HP OmniBook X Flip 14-fm Hands-on: 2-in-1 + OLED + every port you'll ever need — a mid-ranger that doesn't cut corners.

A note: this hands-on is based on the Japan-market unit. Keyboard layout, language preset, and bundled software may differ in your region.

Here's my hands-on look at the OmniBook X Flip 14-fm. The review unit I tested was configured as follows:

* Specs may vary by region and retailer.

Design

The review unit came in Midnight Blue — and honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It's a shade you don't see on every laptop, and I may have said out loud "okay, this looks really good" when I unboxed it 😍. For a mid-range machine, the build is solid — no plasticky cheapness, just a sturdy chassis that holds its own in any setting. Cafés, meeting rooms, it fits in everywhere.

Front view in Midnight Blue

The lid has a matte finish that doesn't collect fingerprints ⭕. If you're constantly picking up your laptop throughout the day, you'll appreciate this more than you'd expect. The blue tones have a calm, understated quality, and at certain angles it picks up a subtle premium feel.

Matte finish keeps fingerprints away

Thickness is normal — not trying to win any thinness award — but given that this is a 360° convertible, staying this slim is genuinely impressive. Slides in and out of a bag without any drama 💼.

Slim for a 360° convertible

The rubber feet grip the desk well. It sounds minor, but a lot of lightweight laptops slide around during typing, and that's genuinely annoying. No issues here 😄.

Rubber feet that actually grip

2-in-1 Versatility

As a 2-in-1, the OmniBook X Flip 14-fm folds into tablet mode for browsing and reading. Honest take: it's a bit heavy for one-handed use, so resting it on your lap beats holding it in the air 🤔. Couch use in lap mode is the sweet spot.

Tablet mode for reading and browsing

The pen is included in the box — a solid bonus ✨. Writing directly on the screen is genuinely useful for note-takers, and it works like a drawing tablet for anyone who sketches. No need to buy a stylus separately.

Stylus included — no extra purchase

Flip the screen 360° and hook up an external keyboard and mouse, and you've got a compact desktop setup 👍. If you split time between home and office, this kind of flexibility is actually useful.

Mini desktop mode with an external keyboard

Tent mode works too — great when you just need the display up on a shallow surface, like a café counter or narrow desk.

Tent mode for tight spaces

Portability

Actual weight: 1,358 g (~3 lbs). For a 2-in-1, that's legitimately good. Most convertibles hit 1.5 kg or more without trying, so this one earns real credit here. Toss it in your backpack and you'll barely notice it 🚶‍♂️.

1,358 g (~3 lbs) — solid for a 2-in-1

The charger, though, weighs 311 g — heavier than ideal. The laptop being light and the charger being bulky creates a mismatch. If you want to travel light, grabbing a compact USB-C charger like Anker's will trim your total carry significantly 🙆‍♂️.

Stock charger at 311 g — consider a lighter alternative

One-handed carry feels a touch heavy, but in a bag it's no issue at all. Not the kind of heavy that makes you resent packing it.

One-handed carry is doable, not ideal

Display Quality

This is where the OmniBook X Flip 14-fm earns its keep. OLED panels just hit differently — the black levels, the color pop, the contrast. Coming from an IPS screen, your first reaction might be "wait, how did I put up with that?" 😍. Photos and video look genuinely great, not just "decent for a laptop."

OLED colors that make IPS look flat

Viewing angles are wide — colors stay accurate when someone's looking over your shoulder. Useful for collaborative work or just showing someone a photo.

Colors hold up at wide angles

The touchscreen works exactly like a phone — swipe, tap, pinch. Intuitive from the start, especially useful in tablet mode.

Touch input feels natural

Thin bezels and a 16:10 aspect ratio give you noticeably more vertical space than a standard 16:9 display ⭕. Less scrolling, more content in view — you notice it most on long documents and websites.

16:10 means more room for content

One catch: the glossy panel. Reflections are real in bright environments. Most people are used to it from their phones, but working near a sunny window will test your patience.

Glare is a real trade-off

Keyboard Feel

HP put real thought into the keyboard layout. Rather than a standard isolated-key layout with uniform gaps, they adjust key sizes to fit each region's keyboard conventions. It's a level of localization effort you don't always see at this price point.

