• 

  Acer Swift 3 (2022)

  The Acer Swift 3 is a clamshell laptop with generous port selection, optional QHD display, and 1080p webcam. If you're looking to maximize performance, the 12th Gen Intel Core P-series CPUs are the way to go.

  See at Amazon

• 

  HP Envy x360 13 (2022)

  HP's Envy x360 is an affordable convertible laptop with solid battery life, gorgeous 2.8K OLED touch display option, comfy keyboard, and advanced 5MP webcam. If you enjoy inking and don't mind losing a bit of performance with 12th Gen Intel U-series chips, it should be the right choice.

  See at Best Buy See at HP

HP and Acer are responsible for some of the best laptops that money can buy. Both brands have something for everyone, but there are some particularly interesting options. In the case of Acer, the 2022 refresh to the Swift 3 is definitely an eyecatcher. It received a display and performance upgrade, and it still has a competitive price for those who don't want to overspend.

HP has an equally eye-catching laptop in the Envy x360 13. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for expecting it to be a premium, high-priced Ultrabook. But it is without question one of the best HP laptops currently available, and it won't destroy your wallet. It's now available with 12th Gen Intel Core processors after a recent refresh, keeping it in line with the Swift 3. Let's see how these two comparably priced laptops stack up against each other.

Pricing, availability, and specs

The new Acer Swift 3 refreshed for 2022 looks to start at about $900 depending on where you shop. We found the newest models most reliably at Amazon, though you might occasionally find other third-party retailers have some stock. The $900 model we spotted includes a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P processor (CPU), 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), and 14-inch QHD display. If you'd like to bump that up to 1TB of storage with otherwise similar specs, the price jumps to about $1,100.

You can also find models with a Core i5-1240P CPU, though prices aren't that much more affordable compared to the more powerful Core i7 models. An option with Core i5-1240P CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and FHD touch display was spotted at about $880, so spending a few more dollars will get you a much better system. Acer's configurations can be confusing, so be sure to keep an eye out for the latest models using the SF314-512 serial number.

HP's Envy x360 13 currently starts at a more modest $700 for a model with 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1230U CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, and a 13.3-inch FHD+ touch display. The official HP website has a bunch of pre-built configurations and a customization tool that lets you build everything to your liking. It's no doubt the best place to shop, but there are also models available at third-party retailers Best Buy.

Looking at HP's official website, a high-end model with Core i7-1250U CPU, 16GB of LPDDR4x-4266MHz RAM, 1TB M.2 SSD, and 2.8K OLED touch display costs about $1,000. That's more affordable than the high-end Swift 3 model, and you get the bonus of an OLED touch display.

Here's a look at the specs available in each laptop.

Design and features

HP's Envy x360 gets part of its name from the 360-degree convertible hinges. This allows the laptop's lid to rotate around for tent, stand, and tablet modes depending on the task at hand. Need to handle some office work? Use it as a normal laptop with keyboard and touchpad. Want to use the included pen for some inking? Flip it around to tablet mode. Tent and stand modes are also optimal for watching TV or movies.

The Acer Swift 3 has a more traditional clamshell design, meaning it won't rotate around for different form factors. That's fine for many people, and its lack of extra convertible hardware makes it just a bit lighter than the HP laptop. Both laptops have the same 0.63-inch (16mm) thickness, and they have a similar footprint size. Both are also made of aluminum for a more premium feel.

Port selection is nearly the same, and you'll get two Thunderbolt 4 no matter which laptop you choose. This allows you to connect to any of the best Thunderbolt docks to further expand connectivity if required. Both laptops otherwise have two USB-A 3.2, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card reader for expandable storage. The Swift 3 goes one beyond the Envy x360 by adding an HDMI port for video out.

HP's keyboards are some of the best around, and despite the more affordable pricing the Envy x360 is no different. Keycaps are large and spaced evenly, there's plenty of key travel, and there's a backlight for working after hours. One of the only drawbacks to this setup is that the backlight can often make the key font disappear against the silver keys. Certainly not a dealbreaker. The touchpad below the keyboard is spacious and tracks well.

Acer's keyboards can often be hit or miss depending on your typing preferences. Some people like the smaller keycaps, while others find it hard to adjust to the shorter key travel. Nevertheless, it will serve you well even if you're typing all day. A backlight helps find your keys in low-light situations, and the touchpad is fairly large and also tracks accurately.

