HP's Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Envy x2 is now up for preorder

Microsoft and its partners debuted the first Windows 10 on ARM PCs in December, but, outside of a general release timeframe of "spring 2018," it wasn't clear when they would be available. HP is lifting that veil a bit today by making the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered version of its Envy x2 available for preorder at its online store.

The detachable PC is up for grabs for $999.99 and HP estimates units will ship by March 9. For your money, the Envy x2 includes 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 12.3-inch 1920x1280 screen in a package resembling Microsoft's Surface Pro. The heart of the device, however, is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which allows the Envy x2 to achieve up to 22 hours of battery life, according to HP. Along with the device itself, HP also provides a stylus so you can start inking right out of the box.

Not long after introducing the Qualcomm Snapdragon version of the Envy x2, HP also announced an Intel-based version with shorter estimated battery life. That model doesn't appear to be available just yet.

Hands-on with the HP Envy x2 always connected PC

Qualcomm announced this week that major mobile operators around the world, including all major U.S. carriers, will support Always Connected PCs on their LTE networks. Amazon, the Microsoft Store, and various regional retailers are also expected to start stocking Always Connected PCs "beginning this calendar quarter".

It's not clear when the other Windows 10 on ARM PCs already announced, the ASUS NovaGo and Lenovo Miix 630, may go on sale. But if you've had your eye on HP's offering, you can preorder the Envy x2 now at HP's online store.

See at HP

Thanks for the tip, Invisik!

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.

