28 Jan
Blog

Jabra Elite 7 Pro Review: Perfect True Wireless Earbuds

Man wearing Jabra Elite 7 Pro.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro

MSRP $200.00

“These Elite 7 Pro get everything right and don’t cost a fortune.”

Pros

  • Super comfortable
  • Great sound quality
  • Excellent call quality
  • Very good ANC and transparency
  • Good battery life
  • Wireless charging
  • Tons of customization options
  • Excellent water/dust protection

How do you improve on an awesome set of true wireless earbuds? That’s the question that faced Jabra as it contemplated the design for its new $200 Elite 7 Pro, the successor to its excellent Elite 75t, which proved to be some of the best true wireless earbuds you could buy when they debuted in 2019. The answer, it seems, is to double down on what the Elite 75t got right, and then fill in the missing gaps. Did that formula work out? You bet it did. Let’s take a look.

Design

Jabra Elite 7 Pro.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 7 Pro are a natural evolution of Jabra’s true wireless designs. They’re just as rounded and ergonomically shaped as the Elite 75t, yet smaller and lighter. When compared to Jabra’s flagship Elite 85t, the 7 Pro are downright tiny. The multifunction buttons now have a teardrop shape and occupy the entire outer surface of the earbuds, making them impossible to miss. The new design also affords much better water protection, with an IP57 rating (the Elite 75t were IP55), making them effectively waterproof.

The Elite 7 Pro are the most comfortable noise-canceling true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

But the most noticeable change has to be the charging case. Jabra has abandoned its distinctive, upright design with its flip-top lid for a more conventional clamshell shape. It’s ever so slightly larger now, but it also has wireless charging built-in, something you needed to pay extra for in the past.

It might also be the first charging case that puts its charging port on the front instead of the rear. Though not as pretty, it’s eminently more practical.

The lid isn’t quite as easy to open because of its curved sides, but that’s a minor critique of what is otherwise an excellent design. The earbuds snap in and out of their charging sockets with ease — something that has long been one of Jabra’s strengths.

Comfort, controls, and connections

Jabra Elite 7 Pro seen next to Jabra Elite 75t.Jabra Elite 7 Pro (left) and Elite 75t. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Let’s just get this out of the way: The Elite 7 Pro are the most comfortable noise-canceling true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. The Elite 75t were already mighty comfortable, but Jabra has managed to refine that shape so that they feel even better. The company says it also reengineered the material of the eartips, which probably contributes to their excellent fit. Maybe it’s just the particular shape of my ears, but the Elite 7 Pro feel like they were custom-made for me — I could happily wear them for hours at a time without pain or fatigue. Not sure if you chose the right size of eartips? You can run a fit test within the Sound+ app to find out.

The Elite 7 Pro are the most customizable earbuds I’ve ever tested.

Jabra targets the Elite 7 Active at those who want a set of earbuds for high-intensity activities, and you could totally get away with using the Elite 7 Pro for all but the heaviest of workouts — once in my ears, they didn’t budge at all.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro seen next to Jabra Elite 85t and Elite 75t.Jabra Elite 85t (left), Elite 7 Pro (middle), and Elite 75t. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The controls remain the best in the business: Big, easy-to-press physical buttons that offer an unmistakable tactile click when you use them. With single-, double-, and triple-click gestures, plus one for press-and-hold, you can control everything from calls to playback to active noise cancellation (ANC). If you don’t like Jabra’s default control scheme, you can change it within the Jabra Sound+ app, with almost unlimited freedom to pick and choose what each gesture does. In fact, the Elite 7 Pro are the most customizable earbuds I’ve ever tested. If you can think of a function, I guarantee there’s a section in the Sound+ app that lets you modify it.

You can trigger your phone’s built-in voice assistant, or you can configure the Elite 7 Pro to work with Amazon Alexa. With in-ear detection, you can choose to autopause and play your music when you remove or reinsert one of the earbuds.

With Bluetooth 5.2, the Elite 7 Pro are easy to pair and they can stay reliably connected up to 50 feet away (a little less indoors). You can also use the earbuds independently.

They’re pleasure to listen to, no matter your chosen music genre.

When I initially reviewed the Elite 7 Pro in October 2021, it suffered from just one flaw: It lacked Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously. As of January 27, 2022, that has been rectified via a firmware update, removing my only real criticism of these earbuds.

Sound quality

Man wearing Jabra Elite 7 Pro.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 75t possessed enormously powerful bass for such small earbuds, so much so that the low end had a tendency to trample on the midranges. You needed to jump into the EQ settings to rein it in. The Elite Active 75t was milder in the bass department but arguably not as clear. The Elite 7 Pro manages to be the best of both worlds, with a deeply resonant low end that is much better controlled.

A track like Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, where the opening vocals are essentially whispers that float above a thumping bass line, is an ideal test — if the EQ isn’t just right, the tiny nuances in Eilish’s voice are lost under the pressure of the constant beat. The Elite 7 Pro handle it like a champ, not only giving the low end the power it deserves, but also keeping it where it belongs so that Eilish’s shiver-inducing whispers can be heard with excellent clarity.

Jabra’s call quality has always been good, but I was blown away by the Elite 7 Pro.

You can tweak EQ manually or use Jabra’s small selection of presets in the Sound+ app, but I doubt you’ll need to. The factory EQ is so well-balanced for all kinds of music, I didn’t feel the need to change it at all. You can also choose to use the MySound feature in the Sound+ app, which will attempt to personalize the EQ according to your specific hearing profile. I didn’t find it improved things for me, so I kept it turned off, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Flipping back and forth between the Elite 7 Pro and Jabra’s more expensive Elite 85t proved to be an incredibly tricky comparison. It felt like I could hear a little more detail from the 85t, but you’d literally need to do a side-by-side comparison like I did to notice.

Either way, the Elite 7 Pro are a pleasure to listen to, no matter your chosen genre.

Noise cancellation and transparency

The Elite 85t were Jabra’s first earbuds to offer a hybrid ANC system (the Elite 75t and Active 75t were given ANC with a firmware upgrade, but those buds don’t use the combination of feed-forward and feedback mics that the 85t has). The Elite 7 Pro are better at canceling unwanted sounds than the 85t, but their transparency mode isn’t quite as crystal clear.

I think this is due to the 85t’s semi-open architecture, which lets in a small amount of outside air. That openness simultaneously makes it easier to hear outside sounds and harder to cancel them. The Elite 7 Pro are fully closed, which gives them the noise-canceling edge. The Sound+ app lets you fine-tune the ANC performance, but much like the MySound feature, I didn’t notice a big difference.

The Elite 7 Pro can’t quite keep up with the reigning champs of ANC and transparency — the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — or the AirPods Pro, but considering their lower price, that’s not surprising and, honestly, the difference isn’t huge.

Flipping between the two modes is almost instant: Whether you want quiet or conversation, one press on the left earbud is all you need.

Call quality

For the Elite 7 Pro, Jabra has used what it calls MultiSensor Voice technology, which aims to provide better voice pickup through bone conduction-sensing mics. It’s not hype. Jabra’s call quality has always been good, but I was blown away by how much better the Elite 7 Pro are at calls than Jabra’s previous buds. I stood in a parking lot on a windy day, with an active construction site just a few yards away, and yet almost none of that was audible during my tests. A small amount of compression worked its way in there during the loudest moments, but in general, it was superb. And in a relatively quiet spot, it was impeccable.

With Jabra’s adjustable sidetone feature, you can let in as much of your voice as you want, and there’s even a microphone-mute feature you can engage while on a call — something that even pricey earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds don’t offer.

All of this makes the Elite 7 Pro an ideal choice for those who like to talk.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 7 Pro charging case seen next to Jabra Elite 75t charging case.Jabra Elite 7 Pro wirelessly charging case (left) and Jabra Elite 75t charging case. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra claims you’ll get up to eight hours per charge on the Elite 7 Pro earbuds with ANC on, and the key here is the “up to” part. I played music continuously on them with ANC on and volume set at 50%, and while the left earbud made it the full eight hours, the right earbud only managed 7.5 hours. Given that the right earbud was the first to connect and thus the “primary” earbud, this makes sense — it has to do more work. A fast charge of five minutes will buy you an extra hour of use if you’re in a pinch.

With the charging case included, you should be able to get 30 hours of total playtime, and likely a good bit more if you keep ANC and transparency turned off. The numbers aren’t at the top end of what true wireless earbuds can do, but they’re more than sufficient for daily use and all but the longest of travel plans.

Extras

In addition to the wealth of capabilities I’ve described above, this review wouldn’t be complete unless I mentioned some of the lesser-known features that Jabra throws in, like Find My earbuds, adjustable auto-power off timing, and your choice of voice guidance, tone guidance, or none at all. You can choose if you want to cycle through ANC, transparency, and off modes when activating the mode switch, or you can choose any two of those modes. There’s a separate EQ setting just for phone calls. In-ear detection can be used to automatically answer phone calls or mute the mics. And finally, the Sound+ app offers a series of “soundscapes,” some of which are designed to mask external sounds, while others are meant to be more relaxing or meditative.

What’s in the box?

Jabra Elite 7 Pro box contents.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra is getting better and better at making sustainable product boxes. The Elite 7 Pro comes in an attractive, yet fully recyclable cardboard box, with only one small plastic blister pack for the extra eartips. Inside, you’ll find the earbuds, their charging case, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and three sizes of eartip (mediums are installed by default).

Our take

I’ve tried and failed to find something about the Jabra Elite 7 Pro that I don’t like. At this price, nothing beats them. And while better ANC, transparency, and sound quality are available, for most folks, it simply won’t be worth the extra investment to get them.

Is there a better alternative?

No. Jabra has priced the Elite 7 Pro low enough that they obliterate any other set of earbuds that cost around $150 to $200. Your only real options are to spend more on models like the Sony WF-1000XM4, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, or the Master & Dynamic MW08.

How long will they last?

I’m still rocking a set of two-year-old Elite 75t, and while they don’t get constant daily use, they’re still in outstanding shape. I expect the Elite 7 Pro to last for many years. With their IP57 protection, not much will affect them (short of actual immersion in water — don’t do that), and Jabra is so confident in that rating it will extend its normal one-year water and dust warranty to two years if you register your earbuds in the Sound+ app.

Should you buy them?

Yes. They’re an absolutely killer set of true wireless earbuds.

Editors’ Recommendations



11 Jan
Blog

Jabra Elite 4 Active Review: Workout-Ready, Wallet-Friendly

Jabra Elite 4 Active.

Jabra Elite 4 Active

RRP $ 120.00

"Budget-conscious fitness fans will have a hard time finding a better set of buds."

benefits

  • Comfortable, secure fit

  • Completely waterproof

  • Very good sound quality

  • Effective ANC

disadvantage

  • No wireless charging

  • No wear sensors

It's not difficult to find great true wireless earbuds for training that have a comfortable but very secure fit, lots of water and dust protection, and active noise cancellation (ANC). Jabras Elite 7 Active, JBLs Reflect Flow Pro and Jaybirds Vista 2 – to select just three current models – all qualify. But with prices starting at $ 150 and going up to $ 300, they're not nearly as friendly to your bank account as they are to your morning runs.

That makes Jabras Elite 4 Active look really convincing: they're completely waterproof, designed to be secure, and they even have a few handy extras like ANC, transparency mode, and customizable EQ. All for the much cheaper price of $ 120. Are these the training buds you've been waiting for? Let's find out.

The Jabra fits

Man with Jabra Elite 4 Active.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra's Elite line of true wireless earbuds are some of the best-fitting, most comfortable we've tested, and the Elite 4 Active is no exception. They are almost identical in shape to the budget Elite 3 and are very similar to both the Elite 7 Pro and the Elite 7 Active, meaning they fit very well. With a choice of three sizes of silicone earbuds in the box, it shouldn't be difficult to find a combination that works for you.

