The MacBook Air remains a tough benchmark in the world of thin and powerful laptops. With every new Windows notebook we test, we look for a device that can truly challenge its dominance. Some models compete on price, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x. Others, like the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, aim to go toe-to-toe on every front. And while the OmniBook Ultra still falls short of dethroning the MacBook Air as the best overall laptop, it is one of the most compelling Windows alternatives we have tested in a long time.
Elegant design and premium build quality
The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is a beautifully designed laptop. It does not try to mimic the MacBook Air, but has its own distinct style that closely resembles the 2026 Dell XPS 14, especially with its zero-lattice keyboard and haptic feedback trackpad. These elements are not just for aesthetics; they are tactile, responsive, and match the quality of the best competitors. The all-aluminum chassis is sturdy and opens with one finger, while being slightly thinner and lighter than the Dell XPS 14. Unfortunately, the retail price has climbed to $1,900 from an initial $1,250. For that price, you get an OLED display, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processor. A MacBook Air with similar specs starts at $1,099 and often drops to $950 on Amazon, as reported in our article on the M5 MacBook Air hitting an all-time low price.
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Excellent OLED display with some caveats
The OLED panel is one of the first highlights. It reaches 447 nits of brightness and, when switched to "Photos & Video" mode, delivers near-perfect color accuracy with a Delta-E of 0.72, among the best we have ever tested. The only real drawback is the highly reflective glass: while the brightness is sufficient in most settings, you often need to crank it up to combat glare. Note that the base configuration has a 1920x1200 display, and upgrading to the 2880x1800 120Hz panel costs $60, but HP forces you to also upgrade to a Snapdragon X2 Elite CPU. This frustrating limitation pushes the price close to the base M5 MacBook Pro with twice the storage.
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Snapdragon X2 Plus performance sets new records
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processor holds its own impressively. Graphics performance has improved massively over the previous generation, matching the M5 MacBook Air in benchmarks like 3DMark Steel Nomad Light. While this does not always translate to great real-world gaming, the power is substantial. Multicore performance exceeds the M5, a huge plus for heavy multitasking. Combined with excellent color accuracy, this CPU makes the laptop a dream for photographers and graphic designers, even if the lack of a dedicated GPU limits hardcore video editing. For more on the Snapdragon ecosystem, see the Wikipedia page on Snapdragon.
Long battery life and high-quality audio
Battery life reaches 24 hours with local video playback, on par with the best Intel and MacBooks. The Snapdragon X2 Elite version adds multicore performance (up to 18 cores) but does not improve battery life. The laptop features four built-in speakers that deliver a full, enjoyable sound, comparable to the 13-inch MacBook Air. The 5-megapixel webcam, however, disappoints: image quality is sharp but struggles in harsh lighting, such as when a window is open nearby.
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A great Windows laptop, but the MacBook Air remains king
The MacBook Air is still tough to beat: it is cheaper, has a sharper base display, and a mature ecosystem. If you are ambivalent between macOS and Windows, the MacBook Air is still the recommendation. However, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 justifies its higher price compared to direct competitors like the Dell XPS 14 and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, which cost hundreds more. The OmniBook Ultra is more versatile, has a lower starting price, and is currently the only one featuring Qualcomm's latest chips. If you are looking for a high-quality Windows laptop, it is an excellent choice.
