Back in February at MWC 2016, HP unveiled a smartphone that many (including myself) called “breathtaking.” It’s called the Elite x3, and the motive behind the name is simple: HP wants users to treat this handset as their smartphone, laptop, and PC. How would you do that, you may ask? By using all the productivity features HP built into the device, but mainly via Continuum, Microsoft’s technology to deliver a PC-level experience on any Windows 10-powered smartphone once connected to a supported dock and monitor. I’ve been using the Elite x3 for nearly a month, and these are my thoughts on what the most powerful Windows 10 Mobile device to date gets you.
Hardware & Design
The design of the Elite x3 is stunning. The Graphite/Chrome model has a nice matte black finish (you can also get the phone in Gold, by the way) around the left, right, and top edges alongside the entire back, while a glossy chrome bottom piece provides some extra curb appeal and houses the front-firing speaker. There’s also rounded corners that provide a comfortable feel in the hand. This phone feels slippery at times thanks to its large form factor and plastic materials, but it probably won’t fly out of your pocket. That is if you’re not wearing gym shorts.
Touching more on the materials, there’s no denying this phone is made of plastic. As soon as you pick it up, you’ll immediately notice it. It never feels icy cool, you don’t get the same texture as you would with something like aluminum or metal, and there’s a relatively cheap feel you get while holding the handset. For the price HP charges, I’d assume the Elite x3 was made of better materials. However, I can’t say this is a bad thing since I actually kind of like the feel in the hand the device provides, even though I feel like I could snap the phone in half if bent properly.
On the top edge of the Elite x3, you’ll find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (thank God). This feature is relatively scarce nowadays, so its nice to see HP stick to the additions consumers will surely appreciate. On the left, there’s a SIM/microSD card tray that can’t be popped out with a SIM tool but rather your fingernails. On the right, you’ll find a glossy power button and matte volume buttons. Finally, on the bottom, there’s a USB-C port for charging, data transfer, and connectivity with the Desk Dock (we’ll get to that eventually).
Placing the phone on it’s back, you’ll find the huge 5.96-inch WQHD AMOLED display on the front covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Let me just say that this is a beautiful display, even though its way too big for the average user. Colors are on point, you can practically never see any pixels, and Windows 10 Mobile looks great on it with its inky blacks and bright, vivid colors. Outdoors, the display gets pretty bright, so it’s easy to see in direct sunlight. In darker environments, the screen also gets really dim, so if you’re reading something from a particular website that starts with an ‘M’ before bed, your eyes won’t kill you.
Also found on the front of the device is the front-facing camera, earpiece, LED indicator, and an iris scanner. I’ll get more into how the iris scanner performs in a later section in this review, so stay tuned.
Flipping the phone over, you’ll notice a pretty big camera hump. This causes some wiggle while sitting on a table, however only if you deliberately press on either side of the handset. Also on the back is a fingerprint sensor (which I’ll get to later), an LED flash, pogo pin (likely for connection of peripherals during a visit to a help desk), and premium HP branding. There’s not much going on here, but that’s a good thing since there’s plenty of room for your hand to rest.
It’s worth noting that the Elite x3 has been rated at IP67, meaning you dunk the device in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes and it’ll survive. There’s also a MIL-STD 810G certification, meaning you can drop the handset from up to 4 feet and there’ll likely be no major damage done. I didn’t test these elements during my review period, but I’m sure you could just search “Elite x3 water/drop test” on YouTube and someone will have a video on it.
Overall, I’ve been pleased with the design of the Elite x3. It gives users a comfortable feel in the hand and provides just enough grip to not slip out of one’s hand or pocket. The only problem is it’s width, measuring in at 3.29 inches. Unless you have big hands, this phone may be a bit too uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. But for me, I didn’t really mind it as I’ve been told my fingers are pretty long anyway.
Specs & Performance
There’s a reason the Elite x3 is so talked about, and that’s the specs. This handset packs plenty of heat totally appropriate for 2016 and actually is one of the most powerful Windows phones on the market today (right next to the Alcatel Idol 4S).
Getting them out of the way, here’s a list of the Elite x3’s internals.
- Quad-core 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820 processor w/ Adreno 530 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB internal storage w/ expansion via microSD card (up to 256GB)
Starting with that chipset, we all know by now how speedy the Snapdragon 820 is. It’s in the Moto Z I reviewed a couple of months ago, and it absolutely flies. Everything is nice and smooth throughout Windows 10 Mobile thanks to the chipset (other than a few occasional stutters caused by the OS which I’ll get to later). I’m able to load up web pages, check email, play a game, and more via jumping back and forth between apps and everything remained buttery for the most part.
