Amazon's October Prime Day and Black Friday might be just around the bend, but Best Buy has jumped ahead of any major laptop deals with this $480 HP Envy x360 16.
Will this AI PC get any cheaper next week when Amazon and competing retailers have their deal events? Hard to say. This is already the lowest price I've ever seen, dropping to $20 less than the previous $500 low last month. It's definitely worth taking a second look if you're in search of a versatile AMD-powered laptop with more high-end specs than the price suggests.
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Why I love this HP Envy x360 16 deal
While I haven't personally tested this latest version of the HP Envy x360 16, I did review a couple of its predecessors. Even a couple of years ago, before HP added some new hardware to this latest version, I was impressed with what the company could offer in such an affordable Windows laptop. It was so good that I've been recommending it to anyone who wants a laptop that punches far above its price tag.
Yes, Amazon's October Prime Day — otherwise known as Prime Big Deal Days — is happening next week, but you can skip the frenzy with this steep discount that's already live.
The Envy x360 16 is designed to offer versatility in everyday work, and there are a few standout features that appeal to a ton of PC users. First off, it's a convertible PC with 360-degree hinges that allow the touch display to rotate all the way around. That turns it into a tablet — albeit an oversized 16-inch tablet — with support for HP's MPP 2.0 Tilt pen for inking.
Above the 16-inch display with 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution is a 5MP webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello. The picture quality is crisp thanks to the boosted resolution, and you get the added security of facial biometrics. There's enough room around the keyboard for top-firing speakers, and DTS:X Ultra tuning provides a better sound quality. The speakers on older models blew me away, and they've only gotten better over time.
Speaking from experience, HP's keyboards are some of the best on the market in terms of comfort and responsiveness. That's no different here, and there's a massive touchpad below for accurate pointing and gestures.
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are on board for reliable wireless connectivity, and the 16-inch chassis has lots of space for a varied selection of ports. There's no Thunderbolt due to the AMD platform, but you get dual USB-C (10Gbps) with DP1.4a and PD, two USB-A (10Gbps), HDMI 2.1, and 3.5mm audio.
Should you buy a Copilot+ PC instead?
The Envy x360 16 is considered an AI PC thanks to its Ryzen 5 8640HS processor (CPU) with an AMD Ryzen AI Boost Neural Processing Unit (NPU). However, the NPU is at the low end of TOPS performance, and you'll probably notice it most when engaging things like Windows Studio Effects for your webcam.
For many people, that's more than enough. Not everyone needs a cutting-edge AI PC. The low TOPS performance also excludes the Envy x360 16 from Copilot+ AI tools baked into Windows 11, but again that's not a huge deal for most users.
The biggest perks coming out of the top Copilot+ PCs turn out to be battery life and performance, afforded by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips as well as next-gen Intel and AMD hardware. The trade-off is a much higher price than the discounted $480 Envy x360 16. I suggest checking out the best AI PC deals if you don't want to pay full price for a Copilot+ laptop.
And just because the Envy isn't a Copilot+ PC doesn't mean it won't deliver more than enough performance for productivity work and beyond. The Ryzen 5 8640HS CPU has plenty of multitasking potential, and the 512GB SSD is enough to get you started; you can always upgrade it later.
The biggest drawback will likely be the 8GB of RAM, and unfortunately, it comes soldered with no potential for DIY upgrades. If you're a fan of having countless browser tabs open, the laptop might leave you wishing for more memory. Finally, the 68Wh battery, paired with an FHD+ resolution and AMD CPU, should get you through most of a workday on a charge.
