HP OmniBook 5 16-inch offers long battery life at $649

ZDNET tested the HP OmniBook 5 16-inch with the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H and found it to be a reliable, practical laptop that is currently on sale for $649 and notable for its efficient battery life. The OmniBook 5 series offers flexible configurations, including Snapdragon, Intel Core Ultra 7 200-series, or AMD Ryzen 5 8540U options; the reviewed Intel variant shipped with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

Physically it has a silver clamshell design, a full-sized keyboard with a number pad, and most ports placed on the right side, including two 10Gbps USB-C ports, HDMI and a USB-A port. The base 2K matte IPS display tops out at about 300 nits, and ZDNET notes opting for an OLED panel will improve image quality but raise the price by a few hundred dollars.

Battery life is a standout: HP cites 32 hours in its video playback test, and ZDNET reports real-world use yielding well over a full day on a single charge. The laptop handles video conferencing with HP's True Vision 1080p FHD webcam, produces better-than-expected audio via DTS:X Ultra speakers and HP Audio Boost, and remains cool and quiet except when pushed under heavy load.

At 3.92 pounds and about 0.73 inches thick, the 16-inch model is also reasonably portable for commuting. ZDNET's buying advice calls the OmniBook 5 a solid midrange laptop that punches above its $649 sale price and recommends it for students and professionals who value battery life and a comfortable keyboard.

Key Topics

Tech, Hp, Snapdragon X, True Vision, Intel Core Ultra, Oled Display