I realize I probably shouldn’t’ve done this on a business-oriented device, but for the sake of the average consumer and this review, I decided to test gaming on the Elite x3. Sure, this is something you won’t do often on this smartphone, but I felt as though it had to be done. And my verdict? It’s alright.
I tried out lighter titles like Temple Run 2 and Doodle Jump, and to little surprise, everything was buttery smooth. I had zero problems with these apps. On the other hand, with heavier graphics-intense games like Asphalt 8: Airborn, the graphics seemed pretty stuttery. Oddly, I didn’t really experience any dropped frames other than once or twice during my testing, but the experience was definitely not as smooth as the ones I’ve had with other smartphones with the same CPU and GPU. Therefore, if you’re looking to pass the time before a business call or calendar event, don’t bother downloading heavy titles. Just stick to Stack or something.
Getting to the RAM, 4GB is, well, okay for this smartphone. Since it’s a productivity-focused handset, sometimes 4GB isn’t enough. If you’ll be using Continuum with the Elite x3 like I’ve been doing, you may wanna reduce the number of tabs you have open in Edge in order to maximize the RAM’s performance. But if you just use the smartphone as a smartphone and nothing else, you’ll be pleased.
There is an actual valid reason for the RAM performance being so iffy as it is, however. As many have noted before, only 3.5GB are available to the user. Why this is so is likely due to Windows 10 Mobile and some restriction or something, but I’m not 100% sure on this. Nevertheless, it was definitely worth noting here.
In case you aren’t aware, I can usually survive with a smartphone with just 32GB of storage available and no SD card installed. I can get all the apps I need, download my music for offline playback, and even load a movie or two for later and still have room. Therefore, I was really comfortable with 64GB of storage being loaded into the Elite x3. Yes, there’s a microSD card slot for expansion (that actually doubles as an extra SIM slot), but I was never tempted to put my card inside. This was entirely due to the 64GB on hand. In fact, I still have about 45GB or so free, so you can clearly see just how much stuff I have loaded on my phone at once.
However, even though I can get away with 32GB of storage on my phone, I think it’s necessary to have 64GB available on the Elite x3. The reason? Windows.
See, since this is a productivity-focused device, you’ll probably be storing your documents, photos, presentations, spreadsheets, and more for easy offline access. This is the exact case with me as I’ve used the Elite x3 as my main computer throughout my entire review period. This means that I’ve got a ton of PDFs, image headers, and screenshots for writing articles on MBEDDED that I constantly need access. Therefore, I think if I had 32GB available for all my data, I’d feel way too cramped. Hence, I’m glad I’ve got 64GB to work with, and if I ever run out, I can load a 256GB microSD card inside and probably never have this problem again.
While I do have a few gripes with the specs and performance of the Elite x3, I’ve been overall pleased with my experience. Even though you could use a little more RAM and graphics-heavy games aren’t the best, I think users will likely have a positive experience nonetheless.
Software
Running on the Elite x3 is Windows 10 Mobile. HP chose this OS over something like Android due to the capabilities of WXM and what the company wanted the phone to do. Coming preloaded is Microsoft’s suite of Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, while a few custom HP apps also come on-board such as a financial calculator, Salesforce, and HP Workspace which I’ll get to later in this review.
Overall, the software on the Elite x3 isn’t too shabby. Yes, it’s Windows 10 Mobile, so you’ll get the occasional app crash, stutter, and hang-up while using a bunch of apps at the same time, but for the most part, my experience has been relatively positive. For new users, there’s a slight learning curve, but other than that you’ll know how to use the OS as soon as you begin interacting with it.
One giant issue I have with the software is the lack of apps, and this isn’t HP’s fault. It’s developers’. No Snapchat client is present, no Google apps like Hangouts or YouTube can be found – heck, not even an official Periscope app is available. Plus, with the number of users on WXM steadily dropping, apps such as eBay are being ripped down from the Windows Store due to lack of use. This makes total sense, but it doesn’t help the optimistic future both HP and Microsoft have in their heads for the platform, especially when considering the already large number of non-existing apps available on the platform.
