One of the best business laptops I've tested is not a Lenovo ThinkPad or MacBook

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• HP’s latest Elitebook x360 model is a solid 2-in-1 laptop for business and enterprise users constantly on the move.
• The device boasts an incredibly long battery, a 1440p webcam, and a booming audio system for excellent video calls.
• However, it runs rather warm during tough workloads and can demand a steep price.

Say you’re a business professional and in the market for a laptop. What do you get? A MacBook? Sure, however, there are better options out there, like HP’s new Elitebook x360 1040 G11 2-in-1 laptop. It’s certainly a mouthful of a name, but don’t let it deter you away from a great device primarily meant for enterprise users. There are three features that make the Elitebook x360 so good, and I break them all down below.

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First, battery life. The HP laptop lasted well over 14 hours on a single charge before I had to rush to the charger. Keep in mind that the number was achieved by running ZDNET’s standardized battery tests and without turning the battery saver mode on. I’m sure with the latter activated, it could last up to HP’s 20-hour rating. What this all means is you can take the HP Elitebook x360 to and back from work — as well as a third place — without worrying about whether the laptop will die on you or not. Feel free to leave the charger at home while you go about your day.

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What surprised me is the model doesn’t run on Snapdragon X Elite hardware, which is a chipset known for its longevity. Instead it operates on an Intel Core Ultra 7 165U. Power hasn’t been sacrificed to ensure a long battery as the hardware managed to show impressive numbers during our graphics tests. I never experienced any dips in performance. Even when I had 60 tabs open with multiple videos playing at once, the HP Elitebook x360 took it all in stride.

I ran benchmarking tests a few times to get a better idea of what the laptop can do. Geekbench showed me the laptop performs well under general workloads, having earned a top score of 12,059 points. It performs at around the same level as a computer housing the more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, which is impressive to see.

Design-wise, HP’s laptop passes the eye test. It’s relatively slim and lightweight, clocking in at around three pounds. Thanks to its aluminum construction, the device is fairly durable, too. I’m also a fan of the keyboard; each chiclet-shaped key is soft to the touch, with plenty of space between them. And it all sits on a rigid foundation. Everything together results in a very comfortable typing experience.

The HP Elitebook x360 houses seven inputs around its body. What I like about its array is that there are USB-C ports on both sides: two on the left and one on the right. Having a setup like this is perfect because you won’t have to wrap the charging cable around the device to charge it. The convenience is greatly appreciated.

There is one downside, and it’s my nitpicking here: the laptop fails the one-finger lift test. Lifting the display causes the device to slide backward.

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I also found the touchscreen to be just passable. The display outputs at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200, so the image quality isn’t the greatest. What’s more, the display isn’t very bright either, peaking at 400 nits. HP covered the glass on its latest Elitebook model in an anti-glaring coating to maintain clarity. That’s fine when indoors. However, because of its low brightness, the screen does poorly under direct sunlight. On the positive side, the display supports the entire sRGB gamut, so the colors are very vibrant.

Finally, the audio system on this machine is one of its highlights. The hardware was provided by HP’s PolyStudio brand and was made to specialize in video calls. Speakers output immersive audio, powerful enough to cover you in a bubble of sound. They consist of four individual drivers complete with “discrete amplifiers” to further boost output.

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Alongside them are a pair of discrete microphones capable of picking out the finest sounds. The camera sports a 5MP lens that typically shoots at 1080p. I would normally criticize this by saying it is too low of a resolution, but as it turns out, the camera can actually record the much better 1440p.

So the high visual resolution, combined with the powerful audio system and recording features, make the HP Elitebook x360 one of the better laptops out there for on-the-go video calls.

ZDNET’s buying advice 

The HP Elitebook x360 is easy to recommend for business users, particularly those who can buy the laptop in bulk, as it’s fairly pricey at a starting rate of $2,029. My review unit costs $2,299. Again, this is not meant for the everyday consumer, but I recommend it to enterprising users and folks who want a durable, secure, and reliable laptop for work.

For more traditional users, I’d recommend the Acer Swift 14, which fields a similar display size, battery life, and performance but at a more affordable price.