HP’s First Always Connected PC Now Available for Pre-order

HP was one of the first companies to introduce the new Always Connected PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM processors. As expected, the company is now taking pre-orders for its first-ever Always Connected PC, the Envy x2, as first noticed by Windows Central.

The company’s Envy x2 is a $999.99 Always Connected PC powered by Windows 10 S, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz, and the Adreno 540 GPU. The device comes with a 12.3-inch WUXGA display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and only 4GB of RAM. But more importantly, HP claims to offer up to 22 hours of battery life with the device, which is around the same as other Always Connected PCs. Of course, that claim is yet to be proven, but Always Connected PCs should still offer significantly better battery life when compared to the regular Intel-powered 2-in-1s.

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If you have $999 to spend on a new 2-in-1 and want to give Windows 10 PCs running on ARM processors, you can pre-order the Envy x2 from HP here. Shipping starts on the 9th of March.

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  • ezraward

    23 February, 2018 - 10:53 am

    <p>This just seems oddly expensive for what it is. That being said, any iPad with many of the same capabilities will hit the same price point easily… I think manufacturers are really pushing premium devices at or over $1000. This seems true of phones as well as of last year.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      28 February, 2018 - 1:24 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248045"><em>In reply to ezraward:</em></a></blockquote><p>Agreed. This machine needs to be closer to $300 than $1000. Why?</p><p><br></p><p>The more performant iPad (2017) which has a far larger library of tablet software is only $329. There's no reason to pay more for a Windows tablet than an iPad.</p>

  • Stooks

    23 February, 2018 - 10:54 am

    <p>$1000 for a ARM based tablet running Windows 10S. </p><p><br></p><p>DOA.</p>

    • PeteB

      24 February, 2018 - 2:34 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248046"><em>In reply to Stooks:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's like watching a slow motion trainwreck, all these random, crippled Windows 10 SKUs, and underpowered/overpriced hardware nobody wants</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        25 February, 2018 - 1:18 am

        <blockquote><a href="#248247"><em>In reply to PeteB:</em></a></blockquote><p>WTF do you mean crippled?</p>

  • Waethorn

    23 February, 2018 - 11:02 am

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you have $999 to spend on a new 2-in-1 and want to give Windows 10 PCs running on ARM processors"</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Who is that person, exactly?!? I want to know….</span></p>

    • shameermulji

      23 February, 2018 - 1:11 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#248052"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>The same person who would consider buying an iPad Pro or Chromebook</p>

      • maethorechannen

        Premium Member
        23 February, 2018 - 1:24 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#248094"><em>In reply to shameermulji:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>That's not a whole heck of a lot of people, And I'm not exactly sure why any of them would choose to buy this over a iPad Pro or a Pixelbook.</p>

        • shameermulji

          26 February, 2018 - 12:53 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#248096"><em>In reply to maethorechannen:</em></a></blockquote><p>I'm not saying a potential buyer would choose this over an iPad Pro / PixelBook, just that this is the target market this type of device is going after. Whether it succeeds or not, only time will tell.</p>

      • skane2600

        23 February, 2018 - 1:33 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#248094"><em>In reply to shameermulji:</em></a></blockquote><p>Although there are a few expensive Chromebooks, the average person considering a Chromebook isn't going to be expecting to pay $1000. iPad pro, maybe, but Apple devices have a certain cachet that this device lacks.</p>

      • Waethorn

        23 February, 2018 - 2:31 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#248094"><em>In reply to shameermulji:</em></a></blockquote><p>The only Chromebook that fits that niche is the Pixelbook, which is not exactly a big seller.</p>

      • curtisspendlove

        23 February, 2018 - 2:49 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#248094"><em>In reply to shameermulji:</em></a></blockquote><p>“The same person who would consider buying an iPad Pro or Chromebook”</p><p><br></p><p>I have no problem shelling out cash for something that I enjoy. I’d even pony up a grand for a Pixelbook if it could justify that value (for me, Chrome OS doesn’t offer enough). </p><p><br></p><p>But yeah. Nope. I don’t see what this offers for that price point. Higher battery life isn’t it. I get that it might be for some. </p><p><br></p><p>I’m actually very curious to see how Windows on ARM plays out. But I think these will need to compete in the mid-range before they can compete in the high-end. </p><p><br></p><p>I'm still leaning toward an LTE Surface Pro this year. </p>

      • hrlngrv

        Premium Member
        24 February, 2018 - 1:01 am

        <blockquote><a href="#248094"><em>In reply to shameermulji:</em></a></blockquote><p>Possibly the same person who'd buy an iPad Pro, but many Chromebooks with comparable hardware cost less than half the US$1,000 price of these HP machines.</p><p>I'll wait to see what other OEMs put on the market and how they price them. HP has priced theirs to guarantee few sales until there are competing products.</p>

