HP Elite x2 1012 review – takes aim at the Surface Pro 4, just misses

Stylus

With certain configurations, HP includes a stylus. It’s the same one you’ll find with the Spectre x2 and HP’s Envy 8 Note, and is more than sufficient for quick note-taking. I imagine most graphic artists will find it slightly lacking, though, and there’s also nowhere to store or put it when you’re not using it. An adhesive loop is included in the box that you can stick to the tablet or keyboard, but it’s nonetheless a rather inelegant solution.

It can also attach to the keyboard’s rear magnet, but this is very likely to get disloged in your bag and you’ll still need to put it somewhere when you actually come to use the device, at which point you’ll likely end up losing it or forgetting where you put it. 

Performance

The Elite x2 is available in a range of different specifications. The range starts from a Intel Core m3-6Y30 and goes up to a Core m7-6Y75, the latter of which was the one I was sent for testing. The system can be configured with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM, too. 

The model on test was equipped with 8GB of RAM and also a 256GB NVMe SSD for storage. It makes for a good general performer, but not a system that will acquit itself well when it comes to more difficult tasks. The Core m7-6Y75 has a base clock speed of 1.2GHz across two cores, but can Turbo Boost to 3.1GHz when thermal conditions allow, all while utilising a completely fanless design. This top-end model isn’t currently listed by HP online, so you will have to call them to configure one similar.

Our particularly tough 4K benchmarks saw an overall score of 34, which is around what I would expect for a system with these specifications. This means it will be fine for desktop tasks such as word processing and web browsing, but video or photo editing will prove rather sluggish, not that the display lends itself particularly well to this in any case.

One would have hoped the fanless, low voltage Intel Core m processor would mean greater longevity, but as has often been the case with Core m-equipped devices, battery life isn’t as good as you might expect. The Elite x2 lasted 6 hours 14 minutes in our video playback test, and that was with the screen set to our standard brightness setting of 170cd/m2. It’ll last you a working day with a little bit of consideration, but more is always welcome, and it compares poorly to the Core i5-powered Surface Pro 4, which lasted well over an hour under the same conditions. 

Conclusion

The Elite x2 certainly makes an admirable attempt at beating the Surface Pro 4 at its own game, but this particular model is ever so slightly off-target. That’s not to say it misses the mark completely, though, as its generally stellar build quality and sturdy keyboard are both excellent. Likewise, its enterprise-friendly features will appeal to IT admins and employees alike, and its replaceable parts make it easier to fix if something goes wrong. However, if battery life and a top-notch display are top priorities, then the Surface Pro 4 is still the 2-in-1 hybrid to beat. Buy the Elite x2 1012 now from HP