Camera and audio

Acer upgraded the camera for this generation of Swift 3, and you're now getting a 1080p (FHD) picture with good contrast and clarity. HP's Envy x360 has a 5MP (2592x1944) webcam that also offers a clear picture, plus you get HP's GlamCan software that can improve how you look while video conferencing. It'll do things like automatically frame your face, crop the picture, correct lighting, and add filters, making it easier to use the camera in all conditions. In his HP Envy x360 review, Senior Editor João Carrasqueira states that "the lighting correction does a fantastic job accounting for extreme low-light scenarious, making me visible even when no lights are on aside from the computer screen."

Both cameras will ultimately do a good job, but the extra HP features might be worth it for those who spend a lot of time in online meetings. HP's laptop adds an IR camera for Windows Hello and a privacy shutter. Both laptops feature bottom-firing stereo speakers that do a decent job of providing audio with the need for a headset. Neither laptop is likely to floor you with its sound quality, but you'll still be able to listen to music, watch movies, and hear your colleagues on calls.

Display and inking

The Swift 3 hasn't changed its aspect ratio to 16:10, which is becoming more common across laptop brands and is even available is some of the other great Acer laptops. Despite this, you'll still get more screen space due to the larger 14-inch size. Acer has added the option for a 1440p panel this time around, with 100% sRGB and 76% AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 coverage. It's nice to have the option to add the extra pixels, though you can still go with 1080p to save money and prolong battery life. Brightness hit about 340 nits in our testing.

HP's Envy x360 is available with three different touch displays, each with about 400 nits brightness, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and inking compatibility. Models come with HP's MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen so that you can start inking as soon as the laptop arrives. The most affordable display has a 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution with 100% sRGB color. You can also upgrade to a 2560x1600 (QHD+) resolution before getting into OLED territory. The most expensive screen has a 2880x1800 (2.8K) resolution, OLED panel, low blue light designation, and 100% DCI-P3 color. It's the way to go if you want the best color possible, and it should satisfy creators who need the extra color gamut coverage.

The Envy x360's convertible design mixes well with inking abilities, and anyone who enjoys jotting down notes or sketching diagrams will be able to take advantage of the 360-degree hinges.

Performance and battery

Acer has gone with Intel's 12th Gen 28W P-series CPUs for the Swift 3, which should ultimately provide better performance compared to the 15W U-series Intel chips in the Envy x360. In our testing, the Core i7-1260P in the Swift 3 managed a 5,318 PCMark score and a 9,594 multi-core Geekbench score, both excellent results. To compare, the Core i7-1250U in the Envy x360 hit a 5,183 PCMark 10 score and a 7,425 multi-core Geekbench score. Both laptops look to be configurable with up to 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to a 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.

The P-series processors should be better if you're prone to heavy multitasking, but they're also a bigger draw on battery life. In his Acer Swift 3 (2022) review, Senior Editor João Carrasqueira saw about four hours of life when going about regular tasks. Note that this was with the QHD screen. As for the Envy x360, Carrasqueira managed to hit closer to eight hours when going about regular work. That's significantly better than the Swift 3, and anyone who foresees working away from AC outlets might want to opt for the HP PC.

Choosing the right laptop for you

HP's Envy x360 13 immediately provides more versatility with its convertible design, though the Acer Swift 3 does weight a bit less. Acer's laptop also has that extra HDMI port, though I'd rather type all day on the Envy x360's keyboard. When it comes to camera and audio it's mostly a tie, though the HP's extra GlamCam software can come in handy if you spend a lot of time video conferencing.

Display options are in HP's favor despite the new QHD resolution option from Acer. The Envy x360's touch functionality, inking capability, and optional 2.8K resolution OLED screen with 100% DCI-P3 color — not to mention the taller 16:10 aspect ratio — beats what Acer has to offer. If you value a laptop's picture, the Envy x360 should be the right choice.

On the other hand, the Swift 3's Intel Core P-series CPUs are better suited for those who are looking to prioritize performance. The Envy x360 13 might get better battery life thanks to its 15W chips, but the 28W CPUs in the Swift 3 win out in a head-to-head performance comparison. There are a few compromises required whether you go with the HP or Acer laptop, and perhaps the pricing will help you lean one way or the other. The Envy x360 starts at a lower price and generally remains more affordable as you add faster hardware and better display.