HP’s new Elite x2 is a sleek 2-in-1 that doubles down on security

HP has revealed a sleek new 2-in-1 which is a premium convertible notebook designed with security firmly in mind.

The Elite x2 1012 G2 is a detachable, meaning the screen can be separated from the keyboard and used as a standalone tablet, with the device designed to be very thin and light. To be precise, the tablet is 9.1mm thick, and with the keyboard it’s 14.6mm, with the tablet weighing 800g on its own, and 1.15kg when hooked up with the travel keyboard.

The display is a 12.3-inch Gorilla Glass 4 LED touchscreen with a resolution of 2736 x 1824. You can choose from a selection of Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors from Core i3 up to Core i7-7600U, with Intel’s vPro technology available on select models.

That CPU is backed up with 16GB of system memory and integrated graphics, with storage provided by an SSD of between 128GB and 512GB capacity (with SATA and PCIe options).

There are also twin cameras on board – a 5-megapixel front-facer supporting Windows Hello login, and an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash – and you get a USB Type-C port (along with another USB 3.0 port, microSD slot, plus a SIM slot).

Battery boost

The Elite x2 1012 G2 also offers an optional stylus, and has a claimed 10 hours of battery life, with the bonus of a fast-charging mode that can top up the battery to half-full in 30 minutes.

Security features include HP Sure Start Gen3 BIOS protection, TPM 2.0, a fingerprint reader as well as an IR camera for Windows Hello login as mentioned, plus the benefits of a vPro processor if you plump for one of those.

It’s also worth noting that this is the first commercial hybrid notebook to get certified for Skype for Business, and it benefits from some neat features to improve your videoconferencing, including HP Noise Cancellation and Audio Boost software for a better video chat experience in a potentially noisy environment like an office or cafe.

HP’s new 2-in-1 will go on sale in July with the price starting at £1,000 (around $1,300, AU$1,750).