The HP Spectre X2 has made quite a strong impression on the laptop-slash-tablet market, with its design reminiscent of Microsoft's Surface lineup. Now, HP intends to turn more heads with its second-generation HP Elite X2 1012, but how does it fare against the Surface Pro?
The Elite X2 will be available in three Intel Core M chipsets, starting from M3 to M5 and M7. Although these will offer fanless configurations, they will deliver lower CPU and GPU performance in contrast with the i5 and i7 Intel chipsets under some of the Surfaces' hoods.
Next up, it will be fitted with 4 GB or 8 GB worth of RAM along with a 128, 256 or 512 GB SSD storage. In contrast, HP's 2-in-1 may have fallen a bit short in the hardware department, as Microsoft offers the Surface up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage.
With a 12-inch display, it will sport a 1,920 x 1,080 with about 183 ppi, which will be protected by Gorilla Glass 4. Compared with the Surface Pro 4, it has a slightly smaller screen and a considerably lower resolution.
However, the Elite X2 makes up for its weaker specifications with its easy-to-replace screen, making drops and damages less of an issue. Also, it doesn't stop at the screen, as the whole thing is just easy to disassemble.
Here's how these two gadgets were compared and reviewed by some tech enthusiasts around the net:
Andrew Cunningham of Ars Technica: "It's a version of the Surface's design that makes concessions to businesses that like to repair and upgrade systems on-site - you can actually remove the screws hiding underneath its kickstand and pull the screen off with a suction cup, exposing the battery, SSD, motherboard, and the Wi-Fi and cellular cards for easy repair and replacement (as best as we can tell, the RAM is still soldered to the motherboard),"
Minus its magnetic detachable keyboard, the Elite X2 measures at 11.8 x 8.4 x 0.31 inches and 1.85 pounds. The keyboard has a solid aluminum back, where the standard Travel variant adds 0.87 pounds and 0.2 inches in thickness and the Advanced variant with the NFC and smartcard reader adds 1.02 pounds and 0.3 inches in thickness to its total weight. In terms of weight, it's a bit heavier than the Surface, but HP's keyboard is considered on top of its contender's model.
Jonathan Bray of Alphr: "[I]t's absolutely brilliant. The key action is crisp, the keys are well spaced and backlit, and - most importantly - it doesn't feel like you're typing on a shoebox when the keyboard is tilted up at an angle. This is a keyboard you'll be able to comfortably tap away at all day; it's a remarkable achievement by HP's engineers,"
Going over the accessories, the Elite X2 takes the cake for simply coming along with an Active Stylus, not to mention that it has a clip to keep it from rolling away. Only the Surface Pro 4 comes with the Surface Pen in the box.
Sam Rutherford of Laptop Mag: "HP also includes its Active Stylus in the box, a luxury buyers of the Spectre x2 will need to pay extra for,"
On top of that, HP's hybrid comes with a USB Type-C, which is curiously missing from Surface products. But while the Elite X2 comes with a fingerprint reader on its back, it doesn't support Windows Hello technology.
Design-wise, the Elite X2 has won over a lot of customers.
Gordon Mah Ung of PCWorld: "I had two separate occasions to handle the Elite X2 and came away impressed both times. It feels solid, and I don't doubt HP's drop-test claims. I've now had extensive hands-on with all Surface Pro iterations and the Elite X2's consumer cousin, the Spectre X2, and I think I like the beautiful lines of the Elite X2. It's reminiscent of Apple's iPhone 4 with its straight lines - before the company got all soft and curvy with its tablets,"
Regarding the kickstand, the Elite X2 is fitted with a thin piece of metal, giving more room for other components and remaining sturdy enough, as it's made using 7000-series aluminum. On the other hand, Surface's is more like a sheet of metal, and it's not as easy to replace as HP's kickstand.
Charles McLellan of ZDNet : "The kickstand, like that of the Surface Pro 3 and 4, is infinitely adjustable from almost upright to almost flat on the desk (150 degrees) and is made from extra-durable 'aircraft-grade' T7000 aluminum. The hydraulic hinge is rated for over 10,000 open/close cycles (6 times a day, 7 days a week for 5 years), and is designed so that, if put under unreasonable pressure, only the replaceable kickstand will break, rather than the hinge itself,"
HP also added in Intel's vPro hardware to its Elite X2, whereas Microsoft only included the technology to the i7 Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 variants.
Despite both starting at $899, the Elite X2 is more affordable, as it comes with the Active Stylus and Travel detachable keyboard. The Surface's Type Cover and Surface Pen are bought separately at $149.99 and $49.99 respectively, where only the Surface Pro 4 comes with a stylus.
To sum things up, the Elite X2 has several advantages over the Surface Pro, but it's a little behind in terms of performance.
