CES 2016 | HP unveils EliteBook Folio G1 as world's lightest and thinnest business notebook

The EliteBook Folio G1 will likely be the hottest portable item out of HP once CES is said and done. In a nutshell, this super-thin and light EliteBook sacrifices almost every connectivity port imaginable for a single 3.5 mm audio jack and two USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2. ports each with support for Thunderbolt 3. Preliminary core specifications include:

• 12.5-inch FHD or UHD touchscreen
• Intel Skylake Core processors
• PCIe 4x SSD
• 8 GB RAM
• Bang & Olufsen speakers

A few staple features of the EliteBook series remain, such as TPM, optional fingerprint reader and smart card reader, CNC aluminum with MIL-STD 810G4 certification, and the new HP Sure Start for reverting the BIOS in case of corruption. Docking ports will also be supported via Thunderbolt 3 or the HP Executive Travel Dock.

From our short time with the device, the Folio G1 looks to be a thinner version of the EliteBook 1020 with design influences from the attractive Spectre x360 series. The narrow-bezel display reminds us of the XPS 13 InfinityEdge while the chrome hinges allow for a 180-degree angle opening. We pondered why the display cannot open all the way to 360 degrees since the form factor and screen size would be a perfect match, but HP tells us that the overall thickness and weight would both have to go up to accommodate a hypothetical tablet mode.

The EliteBook Folio G1 will be available this coming March starting at just under $1100. We will update this post with more specifications and dimensions as we move closer to its launch.

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