Surprise Launch: HP OmniBook X Flip Debuts Panther Lake with a Stunning Price Tag

Recently, the first Intel Core Ultra 300 Panther Lake-based laptops appeared in online stores, and yesterday brought a delightful surprise for tech enthusiasts. Not only did Walmart unveil even more models today, but these were priced significantly lower. The website of the retail giant listed the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 for a mere $1000. Though not the cheapest option on the market, it stands out as Panther Lake’s Core Ultra 300 series isn’t targeted at the most affordable segment. Just yesterday, we spotted MSI models listed between $2100 and $2500.

This new offering from HP boasts a 16-inch 2K touchscreen, paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, driven by the Core Ultra 7 355 processor. Despite its name, this is one of the weaker CPUs in the lineup, equipped with only four performance cores and four LP cores. Furthermore, the maximum configuration expected is 4+8+4, thus high performance isn’t anticipated from this CPU, though it won’t be underwhelming either. Panther Lake also promises significant energy efficiency, a crucial aspect for modern mobile devices.

Considering the specifications of the laptop and the processor, this suggests that we can expect even more affordable models as there are lower-tier Core Ultra 5 CPUs available. As Carolina Milanesi, a noted tech analyst, noted in a recent interview: “These releases mark an exciting period for consumer electronics, particularly in terms of power efficiency and performance balance.” With the full reveal at CES 2026 on the horizon, anticipation is building for what additional capabilities and devices will be showcased at this major tech event.