Live Science Verdict
The HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q is a speedy and stylish AI laptop computer with a stamp battery that can last for day . Just do n’t expect to be blown away by its display .
Phenomenal battery life
compendious and lightweight
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
Zippy operation
Dim concealment
Pricey
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
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Adopting the ethos of HP ’s more work - focused machines in its 2024 batting order was the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q .
— Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite ( 12 sum )
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
— 16 GB LPDDR5X
— Qualcomm Adreno GPU
— 1 TB SSD
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
— 14 - inch IPS HDR
— 2.98 lbs ( 1.34 kg )
— 12.32 x 8.80 x 0.44
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
— 31.3 x 22.4 x 1.1
This is a Windows 11 AI PC that ’s marketed squarely at " enterprisingness " exploiter , as you may glean from its bumper price shred , but that would n’t look too out of place in any linguistic context that demands reliable functioning . Its qualities make it a potentiallygreat laptop for coding and programming — but there are question marks as to whether it will cut the mustard .
Our review manakin feels entry - grade in comparison to more heavyweight models out there — with just 16 GB RAM and a received IPS screen with a lower resolution than we ’d expect . But this machine certainly calculate fantastic , thanks to its gloomy destination , and is one of the thinnest and lightest 14 - inch models we ’ve see in late month .
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
Keumars is the technology editor at Live Science , and is presently roaming the group discussion halls of CES 2025 looking for telling fresh engineering science and a automaton heel he can call his own . He has write for a variety of publications including ITPro , The Week Digital , ComputerActive , and TechRadar Pro , and was previously features editor program at ITPro .
HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q: Design
The EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q is an elegant machine with a stunning " Atmospheric Blue " finish . This is a welcome departure from the usual greys , ash grey and Shirley Temple Black that overtop the space — and is extremely reminiscent of the olympian HP Elite Dragonfly G2 . The trackpad and the keys propose some contrast with the finale of the exterior , although the multi - toned pastel keyboard ( especially the top course and ability button ) did find a little out of stead when trying to go for that sophisticated , agio spirit .
Otherwise , it ’s one of HP ’s best - search models right now and that ’s due not just to its refinement but also to its thickset dimensions . It ’s far and away one of the thinnest laptops out there in the 14 - inch bracket , with a 0.44 - column inch ( 11.2 millimeters ) heaviness . Unlike its first cousin , the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 , the EliteBook retain curved edges but that gentle look neatly complement its overall elegant aesthetic .
Where there is a tinge of disappointment is in the spirit of the chassis and establish lineament — which is due to the use of recycled aluminum and plastics . This is n’t to take away from the overall machine which is also , thanks to the elbow room it ’s been built , relatively lightweight at 2.98 lbs ( 1.35 kilograms ) . Contrast this with the less expensive OmniBook Ultra 14 , which librate 3.46 Lebanese pound ( 1.57 kilo ) . The Acer Swift AI is light yet at 2.91 pound ( 1.32 kilogram ) .
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q: Display
The OLED display fitted into the previous generation of HP models ( including the Spectre x360 and Envy x360 ) were a highlight of those machine — with a nice brightness level and vivacious colors . This go out a peculiarly bitter taste when you see how underwhelming the " low power " screen built into this simple machine is by comparability . By no way is it a terrible display — and it ’s certainly full enough for most tasks that do n’t involve intensive in writing employment — but its 2,240 x 1,400 - pixel solvent is less than we ’d want , meaning you do n’t get the same brittleness that you did in HP ’s premature laptop .
Much like the OmniBook Ultra 14 , which used the same control panel , we detect it was too dim and kept unknowingly tapping the key to increase its brightness even when this was adjust to 100 % . quiz with a display calibrator reinforced our opinions , as we registered a dark 218 nit . This was about 50 nits dimmer than its OmniBook Ultra cousin and about 150 nits dimmer than the OLED panel agree into the Spectre and Envy models . Around 350 nits is a good enough final result , but we ’d really need to be determine models in the 400 - plus territorial dominion .
Thankfully , unlike the OmniBook Ultra 14 , the factual colors on the screen were far more accurate – with a very strong 99.9 % reporting of the sRGB spectrum , alongside 74.6 % coverage of the Adobe RGB spectrum ( for photo editing ) and 83.7 % on the DCI P3 spectrum ( for telecasting editing ) . While we ’d need to see 90 % or high for a " skilful " result , this is still much higher than we ’ve seen in spate of other models . It ’s just a disgrace the screen itself is so faint .
