HP OmniBook X Flip 14-fm Hands-on: 2-in-1, OLED, and a full set of ports — a mid-ranger that genuinely holds its own.

A quick note: this hands-on is based on the Japan-market unit. The keyboard layout, language 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 fair to say, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It's a shade you don't often see on laptops, and I may have said "alright, that actually looks great" when I first opened the box 😍. For a mid-range machine, the build feels solid — no plasticky cheapness, just a sturdy chassis that fits in whether you're at a café, in a lecture theatre, or in a meeting room.

Front view in Midnight Blue

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

Matte finish keeps fingerprints at bay

Thickness is fairly normal — not trying to be the thinnest thing on the shelf — but considering this is a 360° convertible, staying this slim is genuinely impressive. Slips in and out of a rucksack without any fuss 💼.

Slim for a 360° convertible

The rubber feet on the underside grip the desk well. It sounds like a small thing, but plenty of lightweight laptops slide about when you're typing quickly, which is properly irritating. No such issues here 😄.

Rubber feet that actually hold

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 on the heavy side for one-handed use, so resting it on your lap is far more comfortable than holding it up 🤔. Sofa 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 doubles as a drawing tablet for anyone who sketches. No need to purchase a stylus separately.

Stylus included — no extra purchase needed

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

Mini desktop mode with an external keyboard

Tent mode works well too — handy when you just need the display visible on a narrow surface, like a counter seat or cramped desk.

Tent mode for tight spaces

Portability

Actual weight: 1,358 g. For a 2-in-1, that's legitimately good. Most convertibles tip past 1.5 kg without trying, so this one earns genuine credit here. Toss it in your rucksack and you'll barely notice it 🚶‍♂️.

1,358 g — solid for a 2-in-1

The charger, though, comes in at 311 g — heavier than ideal. The laptop being light while the charger is bulky creates a bit of a mismatch. If you want to travel light, picking up a compact USB-C charger would trim your total carry nicely 🙆‍♂️.

Charger at 311 g — worth considering a lighter alternative

One-handed carry is a touch heavy, but in a bag it's absolutely fine. Not the sort 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 colour richness, the contrast. Coming from an IPS screen, your first reaction might well be "how did I put up with that?" 😍. Photos and video look genuinely great, not just "decent for a laptop."

OLED colours that make IPS look flat

Viewing angles are wide — colours stay accurate when someone's looking over your shoulder. Useful for group work or simply showing someone something on screen.

Colours hold up at wide angles

The touchscreen works just like a phone — swipe, tap, pinch. Intuitive from the start, and 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 web pages.

16:10 means more room for content

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

Glare is a genuine trade-off

Keyboard Feel

HP have clearly 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 localisation effort you don't always see at this price point, and it shows.

Region-localised key layout

The typing feel is solid. Keys are tactile without being noisy, and the keycaps have a slightly soft texture that's pleasant for extended sessions. Comfortable for long writing or document 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 delivers ✨.

Backlight with an always-on option

Trackpad

Glide is smooth, the surface is generously sized, and the click feel is satisfying in the lower half. The top is stiffer — normal for this style of trackpad — but the lower portion has a clean, confident response. Quiet enough for a library or café.

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 day-to-day development 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 figure — 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 — seriously fast 😲. App launches feel instant, large file transfers fly through, and you'll notice 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 sceptical. In practice, a full working day is doable without a mid-afternoon charge. Push it with maximum brightness and heavy tasks and you'll drain it faster, but for typical use you're covered from morning to evening.

~60Wh battery

USB-C charging support means you can use a compact USB-C charger instead of the included brick — much better for travelling light 🙆‍♂️.

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 focused work or library use.

Virtually silent at idle

Under load: 40.2 dB — clearly audible. Extended heavy tasks will make themselves known through the fans. On the bright side, it means the cooling system is doing its job and sustaining performance rather than throttling.

Noticeable fan noise under load

The exhaust vents are positioned at the rear, so there's no warm air blowing across your mouse hand. Small design decision, real impact on comfort ✅.

Rear exhaust keeps hands out of the warm zone

Ports

The port selection here 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 needing a hub.

Left side ports Right side ports

HDMI 2.1 handles 4K output cleanly. Plug in a large monitor at home and you've got a capable desktop replacement.

HDMI 2.1 outputs 4K without a hitch

I also confirmed dual 4K output over USB-C simultaneously — it works 🖥️🖥️🖥️. Triple monitor setup is well within reach, and once you've worked across three screens it's hard to go back.

Dual 4K via USB-C confirmed

Webcam

Image quality is solid for video calls — colours look natural and it holds up fine in normal lighting. It runs a bit dark in dim conditions, but a desk lamp sorted that out instantly. No complaints for remote meetings or online lectures.

Webcam quality is good for calls

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

Physical privacy shutter — clearly covered when closed

Speaker Quality

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

Speakers that genuinely surprised me

Security

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

No fingerprint reader, but with face unlock this quick, it's difficult to feel like you're missing out 😊.