HP has unveiled a suite of new PCs at CES 2023 designed to bring innovative new features to benefit hybrid working environments.
Chief among the new features is a new 'multi-camera experience' designed to offer dual video streams and camera switching to help users easily show their faces and an object or whiteboard at the same time, side-by-side or picture-in-picture. HP said the new devices are the first business notebooks to support the simultaneous use of two cameras.
The catalogue of launches sporting the new hybrid work features includes the HP Dragonfly G4, HP EliteBook 1040 G10, and the HP Elite x360 1040 G10 - all of which come equipped with Intel 13th Gen processors, and varying screen sizes between 13.5 and 14 inches.
The company has also added a feature called 'auto camera select' which uses face tracking to detect which camera a user is facing to help keep audiences engaged without having to change the settings manually on their device if they happen to change which camera they use.
HP Keystone Correction helps to share whiteboards or documents by automatically cropping and flattening images from the camera feed. There’s also the HP Be Right Back feature which users can utilise to change their video feed to an image without disrupting their meetings if they need a break.
Smart Sense is also baked in, a feature HP claims will optimise PC thermal performance using AI to adapt to PC usage patterns. The ambition here is that the feature will help to make the devices run quieter and cooler, making them more comfortable to work with.
Through research, the company said that 77% of employees prefer a hybrid model, with this form of working here to stay, although working in a hybrid environment can be challenging.
It added that workers need to have productive workspaces at home, and need the best PC experience wherever they work.
“Hybrid provides us with greater flexibility and freedom in our personal lives, but brings its own set of challenges for people to stay productive and connected to others,” said Alex Cho, president of personal systems at HP.
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HP also unveiled two other devices that it hopes will reduce friction in users’ lives through their all-day battery life and powerful camera and touchscreen, in turn supporting the rise in hybrid working.
The first PC is the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook which has been made for users who require continuous, uninterrupted connection to the internet.
The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is a 14in device with what HP claims to be the first 8MP user-facing camera in a clamshell Chromebook, with the world’s brightest Chromebook touchscreen display.
The second piece of hardware is the HP Dragonfly Pro which the company produced in partnership with AMD. It's been branded the first HP device to have one-touch access to HP 24/7 live concierge support through one of its hotkeys. The other hotkeys are for Control Center access, and the camera, while the fourth one can be customised.
Both of these devices are EPEAT Gold Registered in the US, using ten recycled metals and plastics as well as sustainably sourced and recycled packaging.
HP also said the freelancer community is expected to grow, with freelancers making up 50% of the US workforce by 2027. This is why it has released these two laptops, targeting freelancers who need power for multitasking and heavy workloads, as well as built-in support and services.
