MacBook Air (M3) vs. HP Spectre x360 14
This comparison guide breaks down the MacBook Air M3 and HP Spectre x360 feature by feature to help you decide which premium laptop best fits your needs.
You want a high-end laptop, but now you're stuck at that familiar crossroads: do you go all in with Apple’s ecosystem and grab the MacBook Air with the M3 chip, or do you stick with a premium Windows machine that promises just as much value, if not more?
It’s not an easy call. The MacBook Air (M3) delivers peak portability and battery life, while the HP Spectre x360 14 brings convertible versatility, an OLED display, and cutting-edge Intel performance. Both are excellent in their own right, but depending on your needs, one will fit better than the other.
Let’s break it down feature by feature and help you decide where your money should go.
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1/ Design & Build
The MacBook Air sticks to Apple’s signature minimalism, ultra-thin, ultra-light, and precision-cut from a single block of aluminium. It weighs just 2.7 pounds and is only 0.44 inches thick, making it perfect for slipping into any bag without a second thought.
The HP Spectre x360 14, on the other hand, brings some flair. It’s not just slim and stylish, it’s flexible too. Thanks to the 360-degree hinge, you can flip it into tablet mode, tent mode, or anything in between. At 3.19 pounds, it’s slightly heavier, but still portable.
Verdict: HP wins for its versatile 2-in-1 form factor.
2/ Display
This round is a pretty clear win for the Spectre. Its 14-inch 2.8K OLED display is simply stunning, sharp, vibrant, and capable of hitting 500 nits of brightness. It covers nearly every colour space professionals care about (DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, NTSC) and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also touch-enabled, adding more functionality in tablet mode.
The MacBook Air's 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is no slouch either. It’s bright, colour-accurate, and visually rich. Apple’s True Tone tech adjusts the display based on ambient lighting, which is great for the eyes. But it lacks OLED’s deep blacks and can’t match the Spectre’s high refresh rate or touch input.
Verdict: HP easily takes the win with a sharper, more vibrant, and more versatile OLED panel.
3/ Performance & Software
On raw performance, both machines bring strong silicon to the table, each with a little AI magic inside. The MacBook Air runs on Apple’s M3 chip, an 8-core CPU paired with either an 8-core or 10-core GPU. It’s fast, efficient, and can hold its own against the Intel Core Ultra 7 in many workflows. The GPU even adds hardware-level ray tracing for those dipping into gaming or 3D work. And macOS Sonoma keeps things smooth, stable, and optimised for Apple’s ecosystem.
The HP Spectre x360, powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, has more cores on paper and comes with Intel Arc graphics. It’s particularly strong at multitasking and performs well in everyday workloads, content creation, and light gaming. Plus, Windows 11 is evolving fast, especially with Copilot, Microsoft’s built-in AI assistant that offers real-time help and contextual support across the OS. If you rely on Windows-based software or want broader game compatibility, the Spectre might be more appealing.
Verdict: Apple wins in efficiency and macOS synergy, while HP brings better multitasking muscle and more versatile software support.
4/ Battery Life
MacBooks have long had an edge here, and the M3 Air keeps that tradition alive. Apple claims up to 18 hours of video playback on a single charge, and in real-world usage, it generally delivers over 15 hours without much fuss.
The Spectre x360 14 has a beefier 68WHr battery, but ironically, it doesn’t stretch as far. With regular workloads, expect around 6 to 7 hours before you’re reaching for the charger. It’s decent, but not nearly as enduring as the Air.
Verdict: Apple wins, hands-down.
5/ Ports & Connectivity
This one is a tale of minimalism vs practicality. The MacBook Air gives you two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging, and a headphone jack. It’s clean and simple, but if you need to plug in anything beyond the basics, you’ll be living the dongle life.
The Spectre is more generous. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-A, and a combo audio jack make it easier to connect multiple peripherals without a hub. It’s a small win, but an important one for anyone who values convenience.
Verdict: HP wins for practical port selection without forcing users into dongle life.
6/ Webcam & Audio
Apple’s 1080p FaceTime HD camera is sharp enough for most Zoom meetings, but it doesn’t offer anything extraordinary beyond solid clarity. Audio, however, is excellent, with a six-speaker system and force-cancelling woofers giving it surprisingly rich sound for a thin laptop.
HP takes the lead in the webcam department with a 9MP sensor and IR support for Windows Hello. Video quality is crisp, even in tricky lighting. Audio is respectable too, with quad speakers tuned with DTS:X Ultra, but the Mac still has a slight edge when it comes to sound richness and spatial feel.
Verdict: HP wins for webcam quality and facial recognition. Apple wins for superior speakers.
7/ Price
Here’s where things get interesting. The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,099, while the HP Spectre x360 14 starts around $1,500, but discounts often bring it closer to $1,200. And at that price, you're getting more RAM, more storage, a better display, and a flexible design.
Verdict: Apple wins this round with a cheaper price.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, both laptops deliver where it counts; they’re fast, thoughtfully designed, and built for modern computing. The MacBook Air (M3) is the go-to for macOS fans who value unmatched battery life, great performance, and an ultra-light form factor.
Meanwhile, the HP Spectre x360 14 makes a compelling case for flexibility, value, and display brilliance. It comes with creator tools, a productivity machine, media slate, and does each job impressively well. So, whether you lean toward Apple's streamlined simplicity or HP's all-in-one ambition, your choice won’t be wrong.
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