HP EliteBook Folio 13.5: Unique Windows-on-ARM convertible

The HP EliteBook Folio 13.5's case is quite impressive. The convertible is wrapped in high-quality faux leather on the outside, and the hardware is protected by sturdy aluminum. It's a high-quality device in terms of look and feel.

Thanks to the passive cooling of the built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, there's no annoying fan noise, either. A 512 GB SSD, 16 GB of RAM, and the Qualcomm Adreno 680 integrated graphics unit round off the package.

The performance of the installed hardware ensures that Windows runs smoothly and without problems when using Internet browsers and office programs. However, the device isn't designed to handle demanding applications, since not only is its performance insufficient, but many programs aren't compatible, either.

There's no support for 64-bit applications on the ARM system, but most 32-bit applications should be able to run. But since these have to be emulated, additional performance restrictions have to be taken into account.

The biggest advantage of the built-in Qualcomm SoC is its low power consumption. As a result, runtimes of over 14 hours are achieved in our real-world Wi-Fi test. This makes the HP EliteBook Folio 13.5 suitable as an occasional laptop replacement and as a Windows tablet with long endurance.

However, in the configuration that we tested, the EliteBook Folio 13.5 is quite expensive with a price of approximately 2,500 Euros (~$2,936). Compared with Windows convertibles that use an Intel CPU, performance is considerably lower, and only the extremely good battery life is a plus. In addition, there's a highly reflective display that isn't suitable for working outdoors.

Our review reveals what else the HP EliteBook Folio 13.5 has to offer.