HP Spectre 13 sets a new benchmark for thin laptops

HP recently unveiled the new Spectre 13.3 laptop, the company's thinnest laptop to date, which beats Apple's 2015 12-inch MacBook. The Spectre 13.3 measures 10.4 millimeters at its thinnest point, making it about as thin as an AAA battery. Also the thinnest notebook in the market today, the laptop also offers powerful processing and premium design.

Design-wise, the notebook comes with a carbon fiber body, a full-sized backlit keyboard and a curved aluminum hinge that makes the screen look like it's floating. At first glance, the laptop already impresses and gives off the impression that it is a premium device. The new HP Spectre weighs 2.45 pounds and comes with a 13.3-inch 1080p full HD IPS screen with gorilla glass layered on top. HP had to opt for a non-touchscreen panel in order to achieve the notebook's incredible thinness.

Unlike other super slim laptops that use Intel's Core M chips like the 2015 12-inch MacBook, the HP Spectre comes with either Intel's sixth-generation Core i5 or Core i7 processors. Apple had to use the Core M chips in order to get the MacBook as thin as it is, but HP found a way to make their laptop really thin without skimping on power. HP is also touting its hyperbaric cooling system, which the company claims can draw in cool air and direct it over the processor so it can continue performing at its peak.

The Spectre also comes with 8GB of RAM, along with PCIe solid-state drives of up to 512GB. Simply put, the HP Spectre 13.3 delivers on ultra-portability without having to sacrifice performance. The notebook's battery is flattened down into multiple separate cells at the bottom. Though the battery is lacking in cells, HP claims that it should last for up to nine hours on a single charge.

The HP Spectre 13.3 also comes with three USB Type-C ports, all of which can be used for transferring data and charging and two of which support Thunderbolt.  HP promised to outshine Apple when it comes to laptop innovation, and it seems like the company has kept its word. The HP Spectre 13.3 will be available to pre-order on April 25, with prices starting at $1,170. The laptop will be available in Best Buy on May 22 and will start at $1,250.

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