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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) typically costs less and offers notable portability, thanks to its lighter weight and fanless operation, which ensures it runs silently. With an excellent battery life, it's well-suited for general use, particularly if you favor a macOS ecosystem and don't need touchscreen functionality. However, the HP Spectre x360, while pricier and heavier, grants you a larger screen with touch capability, a better processor, double the storage and RAM, and better suitability for more intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning. It's a top pick if you're into engineering and creative work, especially with its robust cooling system and capacity for intensive gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Spectre x360
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
7.6
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The HP Spectre x360 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Air (2022) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering tasks due to its high resolution, bright display, and wide color gamut that ensure crisp images and accurate color reproduction, but it lacks a high refresh rate which is essential for smooth rendering in 3D applications. The HP Spectre x360 shares similar strengths with a high-resolution, bright display that also covers a wide color spectrum, making it suitable for detailed work in engineering and design. However, its screen, like that of the MacBook Air, may not be optimal for gaming and 3D because its refresh rate isn't designed for the high-frame-rate demands of those applications.
Battery
15.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the HP Spectre x360 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the HP Spectre x360 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$849
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $849 and the HP Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The HP Spectre x360 stands out for general use with a higher RAM, larger screen with better resolution and touch capability, and twice the storage, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life compared to the very portable and long-lasting Apple MacBook Air, which has a superior screen in terms of brightness and color accuracy, ensuring a vibrant display. Moreover, the MacBook Air's fanless design guarantees silent operation, contributing to a comfortable experience during long hours of use.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.6
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Air, with its M2 chip, offers fair 3D performance due to its integrated GPU designed for efficiency rather than high-end gaming or professional 3D applications, and it's constrained by a standard screen refresh rate and macOS limitations on gaming. Conversely, the HP Spectre x360 offers better gaming and 3D graphics with its more capable Iris Xe GPU, larger battery capacity for extended use, and Windows 11 compatibility, which provides broader support for popular games.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the HP Spectre x360 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | HP Spectre x360 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$849 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 4.74 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.66" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 406 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
HP Spectre x360
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | August 2022
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the HP Spectre x360
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Recommendations made
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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