HP OmniBook X Flip 14 ZDNET's key takeaways HP's OmniBook X Flip 14 with 16GB of memory starts at $849 at Best Buy. It's one of the better midrange convertible laptops of 2025, with a vivid OLED display and nice design elements. The battery life takes a dip with the demands of the OLED, and opting for upgrades inflates the price point. View now at Best Buy Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. HP's OmniBook Flip series has impressed us here at ZDNET this past year, stepping up as affordable, versatile laptops for a variety of everyday use cases for students or professionals. We recently reviewed the OmniBook X Flip 16, the larger model of the series, noting its brilliant display and solid performance for the price. Now, I've been using the 14-inch variety (with an AMD processor) and found it equally practical. Also: This HP OmniBook finally sold me on the 2-in-1 laptop design (and it's on sale for $400 off) The large trackpad, generous selection of ports, comfortable keyboard, and portable form factor make the OmniBook X Flip 14 a reliable workhorse that's easy to commute with. Conversely, the approachable price of $849 keeps it more or less in its lane as an everyday device with its limits, while speaking to its strengths. One of the things I look for in a laptop is its utility relative to its intended use case. In other words, a laptop that knows who its intended user is. The OmniBook X Flip 14 is a good example of this, delivering an enjoyable user experience for the everyday user with an OLED display, convertible form factor, and practical port selection. Like many of HP's consumer offerings, this laptop can come with either an Intel or AMD processor. The one I tested ran AMD's Ryzen AI 5 or 7 350, 32GB of LPDDR5x-7500 RAM, and a Radeon 860M GPU. The 24GB (for $1,049) and 16GB ($849) versions are what are offered at third-party retailers right now, and I recommend these configurations. Also: I finally solved the toughest question about buying laptops - here's my expert guide For students and everyday users, 16GB of RAM is more than enough for the most common use cases, but bumping that up to 24GB for an extra $200 is also a solid option to further future-proof the device. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET The display comes in either an OLED or an IPS option. The IPS delivers a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution at 400 nits and would be the obvious choice for someone more concerned with keeping the price down and pushing battery life. The OLED does look good, though. The glossy 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution OLED touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate delivers a smooth experience while multitasking or working. This is a 2-in-1, after all, so for entertainment like watching YouTube or streaming services, it delivers a vivid image at a maximum brightness of 500 nits for HDR content. The DTS: X Ultra audio speakers aren't exactly a top-of-the-line sound system, but they're surprisingly loud, and when the laptop is propped up in tent mode, audio still comes through very well without sounding muffled or distant. Also: Seriously, Acer's new 16-inch featherweight laptop makes the MacBook Air seem heavy The physical design of the OmniBook X Flip 14 is about as neutral as you can get for a laptop. HP is one of the more conservative brands, playing it safe with tried-and-true design elements and colorways. The steel gray body here could be any laptop, for example, save for the embossed HP logo on the back. The one thing that sticks out is the keyboard, however, with rather large, flat keys with minimal separation between them. This isn't exactly the zero-lattice keyboard of the Dell XPS, but it's certainly a nod to that aesthetic. The result is tactile and comfortable keys that are easy to type on and feel premium enough. The real design choice here might be more geared toward its use case as a convertible tablet, though. When you set the laptop down on a surface in tablet mode, the keys are recessed enough not to contact the surface. Also: The best HP laptops of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed Similarly, the area around the board is thick enough to allow for handling without palm-rolling the whole keyboard. This allows you to actually use the device like a tablet (with the hinge on top) instead of just cosplaying as one. The trackpad, however, was a little harder to use. Its surface coating isn't exactly textured, but it results in slightly stickier finger movement, especially if you're pressing down hard. This is ultimately a matter of personal preference, though, and why I opt for a mouse anyway. The other major reason why this laptop is a practical choice is its connectivity. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and has a good selection of ports: two USB-A ports (10 Gbps) and two USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps), an HDMI, and a headphone jack. Just note that the two USB-C ports are on the left side of the device. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET For students and professionals, the OmniBook X Flip 14's 5MP Full HD webcam is functional and delivers a clear, reliable image. HP's Poly Studio is one of the more useful proprietary webcam apps, with some basic effects like adjusting for low light and appearance touch-ups that are worth toggling if you take a lot of calls. Regarding battery life, the OmniBook X Flip 14 delivered about average numbers. I got about seven hours of runtime during the workday, leading me to believe that the OLED display does have its demands on the laptop's hardware, especially when you're at peak brightness and taking video calls. Also: The best laptops you can buy: Expert tested It's definitely possible to stretch that, though, depending on your settings and how you use it. Even reducing brightness and demand a little bit goes a long way. HP says you can get up to 19.5 hours of video playback for the IPS display configuration, which would be the route to go if you're more concerned about longevity than the vivid display. ZDNET's buying advice The OmniBook X Flip 14 is a "Midrange Plus" laptop that delivers better performance and build quality than its price point suggests. Its 3.08-pound weight isn't the lightest on the market, but it's easily light enough to commute with. Its battery life isn't the absolute best, but it's far from the worst, either. Its design is exceedingly neutral, but thoughtfully constructed as a convertible device that is easier to use in tablet mode than other 2-in-1s I've tested. Most importantly, however, its performance is reliable. Also: I tested HP's first-gen EliteBook X, and it's a powerhouse at the office (and $500 off) The 16GB configuration only comes with a 512GB SSD for $849, which I wouldn't suggest unless you're using it for work or school and live in the cloud with no need for local storage. Otherwise, I recommend opting for the OLED display and 1TB SSD starting at $1,049 to round out the laptop's intended use case as a versatile everyday laptop with a premium design.