What changed
HP announced the OmniBook 5 at the start of October with a Core 5 320 chip. It had said Core 7 350 models would follow later in the month. Notebookcheck says the Core 7 350 version appeared in the US store without warning. Here is what is and isn't on sale as of October 12:
- Now available: Core 7 350, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, $1,069.
- Not yet purchasable: the lower-tier Core 5 315 configurations, according to Notebookcheck.
- Delayed: HP is holding back the 12 GB RAM options until November 2026. Tom's Hardware's spec table lists the same timing, along with a 1 TB SSD option that is also planned for November 2026.
Treat these as dated availability notes. They are not permanent limits on the laptop.
The price math
Notebookcheck's text calls the jump over the base Core 5 320 model "$400 and 52%". Those numbers don't match its own prices. $1,069 minus $699 is $370, which is roughly 53%. Measured against HP's $699.99 launch price, the gap is $369.01. The exact figure matters less than the point behind it: the step up is real money, and it buys more than a processor.
- RAM: 16 GB instead of 8 GB.
- Storage: 512 GB instead of 256 GB.
- CPU: the Core 7 350 instead of the Core 5 320.
Notebookcheck's September report listed a Core 7 350 model with 16 GB and a 256 GB SSD at $1,299. That listing was the only one in stock at the time, and the cheaper SKUs were out of stock. The $1,069 configuration is a different, cheaper SKU. The reporting doesn't say what happened to the $1,299 listing, so I'm not assuming it is gone.
How much faster is it?
Notebookcheck's own benchmarks put the Core 7 350 about 9% ahead of the Core 5 320 on CPU performance. That is the outlet's estimate, not an HP guarantee. A later Notebookcheck report on a related OmniBook 5 model (14t-kf000) puts the gap at about 8%. In everyday Windows use, such as browsing, Microsoft 365 apps and video calls, a gap that size is unlikely to be obvious.
The graphics side is similar. Notebookcheck's September report says both chips have nearly identical integrated GPUs with two Xe3 cores. The Core 7 350 runs its GPU about 4% faster, at 2,600 MHz.
Power draw is less clear. Notebookcheck says the Core 7 350 drew more power than the Core 5 320 when it reviewed the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15IWC11 earlier this year. That was a different laptop, so it says nothing certain about the OmniBook's battery runtime. HP's headline claim is up to 42 hours of local video playback from a 60 Wh battery. That is a vendor test figure from a narrow scenario, not a mixed-workload expectation. Notebookcheck's September report also noted a 59 Wh battery on the $1,299 SKU. Check the battery capacity on the exact configuration you are buying.
The display
The Core 7 model keeps the same panel as the base model. Notebookcheck describes it as a 1,920 × 1,200 OLED, 60 Hz and 300 nits. Its September report adds 100% DCI-P3 coverage across the configurations then listed. The better panel is still coming:
- Notebookcheck says it arrives in March 2027, and calls it a "1600p and 400-nit" display.
- Other coverage differs on brightness. Yahoo Tech says the March 2027 OLED goes up to 620 nits.
- Digital Citizen lists the higher-resolution panel as 2560 × 1600, also due in March 2027.
Notebookcheck's 400-nit figure is therefore at odds with at least one other report. If panel brightness matters to you, wait for HP's final specifications before treating any number as settled.
Design and ports
- Chassis: HP's announcement lists four finishes: Peony Pink, Starlit Blue, Smoke Silver and Soft Honeydew. Notebookcheck's photos of the Core 7 model show Smoke Silver and Starlit Blue.
- Size and weight: it weighs about 1.16 kg. The chassis measures as little as 11.7 mm thick.
- Ports: Digital Citizen reports two USB-C ports capable of up to 10 Gbps. It also lists an HDMI connection and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
These are family-level details. Confirm the ports and panel options on the specific retail SKU before you buy.
Is it a MacBook Neo rival at $1,069?
"MacBook Neo rival" is Notebookcheck's framing, and it fits best at the $699 starting price. At $1,069, the case rests on a few things:
- For: an OLED screen in every configuration, 16 GB of soldered memory, a light chassis and a long-lasting battery claim.
- Against: a modest CPU uplift, a 60 Hz and 300-nit panel, and a notably better screen that won't arrive for months.
If you mostly want the OLED display, light weight and battery life, the $699 model may be the better deal once stock appears. If 8 GB of RAM worries you, the $1,069 SKU is the one you can buy now. In both cases, the Core 7 chip is not what you are paying for. The extra RAM and storage are.
Bottom line
HP has made the faster Wildcat Lake OmniBook 5 available early, at $1,069 for the Core 7 350 with 16 GB and 512 GB. It is roughly 8–9% faster on the CPU by Notebookcheck's testing. The 12 GB RAM options, the 1 TB SSD and the sharper OLED panel are all still to come. Read the configuration details closely, and treat HP's 42-hour battery number as a best case.