HP has once again updated its documentation for the Elite x3 Windows 10 superphone. Last month the company updated the device, which scored a new logo, color, and fingerprint scanner support. Now the company has revealed the 47 countries lined up to receive the handset when it launches.
That launch date is still not known incidentally as HP employs a drip, drip approach. Don’t forget, the Elite x3 was launched way back at MWC at the beginning of March. However, with the launch regions now known, it is probably not long until the device lands.
Indeed, HP is widely believed to be waiting for Microsoft to roll out the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2.
Just recently HP announced the price for the Elite x3 64GB variant will be $699. That puts it firmly in flagship territory in terms of price. Of course, it belongs there in terms of specs too. This is the first true Windows 10 powerhouse, even surpassing the Lumia 950 XL. HP is orienting the handset to enterprise and business users, and even Android diehards in our circle are impressed by this smartphone.
That said, don’t expect it to be a massive seller or to breathe life into the ailing Windows phone market. That is simply not the point of this smartphone.
Full launch country list:
Americas
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Mexico
- US
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Finland
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
Asia-Pacific
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- India
- Japan
Considering the limited availability of Windows-based mobile devices, HP is going for an aggressive roll out. There is still no word on how you can get the Elite x3, but we imagine carrier support will be largely limited around the world. That means you will need to go through official channels (HP and Microsoft) and retailers such as Amazon.
Elite x3
The X3 comes with a massive 5.96-inch AMOLED screen with 1440 x 2560 Quad HD resolution, while Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 provides ample protection for the display. The handset itself gets IP67 water and dust proofing, while HP says it is also “drop resistant.”
Under the hood there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8996 processor clocked at 2.15GHz, coupled with 4GB of RAM. 64GB of internal storage will be available out of the box, but users can also expand through a micro SD card slot. Around the back is a 16-megapixel rear camera, while the front gets an 8-megapixel selfie lens.
To run these innards and high-res screen at peak performance, HP has added a 4150mAh battery to keep the lights on. Alongside the new fingerprint scanner, the Elite X3 also gets an iris scanner to take advantage of Windows Hello authentication.