117 Comments

Data line would cost $10 a month I guess. Idk about this guys..
Presumably there will be pay as you go data plans, so you don't have to do a monthly plan. Just pay for what you need when you need it.
Expensive for that specs
Is this a newer model of the original x2 or is that a different device?
How does the data work? Can we order data from the store yet?
yes but as it being MSFT it's US only
This is obviously a lie. Yesterday the resident trolls were going on and on about how this would not be shipping until the end of the year, if ever. But HP is shipping this in just over two weeks. Those trolls obviously know better than Microsoft, HP, Qualcomm, et al, so why is this shipping now rather than later? I guess 15 days is "soon" which is another trigger word for those trolls, so they will have that for a couple weeks.
Yeah, I started getting bored of those trolls I stopped reading comments as soon as I see them. They tried too hard it's boring.
He'll be along in a minute when his mum has checked his homework ;-)
We will see if it actually ships. Hopefully reviews are incoming. Performance is a big question mark for these. It is interesting we have no hands on yet.
There he is. Took you a while, you are slipping on your trolling, you need to work a bit harder. And then you go back to your usual "no hands on" shtick. Just like you did with the Xbox One X, where you were claiming that there were no hands on with it before it shipped (even though they were in Microsoft stores and people were playing with them), and then using that to claim that it was not really 4K and all the other claims were just lies from Microsoft - even though from real life hands on from consumers, from game developers, all showed they were true. Please, if you are going to troll, at least try harder. Challenge us with what you invent, try to come up with something original. Because you are failing in your trolling, and failing miserably.
Now now. He's busy trolling other sites too!
Maybe he actually has, you know, a day job?
If we are now considering sitting in your mother's basement trolling all day as a job, then sure, he has a day job.
I own the basement I am sitting in.
I don't remember ever commenting on XBox. I believe you though. I think consoles are lame.
They may be shipping in a couple weeks, but I'm 100% sure this thing will be so buggy it will take a year to get it to work properly especially 1st gen hardware and software. The only people buying this will end up being guinea pigs. (See Windows Mobile 10 and RT and Surface Book)
$1k?!?!
Samsung Note 8 was like $900, no? That, but bigger costing an extra $100 is somehow crazy? Go on...
This isn't a high end, highly sought after device. The performance will likely be very low end with compatibility issues. Maybe we will be surprised, but if performance was that good would Microsoft have kept them out of people's hands for so long?
How do you know that people have not been using these? The media often gets devices like these but releasing information is embargoed until a specific date to give all the media a chance to write their articles. All device manufacturers do this, Apple will have their big media circus, have the devices behind glass, and then send devices to the media for testing but they are not allowed to publish the articles until a few days before availability. They did it with the HomePod - they had announced it back in June of last year, and didn't let wrtiters get their hands on it until late January of this year, and finally released it early February. Where were you bit***** and complaining about Apple not letting people using the device? We know, that doesn't fit your agenda, you are an Apple lover and complaining about them would be harmful to your cause, and so you troll about the Microsoft device. Again, please at least try when you troll.
The home pod was obviously rubbish. I haven't heard any reviews either because I don't care about Apple products. I care about Microsoft products. It wouldn't hurt Microsoft to put some of these out there. Why would they not want the Thurrots and Rubinos showing the capabilities and proving their claims? You always have to read between the lines, especially with Microsoft.
I usually don't agree with Bleached's trolling negativity, but he's being subdued & normal. I agree, Microsoft could use all the pre-release press & the more hands-on reviews by dedicated MS sites/reviewers, the better.
"I care about Microsoft products." OK, list all the ones you like. Either there are none and you're the troll everyone thinks you are, or there's an outside chance you're a close-minded old-school Win32 diehard.
So are the specs similar to that of note 8?
Is the screen 2k? Is there camera like note 8? Does it support HDR?
Seriously a high end camera like that is worth the price on its own. Couple that with water resistance, being able to put it in your pocket, an insane amount of apps at your fingertips, a way to pay for purchases and even connecting it to a keyboard/monitor with fully functional Office applications. Given the lack of apps on windows store I don't see any benefit to this. Samsung is already working on a laptop shell to insert their phone into it.
You are comparing this with a phone.. What a dumb argument. You won't be able to put this in your pocket and walk around.
I guess I just have these assumptions that it won't perform on the same level as an intel PC at the same price range. I can buy an ASUS gaming laptop with a GTX 1060 for close to the same price on Newegg.com. It might not last as long as a Qualcomm powered laptop, but will people choose battery life over power?
