HP EliteBook Folio G1 review – the Windows 10 Macbook replacement?

Battery life

Sadly, you’ll probably be spending most of your time tethered to the wall with the Elitebook Folio G1, as its battery life is deal-breakingly bad. The 4K touchscreen seems to be a real hindrance here, as it managed just 4 hours and 41 minutes in our video rundown test with the screen brightness set to our usual measurement of 170cd/m2.

This a real shame, as it severely limits its ability to be used continuously on the move. Compare that to the Macbook’s battery life of over 16 hours – and even the XPS 13’s 11 and a half hour battery life – and the Elitebook Folio G1 becomes even more of a disappointment.

Benchmarks and performance

Combine that with some rather lacklustre performance and the dream of the perfect Windows 10 laptop quickly shatters, as the G1 only comes equipped with a dual-core 1.2GHz Intel Core m7-6Y75 processor. There’s also a cheaper, 1.1GHz Core m5-6Y54 model available with a Full HD display for £1,139, but when you can get an XPS 13 for the same amount of money with a proper Core i7 inside it, the G1 is decidedly underpowered for its price.

It showed in our 4K multimedia benchmarks as well, as it only managed an overall score of 26. The XPS 13, on the other hand, finished twenty points higher, making it a much more flexible machine for more intensive processing tasks. Of course, the Folio G1 still feels immensely quick when carrying out basic tasks, but I’d expect more for a device that costs upwards of £1,300.

You can still do some very light gaming on the Folio, as its Intel HD Graphics 515 chip managed a just-about-playable 29.3fps in Dirt Showdown on Low at 1,280×720. Still, when even Minecraft proved fairly taxing on the lowest render distance, jumping between 30fps at best and 10fps at its worst, it’s fair to say the G1 Folio simply isn’t cut out for basic 3D gaming. If that bothers you, then you can achieve more with an XPS 13.

Conclusion

This is such a shame, as the HP Elitebook Folio G1 looks every bit like the ultimate Windows 10 ultraportable. It’s desirable and its premium, lightweight looks should make it the most sought after device HP’s ever made.

Sadly, it’s all undermined by its terrible battery life and underwhelming performance, which at this kind of price just isn’t acceptable. The XPS 13 might not be quite as slender, but when it’s both faster and longer-lasting, and has an equally gorgeous display and top class build quality, the G1 just can’t compete.

Buy the HP EliteBook Folio G1 now from HP