HP EliteBook Folio G1 Review
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In the race to make the thinnest laptop on the block, manufacturers often sacrifice usability, slapping on uncomfortable keyboards, eschewing key ports or providing mediocre performance. Though it's even slimmer than the MacBook (12-inch), HP's EliteBook Folio G1 ($999 to start, $1,429 as reviewed) is a productivity powerhouse, complete with a sharp 12.5-inch screen, a sleek but durable design that survives serious drops and one of the best keyboards I've used on a laptop. With strong speakers, fanless cooling and an infrared camera for face logins, the EliteBook Folio G1 with battery like HP 2000 Notebook PC Battery, HP G62 Battery, HP Pavilion dv5-3000 Battery, HP Pavilion dv4-4000 Battery, HP Pavilion dv3-4200 Battery, HP HSTNN-I84C Battery, HP HS03 Battery, HP HS04 Battery, HP G72 Battery, HP HSTNN-PB6S Battery, HP HSTNN-PB6T Battery, HP HSTNN-LB6U Battery gets almost everything right, but its battery life could be better.
With its wisp-thin, matte-silver aluminum chassis, the EliteBook Folio G1 is a very attractive laptop that happens to look a lot like the 12-inch MacBook. However, a shiny silver hinge and HP logo help distinguish it from Apple's lightweight laptop. The Folio retains the same aesthetic on the inside, but with a shiny black bezel that's thin on the sides, but leaves room up top for a webcam.
At 2.14 pounds, HP's laptop is just a little heavier than the 2.04-pound MacBook, but much lighter than the Latitude 13, Carbon and Stealth. With a touch screen, the Folio gets 0.02 inches thicker and .22 pounds heavier.
With its Intel Core m7-6Y75 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, our review configuration of the EliteBook Folio G1 was more than powerful enough to handle everything I threw at it, from intense multitasking to serious productivity work. Even with over a dozen Chrome tabs open and a video playing in another window, the laptop showed no signs of lag as I typed a Google doc and switched between tabs.
The EliteBook Folio G1 scored a strong 6,706 on Geekbench 3, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall performance. That's far better than the ultraportable category average (5,034), the Core m5-6Y57 Dell Latitude 7370 (4,095) and the Core m5-powered MacBook (5,906). The Core i5-6300-powered ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6,828) and Core i7-6500U-enabled Razer Blade Stealth (6,893) did just a little better.
It took the EliteBook Folio just 4 minutes and 21 seconds to complete our spreadsheet macro test, which matches 20,000 names with their addresses in OpenOffice calc. That's about 75 percent faster than the category average (7:20) and miles ahead of the Latitude 13 7370 (6:56). However, the MacBook was over a minute quicker (3:11).
Though the EliteBook Folio G1 is light enough to take anywhere, you won't want to stray too far from an outlet, particularly if you get the version with the 4K screen. With the 1920 x 1080, nontouch display, HP's laptop lasted a decent 7 hours and 2 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi. That number shrank to just 4 hours and 35 minutes on the model with the 4K display.
Both times fall far short of the category average (8:05), the MacBook (9:38) and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (9:06 with 1080p screen, 7:57 with 2K display). The Latitude 13 7370 was noticeably stronger, enduring for 7:53 with its 1080p panel and 6:21 with its 4K display.
The EliteBook Folio G1 is an ideal size for productivity users on the go, providing enough room for a full-size keyboard and a screen that can show plenty of content without making you squint. With strong performance, a colorful display, a world-class typing experience, accurate face logins and a drop-friendly design, HP's laptop also ticks off most of the boxes we'd put on a checklist for making the ultimate ultrabook.
However, the EliteBook Folio G1 falls short in the very important area of battery life, making it far less portable than its size suggests. While the 1080p version of the Folio gets a serviceable 7 hours, the 4K model's stamina is so poor that it's hard to recommend. The laptop's lack of a standard USB port might also be a deal breaker for some users.
If you're looking for a superthin laptop with longer battery life, consider the MacBook or the larger, 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which also has a lot more ports. However, if you want the ultimate in superslim business productivity and can make a few compromises, the EliteBook Folio G1 is for you.
