HP Elite Dragonfly G3 review: the C-suite laptop

In the case of enterprise laptops that don’t really feel like enterprise laptops, HP’s Elite Dragonfly laptops cleared the path. The standard safety measures are in place, however these laptops aren’t afraid to face out in a crowd.

I reviewed the third technology of the Elite Dragonfly, which has morphed from a convertible 2-in-1 into a conventional clamshell laptop computer. It’s an extremely well-designed and engaging little laptop computer that hits the candy spot for businesspeople who wish to keep stylish on the street.

Specs

What businesspeople need

Earlier than a laptop computer can go off and be additional, it must maintain the fundamentals. The Elite Dragonfly G3 does simply that, providing an Intel vPro CPU to assist enterprise-level safety and administration options and HP’s Wolf Safety suite to guard in opposition to malicious assaults in each {hardware} and software program. The Elite Dragonfly G3 matches different business-oriented laptops like Lenovo’s ThinkPad and Dell’s Latitude with regards to supporting giant companies.

With that primary threshold met, what else do enterprise customers need? Properly, they need laptops designed for the lengthy haul, given that companies have a tendency to exploit each dime out of their investments — which implies holding onto laptops for longer than many customers maintain onto theirs. So, a enterprise laptop computer wants a strong construct, even when it sports activities a skinny and light-weight design.

The Elite Dragonfly G3 is constructed of magnesium and aluminum, giving it each gentle weight and a principally sturdy construct. There’s a tiny little bit of bending within the lid and a few flexing within the keyboard deck, however nothing egregious.

The design can also be fairly snug, with rounded edges alongside the facet of the lid and chassis that make for snug use, to not point out a sublime feel and look. The design is minimalist however fairly engaging, and the chassis is accessible in both a Slate Blue (my overview unit) or a Pure Silver shade scheme. The show bezels are lined in plastic, which detracts just a little from the premium really feel, however they’re sufficiently small to allow a properly sized machine. The hinge opens with one hand, fairly the feat given the sunshine chassis backside, and it holds the show firmly in place.

General, the laptop computer supplies the sort of high quality aesthetic and cozy construct that any person would recognize. The two.19-pound weight helps significantly, making the Elite Dragonfly G3 one of many lightest laptops we’ve reviewed, and its 0.64-inch thickness makes it a straightforward laptop computer to slip right into a bag.

Enterprise customers can even recognize the connectivity, which is in depth for such a small laptop computer. Wi-fi connectivity meets the newest requirements, with non-compulsory 5G WWAN assist for always-connected web.

A compelling compromise

The standard businessperson will depend on operating functions like Microsoft Workplace, Slack, Groups, Outlook — usually all on the identical time. Right now’s commonest CPUs present greater than sufficient productiveness efficiency, whether or not we’re speaking about Intel’s Twelfth-gen Core processors or AMD’s Ryzen 6000 chips. The one exceptions are enterprise customers who run demanding scientific, engineering, or artistic functions like AutoCAD or Adobe’s Artistic Suite — however in these instances, they received’t be selecting skinny and light-weight laptops just like the Elite Dragonfly G3.

It’s not a machine that’s tuned for prime efficiency, particularly since its Core i7-1265U processor runs at solely 15 watts. However even related laptops with the identical chip rating a bit higher in benchmarks. The Dell Latitude 7330 UL is the perfect instance, which outperforms the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 in Geekbench 5 and Handbrake.

Nonetheless, the Elite Dragonfly G3 nonetheless receives a bump in efficiency utilizing its Twelfth-gen Intel processor, which retains it greater than quick sufficient to maintain up with the sort of workflows it’s designed for. So, whereas the Elite Dragonfly G3 is way from a performer, it’s lots quick for its meant use.

With competent if not spectacular enterprise efficiency out of the way in which, the following query is how lengthy does the Elite Dragonfly G3 final on a single cost of the battery? That’s extremely vital to businesspeople, who’re extra apt to take their laptops on the street. When flying from one facet of the nation to the opposite, you need a laptop computer that can make all of it the way in which with out worrying about whether or not the airliner supplies the facility you want.

