HP Brings Kaby Lake to Elitebook, Spectre, Envy AIO

HP aims to make its presence felt during CES this year with updates to the Elitebook x360, the Spectre x360, and the curved Envy All-in-One PCs, all targeted towards a more premium segment of the market. The revisions include updated Kaby Lake processors, more storage, and, in the case of the Envy AIO, a total facelift.

Finally, the company announced the Sprout Pro G2 AIO workstation with updated software features, a wide touchpad display, stylus, and camera to provide an immersive experience for educational, industrial, and similar use cases.

Let's take a closer look.

Elitebook x360

HP's updated Elitebook x360 1030 G2 features the same 360° mobility as its predecessor. It will also include Intel’s 7th generation Core processors, up to an i7-7600U; 16GB of DDR4-2133 memory; multiple storage options; and a 13.3” display in either FHD or UHD resolutions. HP aims for the new Elitebook x360 to fulfill an enterprise role while still maintaining consumer appeal by combining design, security, and collaboration features.

HP opts for a CNC-fabricated unibody with diamond cut accents and an "Asteroid Silver" finish. Mobility is also crucial to the design, so the Elitebook x360 weighs 2.82lbs and is about 0.59” thick. The Elitebook’s internal layout and copper heat fins are intended to maximize heat dissipation. HP states the Elitebook x360’s battery lasts as long as 15 hours and 15 minutes and can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes. Further, the Elitebook x360 withstands 12 MIL-STD 810G tests for shocks, drops, vibrations, and extreme climates.

HP has added a variety of security features, including HP Sure Start, which prevents attacks of the system BIOS by restoring your BIOS within 30 seconds if it's somehow corrupted or attacked, according to HP. The company will also implement Sure View in several of the new Elitebook models; this technology provides privacy by preventing outsiders beyond a certain angle from viewing the display. Windows 10 lets users authenticate with either the Elitebook’s IR camera or fingerprint sensor via Windows Hello.

To create a collaboration-focused experience, HP designates several of the Elitebook’s function keys for Skype for Business, namely the mute/unmute, share screen, answer call, and end call functions. The Elitebook will also be accessible through HP’s Workwise application, through which users can remotely lock their systems, detect tampering, monitor performance and temperatures, and automatically install printer drivers.

Pricing for the HP Elitebook x360 is yet to be revealed, but models will start shipping at the end of the month.

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Spectre x360

The original Spectre x360 15 released last January was tailored for content creation, productivity, and entertainment. HP is forwarding these elements into the newest iteration of the Spectre, and the product's improved design features include a 4.65mm bezel on either side of the display; a full-sized keyboard with a 1.5mm travel distance and sizable home row keys; an aluminum chassis produced via CNC fabrication; an "Ash Silver" (not Asteroid Silver) finish with copper accents; and a wide glass trackpad.

The 2017 model is 14” wide, which is 10.85mm thinner than the 2016 model on either side. The new Spectre x360 is also slightly thicker and heavier at 0.7” to accommodate discrete graphics and a 23% longer battery life. The larger battery will last up to 12.75 hours at UHD as opposed to last year’s model’s nine hours, and can charge to 50% capacity in 30 minutes.

The new Spectre x360 15 comes equipped with a 7th generation Intel Core i7-7500U, up to 16GB of DDR4 memory, up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce 940MX for photo and video editing.

The updated HP Spectre x360 15 will be available on February 26. It starts at $1,279 and will feature 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. The $1,499 model will include 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. Finally, the 16GB + 1TB model will be available for $1,699.

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Envy Curved All-In-One

The Envy AIO’s aesthetic--namely the dark, silver color palette and thin screen--takes inspiration from home decor. The new bezel is massively reduced to 10.5mm on the top and sizes and 14mm on the bottom. To improve audio, HP's included a sound bar into the Envy AIO’s base stand; the front edge of the base stand has a 45° angle that outputs audio straight towards the user. The audio dial to the far right of the base is used to control the volume, switch songs, manage playback, and control which set of speakers output the audio. On the left side of the base is a Qi Wireless charging station, which will charge smartphones wirelessly.

Ultrawide displays are aptly intended for multimedia consumption, so HP considered the possibility of multiple people viewing the Envy AIO simultaneously. The Envy features a 34” Wide QHD display with an IPS panel for accurate color reproduction at all angles. In addition, the display covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut, making the curved Envy AIO a system professionals might consider for accurate photo and video editing.

Finally, aside from the expanded storage options, which range from a either 1TB hybrid SSD to a 256GB SSD with a 1TB HDD, the new HP Envy AIO will feature Intel’s new 7th generation Kaby Lake processors. The curved Envy AIO will be available in both the Intel Core i7-7700T or the i5-7400T. Memory options are available in either 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB DDR4-2133 flavors. The Envy AIO can use additional displays with its Thunderbolt 3 over USB Type-C port, operate as a standalone monitor or drive an additional display with its HDMI In/Out ports, and support legacy devices with USB 3.0 Type-A ports.

The HP Envy Curved AIO with an Intel Core i5-7400T and 8GB of RAM will be available on January 11 for $1,749; another model with an i7-7700T and 16GB of RAM will be available on February 26 for $1,999.

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Sprout Pro by HP G2

We first saw HP's Sprout (or then it was still the lower case "sprout") in late 2014. We almost forgot about it, but now it has evolved a couple of generations to become The Sprout Pro by HP G2, an All-in-One workstation aimed at various immersive use cases. The updated Sprout Pro will feature an Intel Core i7-7700T, up to 16GB of memory, a 2GB Nvidia GTX 960M, a 21.3” FHD diagonal projected touch display with up to 20 points of multi-touch functionality, an HP Active Pen, and a downward facing 14.6 megapixel camera to capture 3D objects with HP’s 3D Scan Software Pro v5. Storage options will be available in either a 1TB hybrid SSD or a 512GB SSD.

The original Windows software experience has been refined for the Sprout Pro G2. The company claims that the new Worktools software will allow users to easily transition between applications, quickly access functions from the desktop, and quickly import 2D and 3D content onto their existing workflows. With these refinements, HP aims to bring the Sprout Pro to the education, manufacturing, and customer service markets. As an educational tool, instructors can use the Sprout Pro to provide students with hands-on based lessons, and similarly, manufacturers can use it to increase productivity and accuracy, according to HP. Retailers may also use the Sprout Pro’s immersive tools as a hands-on customer kiosk.

The Sprout Pro by HP G2 will be available in March.

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