If you’re looking for a lightweight aluminum body laptop that runs Windows 10, HP’s upcoming Elitebook line might be it. Offering “polished diamond-cut CNC aluminum bodies,” this durable line of laptops all costs about a thousand dollars.
HP announced three lines of the business-oriented Elitebook laptops today. The lightweight Elitebook Folio G1, the heavier but more powerful Elitebook 1040 G3, and the thicker but more customizable Elitebook 800 G3 series.
Elitebook Folio G1
The Elitebook Folio is a lightweight, thin laptop powered by Intel Core m5 or m7 processors. The use of mobile processors means the Folio doesn’t require fans for cooling, and the device’s 4K display is powered by Intel integrated graphics.
The focus seems to be on portability rather than power. An HP press release called the “the thinnest and lightest notebook HP has ever created.” The laptop is just under a half-inch thick, and weighs in at 2.2 pounds.
The Elitebook Folio will be available in March and start at $1,000.
Elitebook 1040 G3
Also joining the Elitebook line is the new Elitebook 1040 G3, which HP dubs “the world’s thinest business-class notebook” at .65 inches thick (if you opt for the touchscreen version, otherwise it’s .62). It weighs a lot more than the Folio at 3.15 pounds, but that extra weight gives you access to standard 6th generation Intel i5 or i7 processors, rather than the low-power (and less powerful) Core M versions.
The Elitebook 1040 G3 will start at $1,200, and will be available later this month.
Elitebook 800 G3 series
For those looking for a more traditional business-class laptop, the Elitebook 800 G3 Series is a similar laptop in a bigger case — at .82 inches thick, there’s enough room to offer a VGA port. This is the most versatile line of Elitebooks, meaning it’s what you’re going to want to go with if you’re the sort of person who needs maximum functionality in ports and hardware.
The Elitebook 800 G3 series will start at $950 and be available later this month.
There’s a lot of different Elitebook choices to parse here, and it’s hard to stay much more about them without hands-on experience, but it seems like a solid round of updates for HP’s aluminum body laptops.
