The HP Spectre is set to compete with the Apple MacBook Air in 2017. Apple's laptop has set a bar for its light and thin design and the HP Spectre is offering a super lightweight model without sacrificing functionality.

The HP Spectre x360 15-inch 2-in-1 provided some new features that appeal to fans of thin and light laptops. The new device has a 4K display option with dedicated Nvidia graphics. It was also made thicker to provide more than enough battery life, thereby prioritizing function over mere aesthetics.

Mike Nash, chief technologist and VP of HP's Customer Experience and Portfolio Strategy, told Digital Trends that the HP Spectre's design decisions were very conscious. He explained that these were borne out of comprehensive research to discover what users wanted in the HP Spectre x360's successor. They found that customers were quite concerned about battery life, connectivity and keyboard quality.

HP wanted to feature a 4K machine that could still provide around 13 hours of battery life, similar to the full HD model. In the past few years, Apple continued to make the MacBook Pro thinner - and battery life also suffered as a result. The 15-inch MacBook Pro reduced its battery life from 99.5 to 76 watt-hours from 2015 to 2016. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also reduced its overall battery life since 2015.

According to The Memo, HP Spectre promises both full functionality and a thin elegant design. The hinge features a unique gold band, with more hints of gold on the cover and backlit keyboard. The laptop is 10.4mm thin, powered by either the Intel Core i5 or i7. The new HP Spectre also has Bang & Olufsen speakers, edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass protection, a hyperbaric cooling system and a glass trackpad. The HP Spectre lacks a touchscreen or tablet mode, however.

The HP Spectre is priced at around $1,250, which is quite close to the MacBook Air, which has a price tag of around $1,200. The device is a great alternative for users who are looking for a new alternative running on Windows 10. More updates and details are expected soon.