After more than a decade in my writing career, I've come to love compact laptops. It allows me to type in cars, buses, trains and airplanes without taking up a lot of space. This is because news has to be written in various situations without warning. For the past five years I have been using a MacBook Air.
But many are asking what alternatives can be bought in the Windows 11 version? This made me excited to test the HP Pavilion Aero 13 because it's the same size as the MacBook Air. Is it a good alternative? This is my full review.
HP Pavillion Aero 13
Screen 13.3″ WUXGA (1920×1200) IPS LCD, 400nits, 60Hz
AMD Ryzen 5 7535U CPU
AMD Radeon GPUs
RAM 16 GB DDR4-3200 MHz
Internal Load 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
720P HP Wide Vision Primary Camera
I/O 1x USB-C 10Gbps
2x USB-A 3.0
1x HDMI 2.1
43Whr Battery (3 Cells)
45W charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System Fingerprint scan
Selling Price RM3699
SCREEN
The large 13.3″ IPS LCD screen supports WUXGA resolution, 60Hz but without finger touch support. The panel has a brightness of up to 400 nits which is compatible for use in closed areas. Because of the screen's not-so-high brightness level, I had some difficulty using it outdoors. Several times when commenting I had to find a nearby coffee shop to find a dimmer workspace.
The displayed content is satisfactory with beautiful colors. Watching TV series or movies using the Aero 13 screen is satisfactory with only one issue. The 16:10 screen used has an anti-glare layer, although I know why this layer is given but it often makes the screen appear dim if it is not in the right plane with the eyes.
There is no issue with the 16:10 screen because in my opinion it is better than 16:9. There are black bars at the top and bottom when watching YouTube and Netflix. Personally the existence of this bar is not an issue for me because I grew up in the 80s with TVs that were all 4:3.
SHAPE
The body design looks successful even though it is minimalistic. The body is made of aluminum and magnesium metal which makes the Aero 13 weigh less than 1 kilogram. For those looking for a lightweight laptop, the Aero 13 meets your needs. When reviewing I often forget that the Aero 13 is in the backpack because it doesn't feel like a burden on the shoulder.
The body of the Aero 13 feels a little bulky and not very robust. Can be bent slightly if pressure is applied. But this is common on computers with magnesium alloy bodies. For lightness, case hardness is sacrificed.
On the cover is placed the HP logo which is also minimalist. When matched with champagne yellow, the Aero 13 looks very successful and professional. When turned underneath there are ventilation holes and two long rubber pads. The pad provides high friction, so there is no need to worry about the Aero 13 being pushed off the table surface. Two holes for Bang & Olufsen speakers are also located at the bottom.
The hinge is of the elongated type which is not very tight but firm enough to prevent the screen from shaking when typing. When the screen is fully opened, it will tilt the body up slightly to provide comfort to the wrist and allow air to be drawn in by the cooling fan.
Despite the thin body of the Aero 13, HP is still able to include 2x USB-A 3.0, 1x USB-C, an audio jack and one full-size HDMI 2.1. The two USB-A ports have hinges that reveal larger holes. The USB-C port also doubles as a charging port and DisplayPort 1.4 output. HP does not make the thin body an excuse not to provide the ports that the average user needs.
The fingerprint scanner is placed in a small box built into the right palm rest. It's fast but it would be nice if it was built right into the power button. Meanwhile, a 720P web camera is also included. It's a bit awkward to see 720P webcams still in use when the average other manufacturer has moved to 1080P. As expected the picture and video quality is less than satisfactory.
PERFORMANCE AND USAGE
The reviewed model is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535U CPU, paired with 16 GB DDR4 memory and 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. In Malaysia only this configuration is offered together with the Windows 11 Home operating system.
In two weeks of use I felt it was a computer that operated quite well. Can be turned on quickly and open various software quickly. The RAM size of 16GB is quite large and even if we have a lot of software open we don't experience any issues with it getting stuck.
512GB SSD storage is quite large for the average user but it would be better if 1TB storage is given directly so that the computer can be used for a longer period. There were no chronic heating issues we experienced during the review period. It only gets a little warm if processing a short video using CapCut or we try a video game.
The storage used reaches a read speed of 5.079 GBps and a write speed of up to 3.917 GBps. It's not the fastest SSD I've ever reviewed but it's still better than the 256GB MacBook Air M2 SSD which is only around 3GBps.
In the PCMark 10, Night Raid Fire Strike and Time Spy tests, the scores recorded were slightly higher than the average office laptop in the same class. In fact, the performance is better when compared to the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14″ Gen 8 with Intel Core i7-1360P that I reviewed last May. The Aero 13 is a compact laptop but its performance running productivity apps is quite impressive.
Despite not being equipped with a discrete GPU, the latest Radeon GPU on the Ryzen 5 7535U can still play classic games like Commandos, Command and Conquer Tiberium Wars and more. I didn't have time to test more modern games because the Aero 13 is not marketed as a gaming computer.
KEYBOARD
The keyboard is of the 60% type and is square in shape. There is a row for the home, page up, page down and end buttons. This makes the Aero 13's keyboard feel cramped even though I'm used to using 13″ laptops. It took me a few days to get my fingers used to these narrow keys.
The typing process is not very comfortable at the initial stage but after getting used to the fingers, the Aero 13's keyboard is quite good with it having up to 1.5mm of movement. The typing process can be done quickly. The white built-in lighting system comes with an unchangeable description. Because the keys are silver and the lights are white, in certain situations I want a brighter light. But as you can see below. dim light makes some keys not so clear.
TOUCH PAD
The touchpad is quite small but detects touch well. It is neither very soft nor very hard. It uses Windows Precision Driver software so various Windows 11 gestures are perfectly supported. It can also detect palms to prevent unwanted contact. If a larger pad were offered, I feel that using the Vero 13 as a true productivity device would be achievable. But because it is small the editing process in Photoshop becomes a little difficult.
AUDIO
Bang & Olufsen stereo speakers are placed at the bottom with an HP Audio Boost audio system. Because the audio shoots down, the audio quality is not that great especially if it is placed on the lap. Sound is absorbed by the thigh before reaching the ear. At the highest volume I felt it was not loud enough. For a more satisfying audio experience, I recommend using wireless or wired earphones because there is a 3.5mm audio jack.
Battery
The battery size of Vero 13 is only 43 Whr which is very small. In comparison, the MacBook Air M2 with the same size is equipped with a 52.6 Whr battery. The Vero 13 is advertised with the ability to watch almost 13 hours of video which I feel is too conservative. During the review period I felt that the average battery life of this laptop was only around 7 hours. Battery recharge is around 2 hours using a 45W USB-C PD charger.
CONCLUSION
The HP Pavilion Aero 13 meets many of the criteria I look for in a work computer. It is compact, light, has a good keyboard, satisfactory performance and is equipped with various necessary I/O so dongles do not need to be bought. On laptops of the same size, typically only a USB-C port is provided. The Aero 13 comes with 2x USB-A 3.0 and 1x full-size HDMI 2.1. Its design that looks stylish also makes it attract attention and gives a professional image.
The downsides are that the camera is still only 720P, the audio system is mediocre and the battery life is a little sad.
But with a selling price of only RM3699 right now, it's a very worthwhile package for what it offers. For students or those who just got their first job, the HP Pavillion Aero 13 offers quite an attractive package on the market right now.
PROs and Advantages
Satisfying 16:10 screen with anti-glare coating.
CPU, RAM and storage specifications that are powerful enough for a work computer.
Lightweight and compact size.
Good I/O options on a compact laptop.
CONS and Cons
The touch pad is quite small
Average battery life.
The keyboard light is not bright.