Review: HP EliteBook Folio 1020 G1

Introduction and design

If you think business notebooks have to be boring and boxy, think again. HP designed its premium EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 ($1,249, £820, AU$1,640) to look as sleek as a consumer-class Ultrabook without sacrificing durability, security and manageability.

With a 12.5-inch display, the EliteBook Folio G1 competes in the same space as the boxier enterprise-class HP EliteBook 820 G2 ($1,290, £845, AU$1,695), Lenovo ThinkPad X250 ($800, £525, AU$1,050), and Dell Latitude 12 7000 Series ($1,079, £710, AU$1,415).

In the consumer space, the Folio faces stiff competition from the five-star-rated Dell XPS 13 ($729, £480, AU$960) and Apple MacBook ($1,299, £850, AU$1,115). The Ultrabook also goes up against convertibles and hybrids, like the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro ($1,099, £720, AU$1,440) and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ($799, £525, AU$1,050), though you'll have to add in the cost of the detachable keyboard cover with Microsoft's slate.

Design

If it wasn't for the giant HP logo on the notebook's silver machined aluminum lid, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 for Apple's 12-inch MacBook. Before Apple fans scream foul of a copycat design, the Folio was shown off publicly at the end of 2014, ahead of Apple's reveal of the MacBook earlier this year, and I am referencing the MacBook given its visibility and familiarity in the market today.

Rather than a small notch in the center edge of the keyboard deck, a tiny lip on the laptop lid makes it easy to open the Folio with one hand when it's sitting on your lap or on a desk. This gives the same effect as Apple's notched approach on the MacBook line, but HP's implementation results in a cleaner design with uninterrupted lines on the lid and keyboard deck.

Even though the Folio is the thinnest and lightest business-class machine, according to HP's claims, it is heavier and larger than consumer systems like the Dell XPS 13.

The optional QHD resolution IPS display on our review unit of the Folio is framed by a black bezel and coated with edge-to-edge glass. Dell's infinity makes the 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.6-inch (30.4 x 20 x 1.5 cm) XPS 13 more compact than the 12.2 x 8.27 x 0.62-inch (31 x 21 x 1.57cm) Folio. The XPS is also lighter at 2.6 pounds (1.26kg), compared to the Folio's 2.68-pound (1.22kg) weight.

The screen looks gorgeous with bright colors, rich saturation and wide viewing angles. Windows 8.1 was able to scale the resolution so text and images didn't appear tiny with the increase in pixel count.

On the keyboard deck, like the MacBook, a strip of perforated speaker holes sits atop the keyboard, which comes with island-style keys. The Folio also comes with chamfered edges that frame the screen and the keyboard deck.

Unlike some other business-class notebooks, especially ones with a dedicated number pad like the Lenovo ThinkPad W550s mobile workstation, the Folio has a trackpad that's centered with the spacebar key. The symmetry makes it look more like a consumer notebook than a utilitarian business tool.

But don't let the consumer aesthetics fool you – there are plenty of features that business users will appreciate on the Folio, including Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC) 810G certification, a spill-resistant keyboard that directs spilled fluids out of a drainage hole on the bottom of the notebook, integrated fingerprint reader on the right side just below the keyboard, docking port that integrates with the HP UltraSlim Dock with cross-compatibility between different HP laptop models and optional TPM support.

The undercarriage of the Folio is coated with a soft-touch finish. Although I found some flexing on the bottom cover if I push hard – it doesn't feel as solid as the machined aluminum keyboard deck or the lid – the cover is still comprised of a magnesium alloy metal and helps keep the weight down.

HP claims that up to 12 MIL-SPEC tests were performed, subjecting the Folio's durability against humidity, dust, vibration and drop.

Ports are located on the side edges of the Folio. HP included an adapter for the slim side docking port for users requiring legacy and ethernet ports.

Specifications and performance

Equipped with a power-efficient and fanless Intel Core M processor, there are trade-offs that users who choose the Folio must accept. You will trade in raw performance and a beefier battery for a slightly longer battery life and a slimmer design.

Here's how the unit sent to TechRadar for review was configured.

