HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Everything we know so far

Hybrid work has become more common as many of us have begun working both from home and from the office. This transition hasn’t been easy for a number of reasons, but one of the chief culprits is technology. Laptops allow us to work and video chat from almost anywhere but many of them can’t adequately account for factors like changing lighting conditions, background noises or keeping you centered in frame. If you’re working from home these issues can become problems, especially when video conferencing. With the current state of the working world in mind, HP has created what could be the next big hybrid work laptop: The HP Elite Dragonfly G3.

Unveiled during CES 2022, the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a slim and stylish laptop that’s designed for hybrid work. Some of its standout features include advanced voice and face tracking, along with noise-canceling and AI-controlled battery optimization. Configurations will run on powerful 12th gen Intel Core processors and come bundled with Windows 11. 

Here’s everything we know about the HP Elite Dragonfly G3.

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Specs 

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Release date and price 

The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is expected to release in March 2022. Pricing will be announced closer to product availability. There will be multiple configurations available, including models with an OLED touchscreen, 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage. 

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Design 

The Elite Dragonfly G3 sports a clamshell chassis with a starting weight of 2.20 pounds (depending on configuration). At 11.71 x 8.68 x 0.65 inches, it looks to be small and slim. The laptop comes in two stylish colors: Slate Blue or Natural Silver Hybrid. Compared to previous Dragonfly laptops, the G3 has larger keys and a larger touchpad. The fingerprint and power buttons are also easier to reach than in earlier Dragonfly models.

Thunderbolt ports rest on both sides of the laptop to better accommodate left and right-handed folks. The Thunderbolt port placements also mean you can put your laptop almost anywhere without worrying about cables getting caught on something. If having the cable on the right side doesn’t work for you in, say the kitchen, you can use the left port.

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Display 

We know of three display types at the moment. The base model will feature a 13.5-inch 3:2 (1920x1280) screen with 400 nits of brightness and feature HP Eye Ease blue light filtering. The other two models also have 13.5-inch 1920x1600 inch screens, but one has 1000 nits of brightness and features HP Sure View Reflect and HP Eye Ease while the other has a 3K2K OLED touch display with 400 nits of brightness and HP Eye Ease. 

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Ports 

The Elite Dragonfly G3 has all the ports you need for work. This includes one SuperSpeed USB Type-A charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (one USB Power Delivery, one DisplayPort), one HDMI 2.0 port, one Nano SIM slot and a combination headphone/mic port. 

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Performance 

All configurations pack a 12th gen Intel Core processor with Intel Xe integrated graphics. HP did not specify if these are i7 or i9 CPUs. Configurations will have up to 32GB of LPDDR5 (soldered) RAM and up to 2TB of M.2 PCIe 3x4 NVMe SSD storage.

We would need to test the laptop for ourselves to see how it stacks up against similar devices but, based on what’s under the hood, the Elite Dragonfly G3 should be sufficiently powerful and performant enough for all of your regular workday tasks.

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Battery life and charging 

The Elite Dragonfly G3 has configurations featuring an HP Long Life 4-cell 45WHr and 6-cell 68WHr battery. It has USB-C PD 65W and USB-C 100W with USB-A charging. It also has features to help improve battery life so that your laptop doesn’t die while you’re in the middle of a conference call.

The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 learns your work patterns and optimizes power consumption. For example, if you step away from your laptop, the AI-controlled feature will recognize that you’re gone and adjust the laptop’s power consumption. It also recognizes when you’re asleep and will in turn consume less power. Having your laptop die on you, especially when you’re on the road, is a hassle, so this battery-saving feature is a blessing.

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Dynamic Voice Leveling and Auto Frame features 

The Elite Dragonfly G3 has a number of unique features to help video conferencing for work and school feel less awkward and more intuitive.

HP's Dynamic Voice Leveling audio feature automatically optimizes voice clarity so that you sound as clear as possible. The 360-degree voice tracking ensures you’ll be heard even if you aren’t talking directly into your microphone. AI-based noise reduction minimizes whatever noises are happening around you. This means your coworkers won’t have to hear your dog barking when it wants attention. You’ll also experience exceptional sound quality, thanks to the four discrete amplifiers that work together to create immersive sound.

The HP Auto Frame feature tracks your face, while auto-framing keeps you at the center of the frame. If you frequently move around while carrying your laptop during meetings, you’ll appreciate this handy feature. Low-light correction ensures you’ll appear bright and clear, even if the light in your room dims when clouds pass overhead or when the sun begins to set.

HP Elite Dragonfly G3: Outlook

Based on everything we've seen, the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 could be an excellent hybrid work machine. Considering the state of the world, this laptop is a forward-thinking device that allows us to work from anywhere at home, the office or even parks and other (safe) recreational areas. We look forward to testing the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 for ourselves when it releases later this year.