Review: HP’s Dragonfly Folio G3 stays cool and quiet in faux leather
Enlarge / The HP Dragonfly Folio G3 2-in-1 laptop. (credit: Scharon Harding)
| Specs at a glance: HP Dragonfly Folio G3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worst | Best | As reviewed | |
| Screen | 13.5-inch 1920*1280 IPS touchscreen | 13.5-inch 1920* 1280 IPS touchscreen with HP Sure View Reflect Privacy | 13.5-inch 1920*1280 IPS touchscreen |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1255U vPro | Intel Core i7-1265U vPro | |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 | 32GB LPDDR5-6400 | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD | 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD | 512GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G | |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5 mm | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5 mm jack, 1x Nano SIM card reader | |
| Size | 11.67*9.22* 0.7 inches (296.42*234.19*17.78 mm) | ||
| Weight | Starts at 3.09 lbs (1.4 kg) | ||
| Battery | 53 Wh | ||
| Warranty | 1 year | ||
| Price (MSRP) | $2,379 | $4,715 | $2,749 |
| Other | Stylus with 3x extra tips included |
Dressed to impress, HP's Dragonfly Folio G3 is a unique machine with a high price tag to match (it starts at $2,379 as of press time). Like other Dragonfly laptops, including the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Elite Dragonfly G3, the Folio G3 is largely aimed at business users. But this isn't the type of 2-in-1 that IT managers will be distributing company-wide.
Instead, the Folio G3 will land in the hands of executives and big-spending power users willing to splurge for a distinct look and feel-and way more flexibility than almost every other convertible PC can boast. With its current-gen CPU, this machine is an intriguing alternative to Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio, which has a screen with a similar pull-forward design that lets it prop onto the deck or lay on top of the keyboard to work like a tablet.
HP's Folio G3 is finely crafted, it stays cool and quiet, and it begs to be shown off. But if you prioritize performance over things like stylus input and an adaptable screen, there are more suitable ultralight laptops.