Looking at it from a consumer standpoint, Windows 10 Mobile is definitely not the best option. However, looking at it from a business user’s standpoint, things seem a bit more promising. For those who need Windows for productivity, this OS is perfect and fits nicely with the Elite x3. You won’t find someone like Kevin O’ Leary looking for YouTube on the Windows Store on his Elite x3, would you? No. And that’s the stance HP has with its latest phone. It’s directing it toward the business user who needs to get work done, and WXM is perfect for this purpose. But as your everyday smartphone operating system? You’ll be left with much to be desired.
But hey, that’s just me…
Productivity
By now, you’ve likely received the impression that the Elite x3 is meant for productivity purposes. That’s why HP chose its name. The company says ‘x3’ means the handset is “3 devices in 1.” In other words, the company wants it to be your phone, laptop, and desktop PC. To an extent, this is true. But digging deeper, you’ll find this claim is rather null if you really want to get work done with this handset. You know, the way HP wants you to.
Continuum & Desk Dock
Let’s start by talking about Continuum. This platform was built by Microsoft and is meant to help ease the pain between working on a productivity-focused device like a Windows phone and a desktop PC by merging the two devices into one. This works by plugging your Continuum-enabled device into a supported dock and connecting that to an external monitor. Your Windows 10 Mobile phone will then project a slimmed-down Windows desktop onto the monitor and allow you to use Universal Windows apps such as Edge, Office, Facebook, Instagram, and some games in a full-screen view.
To use Continuum with the Elite x3, HP sells the $99 Desk Dock either by itself or with the phone. It’s got its fair share of IO like two full-sized USB-A ports, a USB-C port, an Ethernet jack, a power slot, and an HDMI-out port, so you won’t have to sacrifice connecting peripherals while using this feature. To connect the x3, you simply slide the phone down onto the USB-C port on the front of the Dock and hope it connects properly. I say “hope” because I’ve had a few occasions where the phone wouldn’t connect to the Dock at all. Then after many failed attempts, I’d finally get a stable connection. It’s a weird bug I hope can get fixed via a software update in the future.
Also for use with Continuum and the Elite x3 is the HP EliteDisplay monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse. You can buy all of this stuff on their own via HP.com. The monitor is fine for work with a 1080p resolution and pretty accurate color reproduction, while the wireless keyboard and mouse work as you’d expect them to: fine. I do find the keyboard a bit mushy to type on, however, but I got used to it after a while.
For the most part, I really enjoy using Continuum with the Elite x3. I can load up a few tabs of news articles within Edge while using the phone by itself and then have them show up on my desktop when I plug the device into the Desk Dock. I find this extremely convenient and is by far my favorite perk of Continuum.
Even though I didn’t really use them, you can also use Office apps and social media like Facebook and Instagram with Continuum on the Elite x3 as aforementioned. This all works great. Sure, with every app you open, not a lot of speed is present, but there is a lot going on with having to project an entire Windows desktop UI onto a 1080p monitor using an Adreno 530 GPU and Snapdragon 820. Therefore, I can’t really say much about the performance. Until we start seeing Intel Core i7s inside Windows 10 Mobile phones, I won’t really touch on this matter other than to say it’s good enough.
One thing I think I can say about the experience of using Continuum with the Elite x3 is RAM. To me, I find 4GB a little too less in order to actually get work done. Juggling a bunch of applications at once is really hard to do considering you don’t have much RAM to work with. And forget it if you’ve got lots of tabs open at once in Edge because that will be the death of your workflow.
To make matters worse, Windows 10 Mobile limits users to access to just 3.5GB of the available 4GB, regardless whether you’re using Continuum or not. Therefore, if you plan on using the Elite x3 with lots of tabs and apps open at once, you may wanna reconsider your purchase. Otherwise, you’ll start praying for 6GB of RAM in the x3 Generation 2 just as I have.
Attempting to spice things up with the Continuum experience on the Elite x3 are a few extras that may or may not fit your fancy. An app called Display Tools will allow you to see an ambient clock and battery percentage that floats around the x3’s display, while typing suggestions pop up at the bottom of the screen that are inconvenient to reach out and tap if you have the x3 docked. There’s also a voice typing button, but I haven’t used this at all.
