MWC 2016: HP Elite X3 with support for Windows 10 Mobile and MS Continuum officially presented
Welcome iCover Blog Readers ! Another challenge to our familiar view of the capabilities of modern mobile ecosystems was attempted by engineers at HP. This challenge was the flagship phablet HP Elite X3 running Windows 10 Mobile with support for MS Continuum, announced as part of MWC 2016. How convincing was the presentation of the IT giant and what are the prospects for the new products we offer to discuss in our publication today.
The HP Elite X3 is an efficient and comprehensive business-oriented solution for the global enterprise market. This is how HP official representatives positioned their device at the presentation. And although the proposed solution eliminates the increased user requirements for multimedia capabilities, at the same time, it really allows in many cases to completely do without a traditional laptop or PC. The successful solution of the vast majority of office tasks, according to HP, is also possible with the help of a phablet working in a single complex with MS Continuum and accessories announced as part of the same presentation.
As representatives of HP noted, in the light of current trends, using the Internet, mass users are increasingly reorienting themselves from computers and laptops to smartphones and phablets. At the same time, miniature screens of compact devices in most cases do a pretty good job of providing the user with the necessary information, but limit the process of creating the desired content. Part of the problem is solved through cloud technology, but, according to HP, it is much more efficient to use only one device for processing data arrays, which has taken on the mission of the center of the user ecosystem.
Based on the concept according to which HP is positioning the new product, the proposed solution will forget at least three pressing problems of corporate users:
1. According to statistics, an employee of the company today uses, on average, three different devices to solve operational problems at work. Most often this is a smartphone, laptop and tablet. When using the devices for their intended purpose, their synchronization will most likely be required, not to mention auxiliary, but necessary accessories, such as commonplace chargers. Often, all of this set, tangible in weight and dimensions, guided by various considerations, office workers have to carry with them.
2. The more devices are involved in building a corporate network, the higher the vulnerability of the latter, the more complicated and more expensive are the algorithms for protecting confidential data and maintaining a sufficient level of security for the production infrastructure.
3. An employee using desktop corporate applications, most of which are optimized for the mouse and keyboard, encounters problems when they are forced to be used on the relatively small touch screens of smartphones.
On the other hand, literally over the past few years, the capabilities of mobile technologies and the speed of network connections have significantly increased. According to many key parameters, new-generation smartphones are increasingly actively reducing the distance to existing average desktop solutions. The identified problems, on the one hand, and emerging progress, on the other, created the prerequisites for the search for fundamentally new solutions. This is the solution, according to HP, will be presented recently the Elite X3.
President and CEO of HP Inc. Dion Weisler (Dion Weisler) is not stingy with pathos, said that the HP Elite X3 - nothing more than “... a revolution unprecedented in scale for the global market for mobile devices. ... We offer a truly innovative computing platform that provides mobility without any compromise to performance. The technological capabilities of HP and our partners have allowed us to set a new industry standard and dispel the myth that effective work is only possible in an office chair, ”he declares.
Let's see what is the new product announced by HP
HP Elite X3 is a fairly large phablet running Windows 10 Mobile with support for the Continuum function, which allows you to connect a monitor, an external keyboard and mouse through a small dock and use them in standard mode. That is, we have before us the older brother of the “declassified” Microsoft Lumia 950 XL with improved technical characteristics.
Features
• Class: flagship phablet
• Form factor: candy bar
• Case materials: plastic and aluminum
• Operating system: Windows 10 Mobile
• Network: supported by GSM / EDGE, WCDMA, LTE
• Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4
• Memory for data storage: 64 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac), dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, EDR), Type-C connector for charge / sync, 3.5 mm for a headset
• Screen: 5.96 '', capacitive, QHD with automatic adjustment of the backlight level and oleophobic coating, resolution 1140x2560,
• Navigation: GPS / Glonass (A-GPS support)
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor in space, gyroscope, light sensor
• Battery: non-removable, Li-ion, capacity 4100 mAh
• Camera: 16 MP main, front 8MP
• Price: 600 $
Dimensions "shovels" are really impressive, and if you hold one hand PHABLET still fails, then control be the thumb of the same hand of average size, most likely, it will be difficult.
