Revolutionary HP Elite x3 Windows 10 Mobile Flagship Gets Official, Takes Continuum To New Heights

Hewlett-Packard was almost able to make it to MWC 2016 without its badass Elite x3 leaking for all to see, but it wasn’t meant to be. Late last week, images of the smartphone leaked onto the web along with its full spec sheet. The good news is, the images and the specs were accurate, which means that the Elite x3 is a powerhouse flagship that can easily go toe-to-toe with the best Android and iOS flagships out there.

HP’s return to the mobile sector is truly a remarkable one, as the Elite x3 is just a small piece of a truly expansive Windows 10 experience that touches phablet, desktop and laptop use cases. The Elite x3 is a premium phablet device with plastic and metal construction, and has been specifically tailored to the business market. And as you can see by the specs presented, the Elite x3 is no slouch and brings with it an entire arsenal of high-end hardware, including:

• 5.96-inch WQHD (2560x1440) AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB internal storage
• microSD slot with up to 2TB expansion support
• 16MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing camera, Iris camera
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE-A, NFC
• 4150 mAh battery (non-removable) with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 support
• USB-C connectivity

If you thought that Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL were the standard-bearers for the Windows 10 Mobile platform, the Elite x3 makes them look like also-rans. But this is just the beginning. If we were just talking about the Elite x3, HP would already have a winner on its hands, but the company has an entire ecosystem of peripherals that turns the phablet into a true mobile workhorse.

For starters, there’s the Desk Dock, which completes the Elite x3 Windows 10 Continuum experience. The dock includes a single DisplayPort, two USB-A ports, a single USB-C port, and a GbE port. The Desk Dock also supports quick charging, so that your Elite x3 can quickly get back up to peak power levels when you’re ready to move away from your desk.

But the big surprise is in the form of the Mobile Extender. The Mobile Extender is a “dumb” premium notebook with a 12.5-inch FHD, a full keyboard and a clickpad. We say dumb, because the Mobile Extender is pretty much useless without the Elite x3, and no data is stored on the device. However, when connected to an Elite x3 using Windows Continuum and HP Workspace, it transforms into a mobile workstation complete with a microHDMI port, and three USB-C ports (one of which is used for docking with the Elite x3).

The 2.2-pound Mobile Extender itself is constructed of stamped aluminum alloy and includes a spill-resistant backlit keyboard, integrated Bang & Olufsen stereo speakers and a fanless design. You’ll also find a capacious 46.5 WHr battery for all-day runtimes.

“Our customer insights indicated that there are a group of commercial customers where their needs for mobility and PC-level productivity are not being met,” said Michael Park, vice president and general manager of Mobility, HP Inc. “The HP Elite x3 is where we see the future of computing heading – one device that can truly act like every device: a modern technology solution for a mobile-centric workplace combined with greater benefits for IT.”

The Elite x3 and its accessories will be available this summer, and pricing will be announced closer to release.