The part of the earbud that sits deepest in your ear is made of smooth plastic, while the part that sits right inside your outer ear has a lightly rubberized texture. It's not as grippy as the finish Jabra used on the Elite 7 Active, but it has more texture than the Elite 3. Will they stay in place during your intense workouts? In most cases the answer is yes.

The combination of small size, ergonomic shape, structured surface and low weight makes them as safe as possible without the need to add physical aids such as ear fins, wing tips or ear hooks. But anything that changes the shape of your ear canal, such as speaking, laughing, sneezing, or just grinning because you've just beaten your personal best, can affect the fit of the Elite 4 Active and therefore requires adjustment.

Press a little harder

Jabra Elite 4 Active with included accessories.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Physical controls are still the way to go, and Jabra is still the master.

Jabra's controls are also legendary in my opinion. Because the company always uses physical buttons and never touches sensors, you get a pleasantly tactile click when you press it. And that leaves no doubt as to whether or not you got it right. The controls on the Elite 4 Active share this heritage, but require more force than other Jabra models.

I attribute this to the fact that the button is hidden behind a thin rubber membrane on the outside of the earbuds (one reason they offer such strong IP57 protection), but the surface area itself is pretty small. The result is a key that is still very precise and tactile, but requires almost twice as much force as the Elite 3 or Elite 7 Active.

That said, I'll be placing the Elite 4 Active's physical buttons over the touch controls of almost all of the other earbuds, especially when you're trying to focus on your workout. In addition, as with all physical buttons, you don't need bare skin or special gloves to operate them – another advantage, especially in cold weather.

Unlike the Elite 7 series, Jabra doesn't let you customize the controls on the Elite 4 Active, but the default settings give you everything you need including play / pause, skip tracks, answer / end calls, microphone mute, ANC / transparency, voice assistant and volume control. You can use each earbud independently, and if you're an Android user, you even have the option to replace the Google Assistant with Amazon Alexa. Android users also have the option to use Spotify Tap instead of a voice assistant to get instant access to their Spotify Premium playlists.

Power songs

Jabra Elite 4 Active.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

A set of training buds is useless if they can't give your favorite tracks the strength and presence to motivate and move you. The Elite 4 Active definitely have what it takes here. They combine Jabra's balanced sound signature with an extra helping of bass. We're not talking about rattling bass here, but it's exactly what you need to feel the rhythm of your music as you pound on the sidewalk or throw your fists on a punching bag. Whether you're taking inspiration from AC / DC, Kendrick Lamar, or BTS, the Elite 4 Active are more than capable of keeping up.

I placed the Elite 4 Active head-to-head (ear-to-ear?) With the Elite 7 Active, and both models were surprisingly close. As you'd expect, the Elite 7 Active had a bit more detail and a wider soundstage than the Elite 4 Active, but since neither model is aimed at critical listening, I think the difference isn't enough to recommend the Elite 7 Active over 4 Active – at least not from a sonic point of view. We'll go into the other differences later.

Jabra Sound + app for Android.

Jabra Elite 4 Active Test elte 00021

With clear high frequencies and satisfactory mids, I found the default tuning to work fine on whatever genre of music I've thrown on these buds, but if it's not entirely to your liking, the Jabra Sound + app lets you EQ through a range optimize presets and manual options. You can't drastically change the sound signature, but there is more than enough headroom to add (or decrease) bass and treble for different listening preferences.

It's worth noting that these buds don't support the AAC bluetooth codec that Apple prefers for all of their phones and tablets – they use SBC on those devices instead – but they do support aptX on Android devices if yours is compatible with that codec . When switching back and forth between an iPhone 11 and a Google Pixel 5, I could hear a slight improvement in the pixel, but it was barely noticeable.

A little quiet, please

Jabra Elite 4 Active.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Hear that No? That is the point.

Some Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) systems like Apple's AirPods Pro can magically eliminate external noise to the point where it simply disappears when the ANC is turned on. The Elite 4 Active's ANC system definitely reduces some of the outside frequencies getting into your ears, but it's not that noise cone effect that Apple has achieved.

But who is complaining? Especially at this price point, any ANC system that kills unwanted noise is a good thing. And that's exactly what you get. Switching from passive soundproofing to ANC provides a noticeable reduction in traffic, fans, background calls and other annoyances.

Best of all, with a click of the ANC's left earbud, you can switch to transparency mode which brings in the outside world. Or you can use the app to decide whether you want to switch between ANC on and off with this button, switch transparency on and off, or all three modes one after the other.

You can also use a slider setting in the app to decide how much of this external sound should be recorded. Transparency mode lets you hear other people and sounds well, but your own voice remains a little muffled.

Delete calls

Jabra Elite 4 Active.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Telephoning with the Elite 4 Active, like most Jabra earbuds, is very good. Your voice comes through very clearly and the microphones seem to have no problem keeping unwanted background noise from overwhelming your conversations. I ran into a bit of wind during testing – not a lot, mind you – but it was barely registered on my recordings.

You can enable sidetone (which is like transparency mode but for phone / video calls). This will allow you to hear your own voice more clearly which will reduce fatigue on some earbud calls.

All day battery

How much battery life do you need for a set of true wireless earbuds? I'd argue that more is always better, but the seven hours of playtime per charge of the Elite 4 Active plus the additional three charges in the charging case (for a total of 28) should be enough. If you want even more time, Jabra says you get 8.5 hours without ANC and a total of 34 hours with the case.

When testing with the ANC on and the volume set to 50%, I got closer to six hours of use, but that's still pretty decent. A quick charge function gives you an additional hour of use for 10 minutes of charging.

Extras

Jabra includes a Find My Earbuds feature in the Sound + app that records the last known location when the Elite 4 Active was connected to your phone, making it easier to find lost earbuds. You can also have the earbuds play a tone so you can find out which sofa cushion they are under.

What's not included

While the Elite 4 Active has a decent number of features, here's what you'll find on a few other earbuds, including the more expensive ones Elite 7 active:

  • Wireless charging
  • Wear sensors for automatically pausing music
  • Fully customizable controls
  • Hands-free voice assistant
  • Bluetooth Multipoint (for connecting two devices at the same time)

Our opinion

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are the perfect workout earbuds for anyone who wants great sound, great fit, and great protection from the elements without spending more than $ 150.

Are there any better alternatives?

The Elite 4 Active seems to have found a nice little niche. You can pay more for the JBL Reflect Mini NC for $ 150 and get wireless charging and voice-activated assistants, but overall battery life isn't as good as that of the Jabra and the Reflect Mini NC is IP56 vs. IP57 for the Elite 4 Active.

You can also spend less and get the Anker Soundcore Spirit X2, a set of ear hook-style earbuds that have better battery life and even better water / dust protection, but have no ANC or transparency mode and there is no app-based one Adjustments for EQ.

So while there are certainly many alternatives to a set of wireless training buds, we haven't found one that combines the features of the Elite 4 Active with its affordable price.

How long will they last?

While it is never easy to predict such a thing, Jabra makes high quality products, and the Elite 4 Active looks well built and reasonably sturdy. Their IP57 rating protects them from most dust and waterfalls – even total immersion – and Jabra offers an extended two-year warranty for customers who register their earbuds through the Jabra Sound + app.

Should you buy it?

Yes. They don't fit as securely as training plugs with ear hooks or ear fins, but they do Elite 4 active are a good choice for price-conscious athletes who do not want to miss out on the essentials.

Editor's recommendations



20 Nov
Blog

You’re Not an Elite Athlete, So Stop Acting Like One

Immersed in your computer screen, sit in silence and watch a repetition run flawlessly. The seemingly effortless movement from start to finish leaves your mind searching for answers.

Like a voyeur you scroll again and again through the wondrous world of the internet. Everything you see is perfection on all levels, the elite work of the full-time athlete. Suddenly you're no longer comparing your maximum repetitions with the other guys in the gym, but with a Russian strength athlete who is only half as heavy as you. The waistband of your shorts clicks back into place as you check your manhood and feel the shrinkage of defeat.

But elite-level performance is based on simplicity and consistency. The comparison between you and the young woman is actually an insult to her pursuit of success. Before you get all of the elite, you need to understand that you need to fall back on the basics that exist inside and outside the gym.

Elite-level performance is based on simplicity and consistency.

1. Earn the right to progress

Training is a lifelong pursuit. The mistake many athletes make is failing to realize that every exercise is based on a certain basic level of movement. Sliding your feet and catching the bar deep in a snatch comes from hours spent in deep squats. From practicing with a wooden pole, when your whole body is yelling at you, to jumping on the pole like your hero.

“Training is more than just physical presence. Improving every aspect of your time in the gym is a mental exercise. "

Regardless of the sport or skill required, there is a simple question that needs to be answered. Where are you currently on this continuum of skills? You have to be honest and find your own starting point and then move forward gradually.

What you then have is information that you can translate into your own training plan. They adapt to the training behavior of your own body and do not break down your body with the volume that only a well-drilled machine of an athlete can handle.

2. Move with the aim of improving yourself

You don't have the luxury of filling your day with all the nuances of exercise. So let's be honest. Is the latest animal crawling pattern that everyone will see benefit your troubled ankle that you always complain about when you struggle in the squat?

"Is the latest animal crawling pattern you see everyone doing to benefit your troubled ankle that you always complain about when you crouch fight?"

From the moment you walk into the gym you have a purpose. Training is more than just physical presence. Improving every aspect of your time in the gym is a mental exercise.

Elite, everyday athletes, training, mindset, sports psychology

Working on Purposeful Movement with Dmitry Klokov.

Does your movement preparation deal with mobility problems? Does this core drill complement a compound lift? Do you lose yourself in another world during your rest periods by scrolling down your phone or are you focusing on breathing exercises to recover faster? It's your decision.

3. Find radiators, not drains

Life will expose you to two different types of people. On the one hand, the person who always has a problem and complains all the time. The kind of person who with their negativity drains life from one person to the next.

"Your training room should be filled with a community of radiators that not only take your training, but also your everyday life to the next level."

Then you will encounter the energy boom that radiates over a smile from another athlete in the last seconds of a skin-ripping kettlebell snatch. This person is great to be with, and of the two, it will be the one who will keep you in the zone.

In a healthy and productive training environment, leave the little glitches of life behind you. Your exercise room should be filled with a community of radiators, which not only take your training, but also your everyday life to the next level.

Elite, everyday athletes, training, mindset, sports psychology

Radiant energy after 715km in the boat with friends.

4. Find the right coach

At some point you have to make decisions yourself. As soon as you step onto the ring, the playing field or the secluded platform, you are in control. This is not applied simply by reading a book. It's an immersion in your workout and sport with a trainer who slowly gets you to ask your own questions.

“If you want to achieve more than you currently think possible, then look for a coach, preferably through a recommendation. Listen and above all trust his process. "

Spending two weeks with the 2004 Russian Olympic champion, Dmitry Berestov, asking endless questions and watching the coach-athlete interaction left me in no doubt. To quote Berestov himself: "The best athletes have been trained to think and not to hang out."

If you want to achieve more than you currently think possible, then look for a coach, preferably through a recommendation. Listen and most importantly, trust his process.

Elite, everyday athletes, training, mindset, sports psychology

Me with Olympic champion Dmitry Berestov.

5. Get a living

You're more than just a six pack or a good gluteus muscle. You're a living example of what you're doing outside the gym walls. Two hours of exercise won't undo a missed meal, endless nights of poor sleep, or a work-life balance that burdens you more than the thought of a 2km rowing time trial when you are just over six feet tall (or is that so?) just me?).

"Remember, there is such a thing as life, especially when training isn't about life, death or medals."

Jokes aside, building up all of the small loads will go a long way when you put the pressures of volume and intensity in your workout time. Something is going to give way, and it's usually a part of the body. Remember that there is such a thing as life, especially when training isn't about life, death or medals.

diploma

It's easy to get caught up in the details of the programming and the OCD-like sexiness of the numbers, percentages, paces, and rep ranges shared across the internet. Realize that there is more to being elite than just spending time in the gym.