The flagship Snapdragon 820 chip is responsible for the intellectual abilities of the model - a powerful single-chip system from Qualcomm, made in accordance with the 14Nm process technology. The overheating problems specific to the Snapdragon 810 version, according to HP representatives who conducted the presentation, are not noted.
Non-removable Li-ion battery with a capacity of 4100 mAh is responsible for the autonomy of the device, which should be enough for at least a day's work, even if actively used. Supported Qi wireless charging option. The volume of the internal drive was 64 GB, and the RAM has almost 4 GB.
Bang & Olufsen's built-in audio system features two front speakers and an active noise canceling system on multiple directional microphones. This means that even if a user of the HP Elite X3 is, for example, in a fairly noisy room, his interlocutor at the other end of the “wire” has every chance of hearing a fairly distinct voice and meaningful speech.
An 8MP front-facing camera can very well play its positive role in a long video conferencing session, looking at the interlocutor from his smartphone installed in the HP Desk Dock in portrait position.
To restrict access to confidential information allows the scanner on the back of the case and a camera for scanning the retina, on the front surface of the phablet. The last option can be very useful on a winter street, when due to gloves operative unlocking of the device is problematic. Other useful security options are supported - FIPS 140.2 encryption, Bitlocker, Secure Boot, fTPM 2.0, the ability to encrypt images, etc.
Reliable mechanical protection for the device is provided by support for the military standard MIL-STD 810G (the same as the recently announced CAT S60) and IP67, Gorilla Glass 4. At the presentation, they assured that the device can be immersed without consequences to a depth of 1 m for up to half an hour and dropped from a height of 1.3 meters onto a hard surface.
Given the characteristics presented by the manufacturer, we conclude that the giant HP Elite X3 in its technical characteristics can quite successfully compete with the newly-made flagships LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7.
The company plans the start of sales of HP Elite X3 in the global market for the summer of 2016. According to HP representatives, corporate customers will thus be able to accept and evaluate the prospects of the concept of a multifunctional computing device implemented in Elite X3. Most likely, in reality, this is a timeout taken by HP to popularize the capabilities of Microsoft's still not so familiar Continuum technology. It is on MS Continuum, and not on the hardware advantages of the new flagship that HP puts the main emphasis.
If very simple, the technology allows the smartpad (phablet), using the Continuum interface, to connect to the dock and work with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. In the first Continuum-enabled device, Microsoft's Microsoft Lumia 950 smartphone, the device connected to the dock via cable. The option implemented by HP in the case of Elite X3 involves installing the device directly in the HP Desk Dock.
HP Desk Dock is a miniature cradle designed to stream your smartphone screen to a projector or monitor and work with them within the capabilities of the MS Continuum interface. On the back of the dock are two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, DisplayPort for connecting a monitor and an Ethernet port for wired Internet. Despite its miniature size, the chromed dock is surprisingly heavy, which makes it very difficult to carry and allows you to position it as a base station, which always stands firmly next to the monitor at home or in the workplace. At the same time, this severity has its own plus: when working with a smartphone connected to the dock in portrait mode (in a case or without it), the device remains stationary and does not risk falling to the floor,
After connecting to the Continuum interface, the user gets at his disposal a kind of desktop analogue. It is important to note that at the current stage, no tiled multi-window is provided on the screen - the user sees in front of him and works in full screen mode with only one of the available applications. In this case, the second application may be available on the screen of the phablet. There remains the possibility of receiving calls and conversations on Skype without interrupting the workflow. In the case of the HP Elite X3, ergonomics suffer from a rigid installation of the device in the dock, because to realize the possibility of negotiations you will have to additionally use the speakerphone option, which is not always convenient, or have a headset on hand.
According to the developers, the advantage of this format for working with information is very convenient for mobile employees who often have to move between different offices, but who do not have high requirements for device performance and software resource consumption. In other words, using the HP Elite X3 in tandem with the dock in this case avoids the need to rush about with a laptop between the offices and the house. To achieve this goal, it will be enough to install one dock in each office and move between them, having only a phablet in hand. All that is needed to start the workflow is to “plug” the device into the dock and proceed, without any need to synchronize terminal devices.