Right here, the HP did significantly better. In actual fact, it’s a class-leading laptop computer with regards to battery life, demonstrating that HP created a strong compromise between efficiency and longevity. There are 68 watt-hours of battery capability tucked away contained in the laptop computer’s diminutive chassis, which is a good quantity for the 13.5-inch 3:2 WUXGA (1,920 x 1,280) low-power IPS show. The Elite Dragonfly G3 makes nice use of its battery capability and decrease efficiency tuning to show in some spectacular battery life scores.

It’ll final slightly below 12.5 hours in gentle net shopping and almost 19 hours in native video playback. For precise work, you’ll get much less, however there’s little doubt it’s going to final a full enterprise day of labor on a single cost — after which some.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is the one of its rivals to return near competing with it right here, and it’s nonetheless a few hours behind.

Creature comforts and conveniences abound

HP paid nice consideration to making a laptop computer that’s extremely snug to make use of. That features the keyboard, which has giant keycaps, glorious spacing, and light-weight, snappy switches that make for fatigue-free typing.

It’s one of many higher keyboards on a business-class machine. The touchpad is giant with loads of area on the palm relaxation due to the three:2 show, and its glass floor is clean and exact with assured but quiet button clicks. A contact show is non-compulsory and never included in my overview unit.

HP inbuilt some nifty privateness options, beginning with an digital shutter for the webcam that’scontrolled by a key on the keyboard. There’s additionally person presence detection, which may lock the laptop computer and put it to sleep when the person walks away and wake it again up when the person returns. It labored effectively throughout my testing and, actually, I wanted to show off the function to conduct my battery checks.

The show on my overview unit was the low-power non-touch 13.5-inch 3:2 WUXGA+ (1,920 x 1,280) IPS show. I discovered it to be vivid and colourful with loads of distinction, and my colorimeter agreed.

Colours have been proper on the premium common when it comes to sRGB and AdobeRGB gamma and accuracy, which leads to a show that’s lots colourful for productiveness work and media consumption. Brightness was effectively above our 300-nit threshold at 398 nits, and distinction was glorious at 1,610:1, smashing by way of our most popular 1,000:1. Whereas creators need wider colours, enterprise customers will discover this show fairly nice.

Two downward-firing and two upward-firing audio system present a stunning quantity of quantity for such a small laptop computer, with clear mids and highs and a contact of bass. The audio system is greater than adequate for videoconferencing, augmented by two-way AI-control noise discount, in addition to the occasional Netflix bingeing session.

Talking of videoconferencing, the webcam is a high-resolution 5MP mannequin with an infrared digital camera, and HP inbuilt a number of instruments to make for the highest-quality video and the perfect expertise throughout videoconferencing periods. There are the standard lighting adjustment and background blur capabilities, together with an Look Filter to clean out the tough edges and Autoframe to permit the person to maneuver round whereas nonetheless remaining centered within the video.

Lastly, Home windows 11 Whats up passwordless login is offered by each facial recognition and a fingerprint reader. Each strategies labored shortly and reliably.

A top-of-its-class enterprise laptop computer

The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a enterprise laptop computer masquerading as a sublime, premium shopper laptop computer. It has all the pieces a enterprise wants and all the pieces a enterprise person needs. It’s not the quickest laptop computer, but it surely’s quick sufficient, and its battery life is stellar. The truth that it’s extremely skinny and light-weight is simply icing on the cake.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is Lenovo’s personal try at a extra premium enterprise laptop computer, but it surely nonetheless holds onto the basic ThinkPad DNA. However the HP Dragonfly G3 has higher battery life and a extra fashionable design, with out the trimmings of an older period of enterprise.

The Elite Dragonfly G3 is among the most elegant and cozy enterprise laptops you should purchase, and it’s the perfect instance of the following technology of enterprise laptops.

Editors’ Selection