First 5G-Ready HP EliteBook Among New PCs, Workstations Shipping This Summer

The first 5G-ready HP EliteBook PCs are set to ship this summer.

Two new EliteBook 1000 Series laptops are among a new lineup of commercial PC and workstations HP revealed on Tuesday.

HP’s commercial PC refresh also includes device provisioning services, which the company is offering directly, starting this week. The company said it will let channel partners offer the new device provisioning services in the second half.

Business users who like the HP EliteBook series have something to look forward to this summer.

The new PCs and workstations will arrive at various times between June and September.

This week’s launch marks HP’s third client hardware introduction this month. But it accounts for the bulk of the company’s mainstream commercial PC and workstation portfolio. On May 5, HP debuted enterprise Chromebooks and thin clients, a day after introducing new PCs for consumers and gamers.

HP’s commercial systems rollout comes just a week after Dell launched its newest Latitudes and Precision workstations.

Expect the new 5G-ready HP EliteBook x360 1000 Series G PCs to ship in July. The 5G capability is an option only available from HP’s factory, the company said.

It is unclear to what extent the new HP EliteBook will actually arrive 5G-ready, because it’s also pending carrier availability. But it is poised to arrive before the new 5G-ready Dell Premium Latitude 9510, now slated to ship this fall.

HP’s Cory McElroy

“Now, we have our first 5G-capable business notebooks for resilient, secure seamless connections,” said Cory McElroy, head of HP’s premium commercial notebooks, during a media and analyst briefing last week. “If Wi-Fi goes down, you don’t miss a beat.”

Regardless of whose 5G-ready commercial laptop arrives first, 5G availability among wireless carriers remains scattered at best. But those who will need 5G in the coming years may still opt for 5G-ready systems when upgrading their PCs.

The first 5G-ready HP EliteBook will come in two configurations. Both are convertible x360 models of the company’s 1000 Series, which HP considers its most secure and manageable PCs.

HPE’s EliteBook x360 1030 G7 has a 13.3-inch screen with an optional UHD OLED display. The other model – HP’s EliteBook x360 1040 G7, which has a 14-inch display – is similar.

Intel’s 10^th Gen Core processors power both devices, with a 6-core vPro option. They support up to 32 GB of RAM and 2TB of PCIe, NVMe storage. The 5G models will include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 modem. They also support Wi-Fi 6, also known as the new 802.11ax WLAN specification.

EliteBooks with AMD Ryzen Pro 4000 CPU

While HP positions the two 1000 Series systems as its premium commercial laptops, three new 805 Series systems appear quite powerful as well.

The new 805 Series models are clamshell systems powered with AMD’s Ryzen Pro 4000 Series mobile processor. The largest is the HP EliteBook 855 G7, with a 15.6-inch display. HP positions it as the lightest AMD-based commercial system with a 63% boost in battery life over its predecessor. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 with optional LTE connectivity.

HP also is updating its 14-inch model – the EliteBook 845 G7 – and the EliteBook 835 G7, with a 13-inch display. Scheduled to ship in August, no word yet on price.

Next month, HP will ship upgraded 800 Series EliteBooks with Intel 10^th Gen Core processors. The EliteBook x360 830 G7 is a convertible system with a 13-inch display and it introduces new 4×4 LTE antennas. The clamshell-styled 14-inch EliteBook 840 G7 is HP’s smallest and lightest 800 Series laptop to date in that form factor.

Likewise, the 15-inch EliteBook 850 G7 is the thinnest and lightest enterprise 15-inch configuration, HP said. Pricing for the new 800 Series system starts at $1,399.

New ZBook Firefly Workstations

HP’s new workstations include two mobile systems set to ship in August at a starting price of $1,099. The HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7 and Firefly 14 G7 have 15-inch and 14-inch displays, respectively. HP says they are thinner and lighter than their predecessors. Both are available with 10^th Gen Core processors, NVIDIA Quadro P520 graphics and 4G LTE connectivity.

Anu Herranen, HP’s director of new workstation introductions, described the ZBook Firefly 14 as a viable alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro.

“It’s actually redefining the ways we can stay productive anywhere because it takes all that Z power into this tiny, tiny form factor, making it really ultramobile,” Herranen said. “Firefly is actually engineered with an idea that you can bring it anywhere — actually, you should bring it anywhere.”