Thought Leadership
With a 14-inch OLED display and up to 42 hours of battery life, HP is positioning its new laptop as a competitor to Apple’s entry-level MacBook.
HP has introduced the Omnibook 5 14 AI PC, a new entry-level laptop clearly designed to compete with the MacBook Neo. Apple launched its least expensive MacBook in March 2026, powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone and priced at $599 USD. The move caused considerable disruption across the industry, with Asus CEO calling it a “shock.” Amid ongoing pressure on memory component prices, the MacBook Neo now costs around $700 USD. HP is targeting the same price segment with the Omnibook 5, which will also start at $700 USD. Dell previously entered this range with the XPS 13, while Lenovo has announced the IdeaPad Vibe for the same price category.
OLED Display Is the Main Selling Point
The most prominent feature is the 14-inch OLED display, which HP includes across all variants. It has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, which HP markets as 2K, although the technical designation is WUXGA. The panel is available with or without touch support.
The larger display gives the Omnibook an advantage in size over both the 13-inch MacBook Neo and the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. However, its maximum brightness of 300 nits is relatively low and could make outdoor use difficult. HP has also announced a 2.5K OLED touchscreen with brightness of up to 620 nits, but that version will not be available until March 2027.
| HP Omnibook 5 14 AI PC |
| Processor: Intel Core 5 (Wildcat Lake); Core 7 350 to follow in October RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5 (base model); 12 GB from November SSD: 256 GB (base model); 1 TB from November Display: 14-inch OLED, 1,920 x 1,200, 60 Hz, 300 nits, 100% DCI-P3, with or without touch Display (later): 2,560 x 1,600 OLED touchscreen from March 2027 Battery: 60 Wh, up to 42 hours of local video playback according to HP Ports: 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, headset combo jack, no USB-A Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth Chassis: Aluminum, 11.7 mm thin, starting at approximately 1.16 kg Colors: Silver, blue, pink, green Price and availability: Starting at $699.99 USD, October 2026 (HP.com, Best Buy) |
HP Promises 42 Hours of Battery Life
HP is making ambitious claims about battery life. According to the company, the Omnibook 5 can run for up to 42 hours during local video playback. This figure has not yet been independently verified, and battery life during streaming or under heavier workloads is likely to be significantly lower. For comparison, Apple rates the MacBook Neo for up to 16 hours of video streaming. Tom’s Guide measured around 13.5 hours of web browsing in its test.
Base Configuration Is Sparsely Equipped
The entry-level configuration uses an Intel Core 5 processor from the Wildcat Lake generation. It comes with just 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. That is a fairly limited configuration for a Windows laptop, while macOS has historically made more efficient use of similarly limited memory. HP has announced higher-end configurations, but they are not yet available. Core 7 models are expected in mid-October. A version with 12 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD is planned for November. HP has not yet provided a release date or price for a 16 GB RAM configuration. With additional memory and storage, however, the laptop could quickly move into the mid-range price segment.
The port selection is also fairly limited. The Omnibook 5 has two USB-C ports, one HDMI 2.1 output and a headset combo jack. There is no USB-A port, so users with older peripherals will need an adapter. The aluminum chassis is approximately 11.7 mm thin and weighs around 1.16 kg at the entry level. It is available in silver, blue, pink and green. The muted pastel colors are notably reminiscent of the MacBook Neo’s color palette.
Business Variant: ProBook 4 G2iS
Alongside the Omnibook 5, HP has announced the ProBook 4 G2iS 14 AI PC. The business laptop is 12 mm thick and weighs approximately 1.18 kg at the entry level. HP describes it as its thinnest business laptop to date. The 14-inch OLED display does not support touch and offers a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 pixels. It runs at 120 Hz and reaches up to 500 nits of brightness. The battery has a capacity of 70 Wh.
Processor options include Intel’s Core 5 and Core 7 chips from the Wildcat Lake generation. They can be paired with 8 to 32 GB of soldered RAM and SSD capacities ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB. The NPU in the Wildcat Lake chips delivers up to 17 TOPS, putting it well below Microsoft’s 40-TOPS requirement for Copilot+ PCs. Intel’s Panther Lake and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 are significantly more powerful in this respect. The ProBook offers a more generous selection of USB ports than the Omnibook. It has two USB-A and two USB-C ports, as well as a headset combo jack. There is no HDMI output.
| HP ProBook 4 G2iS 14 AI PC |
| Processor: Intel Core 5 or Core 7 (Wildcat Lake), NPU up to 17 TOPS RAM: 8 to 32 GB LPDDR5x-6400, soldered SSD: 256 GB to 1 TB Display: 14-inch OLED, 2,880 x 1,800, 120 Hz, 500 nits, 100% DCI-P3, no touch Battery: 70 Wh with HP Fast Charge, 65-W USB-C power adapter Ports: 2x USB-C (10 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery), USB-A Other: FHD HDR webcam with IR, Poly Studio speakers, spill-resistant keyboard, 180-degree hinge, MIL-STD Chassis: Aluminum, 12 mm thin, starting at approximately 1.18 kg Colors: Eclipse Gray, Atmospheric Blue, Mist Silver Price and availability: Price not yet announced, November 2026 (HP.com) |
How Much Will It Cost?
The Omnibook 5 14 is scheduled to launch in the US through HP and Best Buy in October 2026, starting at $699.99 USD. The ProBook 4 G2iS will follow later. HP’s information currently points to either November or December, but the company has not yet announced a price. It is also not yet known whether or when either laptop will become available in Germany.
(Editorial Team)
