The best Windows laptop we've tested in 2024 so far is — drumroll, please — the HP OmniBook X.
Not only does it have surprisingly long battery life, but its performance beats the likes of the M3 MacBook Pro and M3 MacBook Air. The OmniBook X is a part of a new wave of Copilot+ machines and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite PCs.
What is a Copilot+ PC?
If you've been out of the loop, one of the chuckle-worthy reasons Copilot+ PCs gained popularity is because Microsoft announced the new AI-powered Recall feature alongside its new Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 devices (which were one of the first Copilot+ PCs to hit the market.)
Microsoft made it clear that you can only enjoy Recall if you get a Copilot+ PC.
Recall, which takes continuous screenshots of your display so you can search your own digital footprint via a timeline, caused a lot of controversy. If social media is anything to go by, many people were creeped out by it. Cybersecurity pundits were concerned about Recall's safety, calling it a "privacy nightmare."
Recall was supposed to launch alongside the new crop of Copilot+ PCs, which are AI-powered Windows laptops that must have a qualified NPU, a specialized processor that handles AI tasks.
The processor that's been outfitted in many Copilot+ PCs these days is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip. And let me tell you — it's been shaking up the laptop industry.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite threatens MacBooks
Last year, if you were to ask me, a laptop reviewer and expert, "Which laptop should I get that has long battery life and robust performance?", I'd advise you to get an M3 MacBook.
While you can find a Windows laptop with great performance, they're not the most power-efficient machines, particularly compared to MacBooks.
However, the launch of Copilot+ PCs, which often sport a Snapdragon X Elite chip, has me changing my tune in 2024. Qualcomm boasted that it beats the M3 chip in power efficiency and performance — and it's not wrong.
Mashable tested its first Copilot+ PC, the Snapdragon X Elite-packed HP OmniBook X, and it is a game-changer in the Windows laptop space.
HP OmniBook X beats M3 MacBook Air in battery life and performance
We ran a 1080p video rundown test to determine how long the OmniBook X lasts on a charge. So imagine our surprise when we saw that the HP laptop survived for an incredible 16 hours and 47 minutes. That's nearly 17 hours.
MacBooks typically last quite long, but the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air tapped out after just 10 hours and 52 minutes on the same test.
HP OmniBook X battery life: nearly 17 hours
M3 MacBook Air: nearly 11 hours
On Geekbench 6, which tests for processor performance, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip delivered a multi-core score of 13,888, beating the M3 MacBook Air's score of 12,057.
For what it's worth, we also tested the OmniBook X against the M3 MacBook Pro. The HP laptop beat it, too (13,888 vs. 11,998).
HP OmniBook X Geekbench 6 score: 13,888
M3 MacBook Air: 12,057
M3 MacBook Pro: 11,998
As such, if you're not married to the Apple ecosystem, and you're OS agnostic, the HP OmniBook may be the best choice for you if you're looking for a long-lasting, high-performing PC.
You can purchase the HP OmniBook X with 1TB of storage at Best Buy for $1,199. There’s also a cheaper variant, sporting 512GB of storage, that will set you back $1,049.99 via HP.