    • mmuntean

      26 February, 2018 - 5:12 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248052"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>only a delusional fanboy would ever buy this device…poor performance as a PC, mediocre usability as a tablet…all of this at $999 :)))) LOOOL</p>

  • brisonharvey

    Premium Member
    23 February, 2018 - 11:27 am

    <p>I've been waiting for these devices to hit. I anxiously await Thurrott.com's review. I live in the cloud with most of my tools and rely on web browsing (Chrome) to get my work done. I also use Office and small email and task management (Newton/Todoist). The most intense thing I use currently is Photoshop Express or a light video editor like Premier Elements on an external monitor. This was pretty much made for me. Hope the battery life and connectivity live up to the hype.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      25 February, 2018 - 1:17 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248055"><em>In reply to brisonharvey:</em></a></blockquote><p>If you use Chrome, the battery will suffer as long as Chrome is run using x86 emulation. I doubt Google will release an AArch64 version for Windows. </p><p><br></p><p>But theres a high likelihood of a third party Chromium build!</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      28 February, 2018 - 1:23 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248055"><em>In reply to brisonharvey:</em></a></blockquote><p>Meh. Compile Chromium yourself.</p>

  • dontbe evil

    23 February, 2018 - 11:35 am

    <p>I was hoping for +/- 500$</p>

  • arunphilip

    23 February, 2018 - 12:13 pm

    <p>It would take a bold person to pre-order this and commit to $1k for a device that hasn't been reviewed, benchmarked, or put through its paces. </p><p><br></p><p>A few of the specs remind me of a phone 🙂 … SD 835, full HD display, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB storage. </p><p><br></p><p>Also… Windows S? Seriously? So after Microsoft going on about x86 compatibility, they end up shipping this with a variant of the OS that can't run x86 outside the store? The disconnect here is laughable. </p><p><br></p><p>Also, HP's listing refers to Windows 10 S as the OS, but I thought Microsoft has since decided that "S" will be a mode on the Home and Pro editions. Hasn't that change taken effect yet? </p>

    • PeteB

      24 February, 2018 - 2:30 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248081"><em>In reply to arunphilip:</em></a></blockquote><p>Windows 10 is a total identity crisis now for MS.</p><p><br></p><p>I doubt they even remember why they went down this road.</p>

  • skane2600

    23 February, 2018 - 12:35 pm

    <p>I find Microsoft's recent Windows fragmentation a bit hard to keep track of. Can this device be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro with partial legacy compatiblity through emulation? If so, wouldn't it have been better marketing to ship it that way in the first place?</p>

  • yaddamaster

    23 February, 2018 - 12:56 pm

    <p>1k for 4gb128gb and a crippled OS that has trouble playing youtube.</p><p><br></p><p>But the plus side is you can run it for a 22 hour day without plugging in.</p><p><br></p><p>So you suffer through a mediocre experience for 22 hours.</p><p><br></p><p>Or you just get a $600 laptop and plug it in every once in a while.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm sorry……I'd like to understand who exactly this is possibly targeted towards? Business users who don't actually need to do any work and just look at youtube videos?</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      23 February, 2018 - 2:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#248089"><em>In reply to yaddamaster:</em></a></blockquote><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> Business users who don't actually need to do any work and just look at youtube videos?</em></p><p><br></p><p>And yet for some reason don't have a Mac. Where's the "I'm so important, corporate IT purchasing policies don't apply to me" cachet?</p>

    • Waethorn

      23 February, 2018 - 2:33 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#248089"><em>In reply to yaddamaster:</em></a></blockquote><p>"Business users who don't actually need to do any work and just look at youtube videos"</p><p><br></p><p>WHAT?! Silicon Valley is full of "entrepreneurs" these days that fit that description.</p>

  • longhorn

    23 February, 2018 - 1:17 pm

    <p>Always Connected PCs… Always Connected PC… Always Connected PC… Always Connected PCs… Always Connected PCs…</p><p><br></p><p>So a PC with LTE. It won't be always connected unless you can charge it within 20 hours.</p>

  • Ugur

    23 February, 2018 - 1:28 pm

    <p>300-500 for this and we can talk</p>

  • Chris Payne

    23 February, 2018 - 1:37 pm

    <p>Surely HP is going to realize they priced this way too high right? In the media articles I've read about this announcement, the comments are littered with "wtf $1k they cray!" The markup on this thing must be insane… I get what they're trying to do, but reality is going to bite them, and I hope they realize it before they cause too much damage to this "new" ecosystem.</p>

    • atulmarathe

      23 February, 2018 - 3:39 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#248104"><em>In reply to unkinected:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Could be HP's way of avoiding another Elite X3 – get as much money as possible while Microsoft is "focused" on development and support of "Windows on ARM"?</p>

