A 2-in-1 has challenged the Surface Pro 11, but not how you might think

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11 epitomizes nan detachable tablet shape of 2-in-1 laptop, and it’s travel a agelong measurement since nan institution first introduced nan shape facet complete a decade ago. The newest exemplary leveraged Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipset for beardown capacity and awesome artillery life, making for nan champion type of nan Surface Pro ever.

But nan much celebrated 2-in-1 format is nan 360-degree convertible, wherever nan keyboard flips astir from clamshell done shelter and media modes into a tablet. HP’s caller OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, based connected Intel’s caller Core Ultra Series 2 chips, is 1 of nan best laptops successful this category. But here’s nan question: Which makes for nan amended 2-in-1 experience?

Specs and configurations

The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 starts astatine $1,450 for an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14.0-inch 2.8K OLED show (the only option). But correct now, it’s $400 off, making nan guidelines exemplary a overmuch much charismatic $1,050. Upgrading to 1TB of retention costs $50 and 2TB is an further $100. Fully configured, nan OmniBook is $1,900 pinch a Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. That’s expensive, but again, it’s a batch much charismatic astatine its waste price.

The Surface Pro 11 starts astatine $1,000 pinch a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 13.0-inch 2.8K IPS display. The 5Gb configuration is $1,300, and moving to a 512GB SSD pinch Wi-Fi only costs $1,200. Then, you tin prime nan Snapdragon X Elite and a 13.0-inch 2.8K OLED show starting astatine $1,500 pinch 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. With 32GB and a 1TB SSD, nan costs is $2,100.

The OmniBook is little expensive, particularly if you tin get it astatine its waste price.

Design

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As mentioned above, nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is simply a 360-degree convertible, and truthful it useful champion arsenic a clamshell laptop while besides offering immoderate flexibility. It’s importantly thicker and heavier arsenic a tablet than nan Surface Pro 11 without its keyboard, though nan 2 are person together erstwhile nan Surface Pro 11’s keyboard is attached. Both are well-built machines, and they service arsenic possibly 2 of nan champion examples of their types.

Aesthetically, nan Surface Pro 11 is reasonably simple, coming successful 4 different colors — Platinum, Sapphire, Dune, and Black — while nan beforehand is simply a elemental achromatic slate. It offers Surface Pro Flex keyboards that comes successful conscionable 2 colors, Black and Bright Sapphire, truthful nan colors don’t lucifer perfectly. But it’s an charismatic tablet overall. It has a flip-out keyboard that allows it to activity arsenic a decent clamshell erstwhile paired pinch nan keyboard. The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is besides charismatic successful 1 of 2 colors, acheronian bluish and gray, and its notches connected nan rear of nan chassis and bottommost of nan show adhd immoderate elegance.

The OmniBook’s keyboard is excellent, pinch ample keycaps and a full-size layout that’s highly comfortable. The switches are ray and snappy. The Surface Pro 11’s keyboard is besides very good, pinch a somewhat cramped layout, but precise switches, though it does bounce a spot erstwhile it’s propped up for typing. Both person haptic touchpads that activity highly well, but nan OmniBook’s type is considerably larger. And of course, some person touch- and pen-enabled displays, which nan Surface Pro 11 maximizes for penning and drafting pinch haptic feedback that helps mimic penning connected a expanse of paper.

Connectivity is amazingly similar, pinch some having dual high-speed ports, but nan OmniBook adds successful a USB-A larboard for bequest support. The Surface Pro 11 has its Surface Connect larboard for charging, which frees up a larboard for accessories compared to nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. Both person afloat up-to-date wireless, while nan Surface Pro 11 adds successful optional 5G connectivity.

The OmniBook has a higher-resolution 9MP webcam compared to nan Surface Pro 11’s 1440p version, and nan Microsoft tablet besides has a rear 10.5MP camera. Both person infrared cameras for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition. In addition, some person accelerated Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to afloat support Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC AI initiative. HP offers its ain AI Companion package that will bring further AI functionality erstwhile it rolls retired sometime successful nan adjacent future.

Performance

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Both 2-in-1s usage brand-new chipsets, some aimed astatine efficiency. But nan Surface Pro 11’s Qualcomm Snapdragon X successful either Plus aliases Elite versions provides faster capacity than nan Intel Lunar Lake chipsets successful nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. That’s evident successful our suite of benchmarks, wherever we reviewed nan faster Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 compared to nan Intel Core Ultra 7 258V that’s adjacent nan apical of Intel’s lineup.

These laptops are some much than accelerated capable for demanding productivity users. Neither of them person integrated graphics that are accelerated capable for gaming aliases imaginative applications.

Display

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Surface Pro 11 is disposable pinch a prime betwixt OLED and IPS displays, some 13.0-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) moving astatine up to 120Hz. The OmniBook comes pinch conscionable 1 option, a 14.0-inch 2.8K OLED panel, besides moving astatine a accelerated 120Hz. That makes nan Surface Pro 11’s show considerably sharper.

We reviewed some 2-in-1s pinch OLED displays, and nan Surface Pro 11’s type was considerably brighter while nan OmniBook’s had wider and somewhat much meticulous colors. There’s a quality successful nan measured contrast, but some person cleanable blacks. Both of these displays are fantabulous and will please beautiful overmuch each user.

Portability

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

By itself, nan Surface Pro 11 is lighter and thinner than nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. Add successful nan keyboard, though, and they’re closer. Both are highly portable, but nan Surface Pro 11 will beryllium a batch much comfortable to usage arsenic a tablet.

Battery life is nan existent quality here, though. Although it has a smaller battery, nan Surface Pro 11 gets overmuch amended artillery life. It’s much apt to get you done a afloat day’s activity — and past some.

The Surface Pro 11 pulls retired ahead, barely

The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is simply a awesome illustration of nan convertible 2-in-1. It’s built well, looks great, has a awesome keyboard and touchpad, and its OLED show is awesome. It’s besides little costly if you tin find it connected sale, which was nan lawsuit erstwhile this comparison is being written.

However, nan Surface Pro 11 is faster, and it gets amended artillery life. That’s beautiful singular successful a tablet that tin usability arsenic a clamshell laptop. It’s much expensive, but it has immoderate features, for illustration a haptic progressive pen, that springiness it nan slightest separator successful this comparison.