I like using Continuum. It’s great for productivity and is probably one of the most convenient ways of getting work done I’ve ever experienced, plus there’s a lot of potential in this software. Sure, things get pretty slow and choppy if I’m really taxing the CPU and GPU, while windowed apps can’t be used and instead everything (yes, I mean everything) runs full screen, but for the most part, everything was fine. Therefore, if you’re looking to pick up the Elite x3 for use with Continuum, you probably won’t be disappointed. You know, as long as you don’t have five apps open and 10 tabs up in Edge at once.
HP Workspace
This is where this review gets really interesting really fast…
Some of you may have heard of HP Workspace, while some of you may have not. I’ll explain it anyway for the sake of this review. It’s a subscription-based program that allows customers to stream x86-based Windows apps over an internet connection and have them appear over Continuum with the Elite x3. The way it works is by having a computer on one end project whichever app you choose to your end via the Desk Dock. Apps like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 11, and Slack can all be used in this case alongside users’ own apps they can separately upload to Workspace for use.
For the most part, Workspace works… okay. It’s by no means as fast as Continuum (for what that’s worth), but it’s not unbearably slow either. I find that by using a wired connection (e.g. over Ethernet) things run smoother, but there’s still noticeable lag and stutters occur a bit too often.
Fortunately, it’s not all negative news for those hopeful about Workspace as it thankfully has its perks. For one, windows run in actual, floating windows rather full-screen views, while users can upload their own x86 apps for use on the platform. We weren’t eligible to test this feature out, however we assume the process must be rather simple.
When it comes to connection speeds, in order for Workspace to work decently, you’ve gotta be in a clear area. In other words, you can’t have trees covering the roof above your office like I do. Once you move to the right spot, however, you can get decent speeds. It also helps when you use Ethernet rather Wi-Fi, but for the most part of my testing I used Wi-Fi as I find this connection method the most probable choice amongst users.
Overall, Workspace can be summed up in one word: convenient. In a pinch, if I need to open something up in Chrome, I can. If I’ve gotta use the x86 version of Office, I can. If (for some reason) I need Internet Explorer, I’ve got access to it. It’s just convenient.
Unfortunately, all of this convenience comes at a cost. A high cost. For an Essential license that allows for 40 hours of use per week per user, it’s $579, the equivalent of $49/month. Per user. For the upgraded Premium license that allows for 80 hours of use per week per user, it’s $939, the equivalent of $79/month. Remember I said per user? This means that if you’ve got a few people on your team using the same software, you’re gonna have to double, triple, or even quadruple these costs. Therefore, for the price, I don’t really recommend using this software if you’re a consumer. But if HP made the cost lower, I think I may be able to suggest it. Nevertheless, if you’re okay with the high prices or run a business, just get it. It’s too convenient not to.
Lap Dock
Last but not least, I’ve gotta mention the Lap Dock. It’s basically the portable version of the Desk Dock that simulates a laptop-class experience using the same Continuum technology and the Elite x3. Unfortunately, we haven’t been supplied with this device yet, but we’ll update this review once we’ve had experience with it.
Conclusion
Productivity with the Elite x3 is great. While the software needs work and Workspace is crazy expensive, it’s got a lot of potential. Heck, even if you just use the phone itself, you’ve got access to all of Microsoft’s apps alongside Windows 10 Mobile, so there’s quite some power under the hood nonetheless. Overall, if you’re a business user looking to get plenty of work done across the board, the Elite x3 is a great option. Even if you’re a busy casual user, you’ll still appreciate all the inclusions HP has made.
Camera
HP are by no means camera experts, and this factor, unfortunately, makes an appearance with the Elite x3. On the back, there’s a 16MP rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture and phase detection autofocus. It can also shoot up to 4K video at 30 frames per second, however thanks to Windows 10 Mobile, the sensor’s limited to 1080p video at 30 frames per second. However, HP says 4K video is coming soon in a future update.
For the most part, pictures look okay. There’s a decent amount of light involved, while color reproduction is around a 6.5/10. However, sometimes, photos can get blown out by too much light and ruin the entire shot. Nevertheless, with each photo you take, you’ll notice that the overall quality isn’t that great when compared to other sensors on popular phones like the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel.
Here’s a gallery of photos I took outdoors in good lighting conditions. You be the judge as to whether they’re good.
Regarding low light capabilities, the Elite x3 struggles in this area. It does a poor job in bringing in enough light to brighten up your photos, while a wider color gamut seems pretty absent and reproduction is almost completely gone. Therefore, unless you’re using the flash (which will barely help at all, by the way), don’t use this camera at night.