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q: Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard adopts the classical HP layout , with singular sizing of the Enter key and up / down pointer keys ( while giving the left / correct keys double the blank space ) , which is a bit of a learning curve no matter of the manakin you pick up . But once you move beyond that , you will find a decent keyboard with sensible spatial arrangement and spate of effect feedback . The keys are snappy and responsive ; they ’re also a little on the shallow side , but good enough to spend a considerable amount of clip typing with .
The extra - large touchpad in this model was also extremely reactive and smooth when gliding your fingers across its control surface . There have been plenty of HP machines in years gone by on which the touchpad was either overly sensitive or not sore enough , or too tricky , but the touchpad fit out into the EliteBook seems to have quashed those issues .
HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q: Performance and battery
By now you might know what to expect from Arm - based Windows 11 AI microcomputer fitted with Qualcomm Snapdragon hardware — and if you do n’t , the answer is alert performance with a stonking peachy bombardment life . Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite ( 12 nub ) CPU alongside a Qualcomm Adreno graphics posting and a Qualcomm Hexagon ( 45 TOPS ) neural processing whole ( NPU ) . While you are n’t pass away to get the performance of a political machine fitted with a eminent - end AMD or Nvidia art plug-in , the EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q performs well enough if you ’re looking to perform day - to - day job or even compose some code .
Our testing with Geekbench 6 picture cheeseparing - monovular solvent to other machines fitted with the Qualcomm hardware , which is all the more impressive considering our review model embark with just 16 GB RAM . This machine registered 2,298 in the single - threaded test and 14,035 in the multithreaded test . These scotch are a shade under those we watch in the 32 GB RAM - meet Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and the OmniBook Ultra 14 , but the EliteBook does outgo the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and Microsoft Surface Pro 11 . A graphics grade of 20,464 is also a hard event in our OpenCL trial , when compared with all the aforesaid twist . But the gains are marginal .
Where the EliteBook sincerely shines is its phenomenal 26 hours and 45 minutes battery animation — double what we would have debate a " good " result . It ’s an almost unbelievable effect but a testament to how expeditiously this laptop computer runs , and perhaps a irrefutable trade - off with its " low-toned superpower " display .
(Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet/Future)
HP EliteBook Ultra G1q: Ports and features
With the EliteBook Ultra G1q , you are limited to a smattering of ports that will serve you well in most illustration — including two USB - degree Celsius port and USB - A port alongside a 3.5 millimeter stereo system earphone jack . You would perhaps not require much more in a laptop so thin — even the USB - A port is accessible only thanks to a flap that you must attract down before plugging in your peripherals . But it ’s a disgrace this machine does n’t come with a few more alternative , such as an South Dakota Card reader . We ’d also have prefer a USB - C port on either side .
The wireless measure are also a little low-toned than we ’d have expected — with the EliteBook compatible with Wi - Fi 6E ( not Wi - Fi 7 ) and Bluetooth 5.3 . This deficiency of futureproofing is a little short sighted , give the OmniBook Ultra 14 does fend for Wi - Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 and costs a small less , too .
The AI features , meanwhile , come mostly in the form of the HP AI Companion app . This is like an onboard chatbot that you may use to contend your arrangement , however the function are still fairly limited . But we did find the Poly Camera Pro feature article helps to improve your double quality while you ’re on a video call . It ’s just a pity the camera itself is just 5 MP as play off to the 9 MP that ’s becoming more prevalent in high - end laptop computer .
HP OmniBook Ultra 14: Should I buy it?
The HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q does so many things right but also fails to clear some basic hurdles . We really enjoyed using it thanks to its density and lightweight finger , not to mention how stylish it looks . But there are compromises you need to make if you do want to invest in a political machine that , quite candidly , is a niggling overpriced .
you may bank on satisfying and reliable performance and a tremendously farsighted battery life story that bests pretty much anything else we have seen . But you absolutely can not swear on its screen to daze you in a direction that other laptop computer will . That said , there is nothing inherently " offputting " about it beyond the poor brightness level . It ’s perfectly fine for indoor use but we would n’t recommend taking it outdoors or in bright , cheery weather .
If the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 isn’t for you
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If you ’re looking to pick up a like laptop that ’s available for a raft less , we ’d take the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 — it has the same gore as the EliteBook but is a shade brilliant and performs much better . Better yet , it ’s available for a few hundred dollars less .
We would also study taking a look at the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 — another Arm - found Qualcomm machine that has comparable public presentation but an incredibly bright and crisp display .
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