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The newly released Dragonfly Pro laptops from HP are available in two distinct configurations: one runs Windows 11, while the other runs ChromeOS. Both are geared at those who work for themselves or other small businesses and require a premium laptop with up-to-date features and assistance available live around the clock. We will be discussing the ChromeOS flavour, but in the near future, we will discuss the Windows 11 version.
The Dragonfly Pro series of laptops quickly stands out from the majority of other laptops thanks to a brand-new feature that gives users the chance to solve problems by contacting technical help directly through the device itself. To its credit, HP does not rely solely on this feature to make its premium Chromebook offering appealing to consumers.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5/i7 |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe |
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook: Design
The Dragonfly Pro looks simple and sleek, but that doesn’t mean that HP’s creators were boring or lazy. The base is made of a magnesium metal, and the cover and keyboard frame are both made of aluminium. The cover and keyboard frame have been given a matte finish, which makes it nice to slide your fingers across and gives it more weight at 3.33 lbs (1.51 kg). The company says that 65% of the metal used in the build and 15% of the plastic used in the keycaps, speaker box, and battery are made from recycled materials. You can buy this chromebook from its official website
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook: Display
First, there’s the show. With 1200 nits, it can be used anywhere, even in bright sunlight. In fact, this panel was made just for this machine, so the Windows version doesn’t have it. You won’t find computers with 1200 nits anywhere else. It’s so bright that if you use it at full brightness in a dark room, your eyes will hurt. Luckily, the brightness changes itself. The quality is just right at 2560 x 1600. You don’t get the pixelation of FHD like on the regular Dragonfly Pro, and you don’t drain the battery like you do with 4K.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook: Ports
All four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 and are up to USB 4.0 standards, so it’s more than ready for your display docks. Plus, there are two on each side, so your charging wire won’t have to go all the way to the other end of the laptop. You might not like this set-up if you still use old devices with full USB ports or if you want a microSD card slot. At least you don’t have to say that there aren’t enough ports.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is well-thought-out and follows the standard ChromeOS layout. It has big, comfortable keycaps and a lot of space between the keys. The switches are light and fast, but they could use more pressure. It’s not quite as good as the HP Spectre keyboards, but it’s close and good enough for long work sessions.
Since the touchpad is “clickable,” you can “click” anywhere on its surface. It’s very accurate, and the haptic feedback is great, giving you the feeling of real buttons without the noise. It’s one of the best touchpads you’ll find on a Chromebook, and it’s also a good size for a 14-inch laptop in general. From my point of view, it’s better than the Dell XPS 13 Plus’s haptic touchscreen.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook: Performance
With this kind of powerful hardware, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this device is one of the best in its class. It even beats its much more expensive older brother, the Dragonfly Elite Chromebook.
Chromebooks are harder to benchmark because there aren’t many standard tools that work with ChromeOS. However, in the tests we were able to run, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook beat the much more expensive Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, sometimes by a large margin.
Price and availability
It’s even more annoying that HP doesn’t give you even one or two of the ports you need, like a USB-A, an HDMI, and an audio jack, which Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 does for $270 less. Also, keep in mind that this Chromebook’s battery life might be short because it has such a bright screen for the price. If you don’t mind buying and carrying dongles, the Dragonfly Pro is one of the fastest and best Chrome laptops we’ve seen, but we can’t put it above the Acer as our current Editors’ Choice winner.
Final Words
The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook’s high cost is difficult to swallow. When many of the best Chromebooks on the market today cost between $400 and $600, spending more than $1,200 on a Chrome OS laptop is shocking. If you’re looking for a Chromebook for personal use and cost is an issue, go elsewhere. You should look elsewhere.
However, the Elite Dragonfly is an excellent option for professionals. Security is prioritised with features like Intel vPro, Google Titan C chip protection, an integrated privacy shutter, and more.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review: The good and The bad
The Good
- Gorgeous design
- Powerful hardware
The Bad
- Expensive
FAQS
For $1,549, you can get 32GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD). That’s a pretty big jump for $150. Right off the bat, we want to say that HP’s prices are great.
The HP Chromebook 14 is a good Chrome OS laptop with a comfy keyboard and a long battery life. But there are better choices in the same price range, especially in terms of how well it is made.