The HP Elite x3 is clearly a phone for business people.

Product test

Bigger, bigger, HP Elite x3

13.11.2016

Translation: machine translated

Everything about the HP Elite x3 is bigger. The box, the mobile phone, the possibilities, the price and the promises of computer manufacturer Hewlett Packard. But the question remains: is this gigantic thing worth anything?

I had a good laugh the first time I saw the HP Elite x3. Not because I'd seen the phone before, but because its packaging was so oversized it was funny. The box is more or less 25 cm by 55 cm. Yes, more than half a metre long! The effect is even more comical when you compare it to the HTC 10.

The HP Elite x3 isn't really as big as its packaging, however. With an image diagonal of 5.96 inches, that's 15.15cm, it's relatively huge. I wonder if this thing would fit in the pocket of a pair of commercially available jeans. Yes, it would. But somehow I worry that the phone might suffer when I sit down. We'd better not think about it too much. It might be easy to sit down without breaking the phone, but I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks with a test device. Especially as it's not very comfortable walking around with that phone in your pocket.

The box sitting on my table attracts attention and a work colleague, barely taller than 1.60 m, picks up the not exactly compact mobile phone. "I can hold it, but you can't say the grip is ideal," she says. On the other hand, as a man of 1.80 m, I don't really have any problems with it. So it's clear that the HP Elite x3 has been built with a man's hands in mind. However, I'm still concerned about the jeans. If men can't walk around with the HP Elite x3 in their jeans and because of their small hands women, or Donald Trump, won't put it in their bag, who was it designed for?

The app that explains it all

The HP Elite x3 feels rather sophisticated, despite its rubber back surface. It feels good in the hand and that matters. It starts in a flash with its Quad Core Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB RAM. The device runs Windows 10, which is both the device's biggest feature and its biggest weakness. Because a beautiful wallpaper image could appear on this on Android or iOS, as the rich colours and 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution of the Adreno 530 graphics card are definitely worth noticing.

Windows 10 does, however, rely on Live Tiles even in mobile mode, the same ones we're already used to on computers. These, of course, take up a large part of the screen and cover it with a blue surface, obliterating any nuance of colour. Even though the Live Tiles display information and the like quickly and reliably, we're somehow completely deprived of the wow effect on the Windows 10-powered laptop.

When scrolling, however, one app, installed by default, jumps out at me. We're already used to this on all other mobile phones, but on the HP Elite x3 one app stands out from the crowd. It's called Salesforce.

Salesforce is a company that offers software as a service. Salesforce is widely used by executives around the world. The target audience for this phone then becomes clear. People in suits and ties. Because this gigantic phablet, as it's called in the technical language that is so "new French", fits perfectly into the inside pocket of a jacket. This makes it easier to understand the device's accessories.

The accessories

There must be lots of accessories in such a big box, don't you think? Such is unfortunately not the case, because the box is three quarters empty. When it comes to packaging, I find that less is more.

The HP Elite x3 comes with the following accessories:

USB-C cable
Transformer
Power cable
Adapter for electrical socket
Three bases for docking station
Docking station
Strange cable with USB-C socket
In-ear headphones
Earbuds

That's it. Did we really need a package bigger than some compact cars? For once let's be honest, HP, you got carried away with something with this model, didn't you? I mean, your device is doing very, very well indeed. You don't even have to mention the effect SUVs have had in the suburbs?

About packaging: it's not just for environmental reasons that less means more, but because, in a smartphone, it's the content that counts. It is through the performance of its system and its handling that the device should attract attention.

The beast is almost pocket-sized

It's not that the HP Elite x3 has any reason to hide. It doesn't need that bulky box that can only be hidden under a sofa. Because the developers have made good use of the device's interior space and built in respectable system performance. Even when the numbers aren't quite up to scratch, the HP Elite x3 responds. To everything. It responds quickly, fluidly and everything about it seems effortless. The austerity suggested by the device's design and its box is not reflected in its operation.

Smartphones

HP Elite x3 Includes Desk Dock & 1MORE 1M301 Headset

64 GB, Black, 5.96", Dual SIM, 4G

Operation becomes a little laborious when it comes to changing system settings. In true Windows style, the mobile phone requires a restart for certain settings, such as the font. No, HP Elite x3, you can't do that to us. Because who reboots their mobile phone unless it crashes? It's very reminiscent of Windows 95. Back then, you had to reboot in every conceivable situation.

With its 16 megapixels, the camera is convincing, even if where the focus is is sometimes confusing. No, the camera and lighting aren't very interesting. The trainee in the foreground is much more captivating. With slightly better lighting, however, it's very easy to take remarkable photos. The snapshots will be so spectacular with the mobile phone. Otherwise, one of you will complain that he/she can take better photos with a new Canon or Nikon SLR. Granted, but we're talking here about a camera built into a mobile phone as thick as a flip-flop, not an advanced camera.
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Where the HP Elite x3 scores points is with its battery. There's a lot of space behind a 5.96-inch screen. This is occupied by a 4,150 mAh battery and, with the exception of the test phase when I used the phone intensively, from Friday afternoon to Tuesday evening, it only discharged by around 60%. Thanks to Fast Charging, the Elite x3 is fully charged again within a few hours. I'm impressed.

The docking station of the future

The HP Elite x3 comes with a docking station. That's amazing in itself, as most cellphones only come with a charging cable and sometimes a pair of more or less decent headphones. When you unpack it, you notice it: the docking station weighs heavy, very heavy.

This is because the docking station lines up a series of connectors on its rear panel:

Power adapter
RJ45 network adapter
Display port
2 x USB 2.0
1 x USB-C

The HP Elite x3 can be converted into a fully functional PC by means of these associated connectors and peripherals - such as any mouse or keyboard. Admittedly the idea is not new, yet practical and pioneering. Because, if we already carry devices displaying the performance of a PC or laptop in our trouser or suit pockets everywhere, why wouldn't we use them?

The problem of having courage when you have power

Anyone who is vigilant about the security of their personal data will need to be brave enough to buy the HP Elite x3. Because, out of the box, there's no PIN code or lock function activated on the device. And you'll only be able to find out how to activate them with a great deal of effort. The HP Elite x3 has an iris scanner that scans your eye and only unlocks if it recognises you; it also has a fingerprint scanner on the back. However, the factory settings are intended to be as comfortable as possible.

The minimum time before the screen locks is set to 30 seconds. While this is very convenient in meetings, when you need to briefly outline something, and then pull out your mobile phone for illustration purposes and to remotely control your PowerPoint presentation. In everyday life, however, this is anything but practical. When you leave your mobile phone on a table in a bar - as is the custom these days - and leave the table, a malicious person then has half a minute to gain unimpeded access to your mobile phone.
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Note: sensitive data will probably be stored on the HP Elite x3, since that is the purpose of this device. There is no doubt that it has been designed for people with decision-making power. This conjunction of extended time to block, parties involved and often, as a result, a crucial sense of inviolability of sensitive data causes me some concern.

In conclusion

The HP Elite x3 is a real monster. It's big, expensive and scores a lot of points. For executives, it's a very attractive device because it can be used as a fully functional PC, it supports two SIM cards and it seems impossible to run out of battery.
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However, before using it, stakeholders and people with a great deal of responsibility should absolutely subject this phone's security features to critical scrutiny. Critical and important data will be carried on this phone and the default settings are too weak to meet the requirements of a business.

Header image: The HP Elite x3 is clearly a phone for business people.

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Dominik Bärlocher

Senior Editor

dominik.baerlocher@digitecgalaxus.ch

Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.

Your data. Your choice.

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