HP Envy x2 hands-on: a Snapdragon 835-powered Surface competitor with outstanding battery life

Qualcomm's reign in the mobile smartphone space has been unlargely contested, but now they're forging ahead into new territory - one that will really test the company's tenacity to adapt. The next move for them is to enter the Windows 10 market, and one of the first devices to show that ambitious move is the HP Envy x2, a 2-in-1 styled mobile device in the same capacity as Microsoft Surface tablets.

Three main components about the HP Envy x2 stand out the most, they include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC Platform, built-in 4G LTE connectivity, and crazy battery life upwards around 20 hours from a single charge. Other specs highlights about the HP Envy x2 are listed below.

• 12.3-inch WUXGA+ 1920 x 1200 Display 
  
• Up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM 
• Up to 256GB of storage 
• 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera 
• USB Type-C port 
• microSD card slot 
• SIM card slot 
• combo audio jack 
• Audio by Bang & Olufsen 

Designed with that 2-in-1 convertible form-factor, the HP Envy x2 can easily go from tablet mode for quick and easy usage on-the-road, all the way to full productivity mode with its included detachable keyboard. It props up the tablet via its magnetic connection, while also doubling as a protective case. Impressively, the entire package weighs in at under 3lbs - with a svelte 7mm frame at its thinnest point using the tablet only.

Obviously, the star of the show here is the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC Platform it's going to be leveraging. Competing directly against the multitude of Chromebooks out there, the HP Envy x2 will be Qualcomm's opportunity to showcase its talents over on the Windows side - albeit, it's going to be Windows 10 S. So far, they're steering towards the correct direction, but it'll be interesting to see how Qualcomm will be able to compete in this new market.

Pricing and exact availability aren't known at the moment, but its general availability will come sometime in spring of 2018. That's some time away, so we're hoping that it'll be aggressively priced by the time it's released.