Hands On: HP Elite X2 Tablet review

The new laptop/ tablet hybrid has been a hot talking point among us and our customers over the past few months. As with all new concepts, there are many pro's and con's, and our interaction with these devices has only in short spells. So we decided to pull Kevin, our Sales Account Director, away from his normal setup of a tower PC with two monitors and put him on the new HP Elite X2 tablet for a whole day. Here's how it went...

First thoughts

A very 'Apple like' build quality with its attractive and sleek design. The Windows 10 start-up time was extremely quick. The detachable keyboard, which 'snaps' into place using strong magnets to guide it, looks impressive and is a delight to touch, with the trackpad being very responsive. The 12" Full HD screen is at first glance not the biggest (he would say that coming from using 2 x 27" monitors), but is extremely sharp. Looking forward to spending today really getting to know the device.

Design

The HP Elite x2 1012’s design is an Apple like aluminium chassis that is very sleek, appearing rugged enough to be protected from any minor bumps and scrapes. The build quality feels like a premium gadget/device, one you won't hesitate to show off to any clients.

Although being very similar to the Microsoft Surface, the HP Elite x2 1012 has a much superior kickstand in my opinion, it is feels strong and sturdy unlike the Surface alternative.

Microsmiths rating - 4/5

Spec and performance

Initial concerns were that the i3 processor wouldn't be unable to cope with everyday tasks (I’m currently using an i7 processor), however on first boot up the Intel Core M3 (6th Gen) 6Y30 / 900 MHz ( 2.2 GHz) processor was very impressive. I was up and working in under a minute using Microsoft office applications as my daily tools without any delay. The screen itself appears sharp, bright and very responsive to the included HP Active Pen. However, working on a 12” screen for a long period would be the real test.

Although I initially got excited to see Bang & Olufsen across the top of the device, unfortunately I was very disappointed with the sound quality after playing back some music. I expected a lot more quality from the speakers.

Microsmiths rating - 3/5

Likes

Build Quality

Performance

Excellent Keyboard

Dislikes

Bang & Olufsen speaker quality

Inaccurate battery life indicator

Final verdict

The HP Elite X2 would be the ideal device if you were an 'out-and-about' individual and needed a premium feel laptop which simply transforms into a Windows 10 tablet within seconds.

The performance was impressive and didn’t struggle handling any of my day to day activities. I also found the HP active Pen to be a useful tool. The detachable keyboard is one of the best I’ve used, again with impressive build quality.

With a RRP of £875, the HP hybrid is £76 more expensive than Apple's iPad Pro and £126 more than the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 of the same spec - BUT the HP Elite X2 does come with the keyboard, which will run you £100+ for the alternatives.

Finally, yes I would happily use this product as an on-the-go companion and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for this type of device.

Microsmiths overall rating - 3.5/5