REVIEW – For some reason, I really like tiny gadgets. It’s not only that they are easier to carry around, but also just the mere fact that there’s so much power in a small device like this. Recently, I saw an ad for the X-Plus Piccolo N150, an 8-inch convertible laptop with full Windows 11 support and a surprisingly decent spec sheet. So, I decided to order one and was wondering whether this could (partly) replace my 12” Dell laptop.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $389.99
Where to buy: X-Plus
What is it?
The X-Plus Piccolo N150 is an 8-inch 2-in-1 mini laptop that is powered by an Intel N150 CPU.
What’s included?
- X-Plus Piccolo N150 Mini Laptop
- Charging adapter
- Case (optional)
Tech specs
| Type | Details | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Size | 200.6*130.6*17.9mm |
| Weight | 658g | |
| LCD | Screen Size | 8″ 16:10 |
| Resolution | 1920*1200 | |
| Battery | Type | Li-Polymer |
| Capacity | 7.6V/3500mAh, 200W | |
| Working time | about 6 hours (not verified) | |
| Hardware | CPU Type | Intel N150 |
| CPU Model | Quad core, up to 3.6GHz (15W) | |
| GPU Type | Intel Graphics 24EUs 1000mhz | |
| RAM | 12GB On-board LPDDR5 | |
| ROM (SSD) | 512GB | |
| SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe4.0; access to SSD slot on bottom (User replaceable) | |
| Camera Front | 2.0MP | |
| Speaker | inside 8Ω/1W Speaker x 2 – Side-firing | |
| Network Connections | WIFI & Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6 Intel AX101, Dual Band 802.11 ax/ac/b/g/n; Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Interface | TF (Extend Storage) | |
| Interface | Standard USB | 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB2.0 |
| Earphone Jack | ø3.5mm standard | |
| DC port | For Type-C power plug only | |
| HDMI | Mini HDMI supported – HDMI 1.4, 1080P output | |
| Type-C | DP – Display Port, PD Power Delivery & Data | |
| Fingerprint Reader | Power button is a fingerprint reader | |
| Keyboard | Back-lit keyboard | |
| Accessories | Power Adapter | 12V/3A Type-C plug |
| Software | OS Version | Windows11 Pro |
Design and features
After just over a month, my Piccolo N150 arrived. And … I fell immediately in love with it. It is constructed from premium materials and features a decent number of ports. In fact, more than on many ‘ordinary’ laptops.
The Piccolo can be used as an ordinary clamshell laptop. Or in ‘tent mode’, which is excellent for consuming media, although the sound (and webcam) is not great.
Or in ‘tablet mode’, which is excellent for designers.
Impression
The Piccolo is tiny. I could fit it in my coat pocket (barely), and it slid effortlessly into my EDC bag without the usual laptop lump. At just over 650 grams and barely thicker than a paperback, it’s perfect for mobile use. The aluminum shell feels more premium than I expected at this price point, and the 360° hinge is smooth and stable—no wobble, no creaking.
Great Display for the Size
The 8-inch IPS touchscreen is crisp and bright, with a 1920×1200 resolution. Watching YouTube or editing documents was a pleasure.
Decent Performance for Light Work
With Intel’s Alder Lake N150 chip, 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD, I was able to run Chrome with multiple tabs, do my programming with VSCode and watch YouTube videos without a hitch. The GeekBench6 benchmark is 1181 in single core and 2588 in multicore mode.
Full Port Selection, Surprisingly
Despite its size, the Piccolo includes USB-A (2.0 and 3.0), full-function USB-C (with Power Delivery and DisplayPort), mini-HDMI, microSD slot, and a headphone jack. No need for an external hub.
Keyboard and trackpad
Of course, the keyboard is small, but it has a good tactile feel. The layout takes some time to get used to, but it is quite logical. The space bar is split in two halves to accommodate an optical trackpad, which is very tiny.
This small glass square works just like its bigger siblings, but needs some training, There are two trackpad button below the space bar(s), I personally prefer a mouse or the (excellent) touch screen.
Extras
There’s a fingerprint reader built into the power button (not tested) to be used with Windows Hello.
There’s even a micro SD card reader built in!
Battery Life is Just Okay
I got around 5–6 hours of mixed use. That’s passable, but I wouldn’t leave home without a USB-C charger.
Final thoughts
The X-Plus Piccolo N150 feels like a love letter to the netbook days—but with modern specs and polish. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re like me and appreciate ultra-portable tech with real functionality, it’s an intriguing gadget. It possibly won’t replace your main workstation, though.
What I like about X-Plus Piccolo N150
- Very usable small (I mean really small) laptop/tablet
- Surprisingly good keyboard and touch screen
- Many ports
- Relatively cheap
What needs to be improved?
- Sound quality
- Webcam quality
- Battery duration
Price: $389.99
Where to buy: X-Plus
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds. X-Plus did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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