Depends on the use-case doesn't it? A gaming laptop, which is heavier, bulkier with fan and short battery duration and most likely without LTE will help you nothing if you are looking for a light, portable, fanless always on and always connected device or? Its not like one is the alternative for the other...
maybe they'll remove a port or two and add a notch at the top of the screen to make it worth the extra
Good luck on that HP...
Let's hope the SD835 and the OS is ready. The price is.. well we all know it
Can you turn off s mode on this device?
You mean unlock Windows 10 Pro? Yes.
Unlock Windows 10 Lite you mean. It isn't full Windows 10 Pro. Shame on Microsoft for calling it that.
You mean like how Apple calls their iPad "Pro"? Or calling their MacBook "Pro" when it doesn't have pro features such as a pen, touch, etc.? If those features make an iPad "Pro" then should they be on the MacBook to make it "Pro"? But we know, actually being truthful in your comments is not something we should expect. Now scurry along to those Apple web sites to get your marching orders for thee next false outrage, we will be waiting right here.
Apple didn't call it OSX Pro on the iPad. There is no confusion when buying an iPad, you know what you are getting. It is properly branded and marketed. That isn't true with Windows. There is Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Pro. Exact same name, very different capabilities. You don't understand the issue here?
You do not seem to comprehend the difference between "2 different operating systems" and "same operating system for 2 different target architectures". How about you go trolling in the usual Linux forums complaining about that both x86 and ARM Linux are called both - Linux. And after you got a blody nose there, you can continue with other operating system like BSD, Solaris etc..which are available for different target architectures.
What are you talking about? You can unlock to full Windows 10 Pro. On top you are getting x86 emulation.
Nope, it isn't full Windows 10 Pro. It is limited, Microsoft published the details recently.
Not on topic but the profile pics on the app are wonky. They often don't correspond with the person who posted a comment.
Hmmm. That's a lot of cash when the only real selling point is the battery life. Will be interesting to see how much of a deal breaker that is for people. It's useful, but unless you're on a long haul flight or lost in the desert, you can usually find somewhere to charge up. Or just carry a power bank.
Well, and instant on. And always connected to 4G LTE. Those are the other two benefits.
Yes, I did think about always connected, but for so long now I've had an unlimited data plan on my phone and just tethered my laptop to it when I'm out of wifi coverage (and this seems to be pretty common practice), so don't tend to think of that as a major USP. But you're quite right about instant on, I hadn't thought of that! Definitely a nice development.
Yup, carrying a power bank is what i am currently doing. I also do use my smartphone for cellular tethering. Both are extremely bad solutions - the former because you have to carry around another battery and the latter one because tethering drains the small smartphone battery like crazy. Both problems are solved. In addition you are getting these crazy always connected standby times with instant-on feature.
But why carry a power bank when you don't have to? I would pick one up if the performance is anywhere near a Core M. We shall see...
Unfortunate about the price. One of the other advantages of the Qualcomm SOC was supposed to be smaller/simpler motherboards. I would have expected that to show up in the price (less complexity and components should mean cheaper) but considering the specs it seems it's the same as a low end Intel version (battery life not withstanding). At least we will get some benchmarks in a couple of weeks to see how this performs. I'd also expect the Asus device to be cheaper as they normally offer a better price/spec ratio to offset name recognition. (one step closer to a new Windows "phone" at least, haha)
High end Qualcomm processors are not as cheap as people think.
Jesus, is it dipped in gold?
It can be, for an extra fee. Oh wait... this is made by HP not Apple.
Looking forward to the cheaper alternatives.
I'm actually waiting for the next generation SD845 powered ones.
OK, this isn't a cheap device; however, it is funny that the same people complaining will buy a Samsung S8/Note8 or an iPhone for the same amount of money, with no complaints. *sigh
This! How are $700 smartphones with similar specs "OK", but when a PC gets it, it needs to be like $200?
I'm not 'ok' with any ARM device at $700. I thought the point of Windows on ARM was to get it on a device with a small battery that would fit in my pocket.
That doesn't equate to cheaper, especially in first iterations.
Exactly and there was an article I think about that before anything was released. You'll see more form factors later but this is gen 1
Sure, thats a design option, either a small battery with usual runtime or a larger battery with long run-time. These devices offer extremely long run- and standby-time.
Personally, it's because I expect more from my cell phone. Needs to withstand being carried around pretty much all day with a lot of use. I only buy metal backed phones for the added durability. Also, most people do not pay full retail all up front high end phones; carrier subsidies are still a thing, payment plans, trade in discounts, etc. A 12 inch laptop with 4gb of RAM & 128 gigs of storage for $1000...? I could get a lot more laptop for the same price. Cool, the battery lasts 22 hrs, but I don't often use my laptop 22 hrs in a row... If the added battery life is the only differentiator it makes for yet another niche product.
