Since launching its Windows 10 Mobile flagship in the UK last year, priced at £706.80, HP has repeatedly raised and reduced the list price of its Elite x3 and Desk Dock bundle, with no obvious logic to its pricing strategy. Microsoft's pricing on its UK store has been far more consistent, keeping the bundle at £689.99 for months.
But today, Microsoft has cut £50 (7%) off the bundle's price, reducing it to £639.99. Officially, this is a temporary discount, which is due to end on September 25 - but a permanent price cut for the Elite x3 seems long overdue, especially when you consider the massive savings that Microsoft has been offering on the same bundle in the US over the last couple of months.
The device was originally announced a year and a half ago, although it didn't actually go on sale until August 2016. Given how quickly things move in the mobile industry, the Elite x3 isn't as cutting edge as it once was, and buyers can now pick up newer and more capable devices like the Galaxy S8 and HTC U11 for around the same price as the HP handset - or considerably less, such as the £499 LG G6.
Alcatel's Windows 10 Mobile flagship, the IDOL 4 Pro, recently launched in the UK as well, with similar specs to the Elite x3. Priced at £419.99, it's £220 cheaper than the Elite x3 bundle - even with its latest discount - although it doesn't come with a docking solution for Windows 10 Mobile's PC-like Continuum mode.
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
Make sure you check out our HP Elite x3 review if you're thinking of buying one.
Source: Microsoft Store
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