More like that:

10 Sep
Blog

Jabra Elite 3 Review: All Of The Basics On A Budget

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds.

Jabra Elite 3 review: all the basics on a budget

RRP $ 80.00

"Jabra's Elite 3 are a good selection of basic buds that want us to have a few more features."

advantages

  • Super comfortable fit

  • Excellent controls

  • Excellent call quality

disadvantage

  • Fewer functions than the competition

  • No AAC codec support

For years, Jabra's elite family of true wireless earbuds has been some of the best you can buy. But they were never particularly affordable, with regular prices often starting at $ 180. So to think of a set of Jabra earbuds that keep the brand's reputation for great sound, great fit, and great features at well under $ 100 is very appealing. That's the premise behind the new $ 80 Jabra Elite 3.

The price is certainly right, but has Jabra ditched too many of the Elite's signature features to achieve such cost savings? Let's check them out.

What's in the box?

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds included.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra has done an exemplary job reducing its product packaging, and the Elite 3 are further proof that you don't need to use plastic or foam to protect your product. The cardboard is 100% recyclable and the only touch of plastic (which is also made from the easily recyclable PET variety) is the small protective cover for the two optional earbuds. (You get a total of three sizes.) Inside you will find the Elite 3 earbuds, their charging case, a short USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a printed warranty brochure.

draft

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds alongside the Jabra Elite 75t.Jabra Elite 3 (left) and Jabra Elite 75t. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If it isn't broken, the saying goes, don't fix it. And Jabra has clearly followed this cliché with the Elite 3. The design of the earbuds is very similar to the Elite 75t and Elite 85t in that they maintain the ultra-comfortable ergonomics of these more expensive earbuds. But the Elite 3 also improves on these designs by increasing the size of the physical multi-function buttons and tilting the scale at a slightly lighter weight.

The charging case is also a near-perfect carbon copy of the 75t, albeit a bit shorter, and places the LED display on the front instead of the back. Jabra introduced this on the 85t and it's great to see it's been kept on the Elite 3.

They fit my ears perfectly – almost as if they were made just for me.

The case lid is easy to open and close, with a small notch in the hinge arm to keep it open when removing or reinserting the earbuds. There's no way an earbud can accidentally come off once in the case – a strong set of magnets conveniently grips the earbuds as they get close to their charging jacks, holding them firmly in place. Thanks to the shape of the buds, despite the power of the magnets, they're surprisingly easy to remove.

Jabra has also given the Elite 3 the same IP55 water and dust resistance as the Elite 75t, which should protect them from damage as long as you don't immerse them in water.

Comfort, controls and connections

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra's earbuds have always been some of the most comfortable you can buy, and the Elite 3 continues that tradition. They fit my ears perfectly – almost as if they were made just for me. There were no pressure points and they remained securely in place after insertion. Thanks to their small size and light weight, they are hardly noticeable. You shouldn't have a problem using them on your walks, runs, or other activities.

The Elite 3's buttons are Jabra's best yet.

Jabra's physical button controls are also some of the best in the true wireless world, and the Elite 3's buttons are the company's best yet. Since they occupy the entire outer surface of the bud, it's impossible to miss, and their precise click response means you'll get that tactile feedback every time you press it.

The click patterns (single, double, triple and click-and-hold) give you access to playback, call management, track skip, volume and voice assistant, as well as a one-click function to activate transparency mode (which Jabra calls HearThrough). ). I like the patterns Jabra chose for these controls and that you can use both earbuds solo if you want. But what I miss is the MyControls option that is available on the Elite 75t and 85t Buds, which gives you the ability to reassign which key clicks do those actions.

Another feature that is missing in Action is the automatic pause. Jabra's more expensive headphones use in-ear detection to pause and resume sound when you remove or reinsert them, but the Elite 3 lacks that capability.

Pairing the Elite 3 is a breeze. especially if you are an Android user thanks to the integration of Google's Fast Pair technology. After connecting, the bluetooth signal stayed strong and stable. I was able to put 30 feet of space between the buds and my phone before I noticed a disconnection.

It's a bit of a disappointment that they don't sound better than the competition.

The Android-only features don't stop there. You can also use Amazon Alexa instead of the Google Assistant, and with Jabra, Android users can swap voice assistant controls for double-tap access to Spotify. Use this option and your Spotify songs will start playing right away.

Unfortunately, Jabra decided to drop one of its signature features with the Elite 3: unlike other Jabra earbuds and headphones, you cannot connect the Elite 3 to more than one device (such as a smartphone and a computer) at the same time. It's a super-handy feature, especially for people who regularly switch between voice calls and video calls.

Sound quality

Man with Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

For the occasional listening, the Elite 3 are good performers. The factory sound signature is balanced, preferring neither highs nor lows, and there is decent detail and separation of the mids. It's the kind of vibe that works well with almost every genre of music, from hip-hop to classical, though it's not really stellar in any of them.

The bass response is satisfactory, although I think it doesn't quite live up to Jabra's "strong bass" promise. It's definitely strong enough to let you feel the beat – my test track, Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, had a lot of oomph – but if really big bass is your passion, then you should look elsewhere.

However, when comparing the Elite 3 to other earphones in this price range – like the Soundcore Life P3, Wyze Buds Pro, and Earfun Air Pro and Air Pro 2 – the Elites definitely feel like they're lacking some energy.

Jabra's set-up feels almost conservative compared to these other models, with a not-so-clear high-end and a relatively narrow soundstage. It's not dramatic, but considering how many features Jabra left out to bring these Buds to their $ 80 price point, it's a bit of a disappointment that they don't sound any better than the competition.

Thinking this might be the result of the Elite 3's lack of AAC Bluetooth codec support, I switched from my iPhone 11 to a Google Pixel 5 to try out the Qualcomm aptX codec. Warmth and detail have improved slightly, but the clarity in the highs, especially with female vocals, has remained mellow.

Jabra gives you several EQ presets to play with in the Sound + app – like Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and Energize – but none of them added as much to the overall quality as I hoped. And right now there is no way to create your own custom EQ (Jabra says this will come with a firmware update).

Battery life

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbud charging case.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra claims the Elite 3 can get you 7 hours on a charge. If anything, that number could be more conservative. With HearThrough turned off and the volume set to 50%, I ended up with 7.5 hours before the batteries ran out.

A quick charge option adds an extra hour to your listening time with just 10 minutes of charging, and the case holds three full charges for a total of 28 hours before you need to find a USB charger.

Transparency mode

Jabra's HearThrough mode has always been one of my favorite features in the Elite series. They do an excellent job at passive noise isolation so it is really valuable to direct the outside world for conversation or just general awareness. Turning HearThrough on and off is almost instantaneous, and the Elite 3 won't bother you with verbal feedback like other earbuds – instead of a message like “HearThrough On,” you'll get a quick and discreet tone to let you know that mode has itself changed.

The quality of transparency isn't quite as good as Apple's AirPods Pro or Jabra's Elite 85t – your own voice still sounds a bit muffled – but it's fine for most external noises.

Call quality

Jabra Elite 3 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Achieving good call quality with a set of real wireless earbuds can be a big challenge. Even buds that cost more than three times what Jabra charges for the Elite 3 – like the Klipsch T5 II ANC for $ 299 – can end up producing less than great results.

And yet the Elite 3 are great for making calls. Not only do they excellently block out background noise, they also deliver excellent speech reproduction. There's none of the usual wobble or compression noises that plague these devices, and when you're in a quiet area, your callers will be treated to a comfortably warm tonality that may even sound better than the microphone built into your phone.

When sidetone is on, you can hear yourself more clearly when you speak. All of this makes the Elite 3 a great accessory for those who make a lot of voice calls.

What is missing?

At this price point, it might not be reasonable to expect a brand like Jabra to offer all of the features of their high-end models, but there's no denying that the competition does just that. the Soundcore Life P3, Earfun Air Pro 2, and Wyze Buds Pro all cost $ 80 or less and include features like wireless charging and active noise cancellation (ANC). The Earfun and Wyze models also have an automatic pause.

But I'm more surprised at the lack of app-based features that the Jabra usually has, like sleep mode (which allows you to turn off the earbuds after a preset time), soundscape (a collection of sounds like rain, ocean waves, songbirds, etc. .), the ability to see how much battery life is left in the charging case, and the ability to automatically mute your audio when HearThrough mode is selected.

Our opinion

With the Elite 3, Jabra shows its strengths with first-class design, comfort and fit, controls and call quality. But given what the competition is offering for the same price or less, they're not quite as easy to recommend as the company's more expensive models.

Is there a better alternative?

In terms of call quality and convenience, I don't think you will find a better set of earbuds at any cost, but given the lack of advanced features on the Elite 3, these models should definitely be considered:

  • Soundcore Life P3: Better sound quality, ANC, customizable controls, customizable EQ, longer battery life, wireless charging, low latency gaming mode and Find My Earbuds.
  • Wyze Buds Pro: Better sound quality, ANC, Amazon Alexa compatibility, auto-pause and wireless charging.
  • Earfun Air 2 Pro: Better sound quality, ANC, longer battery life, wireless charging and automatic pause.

How long will they last?

Jabra products are very well made and use high quality materials. With an IP55 protection class against water and dust, the Elite 3 should prove to be quite robust, and Jabra supports this water / dust protection with a two-year guarantee that gives you great security.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. You might not throw it off the beaten track in terms of features, but they do Elite 3 are still a great set of true wireless earbuds that are especially good for those who are struggling to find a comfortable seat and / or make a lot of calls.

Editor's recommendations



04 Jul
Blog

HP Elite Dragonfly Max Review: A Video Dream Machine

HP Elite Dragonfly Max Test 12

"The HP Elite Dragonfly Max is a beautiful 2-in-1 device for the business traveler on the go."

  • Excellent workmanship

  • Thin and light

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Effective privacy protection

  • A number of valuable business functions

  • Overwhelming CPU performance

  • Expensive

The HP Elite Dragonfly has never been your average business laptop. The name alone suggests that this is not a ThinkPad clone. A unique design made the original Elite Dragonfly a fantastic 2-in-1 device for business people who didn't want to sacrifice design for business functions.

HP updated the machine to G2 in 2020 and then to the latest 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake CPUs in 2021. But now we have a specialized version, the Elite Dragonfly Max, which shares the same basic design and functionality as the G2, but with improved video conferencing capabilities – notably an improved webcam and an additional, outward-facing microphone.

I have a test configuration of the Elite Dragonfly Max with an Intel Core i7-1185G7 with vPro, 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), HP's Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) Sure View Reflect- Privacy protection and 5G WWAN support. The configuration costs $ 2,792, a very steep price tag that is – once again – aimed at a specific type of business user. Does the Max offer added value compared to the G2?

design

In test mode, the HP Elite Dragonfly folds up as a 2-in-1.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

What stands out most about the design of the Elite Dragonfly Max is the attention to detail. HP has obviously put a lot of thought into making a laptop that not only meets the typical needs of business users, but also some things that many people may not have thought of. Consider the "cleanability" of the laptop. Not only can you clean and disinfect the laptop with regular household towels – up to 1,000 cycles – but HP has also developed a simple HP Easy Clean utility that turns off the touchscreen, keyboard and touchpad, so you can clean the device without pressing any keys and touched.

Then there are the "Context Aware" technologies from HP, of which there are two variants. The first, in-bag / out-of-bag detection, has been implemented on a few other HP laptops – the HP Specter x360 14, for example, and just like it sounds, it can detect when you put your laptop in a Put a bag or a backpack. When this condition is detected, the laptop will go to sleep to make sure it doesn't turn on. Then if you remove it and place it on a flat surface, the laptop will wake up and be up and running much faster.

The second contextual function is On Lap / On Table Detection, which can detect when you are using the laptop on a desktop machine temperature around 5 degrees Celsius.

