My latest laptop review is of the HP Omnibook 5, a Windows laptop built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus processor.
The Omnitbook 5’s Snapdragon processor is ARM-based, which means it offers strong battery efficiency compared to similarly priced Intel or AMD machines, but it also comes with some compatibility trade-offs.
It starts off at a very reasonably price, (check out the latest price on Amazon – compensated affiliate link), and even at that entry tier, it comes with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, which is more generous than what I typically see at this price. The model I tested was equipped with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD.
The display is a 14-inch OLED panel running at 1920 by 1200. It delivers strong contrast and sharpness, though reds can appear oversaturated, and it doesn’t fully cover the DCI-P3 color space, so it’s not suited for professional color grading. At 300 nits, brightness is adequate under most conditions, and the screen is topped with Gorilla Glass 3. Versions with touch support are available, but the one I used was non-touch.
There’s a 1080p webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition and comes with a physical shutter. Microsoft’s Copilot effects, like background blur, run smoothly. The keyboard is comfortable, backlit, and has decent travel, while the trackpad, though a little soft in feel, worked without issue.
Port selection includes two USB-C 3.2 ports capable of charging, video out, and 10 Gbps transfer speeds, alongside a 10 gigabit USB-A port and headphone jack. The build mixes recycled plastics with aluminum on the lid and base, and the machine is light at about 2.8 pounds. It feels balanced and can be opened with one hand.
Battery life is where this laptop stands out. In my use, it lasted between 12 and 15 hours on typical workloads like Office apps and browsing, and I never ran into low-battery anxiety even after using it on and off for more than a day. The fan inside is rarely audible, and the system stays stable under sustained load.
Performance on everyday tasks is solid. Browsing, Office, and media playback ran smoothly, with 4k 60fps YouTube video playing back without trouble. For video editing, DaVinci Resolve has an ARM-optimized version, and I was able to stitch together 4K clips with smooth transitions, though heavier effects slowed things to a crawl.
Gaming is the biggest compromise. Modern titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and No Man’s Sky wouldn’t run, but older games and a remastered Star Wars: Dark Forces played fine. Benchmarks landed it near older Ryzen 7 laptops, but game compatibility remains inconsistent because many titles still don’t support the Snapdragon ARM processor even with Microsoft’s compatibility efforts.
Linux is technically possible on Snapdragon laptops but requires extra work, so those wanting to dual-boot would be better off with Intel or AMD hardware.
I came away with the impression that the Omnibook 5 is best for casual work and media use. It’s not the machine for gamers or professionals needing specialized software, but for someone who wants a lightweight laptop with excellent battery life and a capable feature set at a low entry price, it has a clear place.