The MacBook Air may have officially met its match

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The MacBook Air has dominated nan $1,000 value constituent for nan past fewer years, and nan astir caller M3 upgrade (and consequent bump to 16GB of RAM successful nan guidelines model), has made it moreover better.

But there’s an unexpected challenger for nan crown of best laptops. The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. Don’t get turned disconnected by nan name. It’s powered by Intel’s caller Core Ultra Series 2 chips, which brings a astonishing magnitude of artillery life into play. The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 whitethorn not outright conclusion nan MacBook Air, but it gets incredibly close.

Specs and configurations

If you spell by HP’s database prices, nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 starts retired arsenic much costly but better-configured than nan MacBook Air 13. Its guidelines exemplary is $1,450 for an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14-inch 2.8K OLED show (the only option). Upgrading to a 1TB SSD costs $50, and 2TB of retention is simply a $200 uncharge. At nan precocious end, nan OmniBook costs $1,900 for a Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. However, HP is presently offering $400 off, making for a $1,050 guidelines exemplary and a $1,500 afloat configured machine.

The MacBook Air 13 starts astatine $1,099 for an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU M3 chipset, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 IPS show (again, nan only option). Apple just precocious accrued RAM to 16GB pinch nan guidelines exemplary for nan aforesaid price, which is simply a bully thing. Upgrading to an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M3 and a 512GB SSD brings nan value to $1,299, while nan high-end exemplary is $2,099 for 24GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is little costly than nan MacBook Air 13 for a nicely-configured laptop if you tin get it connected sale. But astatine list, they’re likewise priced.

Design

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The MacBook Air 13 is possibly nan thinnest laptop disposable coming astatine conscionable 0.45 inches, and that mixed pinch its simple, elegant creation successful 1 of 4 unique colors is what stands retired nan most. But nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is besides a gorgeous machine, coming successful 2 colors pinch rounded edges and unsocial notches successful nan rear chassis and show bottom. Both of these laptops are awesome to look astatine and clasp successful hand.

Both are besides built well, pinch all-aluminum constructions that defy bending, flexing, and twisting. In this regard, nan OmniBook is somewhat amended fixed nan MacBook Air’s lid that’s a small excessively flexible. But, overall, some laptops are examples of really to make value laptops.

The MacBook Air’s hinge is simply a spot smoother and lets you unfastened nan lid pinch 1 hand, while nan OmniBook has a much analyzable and stiffer hinge to accommodate its convertible 2-in-1 functionality. That hinge allows it to beryllium utilized successful clamshell, tend, media, and tablet modes — complete pinch an progressive pen for integer handwriting and drawing. So, there’s considerably much elasticity pinch HP’s 2-in-1.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Most group will besides find these 2 keyboards to beryllium arsenic good. They some person ample keycaps and tons of cardinal spacing pinch comfortable, logical layouts. The HP’s lettering stands retired more, which is simply a motion to accessibility. The switches are some accordant and snappy, offering a batch of precision. I for illustration nan MacBook Air’s Magic Keyboard conscionable nan tiniest bit, but I would beryllium much than happy pinch nan OmniBook’s version. Both laptops besides person large, haptic touchpads that activity highly well. I’ll springiness nan separator to Apple’s Force Touch haptic touchpad fixed its Force Click characteristic that adds immoderate functionality.

Connectivity somewhat favors nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, fixed that it adds a USB-C larboard to nan 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports that some laptops offer. You’ll for illustration nan MacBook Air’s MagSafe 3 powerfulness connection, though, which saves a larboard for connectivity complete nan OmniBook. And, HP built successful much up-to-date wireless connectivity.

Finally, nan OmniBook has a higher-resolution 9MP webcam and it supports nan afloat suite of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC AI features including enhanced Studio Effects software. The MacBook Air, meanwhile, supports Apple Intelligence, which has less features wide and is still rolling out.

Performance

The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 uses Intel’s latest Lunar Lake chipset, besides known arsenic Core Ultra Series 2. It’s a 17-watt, 8-core/8-thread chipset that’s aimed astatine ratio and replaces nan low-power U-series Meteor Lake chipsets. It features faster Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics that are an betterment but not yet to nan level of discrete GPUs. It’s pitted against Apple’s 8-core CPU/10-core GPU that’s aimed astatine some capacity and efficiency.

In our benchmarks, these 2 laptops are intimately matched successful multi-core CPU processes, while nan MacBook Air 13 is faster successful single-core. Also, Apple’s GPU is somewhat faster, particularly erstwhile moving imaginative tasks. That makes some laptops bully capable for demanding productivity users, while nan MacBook Air would person benefits for creators.

Display

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

There’s nary uncertainty that nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14’s 14-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED show is amended than nan MacBook Air’s 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 IPS panel. The MacBook Air’s show has higher brightness, but that’s it. The OmniBook has wider and much meticulous colors and inky blacks. It besides runs astatine up to 120Hz, compared to nan MacBook Air’s much pedestrian 60Hz.

This is 1 area wherever nan OmniBook has a clear advantage. The MacBook Air’s show is very bully for IPS technology, but nan HP’s show is better. The MacBook Air’s 4-speaker audio is simply a batch amended than nan OmniBook’s 2-speaker setup, however, which is worthy keeping successful mind.

Portability

The MacBook Air M3 is simply a much portable machine, fixed its somewhat smaller show and its insane thinness. Both laptops measurement astir nan same, though, and nan OmniBook is plentifulness portable successful its ain right.

However, Intel introduced Lunar Lake successful portion to combat nan class-leading ratio of Apple Silicon. The MacBook Air 13 has fantabulous artillery life, including erstwhile it’s pushing nan chipset difficult successful things for illustration video editing. While nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 gets bully artillery life compared to earlier Windows laptops, it can’t travel adjacent to matching nan MacBook Air 13 nary matter nan task.

Two awesome laptops make for a reliable choice

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Sometimes, I comparison 2 laptops and nan quality is beautiful stark. One is simply a clear winner. Other times, I emotion 2 laptops equally. That’s nan lawsuit here, wherever some nan OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 and nan MacBook Air 13 connection arsenic bully builds, aesthetics, keyboards, touchpads, etc.

The biggest quality betwixt these 2 fantabulous laptops is that nan OmniBook has a better, faster show and a higher-resolution webcam, while nan MacBook Air 13 is thinner and has amended artillery life. The MacBook Air besides has amended speakers. Price-wise, nan OmniBook is an wide cheaper laptop, particularly erstwhile connected waste (as it presently is), but nan MacBook Air has a little starting price, particularly since nan upgrade to 16GB. Based connected those differences, you tin astir apt show already which is simply a amended fresh for your needs.

Overall, nan MacBook Air is astir apt nan safer prime for its amended artillery life alone, but truthfully, you can’t spell incorrect pinch either.