The HP Elite x2 1013 G3 is the 3rd-generation of the company’s Elite x2 2-in-1 convertible hybrid notebook aimed at enterprise, business, and government clients and users. The 2-in-1 detachable Windows tablet comes an the successor the first and second generation of Elite x2’s and brings along better and faster processing prowess, a bigger display, slim body build, and many other new features while retaining almost the same weight.
The immediate predecessor and second generation of HP’s Elite x2 series (the HP Elite x2 1012) was considered as a greats alternative to Microsoft’s Surface Pro. The Elite x2 1013 G3 is a tablet-first hybrid that can be used perfectly with or without the keyboard. The keyboard is solid, better than its predecessor’s, and gives better typing experience.
HP Elite x2 1013 G3 Key Specs
- Dimension (in mm): 7.9 x 300 x 231.5
- Weight: 1.17kg
- Display: 13 inch 3000 x 2000 pixel 10-point touch IPS panel with 277 PPI, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and HP SureView technology
- Camera: 5-megapixel webcam; 8MP rear-facing camera
- Processor: Intel 8th-Gen Core CPU
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
- RAM: 8GB DDR4 (up to 16GB)
- Storage: 128GB SSD (up to 512GB)
- Wireless Network: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.2
- Battery: 50 Wh, 6500 mAh Lithium-Ion
- Ports: 1 x USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Thunderbolt, 1 x Kensington Lock, 1 x Audio jack
- Sensors: Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Hall sensor
Design
Made entirely out of metal, the Elite x2 1013 G3 is one of the most solidly built hybrid tablet to buy. On the bottom half of the rear, there is a kickstand that holds the tablet firmly in place and opens to a maximum angle of 155°. This is particularly useful when you want to see a movie on the tablet, use it with a keyboard, or get some work done on a table. When not in use, the kickstand is housed in a tight enclosure that holds in firmly at the bottom half of the tablet’s rear.
Like the body of the HP Elite x2 1013 G3, the top case of the keyboard is also made of metal while HP used a plastic material for the bottom shell. The connection between the detachable keyboard and the tablet is done via magnetic attachment. This attachment can be in two forms: the keyboard base lays flat down on the table or a raised a little on the rear (forming an angle) towards the user.
The keys on the keyboard are smooth with short key travel. It is also backlit with the capability to adjust the keyboard brightness (in 2 stages) using a function key. Port selection on the HP Elite x2 1013 G3 is also decent. Even more decent when compared to its predecessor. HP has eliminated the USB-A ports and stuck to the USB Type-C on this hybrid tablet. Three USB-C ports (1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 and 2 x ThunderBolt 3) are on the right side of the tablet while a nano SIM-card slot, volume adjustment keys, 3.5mm audio jack, and cable lock are on the left-hand side.
Display and Stylus
The HP Elite x2 1013 G3 isn’t any bigger than its predecessors but comes with considerably slimmer bezels and a bigger 13-inch 10-point multi-touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The display has a 3,000 x 2,000 pixel resolution, 277 ppi pixel density, and 411.8 nits brightness.
There is another variant of the tablet with the same 13-inch display but with a WUXGA+ panel and lesser resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels. This model comes with HP’s SureView technology, a feature that prevents prying eyes, bystanders, or passerbys from reading whatever you have displayed on your screen.
Both models support HP’s Active Pen stylus which is ultra lightweight (15 grams), has 4,096 pressure points, charged via USB-C, and connects to the tablet via Bluetooth. The stylus can be used for navigation, writing, drawing and painting without glitches. It also comes with three user-configurable buttons (2 on the side and 1 at the top).
Processor and Storage
The HP Elite x2 1013 G3 comes in a total of six variants which uses Intel’s 8th-Gen Kaby Lake Refresh generation of CPUs. All variants run the Windows 10 Pro operating system and uses Intel’s UHD Graphics 620 but vary in terms of processor and storage configurations.
- Intel Core i3-8130U 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD
- Intel Core i5-8250U 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Intel Core i5-8350U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, mobile broadband
- Intel Core i5-8350U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
- Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (1,920 x 1,280 touch screen with HP Sure View)
Battery
On board is a non-detachable 50Wh battery which HP boast can supply up to 11 hours of usage time. However, depending on usage style and intensity, brightness level, as well as the type of apps you run on the HP Elite x2 1013 G3, you should expect between 8- 10 hours of usage.
Price
The selling price of the Elite x2 1013 Ag3 starts at about $1,500 and varies with display type, storage capacity, accessories etc.
