While HP has completely revamped its consumer laptops, with its budget, premium, and gaming laptops all falling under the new OmniBook brand, it has retained the EliteBook line to designate its commercial machines. The first was the EliteBook X G1a, which used a custom AMD chipset for enhanced performance and particularly fast on-device AI. The EliteBook Ultra G1i takes a different approach.
It features the same enterprise features as all EliteBooks, but it’s built around Intel’s Lunar Lake chipsets for greater efficiency. I took a look at a preproduction model, and so I couldn’t run the usual tests, but I came away suspecting that the EliteBook Ultra G1i might very well make our list of the best business laptops.Specs and configuration We don’t have any pricing yet for the EliteBook Ultra G1i. Given its commercial focus with extra security and management features, it’s likely to garner a premium price. Related Design HP has had a distinct style with its laptops going back to the beginning of the older Spectre era. The overall design cues are subtle, but I can tell it’s an HP when I pulled the EliteBook Ultra G1i of the box. HP’s EliteBooks have never been as decorative as Spectres, with more of the subdued lines and angles that business users might want, but the edges are a bit curved to be more comfortable, the keyboard has the same look, and it’s familiar from various directions. It’s a good look, equal to any other premium laptop. The build quality is also excellent in all metal. There’s no bending, flexing, or twisting, which has become pretty much the norm for any laptop that costs more than $1,000. So while the EliteBook Ultra G1i is well-built, that aspect doesn’t stand out quite as much. The hinge is a bit stiff, which means you need two hands to open the lid. That can either contribute — or detract from — the overall feeling of quality depending upon your point of vie