HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review.. There are two variants of HP’s new Dragonfly Pro laptops available: one runs ChromeOS and the other Windows 11. Both are designed for small company owners and independent contractors that want a high-quality laptop with contemporary features and round-the-clock assistance. I’ll evaluate the Windows 11 version later, but for now, we’re evaluating the ChromeOS variety.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review

One unique feature that sets the Dragonfly Pro range apart from most other laptops is the option to call technical assistance directly on the laptop to resolve concerns. Thankfully, HP relies on more than just that to create a compelling premium Chromebook product.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: Specs and configurations

The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook comes in only one configuration, costing $999 for a Core i5-1235U, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe SSD. You may get it in white or black. It is still more costly than some of HP’s other business-focused Chromebooks, however.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: Top-tier Chromebook design

The cover of the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook opens easily with one hand while maintaining sufficient friction to keep the screen securely in place. Its metal chassis is as sturdy as a rock, and no matter how hard you try, the lid will not bend. It is uncommon to find a Chromebook built on the same platform as the greatest Windows and Apple premium laptops, such as the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Apple MacBook Pro 14. Notably, the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook from HP wasn’t quite as good as its predecessor.

With speaker grills on each side of the keyboard and a silver HP logo on the lid, the otherwise straightforward all-black or all-white design is given some flare. Although minimalism is now popular in laptop design, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook nonetheless has a pleasing appearance. It’s not. With precisely the correct proportions of lines and angles to give it a sleek appearance, it’s really rather attractive. Even if the top and bottom display bezels aren’t the smallest on the market, the device nonetheless seems contemporary when it is open.

At 0.70 inches and 3.33 pounds, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook isn’t the lightest or thinnest laptop available, but it’s still very portable. Although the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 weighs 2.83 pounds less and is 0.64 inches narrower, the differences are not really noticeable. By contrast, the very eco-friendly Acer Chromebook Vero 514, made entirely of plastic, weighs somewhat less (3.09 pounds) but is thicker (0.80 inches). These two laptops are not as reliable as the HP.

The keyboard has enough key spacing, big, comfy keycaps, and a well-thought-out layout that adheres to the standard ChromeOS layout. The snappy, light switches would feel better with a little more pressure applied. Although it’s not quite as nice as the HP Spectre keyboards, it’s still decent enough for extended typing sessions.

Because the touchpad is haptic, you can “click” all across its surface. It has outstanding haptic feedback that gives the sensation of sturdy physical buttons without making noise, and it is quite accurate. It’s one of the greatest touchpads on a Chromebook, in my opinion, and it’s a good size for a 14-inch laptop overall. It works better, in my opinion, than the Dell XPS 13 Plus’s haptic touchpad.

There are only four Thunderbolt 4 ports available for connection, which is amazing considering how restricted contemporary connectivity may be. Dongles are required for older devices. As part of a trend that I find extremely objectionable, HP has decided to exclude the audio jack. However, this is not unexpected considering that the smartphone sector has already adopted this design, and some other laptop manufacturers are doing the same.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: Help when you need it

HP’s brand-new Pro Live help service is available around-the-clock and offers live agent chat or phone help. The first year of ownership is free, after which it costs $11 per month for a maximum of 36 months. After creating an HP account, all you have to do to obtain assistance without the typical hassle is click the support agent link in the HP assistance Assistant app, choose your particular laptop, and proceed.

To find out how to activate the RGB keyboard illumination, I utilized the service to ask a query. I received the instructions five minutes after I started the conversation, and the procedure was easy and straightforward. It’s simple to switch on the backlighting, by the way. The keyboard choices will be at the bottom of the screen when you press and hold the home screen and choose Set wallpaper & style. You have the option of choosing white, a specific other color, a rainbow effect, or no illumination.

For those without an IT staff but yet want support in handling technical problems, this is an excellent solution. Although I didn’t test the service to its full potential, I had enough impressions to know that it’s a good addition and should be given serious thought by the appropriate client.

Among the fastest Chromebooks

As we often note in our evaluations of Chromebooks, ChromeOS uses a fraction of the system resources of MacOS or Windows 11. Because it is a lightweight operating system that is mostly based on web technologies, it may use fewer components. The 12th generation Core i5-1235U, a 15-watt CPU with 10 cores (two performance and eight efficient), 12 threads, and a maximum turbo frequency of 4.4GHz, powers the Dragonfly Pro Chromebooks. For Windows 11 computers, it is a midrange CPU; nevertheless, for ChromeOS, it is a high-end processor.

When you consider that the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook has 16GB of RAM—a lot for a Chromebook—it becomes one of the fastest ChromeOS computers we’ve ever examined. It won the web-based Speedometer 2.0 test and is the quickest we’ve tested in Geekbench 5 multi-core mode. I exerted a lot of pressure on the laptop, launching many tabs and used various Android applications in the background, and I saw no lag. Thanks to the Intel Iris Xe graphics, even Android apps performed nicely (not that they were all pleasant to play in a clamshell). My favorite test is Asphalt 9, and it ran without a hitch or glitch.

In the end, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook will satisfy even your most exacting workflow requirements. Nothing that ChromeOS throws at the laptop is too much for it to handle.

The battery life was lower than that of the majority of ARM-based Chromebooks as well as the other Intel Core Chromebooks in our comparison group. You won’t likely get a full day’s work out of the laptop if your ChromeOS workflow is too demanding.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: A very bright, high-res display

With a 14.0-inch 16:10 IPS display at 2560 x 1600, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook has a crisp resolution for its size. My colorimeter doesn’t support ChromeOS, thus I can’t verify HP’s claimed brightness of up to 1,200 nits.

But during my testing, I really like using the display. Although I don’t need such high brightness, it would be useful if I were to work outdoors or in places with plenty of ambient lights. The blacks remained true without becoming gray, and the colors were vivid and realistic. Most users should find this display satisfactory since it’s excellent for creative or productive work.

The audio was amazing—it filled my home office to the brim with loudness. At maximum volume, there was no distortion; the mids, highs, and slight bass were all audible. Four speakers—two downward-firing and one on either side of the keyboard—are responsible for that. For streaming music or film, I wouldn’t need a set of headphones or external speakers, and generally, I’d say the audio quality is a plus.

It’s an 8MP webcam, the first on a Chromebook, and it shoots a sharp, clear picture. Videoconferencers will be happy with the results as HP and Google worked closely together to maximize video quality in various lighting circumstances.

A truly modern Chromebook that elevates the platform

Along with being among the best-built laptops available, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook has a number of features that set it apart from its Windows rivals. It is also exceptionally speedy. Not many ChromeOS computers come equipped with Thunderbolt 4 and haptic touchpads, not to mention readily available live 24/7 technical help.

Although it costs $999, it is among the finest Chromebooks available and positions the platform to more directly compete with MacOS and Windows 11. This isn’t your computer if you can’t use ChromeOS, which is still the operating system. However, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is a good option if you’re searching for a high-quality Chromebook without sacrificing anything.

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