GoKawiil8 / 10 Score Cnet Score CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance. Read more on: How we test HP OmniBook 3 16 $1,000 at HP Pros Astounding battery life
Cohesive, understated design and solid build quality
Comfortable to carry Cons Snapdragon X1 processor is a generation behind the times
Keyboard backlight bleed is distracting
OmniBook 5 16 offers OLED for roughly the same price
The OmniBook battery life king is dead, long live the OmniBook battery life king! The HP OmniBook 3 16 just knocked off the HP OmniBook 5 14 as the longest-running laptop CNET has tested. Both are powered by a first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processor, but the larger 16-inch OmniBook 3 was able to set a new laptop battery life mark because it pairs a super-efficient Snapdragon X1 CPU with a larger battery than what's inside the 14-inch OmniBook 5. A difference in display technology also played a role in the OmniBook 3 16's record-setting battery performance.
The budget OmniBook 3 16 has more plastic in its construction than the mainstream OmniBook 5, but I don't have any complaints about the build quality. I love the design of the bottom panel, in particular, which makes the laptop incredibly comfortable to carry.
In this age of RAMageddon and sky-high prices, the budget OmniBook 3 16 line starts at $1,000, which, not too long ago, would have placed it squarely in the midrange category. And my test system features memory and storage upgrades that raise the cost to $1,370. At this price, missing out on the greater application and AI performance of a newer Snapdragon X2 chip stings a bit, as does making do with a very basic IPS LCD screen. You can get a similar package for much less with the Acer Aspire 16 AI, but the OmniBook 3 16 has a more refined design to go with its unbeatable battery life.
HP OmniBook 3 16 Price as reviewed $1,370 Display size/resolution 16-inch 1,920x1,200 60Hz IPS LCD CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 Memory 32GB LPDDR5-8448 Graphics Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 Storage 1TB SSD Ports 2 x USB-C (10Gbps), 2 x USB-A (5Gbps), HDMI 2.1, combo audio Networking Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Operating system Windows 11 Home 25H2 Weight 3.7 pounds (1.7 kilograms)
The OmniBook 3 16 is customizable at HP and starts at $1,000 for a configuration with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 2K (1,920x1,200-pixel) non-touch IPS LCD. The entry-level Snapdragon X chip is the only processor offered, but you can double the RAM to 32GB for $140 (ouch) and max out the storage with a 1TB SSD for $230 (double ouch). My test system included both of these upgrades. You can also add touch support to the display for $80, but the touchscreen upgrade was not included on the unit I tested.
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