Region-localized key layout

The typing feel is solid. Keys are tactile without being clicky, and the keycaps have a slightly soft texture that feels good for extended sessions. Comfortable for long writing stints or spreadsheet work.

Typing feel is satisfying

The backlight offers off, low, and high settings with adjustable timeout (30 seconds or 3 minutes), plus an always-on mode. If you like your keyboard permanently lit, this has you covered ✨.

Backlight with an always-on option

Trackpad

Glide is smooth, the surface is generous, and the click feel is satisfying in the lower half. The top is stiffer — which is normal for this type of trackpad — but the lower portion has a clean, confident response. Quiet enough for coffee shops and libraries.

Spacious, smooth trackpad

Three-finger gestures for app switching work well — you get a MacBook-style workflow for window management without lifting your hands.

Gesture support that actually works

Performance

PCMark 10 total: 7,017. Solid productivity territory — multitasking, light photo editing, and everyday dev work are all handled without complaint.

PCMark 10 score: 7,017

Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,280 — solid output from the Core Ultra 7 258V.

Cinebench R23 score: 9,280

3DMark Steel Nomad Light: 3,287. For an integrated GPU, that's a respectable number — light gaming and video editing assistance are both within reach.

3DMark score: 3,287

SSD speeds: Read 6,078 MB/s / Write 5,329 MB/s — blazing fast 😲. App launches feel instant, large file transfers fly through, and you'll feel the difference coming from a slower drive.

SSD speeds are seriously quick

Battery Life

Battery rating: Long

Battery capacity is around 60Wh, with HP claiming 17.5 hours. Given the OLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate — both power-hungry specs — I went in skeptical. In practice, a full workday is doable without a mid-day charge. Push it with max brightness and heavy tasks and you'll drain faster, but for typical use you're covered from morning to evening.

~60Wh battery

USB-C charging support means you can run it off a compact Anker-style charger instead of the included brick — much better for travel 🙆‍♂️.

USB-C charging keeps the bag lighter

Fan Noise & Heat

Idle: 17.3 dB — essentially silent. You won't hear it in a normally quiet room, which is exactly what you want for library or focus work.

Basically silent at idle

Under load: 40.2 dB — clearly audible. Extended heavy tasks will make themselves known through the fans. The flip side is that the cooling system is actually doing its job and keeping performance up.

Noticeable fan noise under load

Exhaust vents are positioned at the rear, so there's no hot air blowing across your mouse hand. Small design call, real difference in comfort ✅.

Rear exhaust keeps hands out of the hot zone

Ports

The port selection is genuinely strong 💼: Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, 40Gbps) × 1, USB-C 10Gbps × 1, USB-A 10Gbps × 2, HDMI 2.1 × 1, headphone/mic combo × 1. That covers most setups without a hub.

Left side ports Right side ports

HDMI 2.1 handles 4K output cleanly. Plug in a large monitor at home and it makes a capable desktop replacement.

HDMI 2.1 outputs 4K without a hitch

I confirmed dual 4K output over USB-C simultaneously — it works 🖥️🖥️🖥️. Triple monitor setup is on the table, and once you've tried it, going back feels rough.

Dual 4K via USB-C confirmed

Webcam

Image quality is solid for video calls — colors look natural and it holds up fine in normal lighting. It runs a bit dark in low light, but pointing a desk lamp at your face fixes it instantly. No complaints for remote meetings.

Webcam quality is good for calls

The physical privacy shutter is a thoughtful touch 🔒. Unlike software-only disabling, a physical shutter gives you clear visual confirmation the lens is covered — peace of mind when you need it.

Physical privacy shutter — clearly off when closed

Speaker Quality

Better than expected for a mid-range machine 🎶. There's actual bass — not the thin, tinny sound cheaper laptops put out. Movies and music are enjoyable without reaching for headphones. Most people won't need external speakers for everyday use.

Speakers that exceed expectations

Security

Facial recognition is fast — open the lid and you're logged in almost instantly. That responsiveness adds up over dozens of unlocks a day.

No fingerprint reader, but with face unlock this snappy, it's hard to feel like something's missing 😊.