Upcoming HP EliteBook x360 G3 convertible promises a ridiculously bright 700-nit display

The EliteBook x360 series takes everything we love about the Spectre x360 series and packs it to the brim with business-centric extras. Last year’s second generation EliteBook x360 1030 G2 became one of our favorite business convertibles due to its workmanship, reliable CPU performance, long battery life, LTE feature, and more. It was only natural for HP to refresh the family with a third generation EliteBook x360 1030 for 2018.

Appropriately called the EliteBook x360 1030 G3, the redesign promises 50 percent narrower bezels on the left and right sides and a 39 percent narrower bezel below the screen. The overall reductions have created a 10 percent smaller footprint without having to make the 13.3-inch screen any smaller.

Its most noteworthy feature, however, will be the more powerful backlight. Whereas the backlight of the EliteBook x360 1030 G2 is limited to about 250 nits, the EliteBook x360 1030 G3 touchscreen can be as bright as 700 nits. HP is promising the “world’s first outdoor viewable display” for a business laptop due to the brightness potential of the screen. In comparison, the displays of the XPS 13 and MacBook Pro 13 typically top out 400 and 500 nits, respectively. Even tablets rarely reach beyond 500 or 600 nits with notable exceptions being the Panasonic ToughPads and Dell Rugged Latitude tablets.

The EliteBook x360 1030 G3 is launching this June for a starting price of $1450. More concrete details on its specifications and SKUs will be available soon. The announcement comes on the same day as the reveal of the next generation Envy X360 convertible, Elite X2 1013 G3 detachable, and EliteBook 1050 G1 notebook.