The HP Elite X3 smartphone now has an official release date, hitting store shelves on August 29th of this year. For those not familiar with this Windows powered device, it comes with a 6 inch WQHD display screen with a resolution of 2,560 by 1,440 pixels, flanked by a 16 megapixel camera on the rear side (with LED flash and auto focus) as well as an 8 megapixel camera on the front side. Hardware specifications wise, the HP Elite X3 boasts a twin core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip set, plus an Adreno 530 graphics processing unit (GPU), supported with 4 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) and 64 gigabytes of onboard storage, with dedicated micro SD slot good for expanding memory up to 256 gigabytes. It comes with a 4,150 mAh battery and is powered by Microsoft’s Windows 10 mobile operating system.
The price of the device is at $699, but when it is packaged together with the Continuum powered Desk Dock and a headset, the price goes up to $799. The Desk Dock comes with a couple of USB 3.0 ports, one USB C port and both a DisplayPort and Ethernet port for good measure. Via Continuum, mobile users can switch between the Elite X3 and a connected monitor and launch mobile apps installed on the smartphone, including Microsoft Office apps. HP has made no secret of its intention to fully position the Elite X3 phablet as a smartphone and personal computer combined into one, but it can only really achieve this with the use of its accessories.
One other notable feature about the HP Elite X3 device is its focus on durability. It comes with a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 that should protect the device’s display from scratches, and the handset even has an anti reflective coating. HP’s Elite X3 also possesses an IP67 rating, which means that it is resistant to both water and dust, and should be able to withstand being submerged in 3 feet of water for about half an hour.
As mentioned earlier, the HP Elite X3 phablet will arrive on store shelves in the United States mobile market on August 29th of this year. It bears noting that HP also has plans to launch the Lap Dock, a laptop that is specially designed to connect wirelessly to the Elite X3, transforming it into more than just a smartphone. No pricing and availability details for the Lap Dock has been published yet.
