HP unveils new Chromebook Premium Dragonfly Pro at CES

HP announced a new Chromebook Dragonfly Pro at CES, although the computer maker hasn’t yet specified how much it will cost.

2022’s Elite Dragonfly started at $1,149 / £1,299 – already extremely expensive for a Chromebook – but the Dragonfly Pro name suggests this new model will cost even more. Google’s Chrome operating system has long been associated with budget laptops, but HP seems determined to change that.

HP says pricing will be available closer to its Spring 2023 release, with the company itself the only confirmed retailer at this point.

Most people will struggle to justify more than $1000/£1000 on a Chromebook, but HP is doing its best to convince you.

The Dragonfly Pro features a 14-inch IPS LCD touchscreen, with a resolution of 2560×1600, giving it the common 16:10 aspect ratio. HP claims it can reach an impressive 1200 nits at maximum brightness, which should ensure excellent visibility outdoors.

Unlike many laptops announced at CES, the Dragonfly Pro isn’t powered by Intel’s new 13.^e-gen processors. You’ll have to settle for last year’s Core i5-1235U, although 16GB of speedy DDR5 RAM and a 256GB SSD mean performance should still be solid.

The lack of a dedicated GPU comes as no surprise, but it’s worth noting that the device uses Intel’s UHD integrated graphics rather than the latest and greatest Iris Xe. If in doubt, the Dragonfly Pro is not suitable for demanding workloads such as gaming or video editing.

HP claims the 51.3Wh battery will give you “all-day battery life,” based on internal testing with Chrome OS’s power_LoadTest. This is meant to simulate real-world use, but there is no guarantee that the device will last a full working day on a single charge.

Luckily, 96W fast charging means you can expect 50 per cent battery in just 30 minutes plugged in. This relies on one of the device’s four USB-C ports, but sadly there aren’t any others. Given that the device is 17.7mm thick, there was surely room for USB-A or HDMI.

Other features of note include an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, a full-size RGB backlit keyboard, and four Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers, all packed into a 1.5kg chassis.

These specs mean that the Dragonfly Pro is one of the few Chromebooks to be included in Intel’s Evo platform. Other requirements like slim bezels, instant wake-up, and Thunderbolt 4 support are all present on the device.

But price aside, if you buy this laptop, you’ll be happy with Chrome OS. It’s a great option for the basics, but most popular third-party apps aren’t supported.

Dragonfly Pro (Windows 11)

If you like the design of the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook but prefer something that runs Windows, HP has you covered. This standard version has Windows 11 Home pre-installed instead, but there are a few other key differences worth being aware of.

Most notable is a CPU change, which means the Dragonfly is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 7736U, from the Ryzen 7000 series which is also expected at CES. It therefore uses Radeon integrated graphics, while you can increase the RAM to 32 GB if you wish.

That 14-inch display is limited to 400 nits of brightness here, but you do gain more durable Gorilla Glass NBT and low blue light. The webcam drops to 5Mp, but it supports Windows Hello face unlock (via a separate IR sensor) and you get a fingerprint sensor.

We also shouldn’t forget the larger 64.6 Wh battery, which HP claims will give you up to 16 hours of video playback or 12.5 hours of wireless streaming. The 96W adapter and 50% in 30 minute claim are still there, and even more impressive considering the larger capacity. But ports are still frustratingly limited to USB-C.

HP says it also won’t reveal pricing until the Dragonfly Pro is available in spring 2023, but those specs suggest it will be even more expensive than the Chromebook.

Both devices are worth considering for consumers, but the Dragonfly lineup is technically aimed at business users. This is especially true of the new Dragonfly G4, which allows you to use the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

Elsewhere, the latest Intel processors are making their way into the latest iteration of the Omen 17 gaming laptop, which will start at £1,199 when it arrives in February. There are also two new EliteBooks, with a choice of standard 1040 G10 version (from £1,349) and convertible x360 version (from £1,399), both slated for launch in May.

However, there’s no confirmed pricing yet for any of the new devices outside of the UK.

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