"but I don't often use my laptop 22 hrs in a row..." This is a silly comment. Just because it may last 22 hours doesn't mean that a user needs to use it all in one sitting. For my usage, a 22 hour battery life would last me almost a week. The thought of only having to charge once a week sound pretty friggin good in my book.
yes I know lol
How are people bickering about the price when the closest device on market right now is the 256GB 12.9 iPad Pro at $1080 without the pen or keyboard?
This competes with Windows laptops. Laptops that are $200 with known performance and full Windows.
Windows 10 S is upgradable to Pro. Laptops these devices compete with do not even exist because the combination of always-on/connected in conjunction with weeks of standby time cannot be found elsewhere.
Who cares about standby time on a laptop? I doubt that will be a big selling point. Always connected too, who cares? Your already have a phone for that. Why does it matter with my laptop? It isn't full Windows, it is Windows Lite. It does not have the full capabilities of Windows 10 Pro even though it had the same name. They should properly brand it.
Lol, are you talking about missing Hyper-V? And that qualifies it as Windows lite? Hyper-V is also not supported on other Windows Pro SKUs - as far as i remember its not supported under 32 bit Windows Pro and its also not supported for all x64 architectures. I cannot remember you crying "Windows lite" in these cases...so are you a hyprocrite perhaps? And if you dont care about the features you only get with these devices, why are you even commenting here in this thread - just for trolling hmm?
Who cares about standby time, always connected and battery life on a laptop? I sure hope you're not working in the technology sector. We would stay with the status quo and not advance.
Yeah, no, it does not compete with Windows Laptops, that's like saying the original Surface and Surface 2 competed with Windows laptops. It directly competes with the iPad Pros of this sector.
Can the $200 windows laptop last 22 hours? Does it have LTE? Is it always connected? Is it even the same form factor? Does it include a pen or even have pen support? Touch functionality? If it's a tablet, does it come with a keyboard? While I agree that it should be more in the $700 price range, comparing it to a $200 device is just silly.
Okay this is a premium device but with a 835 instead of a m3 or i3 and i kinda understand the price, however the potential of the 835 (and later 845) is on devices that cost between 250$ and 400$, in my eyes the 835 would be a perfect replacement for those incredibly bad Atom CPUs and maybe but just maybe the Y line CPUs from intel, and by having them replacing the Atom CPUs we would finally get rid of slow Laptops.
I do find it a bit entertaining that a new SD835 smartphone - premium - can be like $500, but when a PC gets it, it should be between $250-400. Not really sure how that math works out.
Smaller things cost more. It's called miniaturization. Why have laptops always been more expensive than towers while doing less? It's the price you pay for compact, efficient electronics.
Where do you get that laptops do "less" than desktops? That's completely untrue. You've been able to do exactly the same things with a laptop that you could do with a desktop for, like, at least the last 20 years or so - ever since at least the mid-nineties.
That is because an SD835 is really impressive in a small device. Where as you would expect something even more powerful on a wayyy bigger device. Same reason why desktops are cheaper than laptops.
An SD835 will perform the same or very similar no matter what form factor it's in. The only caveat is inadequate cooling causing it to throttle.
Windows on ARM doesnt look exciting anymore with those prices. DOA. I can get a fanless XPS 13 9365 2-in-1 for $979.99.
...but does it get battery life for weeks and always-on LTE and instant on?
These people will stop complaining about the price when Verizon and AT&T say you can get it for $199 with a two year contract, or pay $40 a month. Then they will say it is great when T-Mobile and Sprint say you buy one with a family plan and get 3 more free. Sticker shock is a new reality to America when it comes to the outright price of devices. People grew up on subsidized plans.
Are you reporting about this, or trying to sell me one?
Does this? We don't know, especially when it is unlocked and emulating Windows programs.
You are attempting to create FUD, plain and simple. Scare people into doubting this device to keep them from buying it. But, as we have seen over and over again, you will fail.
I have been right about all of it. From Kin to Windows phone to Windows RT and Windows 10S. How have I failed?
Like you said. We don't know. But that's not stopping you from making assumption is it now?
I never wanted LTE on ARM and all none spinning devices already have instant go. Battery life, running win32 programs, and price was the biggest points for me. When you have the limitations of ARM and that price point, the XPS 13 looks better to me.
Aren't you lucky we have so many choices? Like every other device ever made, it's not meant for everyone.
I guess you're not the target consumer.
Is there a target consumer for this? How does this even begin to compare with the XPS13 for a similar price? Dell skipped it for a reason.
