HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook review: A new level of luxury

Price When Reviewed

$2,385

Best Prices Today: HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook

What springs to thoughts whenever you consider the phrase “elite”? Maybe it’s a flowery Bahamas-bound cruise or a smooth smartwatch that’s chock-full of options. Whatever photographs your thoughts conjures up, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is about as luxurious as you will get. From the slick design and low weight to the highly effective {hardware} and nice typing expertise, this Chromebook has all of it and is an actual step up when it comes to high quality. That mentioned, you’ll pay out the nostril for all of that opulence. Read on to be taught extra.

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best Chromebooks obtainable proper now.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Specifications

Our take a look at configuration has an Intel Core i5-1245U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. It additionally has a 13.5-inch touchscreen show with a decision of 2256×1504. This particular configuration will set you again $2,385, which is wildly costly for a Chromebook. The base configuration, which has an Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage, prices $2,097. Yup, nonetheless costly for a Chromebook.

• CPU: Intel Core i5-1245U
• GPU: Intel Iris Xe graphics
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Display: 13.5-inch 2256×1504 contact
• Battery: 45 watt-hour
• Weight: 2.8 kilos
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.2
• Price: $2,385 (as examined)

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

As far as Chromebooks go, you’ll be able to’t actually get extra luxurious than this. The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook positively appears the half with its matte blue chassis, rounded corners, and stylized HP emblem. The darkish blue shade scheme is sweet, nevertheless it’s not my cup of tea. It positively has a extra subtle look than laptops which can be extra utilitarian in design. Basically, it’s extra fascinating to have a look at than your normal plain grey sq..

I may inform the second I took the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook out of the field that it was an costly machine. You can really feel the aluminum bits whenever you slide your palms over the chassis, and the hinge that connects the show to the remainder of the laptop computer is each sturdy and agency. I didn’t discover any flex within the display screen or keyboard deck, and the physique is compact sufficient to suit into most backpacks or messenger luggage. The show can also be coated in fancy Corning Gorilla Glass. At the tip of the day, it’s only a actually well-made machine.

By the best way, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a 2-in-1. That means you’ll be able to swing the display screen round 360 levels and use the machine like a pill. You may even prop it up like a tent for video calls, watching motion pictures, and so forth. This added versatility is ideal for younger professionals.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Display, webcam, audio

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The 1504p contact show is extra square-looking due to the 3:2 side ratio. That’s not a foul factor, because it offers extra display screen actual property for issues like spreadsheet work, writing essays, and extra. It’s the form of show that actually boosts productiveness. The picture high quality is sort of good, too. My solely concern with the show is that it’s very reflective, which is simply an issue if you happen to’re ever going to make use of the laptop computer in out of doors lighting.

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The 1080p webcam is sort of good even in pure lighting situations. As you’ll be able to see within the nonetheless picture above, you’ll be able to see the person folds in my gray hoodie. The solely supply of pure mild is coming in by means of the window behind me. The picture may look just a little gentle due to the daylight streaming in, however total it’s nonetheless fairly crisp. You may even see the tree branches within the window behind me. There’s additionally a bodily privateness shutter that can be utilized to cowl the webcam when not in use.

The audio is surprisingly punchy for a laptop computer. I’m all the time shocked when laptop computer audio can fill a medium-sized room, which the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook can definitely do. When I listened to Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, her sultry voice sounded fairly sharp. This is probably going due to the place of the audio system, that are top-firing. That mentioned, after I turned up the quantity, it sounded just a little grating. If you’re simply casually listening to music or taking calls, the audio shouldn’t be an issue, although.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Connectivity

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook comes outfitted with a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port on either side, which lets you cost up the laptop computer utilizing both port. There’s additionally one USB-A, one HDMI 2.0 out, one microSD card slot, and one 3.5mm combo audio jack. As far as connectivity choices go, that’s a reasonably good choice — you most likely received’t have to maintain an adapter with you.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The keyboard is superb to make use of. The butterfly keys are flat and supply some quantity of bounciness in addition to first rate journey. They even have a lightweight snap to them, which I actually favored. Occasional typos apart, I used to be in a position to get accustomed to it in a comparatively quick period of time. The keyboard has backlighting too, which implies you’ll be capable of see no matter it’s you’re typing in dimly lit environments.

I’m unhappy to say that the buttonless haptic trackpad left a much less favorable impression on me. But first, the professionals. It’s positively measurement and it sits within the middle of the keyboard deck versus being offset, which is a big sticking level for me. Although it registered my clicks simply effective all over the place on the floor, the suggestions it produces is form of faint. The haptic actuator is the factor that creates bodily sensations in a haptic trackpad, by the best way. You’ll additionally discover a fingerprint sensor to the fitting of the trackpad.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Performance

Performance is fairly darn good on this Chromebook. It simply blitzed by means of 20+ open tabs with no noticeable lag, which is spectacular. Even the act of leaping from tab to tab didn’t hinder efficiency. Booting up the machine is lightning quick, too. It’s the form of efficiency I anticipate from a high-end machine, particularly one which prices properly over $1,000. That mentioned, whereas efficiency is completely effective, it’s not all that totally different from inexpensive machines.

Here’s how the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook fared in our web-based benchmarks:

• CrXPRT 2: 167
• Speedometer: 249
• Basemark Web 3.0: 1432.86
• Kraken: 478.7ms
• Jetstream 2: 238.548

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, which prices $499, had a CrXPRT 2 rating of 177, successfully outpacing the HP Elite Dragonfy Chromebook. The CrXPRT benchmark measures how briskly the laptop computer handles on a regular basis duties. That mentioned, the HP Dragonfly Chromebook’s processor is a era behind, which can clarify the decrease CrXPRT 2 rating. In use, you most likely received’t discover a lot of a distinction in efficiency between the 2 Chromebooks. They’re each snappy, however the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is much more reasonably priced than the Elite Dragonfly.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Battery life

Battery life may positively be higher, nevertheless it’s not the worst consequence I’ve ever seen. The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook managed about seven hours in our battery take a look at, which loops by means of movies and numerous duties till the laptop computer dies. Chromebooks are identified for having lengthy battery life, so this can be a considerably disappointing consequence. If you decrease the brightness on this machine, you may be capable of get one other hour or two. However, it additionally is dependent upon what you’re doing. More intensive hundreds are going to eat up the battery sooner, for instance.

Is the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook price it?

The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook has loads going for it regardless of the excessive price ticket. The keyboard is great to make use of, the {hardware} chews by means of 20+ open browser tabs like a champ, and the spacious touch-enabled show produces sharp photographs. The solely actual sticking level is the value, because it’s prohibitively costly for a Chromebook. The trackpad may present stronger suggestions, too. This machine is designed with particular people in thoughts, specifically younger professionals. That mentioned, if cash is not any object, then this is likely one of the most luxurious Chromebooks cash should purchase.