s uncomfortable butterfly keys. The Spectre x360’s delivers the sort of typing experience PC enthusiasts crave. It’s not as good as the legendary ThinkPad keyboard, but it’s close.

Its trackpad also feels very smooth and accurate, though I wish it was larger like Apple and Dell’s latest premium devices. Thankfully, HP dumped the terrible Synaptics touchpad drivers from its last batch of machines and added a Precision driver this time around. That gives the touchpad a much more modern feel with support for more gestures. Frankly, it’s something the company needed to do for years.

HP also includes a stylus with the x360, and while it’s no Surface Pen, it’s useful for anyone who wants to doodle a bit. There’s also a sleek leather in the box to protect it from the elements. I find it a bit unnecessary, but it fits with the premium aesthetic the company is going for. At the very least, it’ll prevent the x360 from getting the nicks and scratches that can quickly make a new laptop seem weathered.

As far as performance goes, the Spectre x360 delivers most of what we’ve seen from other laptops with Intel’s 10th gen CPUs. It’s plenty fast for daily tasks, even when I’m juggling dozens of tabs, Slack and other apps. And Intel’s Iris Plus graphics give it enough power to play a few games, like Overwatch, although I had to lower the resolution to 720p to get anywhere near 60FPS. That might not sound impressive, but it’s a huge step forward from the weak integrated graphics Intel used to rely on. It’s enough power for the x360 to play simpler and slower paced games well too, like Minecraft and Disco Elysium.

Aside from the aforementioned hinges, there’s not much about the x360 that screams “convertible” at first. It works well in the standard laptop mode — where you’ll be spending most of your time — but the ability to twist the screen around is useful if you just want to watch Netflix in bed all day. And as with more convertible machines, it’s comically large to use as a tablet, but I still found that mode useful for focused reading. If you don’t have a standard tablet around, the x360 is also a great screen for devouring digital comics.

The laptop did get a bit warm to the touch when I was playing games or doing anything demanding, and its fans are noticeable once they kick up. HP says it reworked its cooling design from last year, so it should at least be quieter than the last x360, which sometimes sounded a bit like an overeager jet engine. When you’re not gaming, you can also expect to see some solid battery life. During our benchmark, which involves looping an HD video, it lasted for a healthy 14.5 hours, almost exactly the same as the XPS 13 convertible.

There’s one issue that mars the otherwise premium Spectre x360 experience: bloatware. HP crammed in apps from Dropbox and ExpressVPN, along with its own redundant apps for things like switching audio devices. It caused me to have a flashback to the dark days of Windows XP laptops, and it’s not the sort of thing you’d expect from a pricey 2019 machine. McAfee Personal Security is also pre-installed, but at least that comes with a trial subscription (and it’s actually helpful for most users).