HP OmniBook X Flip 16″ 2-in-1 Review

2025 has been the year for laptops. I’ve lost track of how many I’ve reviewed, and I still have a handful here that I need to get to. One of the laptops I’ve been using for the past few weeks is the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1. When you use as many laptops as I do, they all sort of blend in together and sometimes become forgettable. But the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 is one of my top 3 laptops for 2025, and this is one laptop I know I will remember when someone asks about it.

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

In the 16″ laptop category, the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 is a hard one to beat, for my money. There are some other close contenders, but I really loved a lot of what this laptop has to offer. One of the biggest attractions, for me, is the designs that HP has been putting out over the past year or two. This is just a lovely laptop, and add that to its features, and you get a real gem. Let’s get into this review.

The Quick Take

I’ll make this a simple quick take. The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 looks great, has fantastic build quality, is 2-in-1 capable, has decent I/O, an amazing OLED display, decent sound, a fantastic keyboard, and an excellent trackpad, and for a 16″ laptop, it feels lightweight and easy to take with you. Now, that is for the configuration I have here, so your build may have different features and specs. The starting price is decent, though it can get pricey as you add items to your build. I don’t know what it is about this laptop. Some other reviewers have hated it, but I really love it. I will agree though, if you need dedicated graphics for something, you’re better off finding a different HP. If you don’t, this is a solid choice.

Score and Bottom Line

I really do not know why the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 design hit me as it did. There is this subtle line on the bottom that sort of curves out and makes this laptop look really nice. The color of the laptop is also stunning, and while it does grab some fingerprints, it’s not as bad as some other laptops. It’s also lightweight for a 16″ laptop.

The 3K OLED display on this unit is vibrant and punchy, with deep blacks, crisp whites, and an excellent brightness level. The Intel 258V paired with 32 GB of RAM is excellent and handles my video editing and photo editing with ease. The fans rarely kicked in on this unless I was rendering something heavy in 4K.

The speakers are just okay; the soundstage is decent, but they do lack a bottom end. They do get the job done though. Battery life is outstanding, as expected with this 258V under the hood. The price is on point, but you will add some cost the more you upgrade. The webcam is good, not as good as the one on the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i 14 I reviewed earlier this year, but still good enough.

Overall, the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 doesn’t hit every single need or want for everyone. But I really loved this laptop. The keyboard and trackpad experience was one of the selling points for me here. They are both comfortable and nice to use. The OLED display is fantastic as well, and I highly recommend the 3K version. This particular configuration is a winner, and while it might be a bit pricey, there are often sales, and this laptop does have value.

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HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 Specifications

• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
• Processor family: Intel Core Ultra
• Processor: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 258V (up to 4.8 GHz Max Turbo frequency, 12 MB L3 cache, 8 cores, 8 threads) 48 TOPS
• Graphics: Intel Arc 140V GPU (8GB)
• Neural: Intel® AI Boost (47 NPU TOPS)
• Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5x-8533 MT/s (onboard)
• Internal drive: 2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 16″ diagonal, 3K (2880 x 1800), OLED, multitouch-enabled, UWVA, edge-to-edge glass, micro-edge, Low Blue Light, SDR 400 nits, HDR 500 nits
• External I/O Ports:
  • USB Type-A 10 Gbps
  • USB Type-C 40 Gbps
  • Headphone/microphone combo
  • HDMI 2.1
  • USB Type-C 10 Gbps
  • USB Type-A 10 Gbps
• Audio Features: DTS:X® Ultra; Dual speakers; HP Audio Boost; Poly Studio
• Webcam: 5MP IR camera with temporal noise reduction and integrated dual array digital microphones
• Keyboard: Full-size, backlit, darker eclipse gray opaque keyboard
• Pointing device: HP Imagepad
• Wireless technology: Intel® Wi-Fi 7 BE201 (2×2) and Bluetooth® 5.4 wireless card
• Power supply: 65 W USB Type-C™ adapter
• Battery: 4-cell, 68 Wh Li-ion polymer
• Energy efficiency: EPEAT® Gold with Climate
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 14.02 x 9.67 x 0.61 in
• Weight: Starting at 4.15 lbs
• Warranty: 1-year limited hardware warranty. Additional information is available at www.support.hp.com ; 1-year limited technical support for software and initial setup (from date of purchase).
• Security: Mic mute key; Camera privacy shutter; Trusted Platform Module (Firmware TPM) support
• Pen: HP USB-C Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Natural Silver Pen

What’s In The Box

• HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1
• Power Supply and Cable
• HP Pen
• Manuals and Documentation

Design

The design of the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 seems to be taking some hits from other reviewers. Some call it boring or ugly. I like it. I really love the lines of this laptop. That very strange curve on the bottom, near the front where the rubber foot is. It really sets this off. So you’ll either love it or hate it. That curve also elevates the laptop a bit to allow space for the speakers to fire out more clearly. I dig it.

