HP to launch Elite X3 Windows phone, a smartphone powerful enough to be a laptop

HP will soon be launching the Elite X3, its latest Window phone that’s designed to function as a PC, a tablet and a smartphone.

According to HP’s website, the Elite X3 combines the power and productivity of a PC with the portability of a tablet and the connectivity of a smartphone. It is the first built-for-business mobile device that can provide seamless phablet, laptop and desktop business productivity.

The Elite X3 can also easily dock to a larger display to allow users to effortlessly switch from phablet to laptop or to desktop PC. It is equipped with a 5.96-inch WQHD AMOLED multi-touch display, a 16-megapixel (MP) rear camera with flash and an 8-MP front camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.

It also has dual-SIM slots, 4-gigabytes (GB) of LPDDR4 RAM, 802.11ac WiFi, 64GB internal storage and a microSD slot for expandable storage of up to 2-terabytes. The Elite X3 also has biometric authentication features like iris detection and fingerprint reader.

PCWorld reports that the Elite X3 is HP’s re-entry into the smartphone market in more than two years. The last significant foray of the company in the smartphone market was in 2010 when it acquired Palm. HP ditched the smartphone market in 2014.

The Elite X3, though, fits into HP’s plan of selling high-priced, high-margin devices to professionals and businesses. The company will sell the Elite X3 for US$699 (AU$929). The price jumps up to US$799 (AU$1,062) to include the headset and Desk Dock bundle. The dock has a DisplayPort port, an Ethernet slot, and a USB-A and USB-C ports for keyboard, mouse or external drive.

HP will also be selling a Lap Dock, which turns the Elite X3 into a laptop. The accessory has a 12.5-inch full HD display and keyboard. It can be hooked up to the smartphone wirelessly or through a USB Type-C cable.

The Elite X3 is expected to be available on Aug. 29.