HP EliteBook 6 G1q ZDNET's key takeaways The EliteBook 6 G1q is currently available for $1,382 at B&H Photo-Video.
It's a sleek and battery-efficient laptop with lots of ports and 5G connectivity.
It occupies that middle ground where a few hundred dollars more could get you a substantially more premium laptop. $1,382.95 at B&H Photo-Video $1,386.56 at Amazon more buying choices
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HP's EliteBook 6 G1q is an affordable model from its productivity-minded lineup. It features extensive connectivity and a marathon battery inS a thin and lightweight form factor.
Previously known as HP's 600 series, the EliteBook 6 G1 lineup is available in multiple RAM and memory configurations, a lightweight form factor, and either an AMD, Intel, or Qualcomm processor; a highly customizable laptop for a wide range of users.
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I went hands-on with the EliteBook G1q (q for Qualcomm), which has the Snapdragon X Plus chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. I found it to be a capable device with great battery life and a very comfortable keyboard. I'd recommend it as a lightweight work laptop, but there are a few concerns.
The entry-level machine with 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD looks to be aimed at users who live in the cloud and value longevity over raw power, while higher-end hardware opens up the device for more diverse productivity uses.
The middle-of-the-road configuration I tested displays the performance you'd expect from a thin and light Snapdragon device. It boots up instantaneously, is highly responsive for everyday tasks, and has an efficient battery for all-day use.
On the surface, the EliteBook 6 G1q is nondescript and commercial, with HP's typical silver aluminum build, a gray keyboard, and a utilitarian display. But it also has an extensive selection of customizability, up to 64GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and numerous display options, including an 800-nit WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS screen at the top end.
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The model I tested came with a WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS display with 300 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. It's not quite what I'd call premium, but it gets the job done for work-related tasks, especially with the matte finish that mitigates glare well.
At 3.17 pounds, it's right around where it should be in terms of portability. It easily slides into a backpack or bag and lives up to its intended use case as a device for remote and hybrid workers.
A touchscreen option is available, as are higher resolutions and refresh rates with a few hundred bucks added onto the price, but the upgrades add up quickly, approaching price points you'd get for more premium EliteBook models.
The right side of the laptop features a lock slot, ethernet port, USB-A, and nano SIM slot. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
One of the notable available features is the Snapdragon X72 5G card, which grants the laptop 5G connectivity, a solid option for users who need always-on connectivity in the field or away from Wi-Fi.
The feature is enabled with a service called HP Go, which uses an eSIM with multi-carrier 5G connectivity for $19 a month. It works by using infrastructure from the top three US carrier networks, whichever has the strongest available connection in the area.
This type of service can be critical for users who need a reliable connection in locations with unavailable or spotty Wi-Fi, but it is more geared toward the enterprise use case. That said, for anyone who travels and ends up having to pay for hotel Wi-Fi or struggling with terrible, unsecure connections, the $19 a month could be worth it.
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Speaking of enterprise connectivity, this laptop has some pretty robust I/O, including an HDMI port, two USB-Cs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-A, a Kensington lock slot, a microSD, and even an Ethernet port. Thus, it's a highly compatible device that enterprise teams will appreciate.
It's also an enjoyable laptop to work on, as the keyboard is particularly nice. I found the large, sticky keys with nice key travel to be responsive and well-designed, except the Page Up and Page Down buttons near the arrow keys is a key placement choice I'm not a fan of.
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
In terms of performance, the EliteBook 6 G1q feels a lot like its Copilot+ PC peers with similar hardware. I had no issues with daily tasks during my week with this laptop, and I appreciate its snappy boot times and strong ability to multitask.
The EliteBook 6 G1q has the same 45 TOPS NPU as its X Elite counterpart, qualifying it as an official Copilot+ PC. Local AI tasks should run smoothly for everyday tasks, like HP's Poly camera pro feature, which is one of the better AI-powered videoconferencing suites to come pre-loaded.
The AI works with multiple cameras to create overlays and AI-generated backgrounds, but for most users, it just means it will automatically adjust to lighting conditions to improve your presence on camera.
Our benchmarking numbers place it right around its competitors, earning scores in balanced mode that place it where it theoretically should be in comparison to higher-end EliteBook models, like the G1 series I tested earlier this year.
Users have the option to customize the battery on this laptop, with a 48Whr or 56Whr 3-cell unit, both with HP's fast charge. Either way, you'll get great battery longevity here. HP says you'll get over 24 hours of battery life in video playback in balanced mode. In my experience, I made it through two full workdays of intermittent sustained/idle usage on one charge.
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One thing of note with this laptop is the heat generation, which I was a little surprised to experience with the Snapdragon X Plus processor. This also applies to the ports: the left side of the laptop (where the USB-C ports are located) gets palpably warm when both are in use, but not so much that it was ever significantly uncomfortable.
ZDNET's buying advice
The high degree of customization, commercial build, extensive I/O, and 5G connectivity make the EliteBook 6 G1q a quintessential enterprise PC. The hardware on board is expressly geared toward productivity tasks, and the battery-efficient Snapdragon X rounds out the user experience.
The display is fine, but nothing overly premium. Although the build is nondescript and corporate, it's sleek and lightweight, with a comfortable keyboard and trackpad. If you're looking for a more premium productivity laptop from HP, however, check out the EliteBook G1a at the top of the lineup.
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If you're looking for something similar in terms of performance, form factor, and battery life, check out the OmniBook X with the Snapdragon X Elite chip, which doesn't have 5G connectivity, but is less than half the price.