The Elite Dragonfly Max is an incredibly well-designed laptop in the most important aspects.

But no fear. HP did not spend all of its resources on unusual features. The Elite Dragonfly Max is also an incredibly well-designed laptop in the most important aspects. It's made from a magnesium alloy, which gives it a solid construction that is compromised by just a tiny flex of the lid. The keyboard deck and underside of the case are strong and rigid, and the laptop has been tested to military specifications. If the Elite Dragonfly Max isn't in the same class as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano, the ThinkPad X13 Yoga 2-in-1, or the Dell XPS 13, then it's damn close. Hold it in your hand – and toggle it between the four modes of clamshell, tent, media, and tablet – and you get a real feeling of solid quality.

The Elite Dragonfly Max is also a thin and light laptop. It's 0.63 inches thick and 2.49 pounds, and ranges from the 0.67 inches and 1.99 pounds of the ThinkPad X1 Nano to the 0.58 inches and 2.8 pounds of the XPS 13. The ThinkPad X13 Yoga has it the same thickness but weighs a little more at 2.76 pounds. There aren't many 13-inch 2-in-1s in the business class, and so our direct comparison group is slim.

The Elite Dragonfly Max would benefit from smaller top and bottom bezels that would make for a smaller case and a more modern look. There is a reason for the thicker top bezel, however – HP needed space to fit into the higher resolution webcam. Speaking of looks, the Elite Dragonfly Max is designed conservatively, with clean lines and simple angles, but enough accents not to get boring. The hinges are the most elaborate design element; they do not protrude, but subtly enhance the overall look of the notebook. The Max version of the laptop is available in Brilliant Black instead of the blue of the G2 and looks good.

The ports of the HP Elite Dragonfly Max.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is also a strength. On the left there is a USB-A-3.1 port, a nano lock slot and a nano SIM slot. On the right side you'll find a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support (one of which is used for charging). Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5, and either LTE 4G or 5G wireless WAN (WWAN) support is optional.

Speaking of the latter, my test device was equipped with 5G and came with an AT&T SIM card. I tested 5G connectivity at my home, and while both the laptop and AT & T's coverage map indicated I was getting a 5G connection, my download speed was around 70 megabits per second (Mbps). When I tested the Lenovo Flex 5G with Verizon's Ultra-Wideband 5G (the HP is limited to Sub6 5G), I saw almost 500Mbps. I haven't had a chance to drive around town looking for a faster AT&T 5G connection, but I'm sure it's possible to see faster speeds than I've experienced.

Security and privacy

HP Elite Dragonfly Max touchpad, keyboard and fingerprint reader.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP has carried over the various security and privacy features that we loved so much into the original Elite Dragonfly. It offers optional vPro support so that large companies can integrate the laptop into their management systems. It also features HP Sure Start, which features a security controller built right into the motherboard, providing an isolated and encrypted physical layer of protection for the BIOS and the boot process. As stated with the original model, the Elite Dragonfly Max outperforms most other business-class laptops in terms of the sheer number of business-oriented features, including Lenovo's ThinkPad range.

You can also find two ways to log in without a password – facial recognition via infrared cameras and a fingerprint reader on the top right of the palm rest. Both work quickly and reliably. There's a physical webcam cover for more privacy that displays an overlay to make it visible when it's activated, and a keyboard button turns the microphone off.

Finally, the Elite Dragonfly Max (and note that the G2 version has all of these features, too) has built-in tile support. The new models are different from the original, where the tile module was plugged into the same M.2 port as the WWAN, so it was either tile or always-on connectivity and not both. Tile is now built into the motherboard so you can now use the Tile system to locate your laptop if you leave it behind or if it is stolen and still enjoy 4G LTE or 5G support.

performance

The HP Elite Dragonfly is folded on its back.

The Elite Dragonfly Max I tested is equipped with an 11th generation Intel Core i7-1185G7 CPU with vPro support. This makes it an excellent choice for large organizations that use vPro for remote management and support. Although the laptop was equipped with a slightly faster version of the Tiger Lake Core i7, I suspected that the thin case could limit performance as the thermals need more careful control.

I was right. The Elite Dragonfly Max didn't do particularly well, but it was a bit disappointing compared to the competition.

The Elite Dragonfly Max felt very fast on typical productivity tasks.

In Geekbench 5, for example, the Elite Dragonfly Max came last in our comparison group. The difference wasn't pronounced when compared to the other Intel Tiger Lake laptops – the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U-based Asus ZenBook 13 OLED dominated all CPU-intensive benchmarks – but it was disappointing that the HP fell so low. In our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video as H.265, the Elite Dragonfly Max again came last, and the difference was bigger than the HP Specter x360 14 (which was much faster in performance mode). The same was true for Cinebench R23, where the two HP laptops were close together and behind the rest of the pack (although the Specter x360 14 was much faster in performance mode).

I also tested the Elite Dragonfly Max using PCMark 10 where – you guessed it – it performed in line with the Specter x360 14 and slower than the rest of the field. However, the delta was lower in this test, except for the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED. Looking at the individual components of the PCMark 10 test, the Elite Dragonfly Max scores well in the Essentials section (web browsing, video conferencing, etc.), but falls behind in productivity and content creation.

In actual use, the Elite Dragonfly Max felt very fast on typical productivity tasks. And in fact, it's by no means a slow laptop. It just doesn't compare to its similarly configured competition.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
HP Elite Dragonfly Max
(Core i7-1185G7)		 1570/5297 252 1385/3604 4724 1468
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(AMD-Ryzen7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 204 1399/4585 n / A 1380
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Razer Book 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1548/5374 210 1508/4519 4878 1776
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Core i7-1185G7) 1532/5415 207 1435/4409 4800 1648

It's not much of a gaming laptop either. It does well in the 3DMark Time Spy test and beats some of the devices in the comparison group.

But in Fortnite it fell back again, only reaching 22 frames per second (fps) in 1080p and high graphics, which is a few fps behind the typical Tiger Lake laptop with the same Intel Iris Xe graphics. In epic settings it fell to 18 fps, again a few fps below the Tiger Lake average.

Display and audio

The HP Elite Dragonfly Max's 1080p screen.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Elite Dragonfly Max has a display option, the Sure View Reflect privacy screen from HP with full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080) and an old-school aspect ratio of 16: 9. That's compared to the G2 version, which offers standard IPS Full HD and 4K options. This is an unusual ad that has two distinct personalities.

With privacy mode turned off, the display is incredibly bright at 1,000 nits. My test device "only" returned 417 nits, which is great, but I should see around 758 nits after HP tests a second device they sent because of the discrepancy. There seems to be something about the display technology that makes our usual colorimeter tests difficult, and as I tried, I couldn't get this brightness. The contrast was excellent at 1,380: 1 (anything above 1,000: 1 is very good) and black text appeared on a white background. Combined with the excellent keyboard, this is a great laptop for a writer. Plus, with its 458 nits of brightness and 1350: 1 contrast, the display does well with the Dell XPS 13 Full HD display, and it was brighter than the Specter x360 14's OLED display, which came in at 374 nits, however Was not comparable to the Specter's 374,200: 1 aspect ratio (that's OLED for you).

It's fine for an individual to use, but not a great screen to share.

The colors were average for premium productivity laptops, which means they were good but not the level creative types are looking for. The AdobeRGB coverage was 74% and the sRGB coverage was 97%, which are good values, but again not as broad as creatives would like. The colors were reasonably accurate with a Delta E of 2.49 (1.0 or less is considered excellent). The XPS 13 had 75% AdobeRGB and 98% sRGB coverage and an accuracy of 1.36, while the Specter x360 14 had very wide colors at 96% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB with a color accuracy of 0.69.

Overall, the display in standard mode is great for productivity and media consumption. The only negative is that the viewing angles are a bit narrow. Look from any angle other than straight ahead and the display will darken and lose fidelity. It's fine for an individual to use, but not a great screen to share.

Turn on privacy mode and everything will change. The brightness drops sharply – my colorimeter wasn't able to accurately measure the display in private mode – and while it's still usable, it won't overcome bright skylights. The colors stay decent, the accuracy seems good, and the contrast doesn't seem to let up much. It's still a good productivity display, but that's not its calling card. More importantly, it works perfectly as a privacy screen and is completely grayed out when you move away from direct view. For example, if you sit in the middle seat on an airplane, your screen will be completely illegible to those to your left and right.

I'm working on solving the brightness issue in standard mode, but it's not a big deal. This is a great display for both standard productivity work in any setting and for your work in relative privacy.

The upward-facing speakers on the HP Elite Dragonfly Max.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The audio quality is excellent thanks to four speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen, two upward-facing speakers on each side of the keyboard and two downward-facing speakers on the bottom of the case. Each speaker is powered by its own dedicated intelligent amplifier. HP is promoting the laptop's bass, which is a valid boast – not only was the volume very loud and undistorted, with crisp and crisp mids and highs, but there was a noticeable hint of bass too.

These are excellent speakers for such a small laptop, and while they can't compete with the great audio on the MacBook Pro, they do better than most Windows 10 laptops. You can use them for most of your listening, including the noise of Netflix and listening to music. Headphones are optional.

Video conferencing

The 5 megapixel webcam of the HP Elite Dragonfly Max.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Where the Max version differs from the G2 version are the video conferencing functions. This starts with the webcam, which is not your typical, low-quality 720p laptop webcam that has nothing special to write about. This is a 5 megapixel webcam with a larger sensor, auto exposure for faces, and careful tuning for maximum performance. My house is in the process of being renovated so I don't have an attractive background to show off the quality of the camera. Still, it's noticeably improved over the previous model and the other laptops I have lying around. HP tested the webcam with several competitors and across the board achieved higher texture quality, better color accuracy, and more even colors in an image.

In terms of resolution, it's even better than the 1080p webcams that come out like those on some newer ThinkPads. The Elite Dragonfly Max can handle videos up to 1440p, using 4.15 MP of the available 5 MP.

The Max version also increases the G2's three microphones to four, with two facing forward and two facing the world. Artificial intelligence based noise cancellation is used to suppress background noise and improve the overall sound quality.

Simply put, the Elite Dragonfly Max is the dream video conferencing laptop that offers better pictures and sounds for more effective communication. If you work remotely and need the best video conferencing performance, this laptop should be on your shortlist.

Keyboard and touchpad

The HP Elite Dragonfly Max has an excellent keyboard.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP makes great keyboards. The Specter range, for example, has had my favorite keyboard on Windows 10 laptops for a while. The Elite line has followed closely, and now the Elite Dragonfly Max and G2 have a new and even better version.

First off, the keyboard is solid. that is, it is consistent across all keys. This is unusual and makes typing more efficient and less tiring because your fingers don't feel any different when they fly across the keyboard. The switches are firm, but not too tight, and provide just the right amount of feedback with a bouncy bottom motion that makes each key very precise. Although the laptop is small, I found the key spacing to be ample and the keycaps to be a comfortable size. I type faster and more accurately on this keyboard than any other I've used – with the exception of Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks. And I would say the Elite Dragonfly Max keyboard is right there with the excellent version from Apple.

The touchpad is as big as the frame size and the 16: 9 aspect ratio display (bigger displays have got bigger touchpads lately thanks to the extra vertical space), and it's extremely comfortable to use. The clicks are subtle and quiet, with a high quality feel. Of course, it's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so multitouch gestures are safe and precise. Aside from its size, this touchpad rivals those of the Dell XPS 13 and HP Specter x360 14 which are excellent.

The display is of course touch-enabled and reacts as usual. It supports HP's Wacom AES 2.0 active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt support and USB-C charging. One was not bundled with my review unit – it's a $ 74 option – so unfortunately I couldn't test it that way.

Battery life

The 360-degree hinge of the HP Elite Dragonfly Max.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Elite Dragonfly Max comes with a 56 watt-hour battery and a full HD display (but with two modes, which I'll go into in a moment). I was expecting battery life to be a strength, as was the case with the original version.

