ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The EliteBook 6 G1q is at present out there for $1,382 at B&H Photograph-Video.
- It is a smooth and battery-efficient laptop computer with plenty of ports and 5G connectivity.
- It occupies that center floor the place a couple of hundred {dollars} extra may get you a considerably extra premium laptop computer.
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HP’s EliteBook 6 G1q is an reasonably priced mannequin from its productivity-minded lineup. It options in depth connectivity and a marathon battery in a skinny and light-weight type issue.
Beforehand often known as HP’s 600 collection, the EliteBook 6 G1 lineup is out there in a number of RAM and reminiscence configurations, a light-weight type issue, and both an AMD, Intel, or Qualcomm processor; a extremely customizable laptop computer for a variety of customers.
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I went hands-on with the EliteBook G1q (q for Qualcomm), which has the Snapdragon X Plus chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. I discovered it to be a succesful gadget with nice battery life and a really snug keyboard. I might suggest it as a light-weight work laptop computer, however there are a couple of issues.
The entry-level machine with 16GB of reminiscence and a 256GB SSD seems to be to be geared toward customers who dwell within the cloud and worth longevity over uncooked energy, whereas higher-end {hardware} opens up the gadget for extra various productiveness makes use of.
The center-of-the-road configuration I examined shows the efficiency you’d anticipate from a skinny and light-weight Snapdragon gadget. It boots up instantaneously, is extremely responsive for on a regular basis duties, and has an environment friendly battery for all-day use.
On the floor, the EliteBook 6 G1q is nondescript and business, with HP’s typical silver aluminum construct, a grey keyboard, and a utilitarian show. But it surely additionally has an in depth collection of customizability, as much as 64GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and quite a few show choices, together with an 800-nit WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS display screen on the prime finish.
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The mannequin I examined got here with a WUXGA (1920×1200) IPS show with 300 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh fee. It isn’t fairly what I might name premium, nevertheless it will get the job executed for work-related duties, particularly with the matte end that mitigates glare effectively.
At 3.17 kilos, it is proper round the place it needs to be when it comes to portability. It simply slides right into a backpack or bag and lives as much as its meant use case as a tool for distant and hybrid staff.
A touchscreen choice is out there, as are larger resolutions and refresh charges with a couple of hundred bucks added onto the worth, however the upgrades add up shortly, approaching value factors you’d get for extra premium EliteBook fashions.
The best aspect of the laptop computer incorporates a lock slot, ethernet port, USB-A, and nano SIM slot.
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
One of many notable out there options is the Snapdragon X72 5G card, which grants the laptop computer 5G connectivity, a strong choice for customers who want always-on connectivity within the subject or away from Wi-Fi.
The characteristic is enabled with a service referred to as HP Go, which makes use of an eSIM with multi-carrier 5G connectivity for $19 a month. It really works by utilizing infrastructure from the highest three US provider networks, whichever has the strongest out there connection within the space.
Any such service could be vital for customers who want a dependable connection in areas with unavailable or spotty Wi-Fi, however it’s extra geared towards the enterprise use case. That stated, for anybody who travels and finally ends up having to pay for lodge Wi-Fi or fighting horrible, unsecure connections, the $19 a month could possibly be price it.
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Talking of enterprise connectivity, this laptop computer has some fairly sturdy I/O, together with an HDMI port, two USB-Cs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-A, a Kensington lock slot, a microSD, and even an Ethernet port. Thus, it is a extremely suitable gadget that enterprise groups will admire.
It is also an satisfying laptop computer to work on, because the keyboard is especially good. I discovered the big, sticky keys with good key journey to be responsive and well-designed, besides the Web page Up and Web page Down buttons close to the arrow keys is a key placement alternative I am not a fan of.
By way of efficiency, the EliteBook 6 G1q feels rather a lot like its Copilot+ PC friends with related {hardware}. I had no points with day by day duties throughout my week with this laptop computer, and I admire its snappy boot occasions and robust skill to multitask.
The EliteBook 6 G1q has the identical 45 TOPS NPU as its X Elite counterpart, qualifying it as an official Copilot+ PC. Native AI duties ought to run easily for on a regular basis duties, like HP’s Poly digital camera professional characteristic, which is among the higher AI-powered videoconferencing suites to return pre-loaded.
The AI works with a number of cameras to create overlays and AI-generated backgrounds, however for many customers, it simply means it is going to mechanically alter to lighting circumstances to enhance your presence on digital camera.
Our benchmarking numbers place it proper round its opponents, incomes scores in balanced mode that place it the place it theoretically needs to be compared to higher-end EliteBook fashions, just like the G1 collection I examined earlier this yr.
Customers have the choice to customise the battery on this laptop computer, with a 48Whr or 56Whr 3-cell unit, each with HP’s quick cost. Both manner, you may get nice battery longevity right here. HP says you may recover from 24 hours of battery life in video playback in balanced mode. In my expertise, I made it by two full workdays of intermittent sustained/idle utilization on one cost.
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One factor of observe with this laptop computer is the warmth technology, which I used to be a bit stunned to expertise with the Snapdragon X Plus processor. This additionally applies to the ports: the left aspect of the laptop computer (the place the USB-C ports are positioned) will get palpably heat when each are in use, however not a lot that it is considerably uncomfortable.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The excessive diploma of customization, business construct, in depth I/O, and 5G connectivity make the EliteBook 6 G1q a quintessential enterprise PC. The {hardware} on board is expressly geared towards productiveness duties, and the battery-efficient Snapdragon X rounds out the consumer expertise.
The show is okay, however nothing overly premium. Though the construct is nondescript and company, it is smooth and light-weight, with a cushty keyboard and trackpad. In the event you’re searching for a extra premium productiveness laptop computer from HP, nonetheless, take a look at the EliteBook G1a on the prime of the lineup.
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In the event you’re searching for one thing related when it comes to efficiency, type issue, and battery life, take a look at the OmniBook X with the Snapdragon X Elite chip, which does not have 5G connectivity, however is lower than half the worth.