Spec sheet

• Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M-5Y71 with vPro (up to 2.9GHz with Intel Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300
• Memory: 8GB RAM (DDR3, 1,600Mhz)
• Storage: 256GB M.2 SSD
• Screen: 12.5-inch QHD UWVA touchscreen (2,560 x 1,440)
• Camera: 720p webcam
• Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0; dual-band 802.11ac (B/G/N), dual-band Wi-Fi
• Ports: HDMI, 2x USB 3.0 charging, microSD, docking connector, headphone/microphone combo
• Battery: Four-cell 36Whr
• OS: Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit
• Enterprise security: TPM 1.2/2.0 (Infineon, soldered down); Fingerprint reader; Full Volume Encryption; Preboot Authentication (Password)

As configured, our review unit has a suggested retail price of $1,649 (£1,080, AU$2,165).

John Hagan, product manager of HP's business system, explained that HDMI is preferred over DisplayPort because it's found in more places – hotel room TVs, small conference room projectors, monitors – and that the optional docking station provides DisplayPort access.

When pressed about HP's choice to go with a microSD card reader over a full-sized one, Hagan confessed that the company ran out of space on the Folio and couldn't accommodate a regular SD card reader.

Performance

The Intel Core M and integrated graphics on the Folio will appeal to business users who spend most of their time inside PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, Word documents and the browser. As such, if you work with large Photoshop files or do heavy video production work you should look for a stronger Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor coupled with discrete graphics. If you're spending your time surfing the web, writing reports and creating presentations, the Core M CPU delivers enough power while stretching your battery life.

Benchmarks

• PCMark 8: Work: 2,268
• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 4 hours and 35 minutes (50% screen brightness)
• 3DMark: Fire Strike: 407; Cloud Gate: 1,551; Sky Diver: 1,526
• Cinebench: GPU: 15.44 fps; CPU: 139

As expected, both processor and graphics performance delivered by the Intel Core M chip is weaker than the performance of an Intel Core i5 system – like on the Acer Aspire R13 and Lenovo ThinkPad T450s. The Intel Core M is a mid-range processor, with performance that sits between the more energy efficient Intel Atom processor and the mainstream Intel Core i series.

The 15.44 GPU and 139 CPU scores generated using the Cinebench test is lower than both the 26.22 and 207 scores from the Aspire R13 and the 23.86 and 249 scores on the ThinkPad T450s, respectively.

In fact, the upgraded Core M-Y571 (compared to the Core M-Y510) on the Folio delivers similar Cinebench scores as the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series and the Microsoft Surface 3. The Surface 3 performed slightly better with a CPU score of 17.70 and a CPU score of 144.

However, processor performance using PCMark 8's work test is on par with Intel Core i5 systems. The Folio's score of 2,268 falls shy of the ThinkPad T450s's 2,896 and bests the Aspire R13's 2,190. The power efficient Core M processor on the Folio outlasted the ThinkPad's three hours and 45 minutes of battery life and the Aspire's three hours and fifteen minutes, but not by a significant margin.

Graphics performance was a different story, and the Folio scored significantly lower marks with 3DMark's Sky Diver, Fire Strike and Cloud Gate tests than the ThinkPad and the Aspire. The tests evaluate performance with heavy video rendering and gaming, and the results posted by the Folio are on par with other Core M systems, including the Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series, but weaker than systems with a Core i processor.

In my use, I got more than seven hours of battery life on the Folio using productivity software like Microsoft Office 2013, streaming short video clips on YouTube and working inside the browser using Google Apps. Battery life is on par with the Ultrabook category, but still falls short of MacBook's nine hours.

Keyboard and ForcePad

HP promotes the keyboard on the Folio as one of the best on the market, and I found those claims to be true. Evenly spaced keys, consistent key pressure and satisfying key travel make typing a joy on the Folio.

While the keys are evenly spaced, spacing between each key is smaller on the Folio than on the MacBook Pro. It's unclear why HP opted for closer key spacing as there is plenty of room to expand the keyboard. Because of the layout, typing feels cramped at first, but after a brief adjustment period, I was able to type accurately at full speed.

