Unveiling HP OmniBook: A Leap Beyond Past Models - Insider Review on ZDNet

Unveiling HP OmniBook: A Leap Beyond Past Models - Insider Review

The new HP EliteBook and HP OmniBook with the Snapdragon X Elite chips.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The new Snapdragon X Elite processors have exploded onto the Windows PC market ahead of Microsoft’s Build event, and HP is one of a handful of manufacturers announcing new products with the powerful new windows-on-ARM AI chips.

Its new line of AI laptops will be called the HP OmniBook , and will come in five different consumer-facing configuration models. Even more noteworthy is the fact that HP is completely overhauling its line of laptops and PCs, ditching the names consumers are familiar with for the singular, monolithic OmniBook title for consumer-facing products, and EliteBook for commercial laptops.

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“We recognized an opportunity to take increasingly complex technology and communicate it in a refreshingly simple way,” HP said in a press release about the shakeup. There is definitely some truth to this, as laptops are notorious for having incomprehensible and impersonal names. Reducing its entire line into one single name is a bold move, but one that HP no doubt hopes will set it apart in the all the noise of upcoming product releases.

Also: Is Apple sweating yet? Every Windows laptop launching with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite

I recently had a chance to go hands-on with HP’s new OmniBook and EliteBook, and although more in-depth reviews will coming shortly, these are my initial impressions.

The HP EliteBook (black), and HP OmniBook (meteor silver, ceramic white).

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The OmniBook is not a refresh of any of any previous laptop models. This is an all new design, one that HP says is part of the reinvention of its laptop line, and these devices reflect that. They’re sleek, streamlined, and come in bold colors and thin form factors (and I low-key love the way the white OmniBook looks).

But it’s not just form factors here that are different. These laptops come with Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon X Elite processors, which are being compared to Apple’s M-series chips – the top of the line in computing right now. The Snapdragon X Elite’s 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU (neural processing unit) is designed to harness AI to push performance and efficiency to new heights, and lab testing has resulted in an array of impressive metrics.

Also: I went hands-on with Lenovo’s new Snapdragon X Elite laptops, and they’re scary thin

In my (brief) time demoing laptops with the Snapdragon X Elite processors, I can say that on the surface, these devices feel light and snappy, and responsive in the way that matter to consumers: fast app load times, fast reboots, and long-lasting batteries. Indeed, HP is so confident in the OmniBook’s battery, it is claiming the laptops will have 26 hours of battery life, calling them the “world’s longest battery life in an ultra-mobile next-gen AI PC.”

The OmniBook comes in a 16GB and 32GB memory configuration, with the option of 1 or 2TB of internal storage. The 14-inch touch displays reach 300-nit brightness and run a 2.2K (2240 x 1400) resolution. The lack of an OLED screen positions the OmniBook with a more accessible price point from other pricier laptops with the new Snapdragon X Elite, such as the $1,700 Lenovo ThinkPad T14s .

The HP OmniBook in ceramic white.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The new Snapdragon chips are said to run much cooler than other chips found in Windows laptops, but they still require cooling in the OmniBook, as it does come with an internal fan. Regarding ports, we’re looking at a standard pair of USB-C ports, one USB-A, and a standard headphone/mic jack.

The new OmniBooks target creators, freelancers, and remote workers with mid-range price points, portability (weighing only 2.97 pounds), and supposedly some of the best battery lives on the market. Lab testing is one thing, but proper testing will see if we can really get this much battery life out of a single charge. It’s too early to make any definitive judgements, but I, for one, can’t wait to see these laptops in action with a more in-depth review.

Also: Microsoft Build is this week - here’s what to expect, how to watch, and why I’m excited

The HP OmniBook starts at $1,199 and is available for pre-order at Best Buy, shipping out on June 18th. HP’s EliteBook starts at $1,699 and is also available for pre-order, with these laptops shipping on June 18th as well.