HP just refreshed its entire lineup of EliteBook laptops and they might just be the solution to your working from home woes. HP was candid about creating laptops designed for remote work. To that end, many of the new notebooks -- in the EliteBook 800, EliteBook 805 and EliteBook 1000 series -- features high-res webcams, noise-cancelling microphones and fast Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
Across the range of EliteBook, you'll find 10th Gen Intel Core CPUs (and some AMD Pro 4000) and a comprehensive package of security features, from webcam covers to privacy screens.
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There is seemingly something for every type of business user within HP's arsenal. On the high end is the EliteBook x360 1040 G7, a 5G capable notebook with an optional Sure View screen. There are also more affordable options, like the EliteBook 850 G7 and the AMD-powered EliteBook 855 G7.
HP EliteBooks are some of the best business laptops you can buy, right up there with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. We look forward to testing these models in the coming weeks and months. Until then, let's take a closer look at what HP has in store.
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
No laptops better showcase HP's business notebook strategy than the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 and EliteBook x360 1030 G7.
These are the most feature-packed of the new EliteBook notebooks, and also the most expensive. I'll focus on the 14-inch EliteBook x360 1040 G7 but keep in mind that the EliteBook x360 1030 G7 is essentially the same except with a 13-inch display.
We haven't seen these new business laptops in person but the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 has an aluminum design and is only 0.6 inches thick and 2.7 pounds. HP claims the EliteBook has the highest screen-to-body ratio of any business notebook, so expect superslim bezels. And this is a 2-in-1, so you can convert it from a laptop to a tablet or put it in tent mode when you're watching videos.
It has a 14-inch display that can be configured as a 1080p anti-glare touchscreen with a Sure View privacy filter (1000 nits of brightness) or there is a 4K touchscreen model with HDR400 and up to 550 nits. If you want to save some cash (and battery life) go with the standard 1080p display with 400 nits of brightness.
Powering the EliteBook x360 1040 are 10th Gen Intel Core vPro CPUs, up to a Core i7-10810U. RAM goes up to 32GB, a generous amount for such a thin laptop, and storage maxes out at a 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD. HP promises 29 hours of battery life, but we'll remain skeptical of that rating until we can test ourselves.
Some of those remote work features I mentioned include programmable keys that make it easy to quickly turn off your webcam or mic. There is also an optional fingerprint sensor in the keyboard, an optional Sure View display, an optional privacy shutter, and built-in Tile so you can locate the laptop if it's lost or stolen. The EliteBook x360 1040 G7 also supports 5G connectivity and HP's Active Pen stylus.
The HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 and HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 will be available in July. HP will announce pricing as we get closer to launch.
HP EliteBook 855 G7
Highlighting the midtier range of notebooks is the EliteBook 855 G7. What makes this particular model so special is that it's powered by AMD Pro 4000-series CPUs, or AMD's version of vPro.
AMD announced these chips just a few weeks ago, and all evidence points to them offering similar, if not better performance, than their Intel counterparts. The EliteBook 855 G7 comes with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U CPU, 32GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD.
This specific model has a 15.6-inch, 1080p display available in three options: with HP Sure View Reflect (1000 nits), a low-power panel with 500 nits or a standard 250-nit display. The EliteBook 855 G7 is 0.7 inches thick and weighs 3.7 pounds.
It shares many of the same features as the 1000-series, including a fingerprint sensor (optional), a Sure View privacy screen (optional), a Privacy camera (optional) and a programmable keyboard. Connectivity on the EliteBook 855 G7 is limited to 4G LTE.
The HP EliteBook 835 G7, HP EliteBook 845 G7, and HP EliteBook 855 G7 are expected to be available in August. Pricing has not yet been announced.
HP EliteBook 850 G7
Last but not least are the more budget-friendly 800-series business laptops. HP made changes to these notebooks so you can get some of the benefits offered by the 1000-series but at a much lower price.
To that end, the EliteBook 850 G7 is lighter and thinner than before, at 0.8 inches and 3.7 pounds. It also has an 87% screen-to-body ratio so the bezels around the top and sides should be very narrow. And it comes with many of the features offered in the other EliteBook laptops, including a fingerprint scanner, an optional Sure View Reflect privacy screen, a webcam cover and shortcut keys for conference calls.
The 15.6-inch, 1080p display on the EliteBook 850 G7 comes in four flavors. One has a Sure View Reflect privacy screen with 1000 nits of brightness; a step down is a 400-bit low power panel, and there are two 250-bit displays.
You can equip the EliteBook 850 G7 with up to an Intel Core i7-10810U CPU. To keep the price down, HP opted for a non-vPro chip. The 15-inch laptop can also pack up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe m.2 SSD. Oh, and the EliteBook 850 G7 has an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU, so you can do some light gaming after you clock out.
The HP EliteBook 830 G7, HP EliteBook 840 G7, and HP EliteBook 850 G7 are expected to be available in June for a starting price of $1,399.