I noticed that the keys are also springy and responsive, but typing on the Folio's keyboard sounds more muted than on the MacBook Pro. HP placed the key cap extremely close to the underlying key dome mechanism to dampen key sound, something that's important if you're looking to type meeting notes in a quiet conference room.

The water resistant keyboard drains at the bottom in the event you spill water. This business-class feature ensures that you don't lose data or ruin your system if you spill coffee in the morning, an important consideration for road warriors working in cramped space. The Folio also comes with backlighting for use in dark environments.

HP uses Synaptic's pressure-sensitive ForcePad for the touchpad. While the branding sounds similar to the Force Touch touchpad on the Apple MacBook, there are a few notable differences. Both touchpads are buttonless, clickless and recognize gestures, but HP's implementation does not come with haptic response to give your fingers the illusion that you're clicking down with subtle vibration motors. Instead, if your volume is turned on, an audible click is played to simulate a button click.

I found the ForcePad to be usable, but without haptic feedback I wasn't always confident that a click was registered as I like to mute the volume on my machines when using them at work.

Enterprise users will appreciate the HP Sure Start technology, featuring a self-healing BIOS. HP claims that there is a second copy of the BIOS that's stored on the system. In the event of a malware attack on the BIOS, the system will boot safely into the second copy of the BIOS. Once that happens, the Folio will wipe the affected BIOS and copy the unaltered BIOS over for booting.

Display

The main complaint I have with the display is that it only opens up to about 135 degrees. This is fine when you're using the notebook on a desk, but ergonomics is compromised when using the Folio as a laptop.

Typing with the notebook in my lap, it seems that I am straining to look down on the Folio's display, rather than at the screen. It seems a bit shortsighted of HP to not include a 180-degree lay-flat hinge for better collaboration.

If you're using the display to watch movies, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how loud the speakers get. Even though the Folio doesn't have audio tuning from HP's Beats or Bang & Olufsen partnerships, sound output quality should be more than adequate for personal movie watching.

Verdict

The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 blends the best elements of a consumer Ultrabook with an enterprise laptop. Even though the Folio is built with the durability required by enterprises, it doesn't share its design with boxier rivals. Instead, the sleek unibody Ultrabook looks more like a consumer laptop that's been enhanced with security features, including TPM support, fingerprint scanning and data encryption.

What we like

The HP Folio 1020 G1 has a gorgeous design that's atypical of business-class notebooks. Cloaked in a unibody aluminum shell, the fanless Folio is one of the lighter, more attractive business portables we've tested, but HP didn't skimp on enterprise-friendly features.

The system comes with an ergonomical keyboard, fingerprint scanner, docking station compatibility and brilliant display. It has all the accoutrements that IT managers seek, and users who choose to adopt the Folio will likely pay a premium given the relatively higher $1,250 price of entry.

What we disliked

While the Intel Core M processor holds up well to basic office productivity tasks, the laptop feels sluggish when it's pushed to the limits. This makes the Folio less versatile than a notebook with an Intel Core i5 processor, and users who game, work with graphics or edit videos likely should skip the Folio for something more powerful.

Despite the trade off in power, the Core M doesn't add enough battery life to compensate for the degraded performance, nor is the processor worthy of the price premium that HP charges for this business system. Real world battery life is on par with, but not quite better than, systems with a mainstream Core i5 or Core i7 processor.

Other quibbles include a screen that doesn't recline enough – I would have loved to see a hybrid version of the Folio with a 180- or 360-degree hinge – and the choice to go with a microSD card reader over a full-sized one.

Final verdict

The HP Folio 1020 G1 is a laptop with stunning good looks, mediocre performance and rugged durability. The downside is that the energy efficient Intel Core M processor doesn't deliver more performance or battery life.

Despite its gorgeous QHD resolution touchscreen display, users with graphic needs should steer clear of the Folio, but the average office worker who lives inside Chrome, Office and YouTube will find a lot to love about this business Ultrabook. HP's design attention, security focus and emphasis on durability makes this a winner for road warriors who need a light system for travel.

Compared to business-class rivals like the Lenovo ThinkPad X250, the Folio doesn't score particularly well on a pure price-to-performance ratio, but there's no denying you're getting an attractive, if somewhat underpowered, system.

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