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HP has returned with its next series of Enterprise-focused Chrome OS devices and this time, the company has set its sights on the varying needs employees based on their unique work “lifestyles.” During the virtual press event, the HP team joined up with Google’s VP of Chrome OS John Solomon to show off HP’s latest Enterprise hardware that includes a rugged clamshell for what they’ve dubbed “frontline heroes” along with a more premium clamshell and a Project Athena convertible designed for cloud-centric professional on the go.
HP Chromebook 14 G6
The first device on the list is intended for field workers and it offers a utilitarian clamshell design and a rugged chassis that includes reinforced ports, spill-resistant keyboard and a MIL-STD test rating. The HP Chromebook 14 G6 is powered by an Intel Celeron processor that’s paired with up-to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The 14″ display can be upgraded to a FullHD touch display and you can opt for a backlit keyboard.
Around the outside, the 14 G6 offers up a variety of ports with 1 USB-C, 2 USB-A, an HDMI port and microSD card slot. One notable upgrade on the latest iteration of the rugged HP 14 is Bluetooth 5.0 which we’re hoping will fix the issues that have long plagues Chrome OS Bluetooth connections. Keeping an eye on enterprise security, the HP Chromebook 14 G6 will also offer an optional privacy shade for the webcam in the form of a manual shutter. HP also touted a “wipeable” keyboard that will withstand cleaning with disinfectant wipes. The idea here is that the 14 G6 can easily be handed back and forth between users while keeping a focus on health safety. The HP Chromebook 14 G6 will be available this month at starts at $399.
HP Pro c640 Chromebook
Next up, HP has debuted the first Chromebook to carry the company’s “Pro” branding and the 14″ clamshell has everything you’d expect for a Pro-series laptop. The c640 will be powered by Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake processors and you’ll have your choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 and up-t 16GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. While this premium clamshell does feature a spill-resistant keybaord and has been tested to meet certain MIL-specs, HP declared the Pro c640 the world’s thinnest business Chromebook ever made. Now, keep in mind that any Chromebook can be used for business but HP is only considering devices that offer and ship with the Chromebook Enterprise Upgrade.
The c640 features 2 x USB-C and 2 USB-A. The latter features a jaw-drop port cover for extra protection of the port. You’ll also find an HDMI port and a microSD card reader. The chassis is designed with aluminum and comes in at a slightly pudgy 3.35 pounds. The c640 will come with an optional FullHD touch display and HP looks to have kept the bezels under control. HP mentioned that the c640 is equipped with HP Fast Charge which will chage the Chromebook to 90% in just 90 minutes.
As with other 10th Gen Chromebooks released this year, the c640 will feature WiFi6 as well as Bluetooth 5.0 and the c640 will offer added security with an optional fingerprint sensor and an optional privacy shade for the webcam. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet and honestly, the way HP prices its enterprise solutions, it’s anyone’s guess what the MSRP will be. The HP Pro c640 will be available sometime in June
HP Elite c1030 Chromebook
Last on the list, HP has brought Chrome OS to its Elite series with the c1030 Chromebook and this 13.5″ convertible brings all of the best features from other Project Athena Chromebooks and tosses in some new goodies that we’ve never seen before in Chrome OS. First off, HP has forgone the 14″ display and gone with one of my favorite screen ratios that is found only on the Acer Spin 13. The c1030 is a 13.5″, 3:2 touch display. As good as the Acer’s display was, HP has one-upped the entire Chrome OS market by offering up an optional 1000-nit display. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is reported to max out at 750 nits. HP’s new display will be usable just about anywhere in any lighting scenario.
If that wasn’t new enough, the c1030’s display is also hiding a little secret that we uncovered a few months back. HP pioneered the integrated privacy screen with the company’s Sure View Reflect technology. The Elite c1030 will allow users the option to enable the privacy shade with just the flip of a switch to keep prying eyes away from sensitive data. This feature will be triggered by the new key that’s located directly to the right of the brightness key on the top row of the keyboard. To add some icing to the cake, the display is also USI compatible which means that it will work with HP’s USI stylus or any other USI-compatible pen.
The c1030 comes in just under 3 pounds and is a respectable 16.7mm thick. The Chromebook is equipped with 2 USB-C and 1 USB-A ports as well as a microSD card slot and of course, you can get an optional fingerprint sensor that’s located to the right of the massive trackpad. Another first for any Chromebook, the c1030 will also feature an optional privacy shade for the webcam that is triggered digitally by a switch that’s located on the left side of the chassis in front of the volume rocker. This was added because the Chromebook has the highest screen-to-body ratio of any on the market and HP said that there simply wasn’t room for a manual privacy shade. The company worked closely with Google to integrate the new feature that we’ll likely see in more future devices
The Elite c1030 offers the same Core i3/i5/i7 options as the c640 and you can max out the RAM at 16GB if you like. The storage pairings will go up to 256GB and will come in the form of PCIe SSDs. The keyboard is spill-resistant and backlighting is standard for this model. Like the c640, the Elite Chromebook features WiFi-6 and Bluetooth 5.0 but it will also come with an LTE option that will make it one of the most versatile and feature-rich Chromebooks every made. To top it all off, HP was proud to announce that the Elite c1030 Chromebook is the first-ever Chrome OS device to be manufactured, in part, using ocean-bound plastics in addition to the lid being created with 75% recycled aluminum. The HP Elite c1030 Chromebook will be available in August but we do not have pricing at this point. I can go ahead and say that, whatever the price, this Chromebook has my name all over it. We’re anxiously looking forward to getting our hands on one for review. To learn more about HP’s new enterprise products, head over to the company press room for the full rundown.
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