Test: Dragonfly G3 – Digi.no

HP introduced the third generation of computers, which they called the Dragonfly – The Stinger. We’ve tested previous versions and were impressed. Part of Dragonfly’s point is making a very stylish computer that weighs just under a kilogram. Admittedly, the battery is smaller.

We now have the third generation of Dragonfly for two weeks and we like this generation more than the previous ones.

There is no doubt that this is a real dragonfly. It is very thin, made of dark blue metal and well equipped with ports. But it is much more than that.

new formula

The biggest difference between the new and old Dragonfly is that HP has changed the screen format. Previously, like most laptops, it had a 16:9 screen. In other words, a format that perfectly fits the TV format. The new G3 model has a 3:2 format. Given the same screen width, it gives a longer screen.

The difference is huge in practice. If there’s one thing that can’t be enough in a laptop, it’s screen space, and that’s where you get more in terms of height. This means more room for windows, or you can see more of your document in portrait orientation. It will be difficult to go back to 16:9 after settling in 3:2.

You can have many different screen configurations for the Dragonfly G3, but if we look at the basic screen, the screen resolution is 1280 x 1920. The 16:9 screen has an equivalent resolution of 1080 x 1920. That means you get another 200 pixels screen On such a screen, this is important.

The higher 13.5-inch screen also means the PC has a more square look. This means that there will be more space between the keyboard and the edge, and here there is a lot more space for the touchpad. In fact a very good idea it’s much better to work with any previous HP PC we’ve tested.

External dimensions are 29.7 x 22 cm, so we are not talking about something huge. HP has also compressed it to a thickness of 1.64 cm.

Another difference from the previous two generations is that the screen can now be folded no more than 180 degrees. Before, you can fold 360 degrees. Whether it is a major flaw is of course up to the individual. We ourselves have several so-called 360 models that can be set up in a tent configuration or completely folded and used as a tablet. But we have never used it in practice.

The most difficult terms of sound

The new screen shape has a defect in terms of sound. The whole computer gets a little narrower in favor of the height. This means that the keyboard, which is otherwise very good, takes priority. Something else will be missing. But this means that the space on the side of the keyboard is too small for the speakers. Instead, the four speakers are located in a perforated line behind the function keys and in notches below that point forward.

The Bang & Olufsen-branded sound is good by all accounts, but something tells us that having stereo speakers on each side is better for music while sitting and working. If you’re using the Dragonfly as a speaker in the room, that’s great, but a connected Bluetooth speaker would probably do a better job.

a little heavier

Dragonfly is beautiful and lightweight. The Dragonfly G3 is still nice and light, but not as light as you could have gotten in previous versions. 0.99kg weight requires 45W battery. It had to make way for a big new 68Wh battery. It’s a solid jump from the previous generation, with the largest battery being 56W, and this will significantly increase battery life. The weight ends at 1.18 kilograms, and we’re happy with that rather than worrying about the range.

What a screen!

Dragonfly G3 is available with several different screens. You can get it with an LCD screen rated at 400 nits with a resolution of 1920 x 1280 or 3000 x 2000 pixels.

We tested the version that comes with a 3000 x 2000 pixel OLED display and we just have to say: What a screen! Definitely the one you want, but then there was the price, then.

There is one thing that speaks against OLED screens. They are only available with a blank screen. Many people want a matte screen to avoid reflections. It is taste and pleasure. We even think it’s perfectly fine with a blank screen, but in any case, OLED is what matters most.

HP also has Monitor versions with a vision filter that they call Sure View. It can be triggered when you are sitting next to someone who should not see your screen. It looks good in theory, but the disadvantages do not outweigh the advantages, in our opinion, if this is not a frequent situation. Then it is much better to buy a loose vision filter that you can put on the screen, for example. in a trip. Then you get rid of the weak screen that uses more power than usual.

It is possible to order models without touch sensitivity, but once you get used to it, you won’t want to be without it. Then you can also use a stylus on the screen, although this is rare. Or practical when you can’t rotate it 360 degrees.

gates

Thin PCs tend to have few ports. But HP has managed to squeeze in what most people need. There are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 with the USB4 specification, one on each side. You connect the charger to one. In addition, there is a USB A port. It has so little space that you have to slide a small cover down to insert a cable. On the left side we find the HDMI 2.0 port.

There’s also a 3.5mm analog audio port and a nano security port for those who want to lock their computers at their desks.

The device is equipped with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 and can be obtained through the nano SIM port for 4G or 5G networks.

fast

Computers with the same processor closely follow each other when measuring speed. As before, the Dragonfly G3 comes with the most power-efficient Intel processors in the i5 and i7 category. But this time with the twelfth generation versions. Together with LPDDR5 memory with dual memory channels, the new generation gets much faster speed, in addition to the fact that the processors have much more efficient power management than before.

Our tests show a nice jump in performance, but the acid test is how the computer behaves in real life. It is, if not day and night, a much better experience.

Tests also show that this is not the fastest in Intel’s field. But there are small differences. Perhaps too small to be observed in practice. The important thing is that it has new generations of processors that come with a wide range of improvements.

Perhaps it is time for AMD to become an alternative in such machines. Both will give better performance and longer battery life.

Excellent webcam

HP mostly uses a 720p webcam. Now it has been replaced by a 5-megapixel one. That is five times more. In addition, it has a larger wide angle that allows the camera to follow people in the foreground when they move a little, the so-called automatic framing. This is all well and good, but where we notice the new camera is better is when we have to log in with facial recognition. We’ve had a bad experience with that before, but now it’s such a breeze. Almost as fast as an iPhone, which means a lot.

conclusion

So, with all that said, is this a PC you should buy? It’s easy to say yes, but it depends on many factors as usual. This is a business model – how willing is the job to give up and what agreements do they make with merchants?

Then the question is whether it is large enough. Some want some real monsters with big screens, although a 13- to 14-inch slide is what most people prefer due to its portability. This is certainly very portable, with a large screen, long battery life and plenty of equipment, but also at a high price. From about 20,000 including VAT for the cheapest and 10,000 more for the one we tested.