HP Elite X3 And Friends Are Going To Cost You A Lot

HP's upcoming premium Windows 10 smartphone, the Elite X3, was shaping up to be almost the Surface Phone that Windows users have been dreaming of. But now it seems all those desirable traits might come at a cost, literally. Reports from European media are coming in bearing not so glad tidings on the expected price tags for the smartphone as well as its accessories. The Elite X3 alone, for example, would cost 699 EUR, which, directly converted, would be around $770 stateside, making it a very expensive bet on the Windows 10 Mobile platform.

The HP Elite X3 does bear 2016 flagship specs, so the price tag may be a bit warranted, though still quite above the price of most high-end Android smartphones so far. The Windows 10 Mobile device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4 GB of RAM and a rather large 5.96-inch WQHD screen. Among the expected features include a fingerprint scanner, a first for a Windows 10 Mobile device. It will also come with an optional passive stylus accessory and will have a golden variant as well.

Part of the Elite X3's appeal, however, is companion devices that make it a business class smartphone. In addition to the desktop dock, which is no different in functionality to Microsoft's Continuum Dock, HP has also introduced a "Lapdock", or the HP Mobile Extender. Basically, it is an empty shell of a laptop that the Elite X3 will use for a larger display and keyboard and mouse input. Practically a portable Continuum setup. The Elite X3 connects wirelessly with the Lapdock, at which point it functions as a touchpad. But there are other ports on the extender for even more productivity.

Despite those benefits, the $770 price tag might be a bit hard for consumers to swallow. As if to add insult to injury, a complete bundle of the Elite X3 and the desktop and laptop dock is supposedly priced at 1,200 EUR, or around $1,330. Then again, HP is intending the Elite X3 for business use and is more likely to sell and appeal to enterprise customers than directly to consumers.

VIA: Plaffo, theWINdose