This is starting to get a bit silly now. Every few weeks since the end of last year, HP has been increasing and decreasing the price of its Windows 10 Mobile flagship in the UK, with no obvious logic to these rises and falls. As you can see, we've been keeping track of the company's bizarre pricing over the last few months:
- August 2016: HP launches the Elite x3 in the UK, priced at £706.80, including the Desk Dock accessory, which supports Windows 10 Mobile's PC-like Continuum mode.
- December: HP cuts 5% off that price, reducing it to £673.20. It offers no indication that this is a short-term promotional offer of any kind.
- January 17, 2017: The price of the Elite x3 and Desk Dock suddenly shoots up to £757.20 - 7% above its original price, and 12% higher than the price to which it had dropped a few weeks earlier.
- Late January: HP reduces the Elite x3 and Desk Dock back to its original price of £706.80.
- February 21: HP cuts the price by 5% again, reducing it to £673.20 for the second time since its launch. It also includes a free screen protector as a special offer.
- Late February: HP raises its price again, back up to £706.80, still including the free screen protector.
- March 7: The price inexplicably rises again to £757.20. The free screen protector offer continues.
Now, three weeks after its last pricing adjustment, HP has dropped the price of the Elite x3 and Desk Dock once more. This time, its price has fallen by £55.20 (7%) to £702 - but the offer of a free screen protector has now ended.
It's not at all clear what the thinking is behind HP's inconsistent pricing for its mobile flagship, but even at its newly-reduced price, it's still slightly more expensive than at other retailers. Carphone Warehouse, for example, is selling the handset and dock for £699.99; and the Microsoft Store recently reduced its price from £706.80 to £689.99.
The Elite x3's key specs include:
- 5.96-inch AMOLED with Quad HD (2560x1440px) resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and anti-reflective coating
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB onboard storage (plus microSD card support)
- 16MP rear camera
- 8MP front-facing camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth 4.0
- NFC support
- 4G LTE connectivity
- Optional dual-SIM support
- USB 3.0 port with Type-C connector
- Iris scanner
- Fingerprint scanner
- IP67 rating for dust- and water-resistance
- MIL-STD-810G rating, assuring device protection for drops from up to 1 meter
- Pogo pins
- Qi wireless charging
- 4150mAh battery
- 161.8 x 83.5 x 7.8mm; 194g
HP UK is continuing to offer a cashback deal for buyers willing to trade in their existing handsets for an Elite x3. The exact amount you'll get back varies depending on the device that you're trading in; an iPhone 7 or Galaxy S7 will get you £500, but you'll only be offered £125 for Microsoft's Lumia 950 and 950 XL flagships.
If you're thinking of buying the Elite x3, make sure you check out our detailed review of the device before you do so.
Source: HP
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