HP LAUNCHES OMNIBOOK 5 BUDGET LAPTOP WITH OLED SCREEN

HP has launched the OmniBook 5, a budget laptop priced at $699 or $700 depending on the report. It has a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with a 180-degree hinge, though reports differ on resolution, citing either 2K or 2.5K. HP said the laptop can run for up to 42 hours on a single charge in its own video playback test. The base model has an Intel Core 5 315 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with options up to an Intel Core 7 chip. It also includes two USB-C ports, an infrared camera, two microphones and four colour choices.

The OmniBook 5 is aimed at the same market as Apple's entry-level MacBook, known informally as the MacBook Neo, which launched in March at $599 with Apple's A18 Pro chip. That price has since risen to around $700, which reports linked to supply pressures on memory chips, described as "RAMageddon". One report put the MacBook Neo's battery life at 13 hours in an online test, short of HP's 42-hour claim for the OmniBook 5. HP's laptop is thinner and lighter too, at 11.77mm thick and just over 2.5 pounds. Dell has released a rival, the XPS 13, while Lenovo is preparing the IdeaPad Vibe and Acer's Swift Go 16 AI was named as another affordable OLED laptop.

HP said the OmniBook 5 will go on sale this month but gave no exact date. Reports said few affordable laptops currently offer OLED screens, naming the Acer Swift Go 16 AI as the main exception. Lenovo's upcoming IdeaPad Vibe reportedly needs a separate upgrade to add an OLED panel, unlike HP's machine. The MacBook Neo's price rise, linked to component supply issues, has been cited as a factor letting rivals compete more closely with Apple on price and specification.