HP has been in the PC manufacturing industry for a good period of time now and is known for making state-of-the-art devices with a quality standard. They’ve marched into the realm of Chromebooks proudly with their array of fantastic Chrome OS laptops as well, such as the HP Chromebook 11a that balances performance and affordability like no other.
The US-based company has mustered up something for the enterprise sector, too, with top-tier devices like the HP Elite c1030, but what we have today is the highly promising x360 14c which is actually a solid successor to the original HP Chromebook x360. The latter sports a hefty $800 price tag and a screen with brightness issues, but it does excel in almost every other aspect.
- Check out our opinion on the original HP Chromebook x360 here.
The x360 14c being a scaled-down iteration in terms of price, holds its head high and aims to sell big numbers, but we’ll be the judge of how worth it this Chromebook truly is.
In this article, therefore, we’ll be getting down to business with the HP Chromebook c360 14c and enlisting its major strengths and weaknesses. We’ll be sure to talk about its design, performance, and battery life as well so you can come to a definite buying conclusion. Without any further ado, then, let’s dive right in with the specifications.
HP Chromebook x360 14c Specifications:
- CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i3-10110U Processor
- Display: 14″ Diagonal FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Micro-Edge Touchscreen Display
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM: 8 GB
- Hard Drive Size: 64 GB eMMC
- Camera: HP Wide Vision HD Camera
- Ports: x2 SuperSpeed USB-C, SuperSpeed USB-A, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, microSD Card Reader Slot
- Battery: 3-cell, 60.9 Wh Li-ion
- Charging Time: 50% in 45 minutes, 11-12 Hr Runtime
- Weight: 3.64 lbs (1.64 kg)
- Price: $449.99
HP Chromebook x360 14c In-depth Review
HP Chromebook x360 14c
1. Design
For a sub $450 price tag, the HP Chromebook x360 14c has a premium-grade build quality. HP has just nailed how this device looks and feels when you pick it up. The top lid is aluminum along with the keyboard deck, but we have a plastic matte-type finish on the bottom that, to our surprise, feels just the same as its aluminum counterparts. The quality, therefore, of this whole unit is outright remarkable and nothing but a sheer delight to witness. The cover and the keyboard frame are all sandblasted, which is a technique to smoothen up rough surfaces and provide a better-looking finish. However, the luxurious build quality does come at a cost here, and that is portability. Weighing in at about 3.64 pounds, the x360 14c is not feathery when it comes to using it on the go, so you’ll have to struggle a bit in this regard. In addition, it’s not sleek or slim either and measures about 18mm thick.
- If you’re looking for a stylish machine that’s super portable and extremely thin, you might consider the Acer Chromebook Spin 513.
Furthermore, the device enjoys a convenient 2-in-1 convertible form factor that can be used to your liking. The tablet mode, along with all the other ways you can use this Chromebook, works great and attributes to a fast and fluid touchscreen experience. Moving on to one of the most important parts that define the value of a Chromebook is the screen, and we’re quite satisfied with what the HP x360 14c has to offer to all potential buyers out there. We’re talking about a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 aspect ratio screen that sports an IPS display. On paper, these are the same specifications as its predecessor, the HP Chromebook x360, but smaller bezels are the highlight of the x360 14c coupled with a 250-nits brightness upgrade. All this amounts to an above-average viewing experience with nice viewing angles and rich, vibrant colors. As a plus point, the bezels of this Chromebook also make it look more modern and striking.
With the screen and build quality covered, we have yet to talk about the keyboard of the x360 14c. Casting a lens on the device’s predecessor, HP is popular for making killer keyboards and trackpads, and this is exactly what they’ve with both of these Chromebooks. The x360 has a terrific keyboard that attributes to a sensational typing experience. It’s LED-illuminated, whisper-quiet to type on, has a great click mechanism with decent travel, and is just high-quality all around. The success story actually started from the original x360 and has continued to its follow-up model as well. Similar remarks come out for the glass trackpad, which has been made wide and spacious with top-end responsiveness. No complaints here whatsoever, simply.
One more positive trait that makes signing in easy and painless is the fingerprint reader mounted just below the keyboard’s right arrow key. Again, this is something new over the original x360, not to mention the brilliant upward-firing speakers that are loud, crisp, and enjoyable to listen to. HP is quite notorious when it comes to their Bang & Olufsen speakers, but they’ve done a commendable job with the x360 14c.
As far as I/O is concerned, this Chromebook is bang average. You’ve got two USB-C ports for fast charging and USB peripherals that HP has branded as “SuperSpeed” ones. You also get a single USB-A port that can handle legacy devices, so you don’t have to carry an adapter with you all the time. Lastly, there’s the standard 3.5mm headphone jack and the microSD card slot reader for extra storage.
There’s also one truly distinctive feature of the x360 14c, and that is a physical switch to turn the camera either on or off. It’s a pretty nifty addition to this Chromebook that may not have a huge impact in the broader sense but is still cool to have nonetheless. It’s definitely something rare to have on Chrome OS, though.
2. Performance
The HP Chromebook x360 14c checks all the boxes so far, but what good is a nice-looking device with an impressive design if it doesn’t perform as you’d expect? Luckily, this machine comes with a 10th Generation Intel Core i3-10110U processor with 8 GBs of RAM. While that’s quite decent on paper, there’s something that feels a bit out of place, and that is the 64 GB eMMC hard drive. One would typically expect 128 GBs here or at least a different variety such as an NVMe or SSD. While that is not the case here, you’ll have to make do with a microSD card to increase your storage. However, coming back to the focus of this section, performance has not let us down on the x360 14c. It works reliably day in day out despite the relatively less hard drive storage. You can buy it and be exempt from worry regarding how it performs for you. HP does not offer more configurations for this Chromebook, so your only buying option is the one in question right now.
You can comfortably install a bevy of Play Store applications along with whatever powerful software you can find on Linux, and you’ll be delighted to see that this Chromebook won’t disappoint you. There’s just no slowing it down, no matter what you pit it against.
To talk about some better hardware features in the x360 14c, you get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, both of which will come in handy in the years to come ahead.
3. Battery Life
The HP Chromebook x360 14c is a great device if you’re looking for extended battery life. HP advertises it to last about 13-14 hours, but we could get somewhere around 11 hours at maximum brightness with this Chromebook. Of course, if you dial down the brightness, the laptop will give you an even better battery runtime.
HP has managed to fit a 3-cell, 60.9 Wh Li-ion inside the x360 14c. With a USB-C charging port, you’ll be able to get it fully juiced up in under 90 minutes. If you want to give it a quick use, charging for about 20 minutes will get somewhere around 30-40% battery life.
Final Thoughts
The HP Chromebook x360 14c brings exciting changes over the original x360. Perhaps, the most thrilling change is the price tag, making this unit highly affordable and bringing amazing value for money. It’s an easy recommendation for the price it costs, which is about $449 currently. You could grab this laptop for an even lesser price if you’re lucky with student discounts and whatnot. Great performance, awesome battery life, impressive keyboard and trackpad duo, and satisfactory display are everything that one could want in a Chromebook, and the x360 14c makes quite the cut when it boils down to those traits.