According to representatives of the company HP, Elite X3 will be indispensable for managers and managers who are not thinking about the communication workflow. Of course, such a bundle will not replace professional devices with specific requirements, but this is not required in this case.
One of the valuable features of Elite X3 is to work with your favorite user applications using HP Workspace, a proprietary x86 application catalog that provides quick and easy access to programs and the full sensation of working in a fully functional environment, especially when the user uses a keyboard and a mouse connected to Desk Dock or Mobile Extender.
No less attractive for a business audience is the solution of Salesforce, the market leader in CRM platforms. Integrated into the HP Elite X3, Salesforce enables you to conduct business from mobile devices, leveraging the power of cloud technology. Data stored in the cloud remains available to the user at any time.
Another harmonious addition to the functional kit, which, according to HP engineers for the HP Elite X3 is “full stuffing,” is called to become the “Wireless Extender” - a curious accessory that looks like a 1 kg laptop with a 12.5 ”screen diagonal with a full-size a keyboard, trackpad that supports gesture control and a battery of 46.5 W / h. Moreover, any other filling that provides independent computing capabilities inside the device is missing by definition, and it is conceived as an alternative tool for comfortable work using information transmitted from the phablet via a wireless channel.
Since there is no sensitive data inside the Wireless Extender, this gadget can be seamlessly transferred between users and employees. At the same time, the phablet in the process of work can be placed, for example, in the pocket of a jacket or bag. Thus, the “Wireless Extender” is nothing but a means for comfortable work on the road and a substantially lightweight version of the laptop. Whether such a sophisticated technical solution to the comfort problem, estimated by the developer at $ 250, will become demanded to speak clearly prematurely.
Does HP Elite X3 have prospects to win its share of the corporate mobile market? In order to answer this question, it is worth trying to weigh the pros and cons.
Of course, the desire to lose weight and make life as easy as possible on the physical level is the dream of any sane top and businessman. And confirmation of this is the relatively painless transition from laptops to tablets. Why not argue in the same way in the case of a smartphone, which, being always with you, will allow you to get rid of carrying extra weight? Of course, in this case, the desire to use a smartphone as the main device loses its meaning due to objective inconveniences - a simplified browser, microscopic icons, limited application capabilities, etc.
And in this regard, the alternative proposed as an HP Elite X3 device on Windows 10 Mobile, which can be used as a desktop analogue, looks quite promising, especially since the needs of average managers are often limited to downloading information via email, skype and working with the browser. All these and many other features are successfully implemented on the MS Continuum platform through HP Elite X3.
HP is also optimistic about the development of new high-quality mobile applications for Windows 10 Mobile, which has become part of the Windows 10 ecosystem installed today on more than 200 million devices. And the likelihood that the new smartpad will be used as a central device in the ecosystem of the office and home will only increase with the number of such applications. Perhaps this explains the presence in the HP Elite X3 slot for 2 SIM cards, one of which can be used by the user as a working one, and the other is used for personal purposes.
But is it all so cloudless? Probably not. According to experts, one of the key problems on the path to the total dominance of phablets like HP Elite X3 in the near future is the banal commitment of the owners of prestigious, fairly well software and hardware optimized devices to the already developed ecosystem of their idol, be it Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi. Even if there are sufficiently convincing arguments in favor of the promoted platform, an instant user rejection of years of prevailing preferences seems unlikely.
The opinion was considered as a counterargument that promoting a product at the company level would simply deprive the accountable team of choice. But here, experts are convinced, stumbling blocks may arise, as it so happened that, objectively, most of the representatives of the senior management opted for the iPhone. To convince them to change their preferences even in case of any obvious advantages of the new solution is a task that requires time, effort, and most importantly - desire and meaning.