Another sore point for some reviewers is the lattice keyboard and the HP Imagepad trackpad. Usually, I’m harsh on trackpads, especially diving board-style trackpads. I really got along well with this trackpad, and it almost felt like I was using a haptic trackpad. If you’ve read any of my reviews, you know I love haptic trackpads. The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 does not have one, but I loved it.

The keyboard is also a fantastic experience. It’s not mechanical, which is what I now prefer on my desktop. But it’s really a good experience. It has enough travel for me, and it feels great to type on. Maybe the one thing I’d fix is making the keys less flat. But overall, other reviewers are smoking something silly because I loved the keyboard and trackpad.

The materials and design are all premium, in my eyes. The HP logo is on the lid, and I do wish that was maybe not so shiny and perhaps more muted. The bottom has a long vent and some interesting rubber pads instead of feet. Some reviewers didn’t like this, but it didn’t matter to me either way.

There is plenty of I/O for a 2025 laptop, and that’s alongside both sides of the laptop, and this is what you get.

• USB Type-A 10 Gbps
• USB Type-C 40 Gbps
• Headphone/microphone combo
• HDMI 2.1
• USB Type-C 10 Gbps
• USB Type-A 10 Gbps

Opening the laptop up reveals the lattice keyboard and the HP Imagepad. Two fake grilles flank the keyboard making it look like there are speakers here. There are not. The wrist rest area is comfy, and the color of the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 is lovely. It does pick up some fingerprints, but not like some other dark-colored laptops. The speakers are along the front edge of the laptop, and that curve towards the front helps scoop out the sound.

Overall, I really love the look of this laptop, and it’s one of the reasons it’s in my top three for 2025. Other reviewers have been pooping on this laptop design, and I disagree with them.

Display

One thing I’ve noticed about laptops in 2025 is manufacturers are giving you better options. The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 is no different. The optional 3K OLED display on our unit is fantastic. With great brightness, vibrant colors, deep blacks, crisp whites, and clear text. It’s one of the best displays I’ve seen, and shockingly, there are a lot of really great-looking displays on laptops in 2025.

This is a 2-in-1 display, so you do get touch and the ability to use this as a tablet or in tent mode, etc. etc. I don’t really use 2-in-1 features much, and I did struggle to understand why the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 needed to be a 2-in-1. This 16″ display is beautiful but not very comfortable to hold as a tablet. But I am only one person; perhaps there are many others who love a 16″ tablet. Plus the added weight of a laptop.

The company does include a pen with the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1, and that works very well. It charges via USB-C and is comfortable to hold, although I found it to be too light. Like, it didn’t feel like a proper writing device; I wanted a bit more weight. But I rarely use pens on laptops, so not a huge deal to me.

The display itself responds to touch just fine; all touchpoints are accurate, and the 2-in-1 hinges are strong and hold in place. Opening the display with one finger is hard because of the stiffer hinges, but this is typical for a 2-in-1.

Overall, I love this display, and it’s one of the key features of the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 SKU we have here. It’s not better than other displays I’ve seen, but it is on par or equal to some of the best I’ve used.

Software

Windows 11 Pro was installed on this HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1, but you can opt for Windows 11 Home. Not much to say about Windows. There is a lot of CoPilot and AI stuff I have covered in the past. I am still not impressed with AI, and I rarely use it and often turn it all off.

HP has its own AI software along with Poly Studio and HP AudioBoost. The AI stuff is not super useful to me, but you can use some of it along with the Poly Studio software to tweak your webcam and audio settings. I will add that Windows Recall is now on Windows 11. Recall is an app that takes screenshots of your display every few seconds to use AI to try and help you save time and give you tips and ideas. It is shown at setup, and you can opt out. Which I highly recommend you do. Microsoft doesn’t need to take screenshots of your display for any reason, ever.

Overall, Windows 11 is fine. CoPilot and Recall are hot garbage. HP’s AI features aren’t too useful, except for some of the video and audio stuff. Thankfully, most things are easy to turn on, off, or ignore.

Performance

This HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 came outfitted with the Intel 258V and 32 GB of RAM. That’s paired to an integrated Intel Arc GPU and NPU. This is the new chip architecture Intel has come up with, and it has been working very well for me. Especially in battery life. I’ve seen some reviews complaining that this laptop lacks a dedicated GPU and it’s not priced fairly because it doesn’t perform as well.

