HP came to CES 2026 with a clear message: business laptops don’t have to be heavy, boring, or locked into a single platform anymore. The new EliteBook X G2 lineup leans hard into on-device AI, while giving buyers something they rarely get in this segment-real choice.
Instead of pushing one processor family, HP is offering the EliteBook X G2 with AMD, Intel, or Qualcomm Snapdragon silicon, plus both traditional clamshell and convertible designs. It’s a flexible approach that fits how modern work actually looks, especially for people who live on their laptops all day.
That flexibility matters more than ever as AI workloads move off the cloud and onto the device itself.
One lineup, three silicon paths
At the top sits the EliteBook X G2q, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus or X2 Elite chips. The flagship configuration pushes up to 85 TOPS of NPU performance, making it one of the most capable Copilot+ PCs announced so far. HP pairs that silicon with a 14-inch 3K OLED display (optional 120Hz VRR), up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and as much as 2TB of PCIe storage.
For users who prefer x86 compatibility, HP isn’t forcing a compromise.
The EliteBook X G2i runs on Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 processors, delivering up to 50 TOPS of AI performance while keeping weight impressively low. Entry-level configurations come in under 1 kilogram, which is remarkable for a full-featured business laptop with this kind of performance headroom. Display, memory, and storage options mirror the Snapdragon model, keeping the decision focused on platform preference rather than feature trade-offs.
Then there’s the EliteBook X G2a, built around AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 470. With up to 55 TOPS of NPU performance, it lands squarely between Intel and Qualcomm in raw AI capability, while retaining AMD’s strengths in sustained performance and compatibility. Again, HP keeps the rest of the configuration consistent across the lineup, which simplifies buying decisions.
Convertible options without compromise
HP is also expanding the lineup with the EliteBook X Flip G2i, a convertible version of the Intel model. The Flip variant supports laptop, tent, stand, and tablet modes, with a detachable display that turns the device into a standalone tablet when needed.
What stands out is that the Flip doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Specifications remain in line with the standard G2i, which means users don’t have to give up performance just to gain flexibility. That’s still not a given in enterprise hardware.
Built for long days, not just demos
On paper, the EliteBook X G2 series checks all the expected enterprise boxes: Windows 11 Pro, Copilot+ features, enterprise-grade security, and promised all-day battery life. But what matters more is whether these machines can actually handle sustained work.
This is where HP has quietly earned some credibility.
I’ve been using an HP notebook as my primary work machine for about a year and a half, and it’s been pushed hard-12+ hour workdays, constant multitasking, heavy browser workloads, writing, research, and background apps running nonstop. What still surprises me is how well such a compact machine holds up under that kind of pressure.
Thermals stay under control, performance doesn’t collapse after a few hours, and the system hasn’t developed the sluggishness that often creeps into thin-and-light laptops over time. That real-world endurance is easy to overlook at events like CES, but it’s exactly what makes designs like the EliteBook X G2 series compelling. These aren’t just thin for the sake of marketing slides; they’re built to survive long, repetitive workdays.
A smarter direction for business laptops
The EliteBook X G2 lineup feels like a shift away from the old “one-size-fits-all” enterprise laptop strategy. Instead of forcing everyone into the same platform, HP is acknowledging that different users value different things-ARM efficiency, Intel compatibility, or AMD performance balance-and letting them choose without penalty.
Availability is staggered. HP says the Intel-powered EliteBook X G2i and Flip G2i should arrive in select configurations starting February 2026, while the AMD G2a and Snapdragon G2q models are expected later in the spring. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet.
HP also used CES to tease other hardware, including the new Omnibook Ultra 14 and its unusual keyboard PC, but the EliteBook X G2 series is the clearest signal of where HP thinks business laptops are headed.
If these machines deliver in real-world use the way HP’s recent notebooks have, this lineup could set a new baseline for what “lightweight business laptop” actually means in the AI era.
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