In both the first and second cases, HP’s desire to “thrust the world into a new standard of comfort” upsetting the existing balance of forces is likely to stumble on the inertia of thinking. But whether HP Elite X3 is destined in the medium and long term to become the starting point of an innovative ecosystem, at least in the niche in which the manufacturer positions it, is now hard to say for sure - this will determine the time and uncompromising market. Our other articles and events
The HP Elite X3 is an efficient and comprehensive business-oriented solution for the global enterprise market. This is how HP official representatives positioned their device at the presentation. And although the proposed solution eliminates the increased user requirements for multimedia capabilities, at the same time, it really allows in many cases to completely do without a traditional laptop or PC. The successful solution of the vast majority of office tasks, according to HP, is also possible with the help of a phablet working in a single complex with MS Continuum and accessories announced as part of the same presentation.
As representatives of HP noted, in the light of current trends, using the Internet, mass users are increasingly reorienting themselves from computers and laptops to smartphones and phablets. At the same time, miniature screens of compact devices in most cases do a pretty good job of providing the user with the necessary information, but limit the process of creating the desired content. Part of the problem is solved through cloud technology, but, according to HP, it is much more efficient to use only one device for processing data arrays, which has taken on the mission of the center of the user ecosystem.
Three issues HP Elite X3 has to solve
Based on the concept according to which HP is positioning the new product, the proposed solution will forget at least three pressing problems of corporate users:
1. According to statistics, an employee of the company today uses, on average, three different devices to solve operational problems at work. Most often this is a smartphone, laptop and tablet. When using the devices for their intended purpose, their synchronization will most likely be required, not to mention auxiliary, but necessary accessories, such as commonplace chargers. Often, all of this set, tangible in weight and dimensions, guided by various considerations, office workers have to carry with them.
2. The more devices are involved in building a corporate network, the higher the vulnerability of the latter, the more complicated and more expensive are the algorithms for protecting confidential data and maintaining a sufficient level of security for the production infrastructure.
3. An employee using desktop corporate applications, most of which are optimized for the mouse and keyboard, encounters problems when they are forced to be used on the relatively small touch screens of smartphones.
On the other hand, literally over the past few years, the capabilities of mobile technologies and the speed of network connections have significantly increased. According to many key parameters, new-generation smartphones are increasingly actively reducing the distance to existing average desktop solutions. The identified problems, on the one hand, and emerging progress, on the other, created the prerequisites for the search for fundamentally new solutions. This is the solution, according to HP, will be presented recently the Elite X3.
A little pathos from Dion Weissler
President and CEO of HP Inc. Dion Weisler (Dion Weisler) is not stingy with pathos, said that the HP Elite X3 - nothing more than “... a revolution unprecedented in scale for the global market for mobile devices. ... We offer a truly innovative computing platform that provides mobility without any compromise to performance. The technological capabilities of HP and our partners have allowed us to set a new industry standard and dispel the myth that effective work is only possible in an office chair, ”he declares.
Let's see what is the new product announced by HP
HP Elite X3 is a fairly large phablet running Windows 10 Mobile with support for the Continuum function, which allows you to connect a monitor, an external keyboard and mouse through a small dock and use them in standard mode. That is, we have before us the older brother of the “declassified” Microsoft Lumia 950 XL with improved technical characteristics.
Features
• Class: flagship phablet
• Form factor: candy bar
• Case materials: plastic and aluminum
• Operating system: Windows 10 Mobile
• Network: supported by GSM / EDGE, WCDMA, LTE
• Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4
• Memory for data storage: 64 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac), dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, EDR), Type-C connector for charge / sync, 3.5 mm for a headset
• Screen: 5.96 '', capacitive, QHD with automatic adjustment of the backlight level and oleophobic coating, resolution 1140x2560,
• Navigation: GPS / Glonass (A-GPS support)
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor in space, gyroscope, light sensor
• Battery: non-removable, Li-ion, capacity 4100 mAh
• Camera: 16 MP main, front 8MP
• Price: 600 $
Dimensions "shovels" are really impressive, and if you hold one hand PHABLET still fails, then control be the thumb of the same hand of average size, most likely, it will be difficult.
The flagship Snapdragon 820 chip is responsible for the intellectual abilities of the model - a powerful single-chip system from Qualcomm, made in accordance with the 14Nm process technology. The overheating problems specific to the Snapdragon 810 version, according to HP representatives who conducted the presentation, are not noted.