As it turned out, the battery life wasn't quite up to the same standards. While the first generation Elite Dragonfly reached 10.5 hours in our web browsing test, the Max reached 9.75 hours. Well, anything close to 10 hours on this test should be considered a good score, but more laptops recently have hit this number and beyond. The Elite Dragonfly Max score is now more average than outstanding, and while it promises a full business day of battery life, some other newer laptops are stronger. For example, the HP Envy 14 managed over 12.5 hours, while the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED managed a very strong 15.75 hours. The Dell XPS 13 Full HD was not as competitive with only 8.5 hours, while the HP Specter x360 14 with its power-hungry OLED display only lasted 6.95 hours.

In our video test replaying a 1080p movie trailer, the Elite Dragonfly Max achieved 13.5 hours, which is a decent result, but not much better than average. The Envy 14 lasted almost an hour longer and the ZenBook 13 OLED reached 15.5 hours, while the XPS 13 lagged behind with 12 hours and the Specter x360 14 came last in this group with just over 10 hours.

I ran the PCMark 10 gaming test to see how the laptop performed under load on the CPU and GPU and it lasted 4.9 hours, which is almost the longest we've seen. Only the LG Gram 16 lasted longer, by just seven minutes. Of course, this probably indicates that the Elite Dragonfly Max isn't really trying to put itself under extreme strain on battery power – something to keep in mind when working without a power outlet. Finally, I ran the PCMark 10 application test, which is the best indicator of productivity on battery life, and the Elite Dragonfly Max lasted a little over 11 hours. That's a strong result in the top tier of the limited number of laptops we tested.

Interestingly, the battery life is better with data protection mode on than with it off. With the privacy screen activated, the Elite Dragonfly Max managed 11.5 hours in our web browsing test, 14.25 hours in our video test, and 14 hours in the PCMark 10 application test. Using the privacy mode not only doesn't harm your battery life, it also increases it significantly.

Overall, I would rate the battery life as good, but not great. Again, you can work the laptop for a full day without plugging it in, but it falls behind some of the competition. That's more a matter of laptop battery life improving further than an indictment against the Elite Dragonfly Max.

Our opinion

If you are a businessman who does a lot of videoconferencing and has a corporate budget, you will no doubt find the Elite Dragonfly Max a tempting option. It's incredibly well built, has several real value-added features, and has some of the best security and privacy features you can find on a laptop.

It's also expensive, offers average performance and battery life, and you might not be interested in some of the features it offers. That makes this a great laptop, but primarily for a specific audience.

Any alternatives?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga is another business-class 2-in-1 for you to consider. It's not that expensive, but it doesn't offer the same range of features. If your needs aren't that specific, this is a good option to consider.

If you don't care about business features, then the HP Specter x360 14 is in many ways a superior 2-in-1 with better performance, a better display for creative professionals but no privacy screens, and much a lower price tag. It would also be a viable alternative if you aren't that concerned about security and privacy.

Finally, if you aren't into 2-in-1 functionality or business-class features, the old standby mode is yours: the Dell XPS 13. It remains one of the best laptops you can buy, and you do get better performance and a smaller chassis for less money.

How long it will take?

The Elite Dragonfly Max is so well built that you will be using it for years to come. You will likely find that the 16: 9 aspect ratio display will appear increasingly dated, but that is the only component that is currently not up to date with the latest technology. However, you will surely appreciate the three year warranty we would like to see on all laptops.

Should you buy it?

Yes. You have to be a special breed to want the Elite Dragonfly Max, but if you are, then you really will want it.

Editor's recommendations



16 May
Blog

PowerA Fusion Review: Elite Switch Controller With a Catch

The PowerA Fusion Switch Controller in its housing.

PowerA Fusion for Nintendo Switch Review: The Elite Switch Controller Has Compromises

"The PowerA Fusion is a solid third-party option as long as you can easily swap key features for customization."

  • Robust package

  • Easy customization

  • Robust construction

  • Handy back paddle

  • Expensive

  • Missing main features

  • Reduced battery life

The PowerA Fusion is possibly the closest we can get with an Xbox Elite Series 2 equivalent for the Nintendo Switch. The third-party controller is packed with bells and whistles, making it feel like a predictive redesign of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.

Given that Nintendo is often moving sideways rather than forward with technology, there's a lot to discover here. The PowerA Fusion comes with mappable back paddles, interchangeable joysticks, and other customization options never seen before on an officially licensed Nintendo controller. When it comes to third party equipment, there is always some level of tradeoff. Some lack of basic features provide a level of give and take that players need to weigh before making an expensive commitment.

The whole pack

The PowerA Fusion costs $ 100, which is more expensive than a standard Switch Pro controller. When you look at the whole package, you can easily see why. The box doesn't just contain a wireless controller. There's a paddle backpack, four thumb pins, two interchangeable faceplates, and more – all in one convenient carry bag.

It's hard to imagine Nintendo doing anything with the same type of utility …

Considering the official Pro Controller is retailing for $ 70 without that justifying the extra $ 30. The closest parallel to the PowerA Fusion is the $ 180 Xbox Elite Series 2, a similarly extensive package. They're not exact comparisons, considering the Elite Series 2 is way more advanced technologically, but it's the best we've seen in terms of Switch technology.

The PowerA Fusion Switch Controller with all its parts.

The controller itself (with no rear paddles installed) is completely comfortable and doesn't feel much different from a standard Pro controller. Some of the buttons stick out a little more and the handles feel a bit thick, but it doesn't have the knockoff design of the third-party pads we grew up with.

Removing and replacing parts is literally a breeze. The magnetic front panels can be removed immediately and the thumb pins can be easily replaced. There's even some flexibility with the paddle pack. Each paddle is easily interchangeable, and the pack itself can pop out whenever it's in the way. All moving parts are intuitive and easy to use. It's hard to imagine Nintendo making something with the same type of utility while the Switch was alive.

The joy of the buttons at the back

The back paddles are the main attraction here. When the Pro-Pack is attached, the controller receives four metal paddles that sit between the handles. With just three quick entries, keys can easily be assigned to each paddle.

There are some limits to the assignment. Keyboard shortcuts cannot be assigned to a paddle. I was also hoping to map the cardinal points of the correct club onto the paddles to control the Tetris 99's aiming system, but not dice. The more likely use is for players to map the four main buttons on the back so they never have to remove their thumb from the right joystick.

The back paddles of the PowerA Fusion Switchj controller.

Despite their limitations, the paddles can be incredibly useful. While I couldn't assign my targeting in Tetris 99, I was able to assign my spin buttons to them. It's a simple change, but it meant I never had to switch between aiming and rotation, which could lead to a misfire if I dropped pieces in the fast-paced, late-game game. When testing with New Pokemon Snap, I mapped each paddle to one of the face buttons, which made photography smoother. I never lost full control of the camera and was able to scan or toss fruit without moving a finger.

I found that my hands felt a little cramped at times when I tried to wrap my fingers around the thick controller. Far from being uncomfortable, I would call it a less natural grip. A nice advantage here is that the paddle backpack is completely detachable and the slot it dips into can be closed when it is out. Anyone who feels it is in their way can just remove it.

Despite their limitations, the paddles can be incredibly useful.

I encountered a problem with the two left paddles always associated with the same button. According to PowerA, this is likely due to a defective model. Given that others haven't had this problem, it seems it does. However, it serves as a reminder of a risk you are taking with third-party gaming technology. It's harder to ensure consistency when compared to a first-party product from a company like Microsoft. While Nintendo's official controllers are considered notoriously defective (leading to Joy-Con drift lawsuits), the PowerA isn't really unreliable by comparison.

Give and take

All of these shiny features may sound too good to be true – and they are to some extent. While the Fusion offers all sorts of customizations that Switch gamers have only dreamed of, it also lacks a few basics.

There's a give and take here as players will sacrifice some basics for customization potential.

The most noticeable problem is that the controller has no rumble. I don't mean that the Joy-Cons's HD rumble is missing. it's not shaking at all Despite all of the exciting extras, this could be a deal breaker for some. It also lacks the Amiibo reader functionality that is present in a normal Pro controller. That's much less of a problem considering amiibo support has always been a niche, but devoted fans can be a little put off by its absence here.

The battery life is also a step down. While the Pro controller can last up to 40 hours, the Fusion types out at around 20 hours.

The thumb stick and buttons of the PowerA Fusion.

This is where the $ 100 price tag becomes more of a debate. It's not that PowerA has all of the features of a Pro controller with lots of extras. There's a give and take here as players will sacrifice some basics for customization potential. Whether it's worth it or not ultimately depends on what a gamer appreciates in a switch controller. If you just want something closer to an Xbox controller, you can stick to the Pro controller.

If the priority is customization, there is no comparison as Nintendo offers next to nothing in this department. It can also be plugged in, which is an improvement over some of the standard AA powered wireless switch pads from PowerA.

Our opinion

The PowerA Fusion is a rugged Nintendo Switch Pro controller alternative for gamers who want more control. The back paddles, interchangeable faceplates, and detachable joysticks make this a worthwhile investment. If the PowerA has rumble functionality and amiibo support, this would be an easy upgrade. With these omissions, the $ 100 price tag feels a bit steep for anyone who simply wants a better version of the Pro controller than an impressive, alternate version.

Is there a better alternative?

The official Nintendo Switch Pro controller is tougher and more affordable, although the Fusion is undisputed when it comes to customization.

How long it will take?

The battery lasts up to 20 hours, which is half of the official Pro controller. Compared to other third-party controllers, it feels more stable than the US, even with some plastic buttons.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you're specifically looking for more granular customization of the Switch controls, the Fusion is a pretty robust package. Otherwise stay with the Pro.

Editor's recommendations




07 Apr
Blog

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook Review: Business Laptops

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook

HP Elite c1030 13.5 "Chromebook

"The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook isn't cheap, but it has a lot of business acumen."

  • Great job

  • Excellent 3: 2 display

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Solid build quality and conservative appearance

  • Chrome OS Enterprise perpetual license included

  • Average battery life

  • Active pen is optional

  • Very expensive

Most people don't spend more than $ 1,000 on a Chromebook. There are way too many options for much less money that will make Chrome OS run like a dream. However, the growing Chromebook business has shown there is an interest in premium Chromebooks that have all of the manageability and security tools an IT department needs.

The new HP Elite C1030 Chromebook Enterprise fits right in with this new trend.

I had the chance to test a near-top-notch version of the Elite C1030 Chromebook that costs $ 1,529 for an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-10610U vPro CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe solid version. State Drive (SSD) and a 13.5-inch IPS display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and a WUXGA + resolution of 13.5 inches (1,920 x 1,280).

The price also includes a perpetual Chrome OS Enterprise license, which is typically $ 50 per year. That's a lot of money for a Chromebook – does the Elite C1030 deserve its high price?

design

First of all, this is a nice looking laptop. It follows HP's elite aesthetic that is modern yet conservative. Yes, the chassis is all silver, and that sometimes seems generic. But the way HP uses contrast, with matte silver on top and bottom and shiny silver on the sides, makes it special.

The lid is rounded at the edges and the case back has just enough angles – it just works. The Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook is another enterprise machine that has the iconic ThinkPad look and feel – all black with a soft coating – while the consumer-facing Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has a more angled look and darker gray that is also appealing. All of them are attractive options, but the HP Elite C1030 is one of my favorites.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook has smaller bezels than these two laptops and offers a 90% screen-to-body ratio that looks far more contemporary. The lower chin is actually relatively small for a 2-in-1 device that requires a complex hinge. Both HP and Acer use displays with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and are therefore larger than the old-school Lenovo with an aspect ratio of 16: 9.