Video wise, the 1080p video produced by the Elite x3 is pretty average. Sure, things look “nice,” but it’s by no means good or great.
In a nutshell, video recorded by the Elite x3 is the same story as taking photos with the phone: it’s fine. You won’t be getting outstanding results or excellent color. All you’re getting, to me, is a document scanner which you can use to make short videos for Instagram.
Touching on the front of the Elite x3, HP built in an 8MP camera with the same f/2.2 aperture. It’s alright for video conferences or a quick selife for Snapchat, but that’s about it. Colors look fine, lighting is okay, and sharpness is somewhere in the middle of bad and good. Overall, this sensor does what it’s intended to do: connect business men/women to their coworkers to get work done.
Considering the Elite x3 is a business-oriented device, my expectations were already pretty low for its cameras. Unfortunately, I was still let down with its capabilities. It’s worth noting that I haven’t carried the x3 around as my only phone for almost my entire review period, and part of that is due to the cameras being as bad as they are. They’re by no means horrible, but for $700, you should get at least average results and not dry, flavorless photos and videos.
Audio
I have to dedicate a section of this review to the Elite x3’s audio as it’s only appropriate. Thanks to a recent partnership, HP has built in bottom front-firing speakers that have been tuned by Bang & Olufsen. These noisemakers sound great, even though they do lack some bass. Sound comes through ultra-clear, they get pretty loud, and the highs are nice and rich. Again, there’s definitely noticeable bass lack, but for the most part I’ve been pretty pleased with the speakers’ performance, especially when you consider the earpiece doubles as a speaker as well.
In addition, the supplied headphones that come in the box with the Elite x3 also sound great. In fact, I’d go as far to say they’re some of the best earbuds I’ve ever used. They’re nice and light, have a beautiful metal design, feature a braided cable, include an in-line microphone and remote, and offer excellent sound with clear highs and plenty of bass. And with the proper EQ settings, you can make the headphones’ sound meet your preferences which I recommend doing.
Overall, I’ve been pleased with the audio capabilities of the Elite x3. The headphones are great, the front-firing speakers sound excellent, and the entire package can be described in two words: high quality. Therefore, if audio is important to you and you’re looking to get the Elite x3, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Security
Security wise, HP has included both a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and an iris scanner, a feature that’s made it to a chunk of Windows devices in the past couple of years.
Regarding the former, it’s nice and speedy and doesn’t take very long whatsoever to recognize my fingerprint. Unfortunately, it’s speed is limited to the speed of Windows 10 Mobile which definitely needs a little tuning, but for the most part, everything was nice and smooth and I only had to resort to using my PIN when I rebooted the device.
Regarding the latter, it’s…well…an iris scanner on a phone. When it works, it’s really fast. But when you don’t have your eyes in a dedicated section of the iris scanner’s field of view, you could be standing there all day with your eyes bulging out of your sockets. Therefore, to me and I’m sure to many others, iris scanners are great for devices you sit in front of and not ones that you hold in your hand. However, I don’t wish the iris scanner wasn’t there as I actually quite like it, but it needs a little fine tuning to properly operate on a phone.
I’ve had both the fingerprint scanner and the iris scanner set up at the same time throughout my review period, and I use both very frequently back-and-forth. If my eyes aren’t in the iris scanner’s field of view, I can always reach around back and scan my fingerprint. If I have gloves on (which are almost a necessity in South Jersey during November), I can always hold the phone up to my face and unlock using my eyes. Therefore, I find the security elements a pretty perfect pair, even though both need a little work.
Battery
Battery life of the Elite x3 is excellent thanks to the large 4150mAh cell inside. I’m able to get through at least a full day of heavy use with the device, while often I’ll be able to make it two days on a single charge. It takes a little longer to charge, however, but that’s forgiven when you consider how long it really lasts you.
Since I’ve been using Continuum for most of my testing period, I haven’t even had to worry about charging as when the Elite x3 is plugged into the Desk Dock, the device chargers, something I find extremely convenient. In addition, a wireless charger is sold separately since the phone supports Qi wireless charging which makes charging even more convenient. Overall, you won’t be disappointed with the power supply on-board the Elite x3 as you’ll likely never have to plug your phone in at night or worry about running out of battery life too soon.
Note: It’s worth noting that I never even touched the included USB-C charger for the Elite x3 as I’ve only used the Desk Dock and wireless charger briefly during my testing period. Take that as you will.
