HP Elite Dragonfly G2
Can HP make lightning strike twice?
The HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is a laptop we’ve been very much looking forward to testing, as its predecessor, the HP Elite Dragonfly, blew us away when we reviewed it last year.
The Dragonfly G2 is the follow-up to that thin and light business laptop, and it promises to be an even more impressive bit of kit. With the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) currently sitting atop our best laptops list, could the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 be the device that puts Windows 10 laptops back in the top spot?
The good news is that this is another stunning laptop from
HP, and while it’s primarily designed for business use, it’s stylish enough to appeal to a wide range of users. In fact, there’s very little about this laptop that’s explicitly ‘enterprise’, so don’t think that because this is a business laptop, it’s got a plain design.
Design
As many of the best HP laptops prove, the company can make some stunning devices, and the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is another prime example. It looks gorgeous, with a blue metallic finish and silver highlights that scream ‘premium’.
The two large hinges of the Dragonfly G2 stand out, but in a good way. Highlighted in silver, these chunky hinges allow the display to flip 180 degrees backwards, turning the laptop into a tablet-like device. They feel sturdy and well built, so you shouldn’t have to worry that they will break, no matter how much you use the laptop.
That sturdiness extends to the overall build quality of the HP Elite Dragonfly G2. The metal chassis feels like it can easily withstand being carried around, and even a few knocks and bumps, but at the same time it’s thin and light,
The good news is that this is another stunning laptop from HP, and while it’s primarily designed for business use, it’s stylish enough to appeal to a wide range of users.
weighing less than 1kg. Where metal isn’t used, ocean-bound plastics (reclaimed plastic that might otherwise end up in our seas) often are, which is a nice touch, with the environmental impact of our tech purchases becoming an important consideration for many.
With dimensions of 11.98 x 7.78 x 0.63 inches (304 x 198 x 16mm) the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 impressively thin, but it comes with a decent array of ports that certainly puts the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) to shame. You get two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 Type-C ports (which are also used for charging), a full-size USB-A port, a HDMI 2.0b port and audio jack.
Having full-sized USB-A and HDMI ports is particularly welcome, especially as HP
pitches this as a productivity and business laptop. It means you can plug in older peripherals, or hook the laptop up to a projector, monitor or TV, without needing to carry around an adaptor.
The Dragonfly G2 is also proof that you don’t need to sacrifice connectivity and convenience for a thin and light design. One thing to note, however, is that the USB-C ports are both on the right-hand side of the machine, which means that if you want to charge the laptop, you have to connect it on the left. This won’t always be a big deal, but it can sometimes be a little awkward, and it wouldn’t be an issue if there was a USB-C port on either side.
Performance
As this is an Intel Evo laptop, you’re getting the latest Intel 11th-generation mobile processors, and the model we reviewed comes with the powerful Intel Core i7-1165G7, paired with 16GB of RAM.
That’s a formidable combination, and it means that Windows 10 Pro, which comes installed, feels fast and responsive. You can also get an i7-1185G7 and up to 32GB of RAM if you need a really powerful thin
The 4K display looks fantastic, and offers plenty of workspace for Windows 10, despite the smaller screen.
and light productivity machine, while there are also models with a Core i3 or i5 chip and 8GB of RAM if you want something a bit more modest.
As we’ve mentioned, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is an expensive laptop that needs to justify its high price, and when it comes to specs, it does just that. The 256GB SSD in our model was fast and speedy, and on the whole, day-to-day tasks were handled very well.
The 4K display looks fantastic, and offers plenty of workspace for Windows 10, despite the smaller screen. It also does a great job of showing off your photos and videos, and while it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, the integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU is certainly good enough for photo editing and even video editing, though professionals may require something with a bit more power.
Battery life
One of the most important considerations people have when looking for a new laptop is battery life, and Intel has made a concerted effort to make sure that any laptops that run on its 11th-generation processors, especially those with Intel Evo certification, boast impressive battery lives of nine hours or more.
The good news is that the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 easily blows past that. In our TechRadar battery life benchmark, where we run a looped 1080p video until the battery dies, it lasted a very impressive 11 hours and 30 minutes – more than enough for most long-haul flights.
In the PC Mark 10 battery life test, which replicates standard day-to-day usage, the battery depleted a bit quicker, lasting just over eight hours, but that’s still pretty good going, and it should mean the Dragonfly G2 lasts around a whole work day when unplugged and fully charged.
The HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is one of the best laptops we’ve tested. For business use, there are very few laptops that look as stylish, and even if you’re not looking for a business laptop, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is a great purchase, offering a stunning design, great battery life and very good performance. It is expensive though.
Matt Hanson