Customer feedback and spirit of innovation fuel HP’s new premium devices

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

New York- HP invited select media to New York City to be the first to experience their new product lines for premium consumer and premium professional and creative users.

Integrating customer feedback and understanding real world use cases has given HP the ability to create a wide assortment of personal computing devices that integrate power, connectivity and desirable build and materials. HP's latest devices don't just bring a high-level of design and premium materials, they feature  various notable innovations not found elsewhere in the industry. Jump for a roundup of the new HP premium portfolio.

The no. 1 PC manufacturer in the world, HP revealed its roster of upcoming Spectre and Envy premium notebook, 2-in-1 and all-in-one devices. More than mere refreshes of last year’s models, HP has integrated customer feedback and has also introduced various industry firsts.

"We're building on our strength from our customers," said HP's vice president & general manager of Consumer Personal Systems.

"The HP consumer brand is the number one brand in the world. We measure our customer satisfaction with NPS (Net Promoter Score) which has increased year over year. We also measure our market share in the premium PC space which is growing with momentum."

Unlike some premium PC makers who let very little customer feedback filter into their R&D process, HP says it looks back to see what features users like and which ones they feel can be improved while they work on their newest products. It also finds ways to add value with innovative features. Examples of this are the Sure View display technology which makes it impossible for people to snoop on a device's screen unless they're right in front of it. Other security features include physical sliders that cover the front facing cameras on their notebooks.

Built-in LTE connectivity makes it possible to have always-connected devices,

HP executives pointed out that that they are designing their devices for 'one-life' for seamless transition between work and personal use to make these devices feel truly personal. 

With 81 percent of people working during their personal time and more than half multi-tasking personal activities at work, HP believes that using a device that can straddle the realities of each environment is more important than ever.

HP’s new premium lineup includes various form factors that meet an individual’s personal style and specific computing needs. 

Highlight products and features from the HP launch event

HP;s premium All In One desktops incorporate powerful stereo speakers, built-in Alexa assistant as well as wireless charging for smartphones.

A lot of revised products and new features were covered during the event. I’m highlighting those that I think merit mention.

HP Envy AiO

 This stunning all-in-one has a 27-inch or 36-inch curved display, it comes with Amazon Alexa built-in, sports soundbar-quality Bang and Olufsen-tuned speakers and even features a wireless charging dock for your iPhone or Android to charge while you work. The attention to detail here is impressive, we get a dark ash woodgrain finish with gold metal accents and even a pop-up front-facing camera.

HP Envy 13 2018

HP is pushing the envelope in premium yet functional laptop designs. The Envy line has design imprints inspired by high-end knives

The latest version of HP’s popular Ultrabook now has even more screen thanks to thinner bezels. A thinner profile makes this 13-inch ultraportable even sleeker. Taking inspiration from artisanal Ginza knives, HP is even adding a fresh Damascus pattern etched on the rear. This line of notebooks also features a sleek fingerprint reader embedded into the side of the keyboard.

HP Elite X2 1013 G3

While this may look like a Surface Pro, the Elite X2 is more compact and HP says it is the ‘World’s Smallest Business Detachable”. It features a 13-inch display in the 12‘ chassis, it sports powerful quad-core processors. Designed to be always connected, the Elite X2 have support for  4G LTE connectivity. HP brought various entrepreneurs on stage and discussed how busy 24/7 workdays, the ability to stay connected and all-day battery life are just some of the key features the Elite X2 can deliver.

HP Elitebook 1050 G1

HP is launching an ultra-slim business notebook with powerful NVDIA GeForce GTX Graphics, professional grade hexacore processing as well as up to 4 Terabytes of SSD storage.

HP says this notebook has 16 hours of battery life as well as a fast charge feature that gets 50% charge in 30 minutes. The Elitebook line also have a unique feature called the HP privacy camera why has a physical cover for the camera on the display for added security. Ideal for busy founder, entrepreneurs and creatives on-the-go, this is a superb desktop replacement that can get most complex computing jobs done.

HP Elitebook X360 1030 G3

HP also showed off the world’s first outdoor viewable display on the Elitebook X360 1030 G3. This display cuts out on glare and reflection when used under bright lights or outdoors. The 700-nit brightness on the touchscreen is an industry first.  Designed for creatives and designers, the Elitebook can work with the HP Active Pen, a stylus, which can be charged using the laptop’s USB Type-C charger.

Other innovations include noise cancellation microphones on the top case as well as answer, mut and unmute buttons right on the keyboard for easy control.

Pricing and Availability (prices quoted in US dollars)

HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 is expected to be available in June for a starting price of $1,449. 

HP Elite x2 1013 G3 is expected to be available in June for a starting price of $1,499.

HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is expected to be available in May for a starting price of $1,899. 

HP EliteOne 1000 AiO G2 is expected to be available in June for a starting price of $1,279. 

HP EliteDisplay S14 is expected to be available in July for a starting price of $219. 

HP ENVY 13 Laptop is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $999.99.

HP ENVY x360 13 is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $759.99. 

HP ENVY x360 15 is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $749.99 (AMD version) and $869.99 (Intel version). 

HP ENVY 17 Laptop is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $1,049.99. 

HP ENVY AiO 27 is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $1,399.99. The 34-inch curved version of the device is expected to be available later this year.

HP ENVY Desktop is expected to be available in May at HP.com for a starting price of $799.99