Accessories
With our review units, we were sent three different cases for the Elite x3 to try out. The first was the standard silicon case, an accessory we aren’t a fan of, unfortunately.
For starters, when placing the phone in your pocket with this case attached, way too much lint is collected, making the case looks extremely dirty and not easy to clean. In addition, it makes the phone feel a bit too slippery for my taste, a factor that is definitely negative for such a big phone. Therefore, I didn’t use this case much at all whatsoever and don’t recommend it.
Moving on, the second case we looked at was the wallet case. It features a folio design and two slots for a credit card and ID. By far, I believe, this is my favorite case. It’s got a nice leather texture on the outside, a microfiber lining inside, a relatively sturdy plastic shell to place the x3 in, and extremely precise cutouts for the speakers, earpiece, microphone, camera, and fingerprint sensor. It also allows users to open the case and be granted by the screen of the device waking up to avoid using the power button.
Overall, if you like your phone case to serve multiple purposes or just want something a bit more classy than your average handset cover, I highly recommend this option.
For those who like things a bit more protective, HP also sent us the rugged case for the Elite x3. It’s made of a seemingly sturdy plastic material with a pretty cool design on the back. This case, unlike the others mentioned here, covers all the buttons of the handset with a softer plastic coating for extra protection. The only exposed elements are the screen (obviously), the headphone jack, the camera, the fingerprint sensor, and the USB-C port on the bottom.
To me, it makes the device feel a little too big as it adds an extra layer of thickness, something likely not preferred by anyone of this already wide smartphone. Nevertheless, I feel if I accidentally dropped the phone, I wouldn’t experience any cracks or serious damage due to both the IP67 rating of the device itself and the case. All in all, HP did a good job with this case and I’ll recommend it to someone who doesn’t need a wallet case and wants the silicone case (seriously, don’t get that one). Or, yah know, someone that just likes things rough and tough.
HP also sells an anti-glare screen protector for the Elite x3. Its only function is to protect your device from serious scratches. In other words, it does what you think.
To accommodate the cases available, HP includes four different plates that magnetically come on and off the Desk Dock. Each has a different size and indicates which plate is for which case. There’s also a plate that doesn’t include a cut-out for the Elite x3 to slide into. This is due to an extender cable being included with the Desk Dock in case your case or other third-party accessory is blocking the USB-C port on the x3 from inserting into the built-in jack on the Dock. You’ll have to use this method with the wallet case as it doesn’t fit into the Dock, however both the silicon case and rugged case fit just fine.
Final Thoughts
The HP Elite x3 has a lot of potential to become a true all-in-one device. It’s a great phone for any person with a busy lifestyle and needs to get work done consistently, while it’s also great for any Windows phone fan as it’s considered the most powerful Windows phone yet, a statement that’s actually proven true. However, with plenty of caveats throughout the experience like the occasional stutter caused by Windows 10 Mobile, lack of app support, poor camera performance, and needed Continuum and Workspace fine tuning, some may consider another handset currently on the market as their next companion device, even somebody that needs something as versatile as the Elite x3.
Therefore, the Elite x3 seems to leave a lot to be desired. Keep in mind that HP is touting the Elite x3 as a first generation device, meaning that next year, lots of the problems with the current x3 may/will be fixed as a part of the new model. Hopefully Continuum and Workspace get better alongside the cameras as these are my biggest gripes with the handset. And while it would be nice to see Windows 10 Mobile patched up a bit, I can’t see that happening anytime soon as the platform is dying nevertheless.
Still, if HP plans on carrying out this idea of a phone that can triple as three separate devices, some type of tuning needs to take place in almost every department of the device. But if nothing else gets better and everything stays relatively the same, at least the price should go down a bit…
Pricing & Availability
The HP Elite x3 is available paired with a Desk Dock for $799 over on HP.com. As of now, the Lap Dock isn’t yet available. However, when it does go on sale, you’ll be able to buy all three devices (Elite x3, Desk Dock, and Lap Dock) for a whopping $1299. For those interested, you can also pick the device up by itself from B&H Photo for $729.99.
For the leather wallet case, HP charges $49. For the rugged case, the cost is $44. Finally, the silicon case goes for $39.
The anti-glare screen protector can be yours for $19 from HP.
Regarding the wireless charger, HP has its price set to $49 as well over on their website.
It’s worth noting that you’ll also be able to buy the Lap Dock by itself for $599 when it becomes available. We’ll let you know when this time comes.
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