ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The EliteBook 6 G1q is at the moment obtainable for $1,382 at B&H Photograph-Video.
- It is a smooth and battery-efficient laptop computer with numerous ports and 5G connectivity.
- It occupies that center floor the place a couple of hundred {dollars} extra might 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 machine with nice battery life and a really comfy keyboard. I might suggest it as a light-weight work laptop computer, however there are a couple of considerations.
The entry-level machine with 16GB of reminiscence and a 256GB SSD seems to be to be geared toward customers who reside within the cloud and worth longevity over uncooked energy, whereas higher-end {hardware} opens up the machine for extra numerous productiveness makes use of.
The center-of-the-road configuration I examined shows the efficiency you’d anticipate from a skinny and lightweight Snapdragon machine. It boots up instantaneously, is very 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 industrial, with HP’s typical silver aluminum construct, a grey keyboard, and a utilitarian show. But it surely additionally has an intensive choice 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 is not fairly what I might name premium, but it surely will get the job achieved for work-related duties, particularly with the matte end that mitigates glare nicely.
At 3.17 kilos, it is proper round the place it must be by way of 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 employees.
A touchscreen choice is out there, as are increased resolutions and refresh charges with a couple of hundred bucks added onto the value, however the upgrades add up rapidly, approaching value factors you’d get for extra premium EliteBook fashions.
The best facet of the laptop computer includes a lock slot, ethernet port, USB-A, and nano SIM slot.
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
One of many notable obtainable options is the Snapdragon X72 5G card, which grants the laptop computer 5G connectivity, a stable choice for customers who want always-on connectivity within the discipline or away from Wi-Fi.
The function is enabled with a service known as HP Go, which makes use of an eSIM with multi-carrier 5G connectivity for $19 a month. It really works through the use of infrastructure from the highest three US service networks, whichever has the strongest obtainable connection within the space.
This sort of service may be vital for customers who want a dependable connection in places 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 may very well be price it.
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Talking of enterprise connectivity, this laptop computer has some fairly strong 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 machine that enterprise groups will admire.
It is also an fulfilling laptop computer to work on, because the keyboard is especially good. I discovered the massive, 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 selection I am not a fan of.
When it comes to 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 instances and robust capability 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 function, which is likely one of the higher AI-powered videoconferencing suites to come back 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 should 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 must be compared to higher-end EliteBook fashions, just like the G1 collection I examined earlier this 12 months.
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 means, 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 via two full workdays of intermittent sustained/idle utilization on one cost.
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One factor of be aware with this laptop computer is the warmth technology, which I used to be a bit of shocked to expertise with the Snapdragon X Plus processor. This additionally applies to the ports: the left facet of the laptop computer (the place the USB-C ports are situated) 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, industrial 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 person 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. Should you’re on the lookout for a extra premium productiveness laptop computer from HP, nevertheless, try the EliteBook G1a on the prime of the lineup.
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Should you’re on the lookout for one thing related by way of efficiency, type issue, and battery life, try the OmniBook X with the Snapdragon X Elite chip, which does not have 5G connectivity, however is lower than half the value.
