The HP Elite x3 starts hitting Microsoft retail stores on Monday, Oct. 10, a few days after the Windows-powered smartphone appeared on Microsoft's online store. This is the first time that the Elite x3 will be available for purchase in one of Microsoft's 100 plus brick and mortar stores.
If you were planning to buy one but held off due to claims of the device's camera constantly crashing, the recent Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary update patches it up, adding a few more features in the mix such as Windows Information Protection, Double Tap to Wake, extra Iris functionality and general performance improvements.
HP made the Elite x3 available for online preorders in September, with the device selling out within weeks. However, Microsoft halted sales of the device in late September, possibly because of the device's alleged camera issues and performance hiccups. Those who preordered the device had to wait for an official confirmation regarding the device's eventual resale.
On Sept. 29, Microsoft rolled out an update that remedied all the issues on the Elite x3, fixing up the random crashing behavior of the device's camera. With all the creases ironed out for the Elite x3, Microsoft has officially put the device on shelves in its physical retail stores today. If you happen to be near a Microsoft store, then you can go ahead and purchase the smartphone. For those in the UK planning to get the Elite x3, then you're in luck, because the phone has also showed up on Carphone Warehouse.
As for the specs, the HP Elite x3 features a 5.96-inch quad HD AMOLED display with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution at 494 ppi. It's powered by a 2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with the Adreno 530 for graphics. It comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, expandable up to a whopping 2 TB. It has a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera that can record 1080p videos at 30 fps, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
The Elite x3 is marketed as a device fit for business-oriented individuals, since it also bleeds into PC territory, being able to integrate with accessories that turn it into a full-fledged PC, as Microsoft claims.
The first of these accessories is the Desk Dock peripheral, which sports two USB ports: one USB Type-C port and an ethernet port for faster internet speeds. The second is a mobile extender, which looks like a regular notebook, but is actually a combination of a display, a battery and a keyboard. The Elite x3 can wirelessly throw data onto the mobile extender, to give the user a complete Windows 10 Mobile experience on a laptop. This is possible with a feature called Windows 10 Continuum, an adaptive feature that lets the Elite x3 integrate with a larger display and function almost like a Windows 10 computer.
The HP Elite x3 is available for purchase on Microsoft's online store and physical stores, and will cost $699 unlocked. There's a $799 Business Pack variant that comes bundled with the HP Desk Dock.
Photo: Maurizio Pesce | Flickr