      • PeteB

        24 February, 2018 - 2:29 am

        <blockquote><a href="#248159"><em>In reply to atulmarathe:</em></a></blockquote><p>They put out Elite X3 after MS had already abandoned wmobile internally. I wouldn't be surprised if this overpriced peashooter tablet book with a phone processor suffers a similar fate. Windows on ARM is just RT again</p><p><br></p>

    • mmuntean

      26 February, 2018 - 5:08 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248104"><em>In reply to unkinected:</em></a></blockquote><p>They've done the same mistake pricing that Elite X3 phone at ~800EUR running a DEAD junk OS, claiming it's for the enterprise market :))) what sane companies bought that piece of junk? NONE! The same will happen here…what sane company would ever spend $999 or &gt;1000EUR on this thing instead of a normal X86 notebook?? What company needs the so claimed 20H battery life :)))) LOL, we do have power sockets these days everywhere….MS and HP clearly live on another planet.</p>

  • Waethorn

    23 February, 2018 - 2:29 pm

    <p>Just wanted to say about the pricing on this stuff: I told you so. I knew OEM's wouldn't sell this as a cheap option because Microsoft is pushing OEM's to sell more and more premium PC's to compete with Apple. This has been Microsoft's messaging ever since Satay Nutella took charge. It's also why the ULCPC program is dead. Microsoft only offers that program to Chinese ODM's now, and only for products destined for their domestic regional market (mostly APAC) because they figure that Western markets can afford to get ripped off with overpriced systems that most customers don't need.</p><p><br></p><p>If you want a cheap computer that has better mobile options, buy a Chromebook.</p>

  • Ames

    Premium Member
    23 February, 2018 - 3:07 pm

    <p>The problem is no Chrome. That's literally the only app I'd need on a device like this with LTE.</p>

    • Rycott

      Premium Member
      23 February, 2018 - 9:45 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#248151"><em>In reply to Ames:</em></a></blockquote><p>Chrome will still run on these devices. There is a 32 bit Chrome version.</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        25 February, 2018 - 1:14 am

        <blockquote><a href="#248225"><em>In reply to Rycott:</em></a></blockquote><p>lol how much you wanna bet that in the next release, Chrome goes 64-bit-only?</p>

        • Rycott

          Premium Member
          26 February, 2018 - 4:27 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#248369"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><p>It may happen but I can't see it being soon. Still a heap of 32 bit Windows 7 machines out there.</p><p><br></p><p>To many to be honest. It's always confusing when I get one into work and some of my tools don't work until I realise whats going on.</p>

          • jimchamplin

            Premium Member
            28 February, 2018 - 1:17 am

            <blockquote><a href="#248776"><em>In reply to Rycott:</em></a></blockquote><p>Oh I know, but you get what I mean, don't you?</p><p><br></p><p>Truthfully, I have a feeling like a third party will come together for a 64-bit AArch64 native Chromium build that will surpass what I predict to be Google's tepid support – if any support at all – for Chrome on WOA.</p><p><br></p><p>Windows on ARM will be for power users like the "low end Mac" users are with G5, using custom builds of modern browsers. The difference is that AArch64 is current and a 3rd party Chromium build will be viable for years to come.</p><p><br></p><p>Those poor saps using Power Mac G5s are just pretending like it's 2002.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      28 February, 2018 - 1:23 am

      <blockquote><a href="#248151"><em>In reply to Ames:</em></a></blockquote><p>Are you too scared to just compile Chromium yourself?</p>

  • wshwe

    24 February, 2018 - 9:26 pm

    <p>Since this the first ever Always Connected PC HP will gouge early adopters.</p>

  • mmuntean

    26 February, 2018 - 5:03 am

    <p>$999 :)))) LOL. I remember HP doing something similar with that junk Elite X3 phone…same crazy price. Good luck selling this to guinea pig delusional fanboys.</p>

  • BlackForestHam

    26 February, 2018 - 5:20 pm

    <p>$1000? No. $500? Maybe. </p>

  • John Scott

    27 February, 2018 - 5:51 am

    <p>WOW, when I saw the price I thought this must be a Apple product. Ok laughs aside I don't see the value justified with this to be anywhere near the $1000 mark. So much for a cheaper alternative to a Intel solution. No thanks. </p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2018 - 1:22 am

    <p>WOA for power users will be a definite <em>choice </em>to go with.</p><p><br></p><p>Those of us who have looked into that option and aren't afraid to forge our own path, even compile our own Open Source software will choose an ARM device and since we're both unafraid and technically more competent, we will make it our little bi*ch by compiling software ourselves, and then will reap the benefits.</p><p><br></p><p>Everyone else will whine and bitch and moan and ruin it for us who aren't scared.</p><p><br></p>

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