The Elite Dragonfly G3 is a clamshell ultraportable that is different from the prior variants. Despite its high price, it is a compelling alternative to devices like the Apple MacBook Air M2 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus due to its long battery life, comprehensive port selection, and squarish 13.5-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio.
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a new hybrid laptop that HP recently unveiled. The announcement is appropriate given that hybrid employment is undoubtedly here to stay. Nowadays, work can be done anywhere, including at home, a coffee shop, the airport, or even in your car. It is no longer restricted to the office. The demands for a hybrid laptop’s business notebook are high. You require a performance-driven, battery-efficient, and well-integrated slim notebook design.
Design
This G3 edition of the HP Elite Dragonfly series is a nice physical specimen that eliminates the 2-in-1 capability of its predecessor. However, the format shift might make it possible to create a better pure laptop design.
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a laptop that is 16mm thick, has a rock-solid keyboard flex, and a smooth glass surface. Additionally, HP has an advantage over the majority of the competition in terms of connectivity thanks to the inclusion of a full USB-A port that is cleverly made possible by a hinged flap in the side of the chassis in addition to two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4.
The HP Spectre x360 is a powerful and versatile laptop that can fulfill your business needs. With its large HDMI port, the Spectre x360 is able to output video and audio signals at high quality. Additionally, the 3:2 aspect ratio ensures that the screen is more comfortable to use for reading documents, writing emails, and browsing the web.
The Dell XPS 13 laptop has a thin side bezel, which makes it smaller in footprint but larger in chin and forehead area. It also features a 5MP webcam. The 100W USB-C power supply is surprisingly small and features a premium fabric-braided cable.
Keyboard and touchpad
The Spectre and EliteBook/Dragonfly models share a typing experience that is nearly identical. If you have ever typed on a Spectre laptop, you will be familiar with what to anticipate from the Dragonfly G3. Feedback is more acute and appears to travel farther than on the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 as well. The keyboard’s tight Up and Down keys are arguably its worst feature. For simpler cursor control, the clickpad on the Dragonfly Max is larger. Despite the clickpad’s clatter being quieter than anticipated, the feedback is brief but satisfying.
HP Elite Dragonfly G3 review: Display
HP provides two different resolutions and four configurations for the 13.5-inch, 3:2 display on the Dragonfly G3 depending on whether you want touch, the Sure View active privacy filter, or OLED technology. The non-touch panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1280 and a brightness rating of 400 nits is available in either the standard black or silver color options.
The Sandman on Netflix has a large 3:2 aspect ratio, which allows for more cells on the screen in programmes like Excel. This makes it easier to see detail and color, and also helps to keep the screen more responsive during stress tests.
The HP Pavilion xps 13 is the best laptop display we’ve tested, producing a superior 84.2% of DCI-P3 color space and 113% of the sRGB color range. The Dell XPS 13 is not as good as this laptop display, however, producing a darker 366 nits throughout our tests. The Dragonfly is also not as good as this laptop display.
Audio
The Bang & Olufsen-tuned speaker is a great addition to any music lover’s home. Not only does it have excellent amplification, but it also comes with a built-in speakerphone so you can talk to your friends and family without having to worry about them being able to hear you. Additionally, you can read our full HP Elite Dragonfly G3 review here.
The speaker can be incredibly loud, but it can sound a little tinny. The loudest volume setting almost caused our ears to burst, so we are not complaining. Second, the background synth-pop instrumentals blended well with Ellie’s smooth, funky vocals when the volume was adjusted to a level that was comfortable for listening.
We accessed HP Audio Control to adjust the sound to our preferences. The application has four presets: Auto, Music, Movie, and Voice. While listening to “Love Me Like You Do,” we didn’t notice any significant differences between Music and Auto, but we preferred them to Movie and Voice. The presets appeared to silken the personal yet grandiose melody while Ellie’s voice sounded richer, sexier, and more prominent.
Graphic and gaming
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 has Intel Iris Xe graphics, just like its competitors. Is it best suited for gaming? Not at all, but just for fun, let’s check how it did on our gaming performance tests. The Elite Dragonfly G3 produced 25 frames per second on the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm test. This is less than the 48 fps average for premium laptops. The HP laptop defeated the XPS 13 Plus (23 fps), but failed to defeat the Acer Swift 5. The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 scored 4,142 on the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark, falling behind the average premium laptop (7,670), the Acer Swift 5 (5,189), and the Dell XPS Plus.
HP Elite Dragonfly G3 review: Performance
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a performance-oriented ultraportable computer that is based on the latest Intel Core i7-1255U CPU. It has two performance cores and eight efficiency cores, making it one of the most powerful ultraportables on the market today.
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a slow computer when it comes to loading up data-intensive software and installing apps in the real world. The 512GB SSD is not very fast either, but it can’t be solely held responsible for the Dragonfly’s occasionally extremely sluggish performance. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM is not very fast either, but it can help improve the Dragonfly’s overall performance.
The laptop’s Intel integrated graphics are limited in their 3D performance, which is a bit of a surprise. The 13.5-inch screen is also quite bright, but the viewing angles are terrible.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers have better sound than most MacBook Air speakers. Although there isn’t much bass, the volume levels are good, and the overall audio detail is adequate. Undoubtedly, a MacBook Air is still superior. But the Dragonfly’s are unquestionably better than average for ultraportable PC laptop speakers. ..
Battery life
The HP Long Life 4-cell 45WHr and 6-cell 68WHr batteries are available in configurations for the Elite Dragonfly G3. With USB-A charging, it has USB-C PD 65W and USB-C 100W. Additionally, it contains battery-saving functions so that your laptop won’t shut down while you’re in the middle of a conference call.
Your laptop’s AI-controlled power usage is designed to conserve battery life. If you’re not using your laptop often, the AI will detect when you’re not around and will reduce the power usage. Additionally, if you are sleeping, the AI will use less power so your battery lasts longer. This is a blessing because having your laptop die on you is a hassle, especially when you’re on the go.
HP Elite Dragonfly G3 review: Heat
The Elite Dragonfly G3 convertible’s underside reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit after streaming a 15-minute, 1080p video, exceeding our 95-degree comfort threshold. The temperature of the touchpad and keyboard center, at 81 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively, managed to stay below that threshold. The Elite Dragonfly G3’s hottest spot is near the vents on the underside, where temperatures can soar as high as 104 degrees.
Configuration options
HP’s Elite Dragonfly G3 was delayed and is now available. The starting price is currently $1,952.30, though HP.com’s prices appear to change over time. The model HP sent me costs $2,686 and has a Core i7-1265U processor.
Conclusion
The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a superb business laptop that has a sleek look, is solidly constructed, and provides all the features and power you’ll require for routine office computer work. It’s important to conduct research before parting with your money because some 13-inch models have a little bit more performance and battery life capability. Additionally, this HP is a bit on the expensive side.
