HP targets professionals with new EliteBook laptops and ZBook workstations

HP has taken the wraps off of the latest additions to its lineup of laptops and mobile workstations geared toward professionals. New today updates to HP's EliteBook commercial notebooks and ZBook workstations, each of which comes with new security features and, in the case of the EliteBook series, a new, more stylish look.

The three new EliteBooks on offer bring the same sleek aluminum styling from the 1000 series down to the 800 series. In terms of hardware, the 13-inch EliteBook 820 G5, 14-inch 840 G5, and 15.6-inch 850G5, have been updated to include Intel's latest eighth-generation Core i5 and i7 processors, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. HP is also promising up to 14 hours of battery life along with the ability to fast charge back up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

Rounding things out, both the EliteBook 840 and 850 G5 can also be kitted out with discrete AMD Radeon RX450 graphics. HP is also touting the EliteBook 800 series' "world-facing" microphone, which it says will help cut out noise during calls in "individual mode" or enhance 360-degree voice pickup in conference mode. Each also features built-in keys for controlling calls, as well as HP's PhoneWise software for calling and texting from your PC.

New in the workstation space are the ZBook 14u and 15u, both of which now feature Intel's eighth-generation processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Where the mobile workstations shine, however, is with AMD Radeon Pro graphics for handling heavy design work on the go. According to HP, the new ZBook 14u is the "world's thinnest workstation" at 17.9mm thick, which comes in at 28 percent thinner than the prior generation.

Both ZBooks can be fitted with an optional 4K display or, new with this refresh, HP's Sure View integrated privacy screen at a 1080p resolution.

As both lineups are geared toward professionals, HP has also equipped both its new ZBooks and EliteBooks with a suite of security features. In addition to fingerprint sensors, Windows Hello support, and privacy sliders for the webcams, HP has also built in its Endpoint Security Controller, which it says monitors, protects and recovers vital applications and parts of your PC like the BIOS and operating system in the event of an attack.

The new HP EliteBook 800 series is expected to be available later in February starting at $1,029, $10,39, and $1,049 for the 830, 840, and 850, respectively. The new ZBooks are also expected to be available later in February at $1,099 and $1,109 for the 14u G5 and 15u G5, respectively.