Windows 10 Mobile has sparked the beginning of renewed interest from third-party makers in Microsoft’s bet on mobile. Among those with Windows handsets in the pipeline, long-time PC manufacturer and Microsoft partner HP stands out with a potent combination of hardware and accessories in the company’s first ever Windows-running phone, the Elite X3, which could be launching as early as this June, reports Croatian news source tportal.hr.
As a quick recap, HP seems to be making a good bet on mobile Windows by packing industry-leading specs into the plus-sized Elite X3. Highlights include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 4GB of Ram, 64GB storage, a QHD AMOLED screen, 4150 mAh battery, USB Type-C, as well as a 16MP rear camera. In other words, Windows Mobile users will finally not be for want of power here: the Elite X3 is certainly set to be one of the most powerful phones on the market across all ecosystems, something previous Windows-powered handsets could not quite claim. All while being an absolutely handsome device too: just see that promo vid below for a rendered look.
What sets the Elite X3 apart from other phones barring the specs, however, is HP’s laser focus on the business utility of its phone. Salesforce will be installed natively on every HP Elite X3, as is the full Microsoft Office suite for mobile. Both of which should be a good fit for the Elite X3’s expectedly humongous screen. The biggest lure, however, should be HP’s approach to one of Windows 10 Mobile’s outstanding features: Continuum. Just like other high-end existing or upcoming Windows phones, the HP Elite X3 will support Continuum, effectively turning your phone into a pseudo-desktop environment that takes advantage of responsive Universal Windows Apps for enhanced, desktop-like productivity.
Unlike those phones, however, the Elite X3 also has what HP calls a “mobile extender”, which is basically a laptop shell with battery that can connect wirelessly to the phone for double the mobility. HP even takes it a step further with HP Workspace, an exclusive platform that grants you virtual access to desktop apps. Just short of the name and the maker, and the HP Elite X3 would be everyone’s favorite rumor of a Windows-powered handset, the Surface Phone. Microsoft seems to be all in on the promotion as well, raising a fair bit of speculation.
So when will this Windows super-phone be released? Tportal.hr’s cites a “local HP affiliate” which claims to be up to “90 percent” sure the phone will be released in the Croatian and “the rest of the region” in June (we’re curious what their opinion is regarding the other 10 percent). Expected pricing is typical flagship-level at $599, without the accessories; 11 thousand kunan in the Croatian market. It is not clear if the mentioned device will be locked to a carrier or the unlocked version, so those with the idea of importing one of these bad boys should likely wait a bit more. We will keep an eye on HP’s future moves, so stay tuned for more Elite X3 news, as well as news on other exciting HP products.