New user here! I honestly think I might be one of this product's target market. I need the handwriting capabilities of a tablet (w/ digitizer pen) and I need my computer to last for as long as it can. I mainly use UWP apps like OneNote, Paint 3D, Drawboard PDF (I bought it in fact), among others. LTE connectivity is a bonus. If there is a prepaid plan that I could get for such device, I would use prepaid data for select days when I need to get notified about important emails and need to write long responses right away.
wow you have a lot of time to comment here kid
Daniel, i believe you have used this argument in the past too - the battery life for weeks one. How exactly does it get battery life for weeks, do you mean the standby time? But why would i care about the standby time on a computer? I use a portable computer for some browsing, music listening and youtube, and with that usage my Lenovo miix700 with an m5 lasts around 7 hours. The surface pro 4 with the i5 lasts me around 8 hours. Do you think that this Envy x2 will do the same thing for weeks between charges? I very much doubt that. I believe it will achieve some 20-40% extra, which is of course great BUT i expect it to be considerably slower in performance than the i5 SP4. And if that is the case, then i will be just sacrifising performance for battery life (which i could do anyway with a weaker cpu, for example an m3 instead of an i5) and always on conectivity. I am super excited about longer battery life in a portable device, and absolutely hate the trend of making them always thinner instead of using the same size to pack a bigger battery in them, but if in the end it's just a compromise i won't buy it. I would wait with the "battery life for weeks" until we see what this thing can really do.
The issue is, that x86 will only get you that far. Downgrading from i5 to M series Surface Pro will not get you anywhere near the runtime and stand-by duration. You have to understand the concept of "more efficient" which does not mean you are getting longer battery life for less performance. Efficiency is the quotient of performance/power. This means at equal performance you get longer battery life or higher perfomance at same battery duration. Coming back to Surface Pro, it is significantly heavier and bulkier even the M variant. We are talking 6.9mm thickness and below 700g weight for the Envy X2 despite a battery duration of 20hours. Any Intel tablet with core processors in the same form factor have craptastic battery duration.
LOL... "Weeks." Come on. At least be honest with your readers.
Yeah it sounds unbelievable for the crowd used to old tech x86 CPUs, but these devices can stay in standby for weeks.
Then just go on and buy an XPS 13, what does stop you?` Its just that i do not enter each XPS 13 thread complaining how bad these devices are and that i rather buy something else, why are you?
I'm a nub when it comes to mobile devices, since I prefer to use my phone as a hotspot, and only a hotspot. Is this or any of the other always connected ARM pc going to be capable of making and taking phone calls? As far as I can tell, it doesn't look like the right type of chip is installed for that, so it's really JUST data. As soon as I can get one of these that can make and receive phone calls, I'll drop my phone && surface and just have that as my single mobile device. As it stands, I literally only use my phone as a hotspot for my surface, which I use as my primary mobile device.
My counter to that is there are a number of VoIP phone services with low cost plans. If the data for the device + a virtual phone line > an isp data + mobile line, what would really be the difference at that point aside from the device having built in telephony capabilities?
Well, if there's a VoIP service that regular lines can call, that's consistant, I'd be happy to take that. I was just starting to look into a Skype line, but I don't know what else there would be without more reserach. I just wasn't going to bother with the research if one of these did have the phone capabilities, because then it would already have what I wanted.
Skype/Vonage are good starts. The other ones I know of are business-focused but really do the same thing like my company uses RingCentral. Depends where you live and what you looking for I guess.
I still use my Surface 3 because the 10" form factor is better as a reader and other tablet activities like consumption. In fact, the W10 updates have made it better with features like swipe keyboard, etc. Is anyone planning an 8" - 10" Windows on ARM tablet?
never been happier with my surface 3, just needs an arm chip! This thing is my insider rig, messed up tablet mode a few builds back but stable again. Windows 10 brought new life to my old Lenovo x200t as well!
Yes Please! A windows tablet, 8" - 10" screen, ARM CPU. Something a bit like a Lenovo Tab 4, but Windows. And give it a charging dock (preferably with Qi wireless charging). Whay are there no charging docks for tablets any more? Windows Hello would be nice as well. I personally don't need 4G (it's for around the house, mainly), but I could go for that too, I guess. Just take my money already.
LOL!!!!!! $1000 for an ARM tablet? They are off their collective rockers. In NO universe would I buy that. Sheesh, the nerve of these people.
Not to mention that is got the old 835 instead of newer 845 processer!
More profit for OEMs....$$$
I love my surface pro 3, but it is about time for me to upgrade. This device, even with Windows S, can do everything I need a travel computer to do. It is lighter and has more battery life than the Surface. If the display is decent and build quality is excellent, I would buy this for $1000!
