HP Elite x3 Combines PC power, Tablet Portability, And smartphone Connectivity in One Device

At Mobile World Congress today, HP unveiled the HP Elite x3 mobile device, which bridges phablet, laptop and desktop use cases. The Elite x3 is the first built-for-business device to deliver phablet, laptop and desktop business productivity in a single device. By utilizing Continuum in Windows 10, the Elite x3 enables multi-screen transitions between a phone scenario and a desktop PC scenario.

The phone equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 SoC, which offers all the processing power to turn it into a PC.

To turn the phone into a desktop PC, HP is creating the "Desk Dock" that supports an external monitor. Plug the phablet into this docking station and hook it up to a larger screen. For a laptop experience, HP has a 12.5-inch diagonal high-definition display (Mobile Extender) that folds up with a keyboard and trackpad. The phablet will connect to the Mobile Extender through WiFi direct or a USB cable.

The Mobile Extender shows two USB-C ports on its right side, for data and power. A third USB-C port is intended primarily to charge the Elite x3.

The Mobile Extender has a 12.5-inch display and a backlit keyboard. Its three USB-C ports include one for charging the Elite x3, and two more for data and power. There’s also a micro HDMI port. Its 4-cell, 46.5wH battery can last three days in standby mode, per HP’s claims.

For apps that can’t run on the phone (x86), HP is offering a catalog of these apps that can be virtualized.

Here are the basic specs of the Elite x3:

A graphite-colored body with polished-chrome accents
A 5.96-inch, 2560x1440 (WQHD) edge-to-edge display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and an anti-reflective coating
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU with integrated Adreno GPU
4GB of LPDDR-4 RAM64GB eMMC storage, SD extensible to 2TB
Cat 6 LTE
8MP front-facing camera, 16MP rear-facing camera
Dual SIM slots
A 4,150mAh battery
Dimensions: 3.29x0.31x6.36 inches
Weight: 0.43 pounds (options could add weight)
Durable: passed IP-67 and MIL Standard 810G, including a four-foot drop