The HP Spectre Foldable PC can turn into three different devices, but at a $5,000 cost

We have seen the rise of a number of foldable smartphones from companies like Samsung, Motorola, and most recently Google. However, the concept of a foldable Windows PC has been something that's been a bit harder to find.

In 2020, Lenovo released the ThinkPad X1 Fold PC, but our review was mixed at best. The device had a lot of potential, but its low performance and its high price tag (starting at $2,499) were definitely not in its favor.

Today, HP announced the launch of its first foldable PC, and while it looks like an impressive product at first glance, the price for this device is pretty eye-watering.

The HP Spectre Foldable PC is being promoted as a 3-in-1 product. It can be used as a stand-alone 17-inch touchscreen tablet. It can also be used as a 17-inch desktop PC with its built-in kickstand and its included detachable Bluetooth keyboard. Finally, the PC can be turned into a 12.3-inch laptop again with the included detachable keyboard.

Here are the hardware specs for the HP Spectre Foldable PC:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1250U (up to 4.7 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB L3 cache, 10 cores, 12 threads); Intel Evo
• Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5-5200 MHz RAM (onboard)
• GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• OS: Windows 11 Home/Pro
• Storage: 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD
• Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless card
• Display: 3:4 43.2 cm (17 inch) diagonal, 2.5K (1920 x 2560), foldable OLED, touch, UWVA, BrightView, Low Blue Light, SDR 400 nits, HDR 500 nits, 99.5% DCI-P3
• Keyboard: Full-size, detachable rudy black soft cover Bluetooth keyboard
• Battery: 6-cell, 94.3 Wh Li-ion polymer; Up to 12:30 battery life (MM25 and Wireless Video
• Streaming Netflix)
• Audio: Bang & Olufsen Quad speakers
• Ports: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB Type-C 40Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge)
• Weight: 1354 g (SSD, without keyboard); 1624 g (SSD, with keyboard)
• Dimensions: 277.05 x 376.1 x 8.5 mm (Unfolded); 277.05 x 191.31 x 21.4 mm (Folded)

Last week, we got a virtual presentation of the HP Spectre Foldable PC. There's no doubt that a lot of impressive engineering went into the making of this product. The 17-inch foldable OLED display includes an integrated kickstand that allows it to stand on its own so you can work with it like a desktop PC with the included keyboard.

The display is also just 8.5mm thick or about as thick as a number 2 pencil. Its 1.35kg weight (just under 3 pounds) makes it very light, and with its foldable design, even more portable.

You can also use this display as a really big Windows 11 tablet for tasks like note-taking with its included stylus, along with art and presentations.

However, it's likely that it will be used most as a 12.3-inch laptop. You can place the Bluetooth keyboard on top of one of the two folded sections of the display, or you can use it detached from the display, with the bottom half serving as a kind of second 12.3-inch screen for some heavy multitasking.

The HP Spectre Foldable PC will be available to pre-order today in the US at Best Buy's website for a whopping $4,999.99. It will be available on HP's website sometime in October. It will also be available in other countries later this fall.

No, that price you just saw is not a typo, and that may be the biggest barrier for this product. The HP Spectre Foldable PC may have a ton of potential to be a multi-purpose computer, but the price is the same as a high-end desktop gaming PC with hardware specs that would blow away this product.

HP should be commended on going outside the box, but this is also clearly a first-gen product that we believe will be refined in later versions that will hopefully be priced much lower.

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