HP Envy Recline 27 review

Touchscreens might be the future for tablets and laptops, but they aren’t exactly convenient for desktop monitors or all-in-one PCs. HP is trying to fix that with the Envy Recline 27, an AiO PC with a highly adjustable hinge design.

That hinge comprises almost all of the Recline 27’s base, letting you lie the screen flat like an easel or angle it over your desk to bring it within touch distance. It’s firm enough to put both hands on the screen and not knock it out of place, but you’re still able to adjust it without lifting the whole system off the table.

The base itself is rather boxy and angular, and feels like it’s made from plastic, so fans of Apple’s minimal aluminium may wish to look away. An NFC reader is built into the base, letting you share photos and web links from a smartphone, but it’s tough to reach unless the screen is in regular desktop mode.

The screen looked bright and colourful at HP’s demo showcase. It’s a 27in, 1,920×1080 model with 10-point multi-touch, and has an HDMI input for attaching a set-top box or games console. Viewing angles were very good, so you should have no trouble using the screen at any position the hinge will allow.

There are a total of five USB ports built into the system, which comes bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse, so you’re unlikely to run out of ports in a hurry.

The model on show was powered by Intel’s 4th Generation Core i5-4670t running at 2.3GHz, paired with 4Gb of RAM, a 1Tb hard disk and dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT730A graphics. We’re told i7 models will also be available, along with 8Gb and 16Gb configurations. We couldn’t properly test performance, but can attest that tge digital version of Monopoly played smoothly.

The model we saw looked rather sleek in black and silver, but there will also be a black and red Beats version available for those who like their gadgets to make a statement. It won’t be arriving until November.

The Envy Recline 27 should be available to buy in the UK in the coming weeks directly from HP, with prices starting around £1,399 depending on specification. There will also be a 23in version available, with lower prices but also more entry-level specifications.

We’ll hopefully be bringing you a more detailed review soon.