I still think these ARM chips are better suited to more budget-conscious implementations. The cost for an Intel m3 is $281, and while Qualcomm doesn't publicize their prices, rumored costs of Qualcomm's top of the line is supposedly less than $100. On a premium machine, saving $100 or so with a 835 vs an Intel m3 doesn't make much sense for most people in that price range. However, if ARM chips allow models like the ASUS linked below to creep into the sub $400 dollar range (closer to $350), then I think that is where this new technology will start to shine: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fshop-links.co%2Flink...
Except of course these devices offer huge advantages over Intel M3. Not sure why its so unbelievable that this is also reflected in the price?
lol, huge advantages. Riiiight. There are three "advantages" MS advertizes for these: better battery life, instant on, and always connected LTE. The better battery life is welcomed by everyone, no doubt. The instant on is nice, but does not add much value b/c most modern laptops already wake in 5-10 seconds. Given that most people do not wake their laptop every 5 min or so like they do their cellphone, this improvement will not be a significant one for consumers. The always connected LTE feature is only new in terms of the "always connected" part; People have been using LTE on laptops for years, either through mobile hotspots or built-in SIM card slots (like my current work computer). The only difference with the new ARM models is that you get notifications, emails, etc, while the device is asleep. Convenient perhaps but not a huge improvement for most people. These are the benefits you will gain for sacrificing half the performance of an Intel m3 (at least according to benchmarks run during hands-on back at CES).
Issue is, these are emulated benchmarks not native ARM64 benchmarks. They do not reflect how it is working with the device. Your argument is based on the assumption, that you will notice performance differences, which is in many situations not the case - despite the benchmarks tell you otherwise. The difference between 10 sek and instant often is the question if i bother at all to switch on the device. Example, i have a tablet (currently an iPad mind you) which is sitting on the table in front of the TV. Its used for all kinds of use-cases, like checking email, checking TV program, reading news, look something up in Wikipedia, quickly check waether before you go out, controlling Xbox- whatever comes to mind. One of the key requirements is instant-on as well as capability to be left for a week or so without charging. This is the first Windows tablet, which can replace my iPad - at home and at travel - and the key features are instant-on, and weeks connected standby. So i am excited despite the price tag, the iPad wasnt cheaper either.
It will be interesting to see if the benchmarks can justify the price.
Do they offer international shipping? I am tempted to buy!
They can keep that. I rather get a full windows with that price. Hopefully we see devices around the same price of Atom based devices.
It is a bit of cash for a tablet But not surprising. I don't care what the price is honestly, I am sure HP/Microsoft/etc. have their reasons. What Microsoft's OS and HP are capable of doing with the device is what would make me turn one way or another. Has Microsoft really, I mean really showcased or demoed, advertised what Windows on ARM is all about or is capable of? Maybe only insider or developers know. Sure most here have been talking a lot about it and suspect what it could do for us from that perspective.. Dan, When will you guys get a real hands on? Thanks.
That's with the keyboard. Lazybones reporter can't bother to tell us.
Unlike a lot of MS recent products, WoA actually has multiple vendors interested. A company like HP is not about to build a device just for the fun of it, so they must think there are reasons it could sell well. So who wants mobile data, super long battery life and a light 2-in-1 form factor? Maybe I don't have much imagination but I can only think of globetrotting travel journalists, or middle class backpackers who still need to keep in touch with work. I hope the MS store sells data at Machu Picchu.
Or those that like the convenience of not having to charge every 1-2 days. Those same people are the ones that use wireless charging on their phones. Like me.
By the way, a huge letdown for me (a deal breaker actually) both with the HP and the Lenovo, is the removal of the kickstand from the device it's self. For me the kickstand was one of the revolutionary changes in this category, and i make heavy use of it in tablet mode. It being tied to the keyboard makes it loose 50% of its functionality and would not consider a device missing it.
I wonder why they changed something that was not only not broken, but for me one of the major selling points of these devices. For me Microsoft's original SP design reached perfection in many areas.
I see alot of people on here being extremely critical of the price for performance aspect. All I can say is this would have been amazing when I was in college. I lived and died by damn outlets and wifi in college. This would have offered me so much more freedom in the class room and while studying. Oh well 9 years too late but I still may pick up one of these in the future, however I want to see how capable it is when tested.

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