HP EliteBook X Flip G2i 14 Review ⭐

The HP EliteBook X Flip is a premium, business-class convertible laptop with a classic, minimalist design. Unfortunately, no one reading this can afford it.
At-a-glance
Pros

✔️ Terrific performance

✔️ Excellent display choices

✔️ Solid hybrid work capabilities, connectivity, and expansion

✔️ Handsome design with versatile convertible form factor

✔️ Bundled smart pen with charging garage

✔️ Copilot+ PC security and features

Cons

❌ Insanely high pricing

❌ Mistakes undermine an otherwise perfect keyboard
Design
The EliteBook X Flip G2i 14 is available in Glacier Silver and Atmospheric Blue, the latter of which evokes the HP Dragonfly laptops of yesteryear. That's the color of the review unit HP sent, and it's gorgeous. Plus, it often looks black depending on the light.

The laptop is made entirely of aluminum and its body and (plastic) keyboard both feel wonderful in the hand. It's thin, light, and curvy on every corner if we ignore the display. And branding is minimal and classy.

The convertible form factor lets you move past the traditional clamshell-style laptop experience and use the PC in tablet, tent, and collaborate modes. As is always the case, the laptop feels a bit thick and awkward in tablet mode, but if you need to take notes, sketch, or otherwise work with the bundled HP Nested Rechargeable Pen, this form-changing capability will be much appreciated.

And though there are obviously some design similarities with its predecessors, including the non-convertible HP EliteBook X G1i 14 I reviewed last year, there are many subtle updates, too. The keyboard is more lattice-style than island-style, with scooped-out keys, for example, and the touchpad is now larger and extends to the bottom of the keyboard. And on the bottom, there are now two laptop-wide rubber feet instead of just one (with two smaller feet), which I very much prefer.

Of course, the best design cues from the first generation EliteBook X PCs continue forward, too. The display lid can be opened easily with a single finger, which feels elegant. The expansion port layouts are identical. And the keyboard is still straddled by speaker grills. It's a terrific looking laptop.
Display
HP provides several different 14-inch display choices for the EliteBook X Flip, each with a 16:10 aspect ratio.

The base display is a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) low power multitouch IPS panel with Corning Gorilla Glass 7 protection and 100 percent sRGB color gamut coverage that emits 400 nits of brightness. There's also a second IPS panel choice with the same basic capabilities but with HP's Sure View 6 Privacy technology that emits 800 nits of brightness.

Then there are two OLED display options, including a Full HD+ (1920x1200) OLED multitouch panel with Low Blue Light capabilities and 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage that emits 300 nits of brightness and a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) multitouch OLED panel with a 120 Hz variable refresh...