Non-removable Li-ion battery with a capacity of 4100 mAh is responsible for the autonomy of the device, which should be enough for at least a day's work, even if actively used. Supported Qi wireless charging option. The volume of the internal drive was 64 GB, and the RAM has almost 4 GB.
Bang & Olufsen's built-in audio system features two front speakers and an active noise canceling system on multiple directional microphones. This means that even if a user of the HP Elite X3 is, for example, in a fairly noisy room, his interlocutor at the other end of the “wire” has every chance of hearing a fairly distinct voice and meaningful speech.
An 8MP front-facing camera can very well play its positive role in a long video conferencing session, looking at the interlocutor from his smartphone installed in the HP Desk Dock in portrait position.
To restrict access to confidential information allows the scanner on the back of the case and a camera for scanning the retina, on the front surface of the phablet. The last option can be very useful on a winter street, when due to gloves operative unlocking of the device is problematic. Other useful security options are supported - FIPS 140.2 encryption, Bitlocker, Secure Boot, fTPM 2.0, the ability to encrypt images, etc.
Reliable mechanical protection for the device is provided by support for the military standard MIL-STD 810G (the same as the recently announced CAT S60) and IP67, Gorilla Glass 4. At the presentation, they assured that the device can be immersed without consequences to a depth of 1 m for up to half an hour and dropped from a height of 1.3 meters onto a hard surface.
Given the characteristics presented by the manufacturer, we conclude that the giant HP Elite X3 in its technical characteristics can quite successfully compete with the newly-made flagships LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7.
Metamorphoses with docks
The company plans the start of sales of HP Elite X3 in the global market for the summer of 2016. According to HP representatives, corporate customers will thus be able to accept and evaluate the prospects of the concept of a multifunctional computing device implemented in Elite X3. Most likely, in reality, this is a timeout taken by HP to popularize the capabilities of Microsoft's still not so familiar Continuum technology. It is on MS Continuum, and not on the hardware advantages of the new flagship that HP puts the main emphasis.
If very simple, the technology allows the smartpad (phablet), using the Continuum interface, to connect to the dock and work with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. In the first Continuum-enabled device, Microsoft's Microsoft Lumia 950 smartphone, the device connected to the dock via cable. The option implemented by HP in the case of Elite X3 involves installing the device directly in the HP Desk Dock.
HP Desk Dock is a miniature cradle designed to stream your smartphone screen to a projector or monitor and work with them within the capabilities of the MS Continuum interface. On the back of the dock are two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, DisplayPort for connecting a monitor and an Ethernet port for wired Internet. Despite its miniature size, the chromed dock is surprisingly heavy, which makes it very difficult to carry and allows you to position it as a base station, which always stands firmly next to the monitor at home or in the workplace. At the same time, this severity has its own plus: when working with a smartphone connected to the dock in portrait mode (in a case or without it), the device remains stationary and does not risk falling to the floor,
After connecting to the Continuum interface, the user gets at his disposal a kind of desktop analogue. It is important to note that at the current stage, no tiled multi-window is provided on the screen - the user sees in front of him and works in full screen mode with only one of the available applications. In this case, the second application may be available on the screen of the phablet. There remains the possibility of receiving calls and conversations on Skype without interrupting the workflow. In the case of the HP Elite X3, ergonomics suffer from a rigid installation of the device in the dock, because to realize the possibility of negotiations you will have to additionally use the speakerphone option, which is not always convenient, or have a headset on hand.
The advantages of the solution through the mouth of developers
According to the developers, the advantage of this format for working with information is very convenient for mobile employees who often have to move between different offices, but who do not have high requirements for device performance and software resource consumption. In other words, using the HP Elite X3 in tandem with the dock in this case avoids the need to rush about with a laptop between the offices and the house. To achieve this goal, it will be enough to install one dock in each office and move between them, having only a phablet in hand. All that is needed to start the workflow is to “plug” the device into the dock and proceed, without any need to synchronize terminal devices.