Even so, the Elite C1030 Chromebook is smaller in width and height than the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook and Chromebook Spin 713 thanks to its smaller bezels, while still offering the larger palm rest and touchpad that laptops have in common with larger displays. The HP is 0.7 "thick and 2.87 pounds, compared to the 0.7" and 3.3 pounds of the Lenovo and the 0.66 "and 3.02 pounds of the Acer.

The Elite C1030 Chromebook is rock hard.

In terms of build quality, the Elite C1030 Chromebook is rock hard, at least as much as the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook, and it's tougher than the Chromebook Spin 713. The company's systems have been military-tested for durability, it shows – they're in a different class, virtually every premium laptop on the market today. The Elite C1030 Chromebook's hinge requires two hands to open, but holds the display in place in all four modes – clamshell, tent, presentation, and media.

HP also builds in some security features that are uncommon on Chromebooks these days. The first is the fingerprint scanner, which offers passwordless login and works just as well as any Windows 10 Hello fingerprint scanner. Second, this is the switch to turn the webcam on and off electronically, something HP borrowed from previous Specter computers (which have since switched to a physical webcam blocker).

Finally, HP offers the world's first (optional) privacy screen that blocks viewing from any angle but in a straight line. My test device didn't equip this display, but I've seen it on Windows 10 computers and it's impressive.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is solid, but not spectacular. On the left you will find a 3.5 mm audio jack, a USB-C 3.2 port and a Kensington lock port. On the right side there is another USB-C 3.2 port, a USB-A 3.2 port and a microSD reader. The wireless connection is provided via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

performance

My test device was built around a 10th generation Intel Core i7-10610U vPro CPU, which makes it a powerful Chrome OS laptop. This operating system is much lighter than Windows 10 or Mac, and a Core i7 of any stripe will work fine. When you add 16GB of RAM and a fast 256GB PCIe SSD, you have a recipe for a Chromebook that won't slow you down.

We don't have a lot of objective benchmarks to run on Chromebooks. So much of my analysis is subjective. The Elite C1030 Chromebook achieved 1,102 points in the Geekbench single-core test and 3,216 points in the multi-core test, which is far behind Windows 10 laptops, but ahead of the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 with its Core i5-10210U CPU (966 resp. 3,040). and the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook with AMD's Chrome OS-optimized Ryzen 5 3500C (907 and 2,739).

In the Tachometer 2.0 benchmark, which measures the responsiveness of web applications, the HP achieved 114 compared to the Lenovo with 86 and the Acer with 101.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Subjectively, I just want to say that you have to work really hard to slow down the Elite C1030 Chromebook. I opened Scads from Chrome tabs and ran several Android apps in the background. I couldn't shake the thing. I doubt you'll have performance issues no matter what you throw at the machine.

I could even play a little. The 10th generation CPU is limited to Intel's older UHD graphics, but it can still handle games like Asphalt 9: Legacy without delay or hesitation. You should be able to play a few light games on the Elite C1030 Chromebook to get all of your work done.

display

The Elite C1030 Chromebook has a 13.5-inch WUXGA + display (1,920 x 1,280) with a productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio. I can't test it with my colorimeter. This is simply not supported in Chrome OS. However, I found the display to be sufficiently bright in all lighting conditions I tested (HP promises 400 nits of brightness), except outside in bright sunlight – which is to be expected. Colors popped without looking oversaturated, but I can't confirm accuracy without my colorimeter.

When I look at pictures next to the Dell XPS 13, which has good colors but not great, I couldn't see any difference. Finally, the contrast appeared to be sufficient, with black text showing off nicely on a white background and images looking like they had sufficient depth.

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook ScreenMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 benefited from a higher sharpness of 2,256 x 1,504 on its 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. I would have appreciated this on the HP, but I can't say I noticed any noticeable graininess on the Elite C1030 Chromebook. I liked the display more than the 16: 9 panel on the Lenovo Thinkpad C13 Yoga Chromebook, which felt tight to me.

Most users will love this display especially when they see more vertical information thanks to the higher aspect ratio. Media consumption was fine, as was the productivity work, and I have no real complaints.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP makes great keyboards that you can find on the Specter and Elite models. The Elite C1030 Chromebook is no different. It has an island keyboard with silver caps with legible gray font, lots of spacing, and a very sharp mechanism that doesn't require a lot of pressure to snap into place, yet still has a satisfactory ground effect to work with, knowing you pressed a key.

It's as good as a keyboard that you can find on any Windows 10 laptop. It's better than the Chromebook average – including the two I highlighted in this review – and it can rival the Magic keyboard on Apple's latest MacBooks. There are the usual five levels of backlit Chrome OS brightness that let you fine-tune how much light your keyboard emits.

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook KeyboardMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook KeyboardMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP Elite C1030 Chromebook TrackpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The touchpad is larger than usual thanks to the additional space on the larger display and works very well. It's fluid and precise, and does a great job with the suite of Chrome OS multitouch gestures. The touch display is also responsive and supports an optional HP Active Pen for those who want to write ink on their Chromebook.

Battery life

The Elite C1030 Chromebook has a 50 watt hour battery with a reasonable resolution and a fast CPU. I wasn't entirely sure what battery life to expect.

As it turned out, the HP fell in between the other two Chromebooks I mentioned in this review. Our web browser test, which ran through a number of popular websites, got 8.5 hours compared to the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (11 hours) and the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook (7.25 hours). In our video tests with a Full HD Avengers trailer, the Elite C1030 Chromebook achieved 10.5 hours, compared to 10 hours for the Acer and only about 7.5 hours for the Lenovo. These would be mediocre results compared to the universe of Windows 10 laptops, but they are average for the recently reviewed Chromebooks.

You probably get a full day of work with the Elite C1030 Chromebook, but not much more.

Chrome OS Enterprise

As mentioned in the introduction, with this configuration of the Elite C1030 Chromebook, HP has included a perpetual license for Google Chrome OS Enterprise, which typically costs $ 50 per year. That means you get the business-centric controls and plug-ins that will improve security and remote management forever.

Your organization can manage the Google Play Store to regulate which apps are installed, and support for the Google Chrome browser extension is also controlled by the company. Other features include single sign-on, Microsoft Active Directory support, and 24/7 business support beyond what you normally get from Google.

HP Elite C1030 ChromebookMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP also talks a little about Parallels Desktop for HP Chrome Enterprise, a virtual machine solution that enables a company to add Windows 10 emulation to its fleet of Elite C1030 Chromebooks with minimal effort. The solution is easy to manage and offers advanced features for HP enterprise customers. It's not included with the laptop, but it's an interesting option nonetheless.

Our opinion

The HP Elite C1030 Chromebook is aimed at corporate customers. It's fast, and has the best security features you'll find on a Chromebook, plus the option of a Chrome OS Enterprise perpetual license. All of these add up to a good corporate laptop. The purchase price is also aimed at companies that have a strong need for security and manageability.

You can just as easily get a Chromebook for half the money in terms of hardware and performance. However, you don't get a laptop that fits seamlessly into a company's fleet of machines.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo C13 Yoga Chromebook offers the same support for Chrome OS Enterprise as the HP, without the same level of security. It's also roughly the same price as a similarly configured AMD Ryzen 7 3700C CPU with 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.

I didn't mention it in this review, but the Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook is a comparable corporate computer that's a few hundred dollars cheaper and costs $ 1,279 for a computer with the same specs as our Elite C1030 Chromebook review unit. with the exception of the 14-inch display from Dell). You get similar build quality and performance, but none of the advanced security features.

If you don't need the Chrome OS Enterprise features, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a great choice. It's also pretty quick and well built, and costs about half the money for a similar configuration.

How long it will take?

The Elite C1030 Chromebook is very well built and equipped to keep Chrome OS running for years. You will also appreciate the three-year warranty that comes with our test device.

Should you buy it?

If you're a corporate customer looking for a secure and manageable Chromebook, the Elite C1030 Chromebook should be on your shortlist. Otherwise, you'll want to save your money and use a consumer Chromebook instead.

Editor's recommendations




03 Nov
Blog

Jabra Elite 85t Review: The Best AirPods Pro Alternative

Jabra Elite 85t

"Small but powerful, the Elite 85t offers impressive performance across the board."

  • Very convenient

  • Excellent sound quality

  • Excellent noise cancellation

  • Customizable controls

  • Excellent call quality

  • Wireless charging

  • Average battery life

  • No aptX or LDAC

Jabra's $ 180 Elite 75t and $ 200 Elite Active 75t are two of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy. They're comfortable, they sound great, they have decent battery life, and they can withstand a lot of water and dust. Active noise cancellation (ANC) will also be available from October.

Who could ask for more?

Yet more is precisely the goal of the new $ 230 Jabra Elite 85twhich, thanks to a new hybrid ANC system, promise better sound and improved noise suppression. They also aim to end occlusion – the feeling some people get when wearing in-ear earphones, that their ears are filled with cotton.

High goals indeed. Has Jabra succeeded? Let's find out.

What's in the box?

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

First, praise for Jabra: The Elite 85t ship in a very small and fully recyclable box. A few tiny plastic labels are left over, but for the most part, it's an exceptionally eco-friendly package.

This box contains the Elite 85t, which is already contained in the charging case, a USB-C charging cable, two sets of silicone earplugs and a small brochure with a security and guarantee print.

design

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra knows that if something isn't broken, you won't fix it. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the hugely successful design of the Elite 75t has been adopted and simply enlarged to accommodate some of the new technology and features.

The charging case is more portable than ever, but now weighs a little more. That's likely because Jabra had to find room not only for the larger 85t earbuds, but also for the wireless charging capability. It's a handy feature that is showing up on more and more real wireless earbuds at varying prices from $ 50 to $ 350. So it's good to see that Jabra hasn't ignored them.

Little known fact: You can actually buy these Elite 75t or Elite Active 75t with a wireless charging case, but only from Jabra.com.

The USB-C port for wired charging is located under the hinge on the back of the case. However, Jabra made a careful decision to move the case's LED display to the front to make it easier to see.

Despite the extra bulk, the earbuds are still amazingly compact. The same single physical button – which I think is the best control system you can find – also returns. Unfortunately, due to its semi-open design, Jabra has not been able to maintain the amazing IP55 and IP57 ratings of the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t, respectively. The 85t are still IPX4, however, which is good enough for all but the wettest situations and is identical to the AirPods Pro.

Convenience, control and connections

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00003-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (left) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00005-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (right) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00004-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (right) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 75t sets a new standard for comfort and fit for true wireless earbuds. The 85t are just as comfortable, but their slightly larger shape means they don't fit quite as securely. I've always been very happy with how deep I can put the 75t in my ear canals thanks to its small body and tall tower, but the 85t sits a hair flatter.

The oval-shaped earbuds feel great, but their asymmetrical shape prevents you from twisting the earbuds in your search for the best fit. Oval earplugs can be hit or missed. They're fantastic on the AirPods Pro, but I found them challenging on the 1More Air ANC.

The choice of tip size is therefore even more important, and Jabra only offers three sizes in total. Media usually suits me best, but I've jumped on the big ones to get a better seal.

Switching back and forth between ANC and the HearThrough environment modes can be done instantly.

A good seal is crucial for both sound quality and noise cancellation. It is therefore a bit surprising that Jabra did not offer a test for fitting the earplugs in the Sound + app. These tests that Apple and Amazon use on their earbuds provide an extra level of reassurance that you have the right earbuds for your ears.

The 85t use a semi-open design that allows a small amount of air between your inner ear and the outside world. According to Jabra, this improves comfort by eliminating the pressure build-up that can occur with fully enclosed structures like the Elite 75t. This is also why the 85t is larger than the 75t – semi-open designs require a little more internal volume.

Since air travel is a bit hard to come by at the moment, I couldn't put this special claim to the test. What I can confirm, however, is that the 85t feels a lot more airy than the 75t, and they definitely reduce the feeling of having something in your ear.

