Smooth Moves

There is a new challenger to tablet and light-weight laptops in the market that has taken the gizmo wars to a new level with one slim Samurai swish. APEKSHA BHATEJA takes the HP Elite X2 1012 on a hardcore 'travel' test drive.

The Elite X2 1012 is quite the travel buddy. It sat well with me on the plane, played a great companion on coffee runs, and didn't mind the bumps along the way.

1. It’s really light. That's the first thing you notice about the X2 1012. I slipped this thin, light-as-an-envelope machine (it weighs less than one kilogram) into my tote, and didn't end up with shoulder welts like I usually do.

2. It gets a lot of attention. I loved showing how easily the keyboard detaches to anyone who admired it—fellow travellers, hotel staff, and colleagues. It switches from laptop mode to tablet mode automatically, which was another bragging point.

3. It is definitely a handsome machine. Its matt-finish silver colour, its cool kickstand, and the Bang & Olufsen logo on the top left of the screen were some of the reasons I didn’t shy of opening it in cafes and restaurants.

4. The keyboard is stiff, yet smooth, which is a definite plus when your job demands you to be fast on your fingers. The backlit function made it easy on the eyes after the lights went out on the plane. I finished writing a story on my six-hour journey!

5. It’s a tough guy. I was taking pictures from a rooftop bar when I felt that the tablet looked quite fragile without the keyboard which acts as its cover. I was afraid that if I dropped it, the screen would shatter. Later, I figured out that the laptop comes with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 and 6061 aircraft grade aluminium alloy body—I still couldn’t bring myself to test it out, though.

6. I didn’t have to jab at the screen or fight with the trackpad to make them follow my instructions. Both were super responsive to touch.

7. It doesn’t tire easily. I watched movies, used Microsoft Office, browsed the Internet, and even spent some time on Facebook, and it didn’t wave the red flag. The battery drained only after the second day.

8. It’s baffling how they cool this machine. There's no fan! I opened multiple applications, and ran it for hours, but it didn't slow down or heat up. And, no fan means no noise.

9. The hotel had a local SIM ready for me when I checked in. That’s when the SIM slot in the laptop came handy, and I used it to access internet outside the hotel. It also has a fingerprint reader on the back of the screen.

10. Using unsecure wifis at cafes and airline lounges for us means we're always vulnerable to virus. With this machine, I didn’t worry too much. The laptop has HP Client Security and HP Biosphere that guard user identity and protects it against viruses.

Want to do more with your 2-in-1? With a flexible, rotating display and a detachable keyboard, you can turn it into a desktop, or get the HP Active Pen to jot down your ideas on the tablet.

Spec Sheet

Display - 12-inch diagonal FHD UWVA eDP ultra-slim LED-backlit touch screen (1920 x1280), direct bonded, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4

Processor - Latest 6th Gen Intel Core M Platform

Front Camera - 2-megapixel

RAM - 4 GB or 8 GB

OS - Windows 10 Pro

Rear Camera - 5-megapixel with Auto Focus/LED Flash

Storage - 256 GB or 512 GB

Battery life - Up to 10 hours and 15 minutes

Audio by - Bang & Olufsen

Ports - 1 USB Type-C, 1 USB Type-A (USB3.0), 1 headphone/microphone combo, 1 micro SD, 1 micro SIM (optional)

Graphics - Intel® HD Graphics 515

Featuring - a 150° Rotating Kickstand

Verdict

It’s a good buy, hands down. The cost is slightly on the higher side, starting at `91,449*, but that’s the price you pay to have it all… durability, versatility, security, portability, high performance, and mobility.

*Pricing will vary on model SKUs.