This awesome 2-in-1 laptop I tested comes highly recommended for office workers (and it’s on sale)

What’s up?

Some EliteBook x360 model saw a significant price drop on HP’s storefront. The biggest discount belongs to Intel Core Ultra 5 135H with 1TB configuration from 3,437 USD to $1,949.

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Let’s say you’re a business professional and looking to buy a laptop. What do you get? ONE MacBook? However, there are definitely better options, like HP’s new product Elitebook x360 1040 G11 2-in-1 laptop. It’s certainly a cool name, but don’t let it deter you from a great device intended primarily for business users. There are three features that make the Elitebook x360 great, and I’ve broken them all down below.

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First, battery life. The HP laptop lasted over 14 hours on a single charge before I had to rush to use the charger. Remember that this number is achieved by running ZDNET’s Standard battery test And without turning on battery saving mode. I’m sure with the latter enabled it can last up to 20 hours of HP. This means you can take the HP Elitebook x360 to work and back — as well as on third place — without having to worry about whether the laptop will die in your hands. Feel free to leave the charger at home when you go to work for the day.

What surprised me was that the model didn’t run Snapdragon X Elite hardware, a chipset known for its longevity. Instead, it operates on an Intel Core Ultra 7 165U. Power wasn’t sacrificed to ensure long battery life as the hardware put up impressive numbers in our graphics tests. I never experienced any drop in performance. Even when I had 60 tabs open and multiple videos playing at the same time, the HP Elitebook x360 handled everything well.

I ran benchmark tests a few times to get a better idea of ​​what the laptop can do. Geekbench showed me this laptop performed well under general workloads and achieved a top score of 12,059 points. It performed at the same level as a computer containing a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, which is impressive to see.

In terms of design, HP’s laptop passes the eye test. It is relatively thin and light, weighing about 3 pounds. Thanks to its aluminum structure, the device is also quite durable. I’m also a fan of the keyboard; Each Chiclet-shaped key feels soft to the touch and has plenty of space between the keys. And it all sits on a rigid platform. Everything comes together for a very comfortable typing experience.

The HP Elitebook x360 contains seven inputs around the body. What I like about its array is that there are USB-C ports on both sides: two on the left and one on the right. Having a setup like this is perfect because you won’t have to wrap the charging cable around the device to charge it. Convenience is highly appreciated.

There’s one downside I’m noting here: the laptop failed the one-finger lift test. Raising the screen causes the device to slide backwards.

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I also found the touchscreen to be passable. The screen outputs at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 so the image quality is not the best. Furthermore, the screen is not very bright, peaking at 400 nits. HP has coated the glass on its latest Elitebook model with an anti-glare coating to maintain transparency. That’s good when indoors. However, due to low brightness, the screen performs poorly in direct sunlight. On the plus side, the display supports the entire sRGB gamut so colors are vibrant.

Finally, the sound system on this machine is one of its highlights. The hardware is provided by HP’s PolyStudio brand and is made specifically for video calls. The speaker pumps out rich sound, powerful enough to envelop you in a bubble of sound. They include four individual drivers complete with “discrete amplifiers” for added power.

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Besides, there is a pair of separate microphones capable of capturing the best sounds. The camera has a 5MP lens that typically records at 1080p. I usually criticize this by saying it’s too low resolution, but it turns out, the camera can actually record 1440p much better.

So the high image resolution, combined with a powerful sound system and recording features, makes the HP Elitebook x360 one of the better laptops available for on-the-go video calls. move.

ZDNET Buying Tips

The HP Elitebook x360 is easy to recommend to business users, especially those who may buy the laptop in bulk as it is quite expensive with a starting price of $2,029. My review unit cost $2,299. Again, this is not for the average consumer, but I recommend it for enterprising users and those who want a durable, secure, and reliable laptop rely on to work.

For more traditional users, I recommend it Acer Swift 14has similar screen size, battery life, and performance but at a more affordable price.