HP Elite x3 Arrives in the U.S. on August 29

HP announced today that its business-class Elite x3 Windows phone will arrive in the United States on August 29 with a suggested retail price of $699. There’s also a bundle with an Elite x3 Desk Dock for $799.

“The Elite x3, a single device that combines the power of the PC with the versatility of a tablet and the premium features you find on a smart phone, will begin rolling out across the globe at the end of the month,” an HP representative told me this morning. “Here in the U.S., the x3 solution bundles are planned to begin shipping on August 29.”

HP is offering two basic packages for sale: The Elite x3 phone is $699 on its own, though HP says it comes with a premium headset as well. And a bundle with a Continuum-based Elite x3 Desk Dock will cost $799. At a later time, HP will offer bundles that include the HP Elite x3 Lap Dock as well, I’m told.

As you must know, the HP Elite x3 is aimed solely at businesses with managed infrastructures, as a key part of the device strategy is to sell it in volume alongside related services that deliver Windows desktop applications virtually from a datacenter. But HP has told me separately that it would still like to attract the small but eager Windows phone user base as well. And this is certainly a device that will appeal to such enthusiasts.

You can learn more about this device in my article, With Elite x3, HP Takes Windows Phone to the Enterprise. For 2016, at least, this is the closest we’re going to get to a “Surface phone,” and it wouldn’t surprise me to discover that Microsoft’s device, should it ever actually ship, will be quite similar.