As I said above, the controls are amazing. There's a click combo for every function imaginable, including volume and voice assistant access. Switching back and forth between ANC and HearThrough environmental mode can be done instantly with a single click. It's a faster transition than any other ANC earbud I've tried.

Not a fan of how Jabra mapped the controls? Simply jump into the Sound + app and rearrange it as you wish.

My only small point of criticism: With the Elite 75t, pressing buttons is practically powerless and happens regardless of where you place your finger. In contrast, the 85t uses an offset switch. You have to press the part of the button that is closest to the small triangular microphone slot for it to click as effortlessly as the 75t.

Like the Elite 75t before them, the Elite 85t has wear sensors and can automatically pause and resume music if you remove or paste it. It's accurate and incredibly fast.

Pairing the Elite 85t is a breeze. However, if you're an iPhone user, do yourself a favor: don't try to pair them through the Jabra Sound + app as stated in the box. I've never found this technique to work. Instead, just pair them normally in the Bluetooth section of the iOS Settings app and then open the Sound + app.

After pairing, I was surprised to have some really terrible connectivity issues. The left earbud sounded like it had an electrical short circuit, and the right bud wasn't much better. DT Senior Editor Caleb Denison experienced the same thing with his review unit. Oddly, however, it seems very specific in terms of location.

It only happened in my office, where I am surrounded by wireless devices and metal cabinets, and even then only sporadically. I'm pretty sure this won't be a problem for most people, and I expect Jabra will be releasing a firmware fix for it soon.

As with the Elite 75t and most other Jabra wireless headphones, you can pair the 85t with two devices at the same time. It's a great convenience for those of us who hop back and forth between computers and phones, but very few companies offer it (it's called Bluetooth Multipoint). The next thing you'll find is Apple's auto-toggle feature on the AirPods. However, it only works when transferring between two different Apple devices.

Sound quality

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

With the Elite 75t models you have the choice between different sound signatures. The normal 75t are huge on bass, while the Active model offers a much more neutral EQ. Both sound really good, but their soundstage is pretty tight and creates a sound that is more “in your head” than outside.

The Elite 85t are simply some of the best sounding true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

The Elite 85t are much more expansive and also have more details. They offer greater accuracy across the entire EQ spectrum, which allows instruments to be separated from one another. A good example of this is Thomas Newman's Dead Already from the American Beauty Soundtrack. With the Elite 75t, the multiple percussion layers are clear and full, but it's only when you use the Elite 85t that you will notice how tightly the 75t packs these layers. In contrast, the 85t open them directly, letting them take up a much larger space. With that extra space, you can really appreciate Newman's selection in the studio and the textures that selection created.

By default, the 85t have a relatively neutral EQ. You can pump up the bass in the Sound + app for a thunderous low end or increase the highs for more vocal clarity, but I didn't find a need for that either.

Our benchmark for actual wireless performance is the Sony WF-1000XM3. I spent a lot of time hopping back and forth between these earbuds, the AirPods Pro and the 85t. The Elite 85t are incredibly close to the Sony XM3 from an acoustic standpoint, and I think they beat the AirPods Pro in terms of warmth and resonance. In other words, the Elite 85t are simply some of the best sounding true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

The only thing that could have improved the sound of the 85t would be adding higher quality Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD or LDAC.

Noise cancellation

ANC on the Elite 85t is excellent.

Since both the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t have ANC thanks to a recent firmware update, you may be wondering if the 85t is worth spending the extra cash on. In a word: yes.

ANC on the Elite 85t is excellent. It uses a hybrid system of feedforward and feedback microphones (as opposed to the 75t models which only have feedforward microphones). You can use the Sound + app to select exactly the noise cancellation you want. When this setting is set to the maximum, it's just as effective as the AirPods Pro and better than the WF-1000XM3.

But what sets the Elite 85t apart is the complete absence of any floor noise. If you listen carefully when no music is playing, you can usually hear a faint hiss when using ANC. It's noticeable on the WF-1000XM3 and even the AirPods Pro, but the 85t are completely silent.

It also needs to be repeated how quick and easy it is to switch between ANC and HearThrough modes – it's almost instantaneous. The AirPods Pro must be held down to toggle while the XM3 forces you to toggle between ANC on, ANC off, and ambient mode.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The only area that hasn't improved much on the Elite 85t is battery life. It's essentially unchanged from the Elite 75t: you get about seven hours of operation with the ANC off and 5.5 hours with the ANC on. In fact, if you want to be picky, this is 30 minutes less run time than the 75t with ANC off.

Fast charging also remains unchanged. A 15-minute charge adds just one hour to playtime.

By today's standards, these statistics are not much to write home about. However, when you factor in the capacity of the charging case, you can still get a full day out of these buds (19.5 hours with the ANC on, 24 hours with the ANC off). And, to be fair, you have to spend a lot more money to get a lot longer battery life with a set of true wireless earbuds with ANC and great sound.

Call quality

Jabra has always had a reputation for making Bluetooth headsets with great call quality, and the Elite 85t maintains that credibility. The calls were crystal clear and only the loudest traffic or construction noises could keep up with my voice.

HearThrough mode (known as sidetone for phone calls) made my voice sound completely natural at the end of the conversation, which is very important for longer calls as it reduces fatigue.

Our opinion

With the Elite 85t, Jabra has taken its proven wireless earbud formula and made some big improvements. The result is a premium set of noise canceling earphones with premium sound quality and features that make them ideal companions for work, leisure, or travel.

Is there a better alternative?

At that price I don't think so. Sony WF-1000XM3 offer slightly better battery life, but are much larger and bulkier and cannot be charged wirelessly.

While iPhone users may prefer that AirPods Pro I think the Elite 85t sounds better and costs less because of its tight integration with the Apple ecosystem and hands-free Siri access.

How long will they last?

Jabra's products are very well made and the Elite 85t seems no exception. With only IPX4 protection, they won't withstand as much water or dust as the 75t series, but Jabra still gives them a two-year warranty in case something happens. I suspect the 85t will last for many years if used carefully.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Elite 85t will satisfy your need for comfort, tranquility and sound quality for less money than its closest competitors.

Editor's recommendations




20 Aug
Blog

Jabra Elite 45h Review: The Best $100 Headphones You Can Buy

Jabra Elite 45h headphones

"Great sound, convenience, and battery life set a new standard for $ 100 headphones."

  • Very convenient

  • Very good sound quality

  • Incredible battery life

  • Pairing multiple devices

  • No analog input

  • Shifts easily with head movement

Shopping for $ 100 worth of wireless headphones is a near-impossible task. There are so many models to choose from, and so many styles and functions, that it is a wonder more people are not giving up on mere election paralysis.

The good news is that all of these choices result in fierce competition between companies with buyers who are ultimately the winners.

While you might see the launch of another model – in this case, Jabra's $ 100 on-ear Elite 100h – as something that will make that choice even more difficult, after reading our full review, you should still check out if you can still do.

Let's get into that.

What's in the box?

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra has been getting minimal with its packaging (I think it's like "Jumbo Shrimp") and the Elite 45h comes in a simple box with an even simpler cardboard sleeve. The only reference to plastic is the small shelf hanging loop.

Inside is the Elite 45h, which is protected by the thin but stretchy carrying case supplied and accompanied by a single accessory: a short USB-C charging cable.

design

Up until the Elite 45h, Jabra's cheapest wireless headphones were the $ 99 Move-Style Edition – a highly respected on-ear model. The Elite 45h may have taken the price of the Move, but its style and design elements are as much influenced by Jabra's flagship Elite 85h noise-canceling headphones as they are by the Move.

Regardless of which of the five color schemes you choose, these are really good looking on-ear cans.

With its ultra-clear lines and tasteful accents, the Elite 45h has a premium look that reminds me of Denmark's other major audio brands: Bang and Olufsen.

However, all traces of fabric have been removed so that the Elite 45h is completely covered with plastic, silicone rubber and synthetic leather. This could have resulted in a drab, sterile atmosphere, except that Jabra uses anodized aluminum for the one-piece sliders and ear pegs.

Regardless of which of the five color schemes you choose (titanium black, gold beige, copper black, black, or navy), these are really good looking on-ear tins.

The Elite 45h doesn't have flip hinges like the Beats headphones, but the earcups fold flat, making them easier to stow in a backpack, especially if you're already using a flat device like a tablet or laptop. Oddly enough, the ear pads point up when worn around the neck rather than down when laid flat.

Perhaps the most distinctive element of the Elite 45h design, however, is the continuous ear pad surface. In contrast to practically all other on-ear headphones that look like miniature versions of their larger over-ear siblings, the ear cushions of the Elite 45h have no defined edge – the synthetic leather cover simply moves all the way over. Only interrupted by circular perforations to let the sound through.

Why did Jabra choose this approach? Aside from the clear continuity they offer for the overall look of the Elite 45h, there are also comfort and sound benefits, which I will discuss below.

I can only find one flaw in the design of the Elite 45h: it lacks an analog headphone input. This may sound like a deal breaker, but as you'll see in a moment, I doubt you mind.

Convenience, control and connections

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 45h weigh a little more than the Move Style Edition (160 grams versus 150 grams), but you will hardly notice any weight once on your head.

Their mass is very well distributed and the clamping force of the headband prevents the somewhat tight contact point with the top of your head from feeling tired.

The continuous surface of the ear pads shouldn't make much of a difference in how they feel. After all, beneath this surface are the same oval cushions that you find on all on-ear headphones. And yet they distribute the clamping pressure further, like a set of miniature trampolines for your ears. Once you've positioned them, they're incredibly comfortable.

With the exceptional running time of the Elite 45h of 50 hours between charging processes, fear of range should now be a thing of the past.

However, this wonderful pressure distribution has a disadvantage. Because the ear pads no longer have a defined comb, they can no longer grip your ears as well as a more traditional design. Because of this (and the narrow contact ridge of the headband), they shift more easily when you move your head.

While it's not a problem when you're at a desk or on your daily commute, it's less than ideal for jogging or activities where impact or rapid head movements are part of the routine.

The Elite 45h has four physical button controls as well as a power / bluetooth switch, all of which are located on the right ear cup. Unlike many wireless headphones, including the Jabra Move, the four main buttons are located high on the outer edge of the auricle, near the slider.

This encourages you to grip the rim with your thumb and middle / ring finger while pressing down on the controls with your index finger.

Play / pause, volume up / down, answer / end call and skip tracks forward / backward are behind the slider, while the dedicated voice assistant button is in the front.

Now that I've gotten used to it, I'm a fan of the layout. I've found that not only is my index finger better at handling fine movements than my thumb (which is usually tasked with pressing headphone buttons), it is also more sensitive to small shapes and edges.

Pairing via Bluetooth is a breeze. Just follow the now familiar steps to turn on the headphones when you take them out of the box and find their name in your Bluetooth settings menu.

The real main attraction, however, is the Bluetooth multipoint function, which allows you to pair two devices at the same time. It's not a feature that you often find on headphones at this price point (Sony just added it to their $ 350 WH-1000XM4), and it's very handy for those who don't worry about switching between one Phone and a laptop or a phone and a TV – it just works with Bluetooth Multipoint.

The Elite 45h offer excellent sound quality with a balanced EQ.

The Elite 45h doesn't give you a long wireless range – just 30m under ideal conditions – but just like Jabra's other products, it's a stable, reliable connection that never falters.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Do you remember when I said I didn't think you would mind that the Elite 45h doesn't have an analog headphone jack? That's because wired connections through wireless headphones really only exist to soothe the range anxiety of people who worry about the battery running out.

With the exceptional 50 hours running time of the Elite 45h between charging processes, this fear should now be a thing of the past.

Let's say you somehow manage to drain the Elite 45h's battery – although a pleasant voice will tell you the battery status every time you turn it on and they can automatically turn off when not in use – don't panic. If you can save 15 minutes on a quick charge, you'll be rewarded with an additional 10 hours of listening time.

Not only are these statistics good, they are also true for world-class wireless headphones.