According to representatives of the company HP, Elite X3 will be indispensable for managers and managers who are not thinking about the communication workflow. Of course, such a bundle will not replace professional devices with specific requirements, but this is not required in this case.
One of the valuable features of Elite X3 is to work with your favorite user applications using HP Workspace, a proprietary x86 application catalog that provides quick and easy access to programs and the full sensation of working in a fully functional environment, especially when the user uses a keyboard and a mouse connected to Desk Dock or Mobile Extender.
No less attractive for a business audience is the solution of Salesforce, the market leader in CRM platforms. Integrated into the HP Elite X3, Salesforce enables you to conduct business from mobile devices, leveraging the power of cloud technology. Data stored in the cloud remains available to the user at any time.
Wireless extender
Another harmonious addition to the functional kit, which, according to HP engineers for the HP Elite X3 is “full stuffing,” is called to become the “Wireless Extender” - a curious accessory that looks like a 1 kg laptop with a 12.5 ”screen diagonal with a full-size a keyboard, trackpad that supports gesture control and a battery of 46.5 W / h. Moreover, any other filling that provides independent computing capabilities inside the device is missing by definition, and it is conceived as an alternative tool for comfortable work using information transmitted from the phablet via a wireless channel.
Since there is no sensitive data inside the Wireless Extender, this gadget can be seamlessly transferred between users and employees. At the same time, the phablet in the process of work can be placed, for example, in the pocket of a jacket or bag. Thus, the “Wireless Extender” is nothing but a means for comfortable work on the road and a substantially lightweight version of the laptop. Whether such a sophisticated technical solution to the comfort problem, estimated by the developer at $ 250, will become demanded to speak clearly prematurely.
Prospects
Does HP Elite X3 have prospects to win its share of the corporate mobile market? In order to answer this question, it is worth trying to weigh the pros and cons.
Of course, the desire to lose weight and make life as easy as possible on the physical level is the dream of any sane top and businessman. And confirmation of this is the relatively painless transition from laptops to tablets. Why not argue in the same way in the case of a smartphone, which, being always with you, will allow you to get rid of carrying extra weight? Of course, in this case, the desire to use a smartphone as the main device loses its meaning due to objective inconveniences - a simplified browser, microscopic icons, limited application capabilities, etc.
And in this regard, the alternative proposed as an HP Elite X3 device on Windows 10 Mobile, which can be used as a desktop analogue, looks quite promising, especially since the needs of average managers are often limited to downloading information via email, skype and working with the browser. All these and many other features are successfully implemented on the MS Continuum platform through HP Elite X3.
HP is also optimistic about the development of new high-quality mobile applications for Windows 10 Mobile, which has become part of the Windows 10 ecosystem installed today on more than 200 million devices. And the likelihood that the new smartpad will be used as a central device in the ecosystem of the office and home will only increase with the number of such applications. Perhaps this explains the presence in the HP Elite X3 slot for 2 SIM cards, one of which can be used by the user as a working one, and the other is used for personal purposes.
But is it all so cloudless? Probably not. According to experts, one of the key problems on the path to the total dominance of phablets like HP Elite X3 in the near future is the banal commitment of the owners of prestigious, fairly well software and hardware optimized devices to the already developed ecosystem of their idol, be it Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi. Even if there are sufficiently convincing arguments in favor of the promoted platform, an instant user rejection of years of prevailing preferences seems unlikely.
The opinion was considered as a counterargument that promoting a product at the company level would simply deprive the accountable team of choice. But here, experts are convinced, stumbling blocks may arise, as it so happened that, objectively, most of the representatives of the senior management opted for the iPhone. To convince them to change their preferences even in case of any obvious advantages of the new solution is a task that requires time, effort, and most importantly - desire and meaning.
In both the first and second cases, HP’s desire to “thrust the world into a new standard of comfort” upsetting the existing balance of forces is likely to stumble on the inertia of thinking. But whether HP Elite X3 is destined in the medium and long term to become the starting point of an innovative ecosystem, at least in the niche in which the manufacturer positions it, is now hard to say for sure - this will determine the time and uncompromising market. Our other articles and events