HP Elite x3 Bundle with Desk Dock

Product: HP Elite x3 With Dock Bundle
Provided By: HP
Price: $799 at time of publication

Introduction:

There are a ton of Android devices on the market and it's hard for them to differentiate from each other in terms of features. Often, the only difference between many Android devices is the finish or the material they are made of as the hardware is virtually identical. Sometimes companies like Motorola do some interesting things with the modular backs and LG has tried the modular cartridges with the G5. Some of these will be successful while others will end up dying a slow death (thankfully).

Microsoft has often seemed to miss the mark when it comes to their mobile strategy, but then they announced Continuum and I got a bit excited. The fact that if Continuum made it big, it could change the way the business user accomplishes their workflow. Just imagine the ability to have one single device for use in your car, on the bus, train, plane, in the office, hotel or even at your home. If you built a device with enough storage - expandable storage and enough cloud space to keep everything else, it could be a remarkable device.

While the Lumia 950 and 950XL were the first products that claimed this feature, once again Microsoft seemed to lose focus and drive and has dropped the ball in terms of product support and pushing this strategy. Thankfully, HP saw the idea and embraced it in a great big bear-hug. They have released the Elite X3 and offer it as a stand-alone product or bundled with a Desk Dock or Lap Dock (or both). This brings the power and ability of flagship hardware to a Windows mobile device. HP bets big on Continuum with this device as the dock accessories are what set this phone apart and take its usefulness to the next level.

In addition to Microsoft’s Continuum, they also build on that idea and offer HP Workspace as the crowning achievement to a few other HP software titles, including the HP Device Hub. In this review, we’ll focus a bit on the phone hardware, but spend a fair bit of time discussing whether this Phone could actually replace anything or if it will just be another device to throw in your laptop bag. 

Massive Box - Compared to Nexus One & ZuneHD

First Look:

As you can see above, the HP Elite X3 bundle comes in a massive box that I’m hoping holds and delivers on some big promises and large expectations. Granted, I approached HP asking if they could send this device to us so I could try and use it at CES as my main/only device and they managed to get it to us just in the nick of time. I expect a lot from this device so let’s look at a lot of the gear that shipped with this large device.

In The Box

Inside the box, the phone and dock sit front and center. The dock is very slick and is much heavier that I thought it would be. Included in our bundle is a veritable plethora of cables, dock plates, cases, screen protectors and adapters. I expected the phone and a dock. There was a lot more inside as you can see below.

The bundle consists of three cases, three matching dock inserts, a package of three screen protectors, a power adapter for the dock, a USB 3.0-to-USB-C cable, a quick wall charger, USB-C to VGA adapter, a Display Port cable and a Display Port to HDMI adapter. Also in addition to the cases and dock inserts, there is also a dock cover that extends to a USB-C cable that can be plugged into the Elite X3 directly to make using the Elite X3 easier while it’s running Continuum on your favorite display.

Dock Cover with Wired Connection

On the next page we'll take a closer look at the dock and the Elite x3 itself.