I disagree. At least for the configuration I have of the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1. I believe this performed on par with my favorite 2025 laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15. That laptop had the 258V, 32 GB of RAM, the same GPU and NPU and it handled everything I needed it to handle with ease.

I had no issues with the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 spinning up its fans and getting loud. Maybe I’m just not working on the same stuff as other reviewers, but it was never overly hot or overly loud. This was all doing the things I normally do. DaVinci Resolve 4K video editing, Affinity Photo editing, web browsing, email, documents, streaming video, streaming music, and all the basic stuff most people do.

I can’t speak to the performance of the entry-level configuration, but this configuration performed exactly how I expected it to. Given that I’ve used several Windows laptops with this chipset, I expected nothing less. The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1, configured in this manner, performed very well for the tasks I needed it to perform.

Overall, I think performance was excellent, but you might see some differences depending on the model chip you get as well as RAM and even storage.

Speakers/Sound

The speaker situation is a weird one. It looks like the speakers are on top due to the design. They are not. The grille design on the top is just for looks, and the speakers are on the bottom. HP isn’t the first to do something like this, and they won’t be the last.

The speakers work perfectly well for meetings and conferencing. They work great for podcasts and spoken-type content. They are thin if you’re listening to music, gaming, or watching movies. The bottom end is there; it’s just not very thick. Overall, I don’t love these speakers, but I don’t hate them either.

Camera

I really do not use webcams all that much. Even when I join product meetings with various brands, I always turn mine off. Camera shy, I guess. But I was surprised that the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 only gets a 5MP and not the 9MP of some of its siblings. The camera works fine and comes with HP’s various software features for video conferencing. For me, the webcam is not a big deal, but for those who do rely on a webcam and who want a really excellent webcam. This one is might disappoint. It’s not awful, and it is usable. But given some of the other options from even HP itself, you might not like it.

Battery Life

Battery life, under normal basic use, is excellent. I could easily get a workday and a half of battery out of this laptop. That’s with full brightness, a backlit keyboard on, email, web, YouTube, music streaming, podcasts, and photo editing. Battery life will decrease when video editing or doing graphics-intensive tasks. Normal.

I was surprised that there was only a 68 Wh battery here. I’m surprised they couldn’t get a 99 in this thing. Still, the battery life is excellent, and I think most users are going to love the battery life under normal basic use. Heavy graphics users should expect decent battery life, but it’s not going to get you through an entire day of heavy rendering or heavy graphics use. It is still respectable.

Price/Value

The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 is available for under a thousand dollars in the lower-end configuration with the Intel 256V and 16 GB of RAM. That lower config will not come with the nicer display and some of the other performance perks, but it’s still an excellent laptop for basic users. The configuration I have here is excellent and has most all the upgrades. This is an excellent configuration for more of a power user. Even for video and photo editing, and that’s why the value is here.

Wrap-Up

I really do not know why the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 design hit me as it did. There is this subtle line on the bottom that sort of curves out and makes this laptop look really nice. The color of the laptop is also stunning, and while it does grab some fingerprints, it’s not as bad as some other laptops. It’s also lightweight for a 16″ laptop.

The 3K OLED display on this unit is vibrant and punchy, with deep blacks, crisp whites, and an excellent brightness level. The Intel 258V paired with 32 GB of RAM is excellent and handles my video editing and photo editing with ease. The fans rarely kicked in on this unless I was rendering something heavy in 4K.

The speakers are just okay; the soundstage is decent, but they do lack a bottom end. They do get the job done though. Battery life is outstanding, as expected with this 258V under the hood. The price is on point, but you will add some cost the more you upgrade. The webcam is good, not as good as the one on the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i 14 I reviewed earlier this year, but still good enough.

Overall, the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 doesn’t hit every single need or want for everyone. But I really loved this laptop. The keyboard and trackpad experience was one of the selling points for me here. They are both comfortable and nice to use. The OLED display is fantastic as well, and I highly recommend the 3K version. This particular configuration is a winner, and while it might be a bit pricey, there are often sales, and this laptop does have value.

I’ll make this a simple quick take. The HP OmniBook X Flip 16 2-in-1 looks great, has fantastic build quality, is 2-in-1 capable, has decent I/O, an amazing OLED display, decent sound, a fantastic keyboard, and an excellent trackpad, and for a 16″ laptop, it feels lightweight and easy to take with you. Now, that is for the configuration I have here, so your build may have different features and specs. The starting price is decent, though it can get pricey as you add items to your build. I don’t know what it is about this laptop. Some other reviewers have hated it, but I really love it. I will agree though, if you need dedicated graphics for something, you’re better off finding a different HP.