HP OmniBook X Flip 14 review: Is this the laptop for creative professionals?

Choosing a premium laptop today often means wading through a sea of claims about AI acceleration, dazzling displays, and all-day portability. When I picked up the new HP OmniBook X Flip 14, I wanted to see if it could cut through that noise. With its sleek 2-in-1 design, vibrant OLED display, and Intel’s latest Core Ultra 7 processor, it certainly looked promising on paper. I’ve been using the model configured with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB SSD, and here’s how it’s held up in real-world use.

Design & Build

HP clearly put thought into both aesthetics and practicality with this machine. At 1.38kg, the chassis feels light enough for daily commuting yet solid in hand. I really like the sandblasted anodized finish, and the Atmospheric Blue colourway gives it a professional but modern look.

The 360-degree hinge makes it easy for me to switch between laptop, tent, stand, and tablet modes. At this weight, though, I find tablet mode works best for short sessions or desk-based use rather than prolonged handheld use.

The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 gives me confidence that this is a durable machine, but I don't think I'm ever going to drop test this to judge HP's claim.

Display

The 14-inch 3K OLED panel (2880 x 1800) has been the highlight of my experience. With 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, HDR 500, and a 48–120 Hz variable refresh rate, everything looks fantastic, whether I’m watching movies, tweaking photos, or scrolling through long documents.

The OLED panel meant that I got true blacks and strong contrast. Brightness peaks in the mid-300 nits, which isn’t the brightest ultrabook screen I’ve seen, but for indoor usage, it has been perfectly fine. Touch input is responsive, and the optional stylus support makes it even more versatile for creative tasks.

Keyboard & Touchpad

I switch laptops very often, so it takes me a while to get used to most keyboard setups. This time, however, it was like a breeze. The keys are well-sized and well-spaced, and I was typing on it with ease. Manoeuvering the touchpad was also easy, with clicks registering smoothly and the gestures also working reliably.

Performance & AI Features

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V has been more than capable for my workload. I often run dozens of browser tabs, handle video calls, edit documents, and dip a little bit into photo editing, all of which was handled very smoothly on this laptop. The 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM keeps multitasking fluid, and the 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD makes file transfers and app launches instant.

Graphics are handled by Intel Arc, which works well enough for light creative work and casual gaming. For more demanding 3D rendering or AAA titles, it starts to show its limits, but that’s not what I used this laptop for.

Where the OmniBook X Flip has surprised me is its AI capabilities. The onboard NPU (with up to 47 TOPS) accelerates things like real-time transcription, background blur, and camera auto-framing. HP’s Smart Sense also does a great job of balancing performance, thermals, and battery life depending on what I’m doing.

Camera & Audio

The 5MP IR webcam has been a big upgrade over the usual 720p/1080p laptop cams I’ve used. It delivers sharp, well-lit video and makes Windows Hello face unlock fast and reliable.

Audio, however, has been a bit of a letdown. The front-firing DTS:X Ultra speakers sound clear, but they lack depth and richness. For podcasts or YouTube, they’re fine, but for music or movies, I almost always used my headphones.

Ports & Connectivity

Port selection is another area where HP has done well. This laptop comes with:

• 2 × USB-A (10Gbps)
• 2 × USB-C (one Thunderbolt 4, one 10Gbps)
• 1 × HDMI 2.1
• 1 × 3.5mm headphone/mic combo
• Combined with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, this setup has kept me well-connected without forcing me to live the dongle life.

Battery Life

Battery life has been decent, though not groundbreaking. The 59 Wh battery gave me a full day's use at the office, which involved multiple Chrome tabs and Word documents. When I switched to content consumption mode, I normally got around 5 hours of battery at full brightness, which was pretty impressive.

Charging speed is very fast, with 50% battery recharged in around half an hour. I also like that HP includes a Battery Health Manager, so if you're one of those who want to cap charging at 80% to prolong long-term battery life, you can do that.

Verdict

After spending time with it, I think the HP OmniBook X Flip 14 does a great job of balancing premium design, a gorgeous OLED display, and future-ready AI features. It’s light enough to carry anywhere, powerful enough for my demanding workloads, and versatile enough to double as a tablet when I need it.

While it's not perfect, the overall package has impressed me. For professionals, students, or creatives who want a flexible, premium 2-in-1, this is one of the more compelling options in its class. It has a starting price of ₹1,14,999.