HP updates Elite Dragonfly and Folio laptops at CES 2021 for the age of work at home

This story is part of CES, where our editors will present the latest news and the hottest gadgets from CES 2021 entirely virtual.

When it’s about CES 2021 laptop ads, is starting to look like a repeat of 2020 with most new PCs aimed at business and creative users. This is certainly the case for HP, which launched its ads with four new work laptops: Elite Dragonfly Max, Elite Folio, EliteBook 840 G8 Aero and Envy 14.

HP announced the Elite Dragonfly G2 at last year’s CES. It’s a two-in-one under 2.2 pounds with optional 4G LTE or 5G wireless mobile and a built-in block tracker so that in case you lose it or someone goes out with it, you can find it more easily using your phone. For 2021, HP is only increasing performance with 11th generation Intel processors.

However, the G2 is now joined by Dragonfly Max. If your life is an endless stream of video conference calls, Max takes communications one notch above the G2. HP used four wide-range microphones and a 5-megapixel webcam and an infrared camera to make its audio and video quality a couple of steps above the average for a working laptop.

No price has been announced for any of the models, but they are expected to be available later this month.

A folio with 2 in 1 inside

The next Elite Folio is a commercial version of the Specter Folio two in a leather-clad. Instead of a rotating screen or a removable keyboard like most of the other two in one, the Folio starts looking like a shell-type laptop, but then you can move the screen forward to rest behind the touchpad, placing it in a better position for video chats or presentations.

You can pull the screen all the way forward and place it (almost) all over the keyboard to use it as a tablet. There is a AES Pen stored above the keyboard, ready for you to take notes quickly. It can even start an application as soon as you pick up the pen.

The Folio is powered by a second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G computing platform, so you get 5G wireless if you want and will have more than 24 hours of local video playback, says HP. In addition, it is covered with vegan leather, which is a smart move, considering the use of recycled materials by HP in all these new business laptops.

The Elite Folio is expected to be available in February, but no price has been announced.

Lighter than the air laptop

For those who are not interested in a small two-in-one – wrapped in vegan leather or not – HP announced the EliteBook 840 G8 Aero. It’s less than 2.5 pounds, which HP says makes it the lightest 14-inch business laptop in the world. Like the Dragonfly G2, it has 11th generation Intel Core processors, integrated Tile tracking and optional 5G wireless.

In addition, to help with the conference, there are three microphones, one of which is outside so that you can pick up the voices on each side of the laptop screen more clearly. It is also available with security privacy features from HP to lock your webcam and microphones and an optional HP SureView monitor that helps to block what’s on your screen from anyone surfing behind you.

The EliteBook Aero is expected in March and, like the others, HP has not announced the price.

Along with the three commercial laptops, HP announced the new Envy 14, a consumer-oriented but creative-oriented laptop. The laptop’s 14-inch 16:20 x 1,920×1,200 pixel screen is factory calibrated and covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut. It will be available with 11th generation Intel Core processors and discrete graphics up to Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti Max Q.

Like the other laptops advertised by HP, the Envy 14 has enhanced conference capabilities, including removing AI noise to clean up your audio when using its built-in microphones. In addition, it has an HP Enhanced Lighting feature that turns your screen into a selfie light ring to illuminate your face in video chats – definitely a “Why hasn’t anyone done this before on a laptop?” feature.

The HP Envy 14 is expected later this month from $ 1,000. The international price was not available, but it converts to approximately £ 740 and AU $ 1,290 for the UK and Australia, respectively.