Hands-on with HP's impressively thin EliteBook Folio

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
last updated

While checking out all of the new gadgets and computers on display at CES 2016, we got the opportunity to go hands-on with the new HP EliteBook Folio. In the video below, we take a look at HP's insanely thin and light ultrabook.

HP is targeting the EliteBook Folio squarely at the business crowd, aiming to catch the eye of business customers that want a super light and thin notebook with enterprise features. And HP has delivered on those targets, with the EliteBook Folio measuring in at just 12.4 mm thick and weighing less than 2.2 pounds with a hinge that can be rotated 180-degrees and a 12.5-inch 4K display on board.

EliteBook Folio

The HP EliteBook Folio ships with Intel Core M vPro processor , and HP states a battery life of up to 10 hours. HP says that it also worked with Microsoft's Skype for Business division so that the EliteBook Folio will over a great videoconferencing experience.

The HP EliteBook Folio will be priced starting at $999, and is expected to go on sale in March.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

29 Comments
  • Nice peice of kit. I'd like to check it out in person to get a feel of the keyboard. The Skype call quick key features are pretty slick
  • get your IT to order a few units in to try out
  • This is a good looking HP product, which is surprising (I haven't been a fan of HP's design language lately).
  • Yes, their consumer lineup is disappointing. However their Enterprise lineup has been really great in terms of hardware specs, design quality, and capabilities since 2005.
  • I will give that to you, their enterprise line is solid. Enterprise-wise though I think I'd take a Lenovo. Dell's enterprise laptops are pretty fantastic right now too.
  • Surface lineup raised manufactures quality & design standards. Greetings from Portugal
  • I'm wondering if it has a real sense camera. That would be a deal breaker for me. Finger print scanner and real sense camera should be standard by now.
  • Going by older Elitebook models, I would expect a fingerprint scanner. Real sense camera would be fantastic, of course...
  • It's too bad that I have an HP Elitebook 2760p (bought in April 2013) with Fingerprint sensor and that won't work in Windows 10
  • This could probably have 3 biometric authentication methods: voice, fingerprint and face. HP Elitebook line of laptops is known to have good support for Biometrics.
  • The speakers are 40 times, and 40% louder than anything they have had before. Impressive that they managed both of those stats, according to Alex anyways...
  • Enterprise laptops such as HP Elitebook and Dell Latitude has always had great sounding, very loud speakers (from Altec Lansing).   Mine are extremely loud - enough for a classroom. So for them to say 40% louder, we'll have to see if it lives up to its expectations (compared to older Elitebooks and Latitudes)
  • I am confident the speakers are in fact 40% louder, however I am also confident they are not 40 times louder. Don't take my original comment seriously, I am just nit picking what was said in the video lol.
  • Yeah, I caught that too. Sometimes people say things by mistake when put on the spot like that. 40% (which is likely the real number) = 1.4 times louder. 40 times louder = 4,000% ...which seems unlikely. Also, English may not be his first language, as, "built grounds, up" (which he says several times) should be "built from the ground, up". Although if I purchased this laptop, I would totally tell people it was made from ground up Macbooks. Alex Cho told me so.
  • I agree with you, I was just having some fun with it lol. Definitely difficult to list a number of specs on the spot, and the language barrier probably doesn't help with that. Alex Cho for President, he will built grounds up!
  • HP can take over Lenovo in 2016, they got excelent designs and have experience to crush Lenovo sales, I wish the best for HP hardware in this year.
  • Palm foleo
  • No Windows Hello??
  • All windows laptops look really good and come with great specs these days. There is only one thing worth being concerned about...how good is the trackpad?
  • All modern track pads are good on high end machines. 
  • Look at Lenovo and say that again. I've had several Lenovos and trackpads are something they haven't perfected yet. Unfixable issues. But HP high end consumer machines also are known to have issues with track pad. I know because I have an SleekBook and the "Control Zone" they call it is literally unusable. Mouse goes crazy when I use it.
  • What makes it a "business" laptop? How is this not a consented laptop like the Macbook pro? 
  • Usually enterprises require advanced security features (hardware based encryption, etc) and multi-year availability of parts & service vs. consumer models where there is more churn.
  • It runs full windows which makes it a business laptop. Not like a MacBook.
  • Are those two Type-C USB?
  • It appears that they are dual USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support (there is a lightning bolt icon between them).
  • I use a Folio 1040 G1. So now I am thinking why upgrade. This beauty has no docking connector and no finger print reader. No dice. Beautifull but hamstrung.
  • "Built from the grounds up."
  • I want to quickly make this point. Windows OEM's are actually making quality hardware.... not just tech wise, but design too.... These machines are clearly crafted by perfectionists, and thats a far cry from what we were used to..... I can honestly say that there are quite a few devices that i think are more beautiful than a macbook.... this is very interesting. I give credit mostly to Microsoft for starting the Surface line and setting a STANDARD for what a premium Windows experience should be.... And i then give credit to the OEM's who brushed themselves off and got to work. Great job all aroundto the OEM's.... Cant wait to take a visit to Best Buy and Microsoft store in the near future