Sound quality

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 45h offer excellent sound quality with a balanced EQ.

Jabra likes to boast about the size of the drivers in these cans, but at 40mm, not only are they similar to many other models in this price range, but they're also the same size as Jabra's own Move Style Edition.

What matters a lot more than size is the design, materials and tuning of the riders, and luckily Jabra did a great job.

Unlike some other Jabra products like the true Elite 75t wireless earbuds, which put a heavy load on the bass, the Elite 45h targets the sweet spot where all frequencies coexist harmoniously.

As on-ear headphones you don't get the immersiveness of an over-ear set, but the unusual ear pad design of the Elite 45h gives these cans a small advantage: they offer better passive noise isolation than I'm used to.

This gives the sound a better sense of intimacy and helps keep details clear that might otherwise drown out – not bad for $ 100 headphones with no active noise cancellation (ANC).

Find a quiet place to listen and the Elite 45h comes into its own. Whether it's the deep groove notes that Linkin Park's new track She Couldn & # 39; t perform, or Adele's signature, soaring vocals, these cans have managed to put a smile on my face.

I think they pretty much hit the mark, but if you disagree then that's fine. Thanks to the free Jabra Sound + app for iOS and Android, you can tweak the Elite 45h the way you want with a decent collection of EQ presets and the ability to save your own.

Call quality

Jabra Elite 45h headphonesSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra is rightly proud of its call quality – its products have long been excellent for wireless calls in and out of the office.

The Elite 45h largely continues this tradition and offers a good mix of general speech quality and suppression of background noise. I wouldn't describe it as the kind of experience you would get with high-end headphones from Bose or Sony (that would be a miracle given the five or more microphones these fancy cans have), but for their price are you & # 39; I am very good.

What the Elite 45h lacks in most other headphones in this price range is a side tone option that can be set and turned on and off via the Sound + app.

When the side tone is on, you can more or less hear your own voice during a call. That way, there is a little less shouting and calls to sound like you are holding a phone to one ear.

It's a great feature, but you have to be careful with how much side tone you use. I found that more than 25% produced a noticeable high-frequency buzzing sound – presumably the result of two on-board microphones trying to amplify my voice without amplifying all the noise around me at the same time.

I would also like to be able to activate the background noise when you are not on the phone. However, this may be fixed in a future software update.

Our opinion

In the crowded $ 100 wireless headphone market, few models sound as good as the Jabra Elite 45h, and none that can do it with the Elite's combination of style and battery life.

Is there a better alternative?

I'm not sure if you'll find anything better than the Elite 45h for $ 100, but there are definitely other options. The 100 dollars Status audio BT-1They're great for sound and convenience, for example, and have an analog input that the Elite doesn't have. For a bigger bass-oriented sound, The $ 120 WH-XB700 from Sony are also good choices and often sell for $ 100.

How long will they last?

Jabra products are some of the best-built you will find. The Elite 45h comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty against dust and rain, although Jabra does not claim an explicit IP rating for these headphones.

You can expect the ear pads to occasionally need replacing, but they are inexpensive and can be ordered through Jabra itself or one of its retail partners.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Elite 45h is a good buy unless you need it for jogging or other high impact, high movement activities.

Editor's recommendations




06 May
Blog

HP Elite Dragonfly Review: The Out of Office Business Laptop

HP Elite Dragonfly Rating 6

"The HP Elite Dragonfly is light and sleek, and almost too sleek to be a pure business laptop."

  • Perfect size for on the go

  • Many security functions

  • Incredible battery life

  • Great port selection

  • Older processors

  • The keyboard feels tight

This review was updated on May 6, 2020 by digital trends author Mark Coppock with the new functions Tile and Sure View Reflect.

You get on your six-hour flight with the ambitious goal of getting some work done. You are prepared. You have a laptop A charger. They are even ready to pay for the expensive in-flight WiFi. It's time to get it. Job. Done.

Six hours later, you barely managed to open your laptop.

It's not easy to mess around with the charger under your seat, fight for freedom of movement with your fellow travelers, and try to stuff a laptop on an airplane shelf. And if you pack a chunky "business laptop" it's almost impossible.

HP finds it new Elite Dragonfly is the solution. The company claims it has the security features business people need without the stereotypical design issues. Is this $ 2,079 business laptop worth a first-class trip?

A suitable travel partner

The dragonfly was developed from the ground up for your work on the go. At 2.2 pounds, it's significantly lighter than laptops like the XPS 13, HP Specter x360, and MacBook Air. HP says it relieves every element of the laptop to make it so light without losing structural integrity. Even a super-light business laptop like the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is 0.8 pounds heavier.

This effort was really worth it. Put it in your backpack or briefcase and you will barely notice the extra weight as you run through the airport trying to find your gate. It is a tiny laptop. However, the strong navy color, the golden decorations and the sharp edges go perfectly with your suit and your wristwatch. It is downright decadent.

Holding with one hand as a tablet is still out of the question due to its size.

If you take a seat and whip the dragonfly out to work, it fits well on your tray table. The total space requirement is quite small, so it may even work in economy class. This is another area that the dragonfly has over its rivals. It corresponds to the size of the XPS 13, but is three quarters of an inch smaller in height and width than the X1 Yoga. When you are in a confined space like an airplane, every millimeter counts.

For a better view, you can flip the keyboard over to record or watch movies. The use of tablets is possible, but uncomfortable like other 2-in-1 devices of this size. It's just a little big and a little too heavy.

The dragonfly's screen is next to the XPS 13 2-in-1 and looks a bit dated. The bezels are not massive, but a little bulky in addition to the larger 16:10 screen of the XPS 13 2-in-1. The new Specter x360 also has smaller bezels, and I wish they had found their way to the dragonfly. The 1080p screen isn't as impressive as the high-contrast, insanely bright XPS 13 2-in-1. A 4K version is available for better image quality, but is currently not available.

We also tested HP's latest privacy screen, Sure View Reflect. It is the 4th generation of the company's technology that makes the screen invisible from a certain angle. This means that no one but you can see your display unless they are right behind you. In release mode, ie when Sure View Reflect is deactivated, the display is very bright and offers a lot of contrast as well as an accurate color width and accuracy. It is a good ad for productivity users. When you're in privacy mode and Sure View Reflect is turned on, brightness, contrast, and colors drop, but it works as intended. The display is provided with a copper coating, which makes it illegible from the sides.

A small laptop means a small keyboard

The size of the frames (and the size of the keyboard deck) enables a sufficiently large touchpad for tracking and gestures. The glass is smooth and the click mechanism is quiet.

However, the small footprint has a compromise on the keyboard width. It's a little tight, especially in the function line, which is about small buttons that can be easily accidentally pressed. HP went one step further and tried to place a pair of upward-facing speakers directly on the keyboard deck.

I would normally welcome such a choice, but in this case I would have preferred a larger keyboard like the X1 Yoga. This is especially true since the speakers still don't sound good here.

Fortunately, typing is fun. The key presses have enough travel (especially compared to the XPS 13 2-in-1 or MacBook Pro) and are quiet enough not to wake up the person sleeping next to you on the plane.

The included pen is a lightweight pen that feels good in your hand and can be charged via USB-C. With 4,096 sensitivity levels, it is perfect for notation and illustration. The only problem is that there is no case or way to attach it to the laptop. You have to rely on your own devices to have the pen with you. When you're on the go, this can be problematic.

Portable, all-day work and integrated tile support

When you arrive at your destination, the dragonfly has many tricks to meet your computer needs. Port selection is a good place to start. Despite its thickness of just 0.63 inches, HP has both a full-size USB-A and HDMI connector. Neither is so common with laptops as thin as laptops like the XPS 13 go all-in on USB-C.

The Dragonfly has a USB-C 3.1 and a Thunderbolt 3 port for your modern accessories and ports, but offers you options for the older ports that are still useful. They are the key to those moments when you show up at a meeting, are confused by a day of travel and need to be connected to a TV or monitor via HDMI. It also means that you can leave most of your dongles at home.

However, the HP Elite Dragonfly is slightly behind Lenovo X1 Yoga. This laptop offers two USB-C 3.1 / Thunderbolt 3 and two USB-A 3.1 and HDMI 1.4.

If it's a short trip (or you're feeling brave), dare to leave your charger at home too. The dragonfly's battery life is so good. It took just under 10½ hours to surf the Internet, which means that you do well over an entire working day. Your coast to coast flight is covered whether you are working or catching up with The Mandalorian. The Sure View Reflect display does not affect battery life either.

I was a little annoyed by the power switch, which is right next to the connectors on the left. There are many accidental presses when the laptop is picked up or simply moved. While it makes sense to use the 2-in-1 device as a tablet, as mentioned earlier, the size of the dragonfly means that the use of tablets is not ideal.

In 2020, HP added built-in Tile support so users can now find their laptop using the Tile app. The tile circuit is integrated and is specially slid into the M.2 slot, which is normally used for the optional LTE support. This means that it is Tile or LTE, but not both. Tile works well even when the laptop is turned off. You can at least see where you were last connected to the laptop via Bluetooth. If you're lucky, someone is within range with the Tile app and you can see the location of the laptop in real time. It's a great feature for anyone who is worried about leaving their laptop behind.

When business functions are a problem

HP is proud of the security features built into the level. It features a fingerprint scanner, Windows Hello face recognition, a physical camera cover, suppressed noise cancellation for Skype calls, an extended Wi-Fi range and three microphones (two facing, one "world" face). These are all touches that business users will appreciate.

However, it goes deeper. HP Sure Start is also included for secure boot and BIOS protection. HP even sells a separate model with its darkened Sure View screen for more privacy when traveling.

This is not just software. The HP Endpoint Security Controller is on the board. According to HP, it is isolated and cryptographically secure. There's more to it than just a business-first laptop like the ThinkPad X1.

We all want our computers to be secure, but that's probably more than what the average person needs. In some cases, the security suite feels like bloatware, especially if you want to use third-party software to protect against malware. HP security will make IT managers happy, and that's what the company is counting on.

Performance is … ok. The use of 8th generation Intel processors is unfortunate. It's not HP's fault, of course. Intel does not yet support vPro in its latest processor generations. This is (among other things) an important tool for IT departments and remote management.

It's the same problem you find in other business laptops like the Latitude series from Dell or the ThinkPad T series. Note that the cheaper Intel Core i5 Dragonfly does not have a vPro for $ 1,629, so you will lose the performance boost of newer processors without the benefits.

HP has decided to play it safe with the dragonfly. You probably won't notice a drop in performance compared to the XPS 13 2-in-1 or Specter x360, especially not with Dragonfly's 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD and 32 GB Intel Optane Memory H10. However, it damages the longevity of the laptop and lets you question the high price.

Our opinion

The dragonfly is ideal for business people who value security, portability and build quality. The dragonfly will make this person happy, especially if their employer pays the bill.

If you're someone else, you'll wonder why the laptop is so small, won't turn on quickly, or doesn't have the latest generation processors. Despite trying to impress a wider audience, the level of functionality of the dragonfly means that it is still best for a very specific user.

Are there alternatives?

The closest alternative is the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, which is a few hundred dollars cheaper. The Yoga also includes options for a wider range of configurations, including 4K panels and 10th generation processors. However, it is not as portable as the dragonfly.

The Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 is also a great alternative with its ultra-thin bezels and numerous security features. For a similar configuration, the Latitude is $ 100 more expensive and not quite as small as the Dragonfly.

Non-business options like HP Specter x360 or XPS 13 2-in-1 are fantastic, although you lack many of the security features you may need.

How long it will take?

The dragonfly comes with an excellent three-year warranty that will be attractive to businesses. Aside from accidents, the laptop should last as long due to its hardware and excellent build quality. You can even add an additional HP CarePack for advanced repair and replacement services.

Should you buy it

Yes. Those outside the business world shouldn't cross, but for the right person, the dragonfly is the perfect travel companion.

Editor's recommendations




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