We learned a couple of months back that HP has no plans for ARM-powered Windows RT tablets—at least not yet. The firm still intends to deliver tablets based on Microsoft’s next-gen operating system, though. Case in point: the new HP Envy x2, a freshly announced hybrid tablet not unlike Asus’ popular Transformers, but with an 11.6″ display and x86 guts.
The Envy x2 features a “seamless magnetic latch” that lets the user detach the display from the keyboard and touchpad. That display has a fairly pedestrian 1366×768 resolution, but HP has used IPS panel technology, so color reproduction and viewing angles should be good—potentially in the same league as Apple’s iPad and competing 10″ tablets.
Oddly, HP neglects to specify what processor powers the device, both in its official announcement and on the official product page, which mysteriously went offline after we saw it last night. The folks at PC World report that the device is based on Intel’s upcoming Clover Trail Atom processor, though.
The HP Envy x2 also features up to 64GB of solid-state storage, a 1080p front-facing camera, and an eight-megapixel rear camera. The removable tablet component weighs 1.5 lbs by itself, and when joined with its keyboard, the device tips the scales at 3.11 lbs. HP quotes a thickness of 0.66-0.76″.
The Envy x2 is “expected to be available in the United States for the holidays,” says HP. Pricing will be announced “at a later date.” (That product page we saw also teased, “In stores October, 2012,” but since it’s now offline, I don’t know how reliable that information is.)