ePrivacy screens: Avoid this feature when buying a laptop

When buying a business laptop, choosing the right display can be difficult. Sometimes, only certain configurations are available, leading to choices that you do not necessarily want. And business laptops, laptops made for corporate customers, often have a multitude of screen options. 

Take the HP EliteBook X G2i, for example. This 14-inch business flagship from HP is offered with a total of seven display options, with different resolutions, different underlying technologies and different features.

The unit that we tested was equipped with a particular screen option: A WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS LCD, with a marketed screen brightness of 800 cd/m². Notably, this is an HP SureView screen - SureView being a marketing term for an ePrivacy screen. ePrivacy screens have limited viewing angles, keeping others from being able to read the (sometimes sensitive) information on a display. This is especially useful for travelers in public places, like trains and airplanes.

A great feature, but only if you actually need it. If you do not need it, we highly recommend avoiding it. The viewing angles stability are just bad, even if you do not activate the "SureView mode". The viewing angle stability is not as bad as a TN screen, as the colors do not invert, but the screen brightness drops rapidly when you move your head from the central position. Even a little movement can lead to part of the screen being darker, which makes for a frustrating user experience.

The HP EliteBook X G2i 14 is a great laptop, achieving a "Very Good" rating in our review. But when you buy it, buy a version with a different screen, like the available OLED panels. SureView is only good if you are sure that it is actually needed.