There have been a string of high-end Chromebooks released recently but while most of them are classified as gaming Chromebooks, HP’s latest offering, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is focused on professionals and freelancers.
Fortunately, our friends over at HP were kind enough to send one over so we could see just what this $1000 Chromebook is capable of.
Features
The HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook has a lot going for it, such as being the world’s first Chromebook with an 8MP user-facing webcam, the world’s brightest touchscreen display in a Chromebook at 1200 nits, the world’s first customizable RGB keyboard in a non-gaming Chromebook, and the first Chromebook to include four Thunderbolt 4 USB4 Type-C ports.
Besides all of the “world’s first” features, the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook stands out with its high-quality magnesium frame made with 65% recycled metals and the aluminum lid made up of 15% of recyclable materials. The all-metal body not only makes it look premium, but also gives it a rock-solid feel in your hands with zero flex.
Additionally, every Dragonfly Pro Chromebook comes with 12 months of 24/7 live support from HP, as well as an optional subscription service for $10.99/month for up to 36 months offering fast repairs or device replacement. This saves you precious time and ensures if you encounter any issues you’ll be up and running as quickly as possible.
Display
The HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook features a brilliant 1200 nit 14-inch 16:10 display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. With 215 PPI, the screen looks sharp while also being incredibly bright with gorgeous colors and contrast.
Whether you’re working on documents, viewing images, or streaming the latest movies or shows–the Dragonfly Pro’s screen won’t disappoint. It’s one of my favorite features on this Chromebook. Although, it could have been even better with support for HDR. Considering the ultra-bright 1200-nit screen, this seems like a real missed opportunity.
In fact, the display is so bright that even set to the lowest level I often found it to be slightly too bright in the evenings. The good news is that you’ll have no issues viewing what’s on the screen during bright sunny days.
Performance
Under the hood of the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U processor clocked at 3.67Ghz with 16GB of memory, along with Intel Iris Xe graphics. That’s a lot of horsepower for a Chromebook and is leagues ahead of many cheaper Chromebooks on the market.
The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook easily handles daily tasks such as web surfing, document creation, and streaming media. I was even able to install Steam for ChromeOS and run some smaller indie games such as Stardew Valley and Overcooked.
Of course, that did make the fans run pretty hard, when they are normally pretty silent, but if you’re looking to do a little light gaming then rest assured that the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook can handle it.
Software
On the software side, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook offers everything you’d expect from ChromeOS. It runs Chrome with all of its handy extensions, it supports fast pairing making it quick and easy to connect supported Bluetooth headphones, and you can connect your phone or send files using Nearby Share.
Furthermore, Android apps can be installed from the Play Store, and you can enable a Linux environment to install Linux apps. A word or warning though, just because it works doesn’t mean it always works well. For example, when using the Discord Android app I had issues clicking on servers in the app. Android apps aren’t designed specifically for ChromeOS and it’s not uncommon to experience issues like this.
Keyboard and trackpad
One of the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook’s flashiest features is its customizable RGB keyboard with a fingerprint sensor built into one of the keys. HP collaborated with Google on personalizing the keyboard making it possible to change the colors manually from a curated selection, display a rainbow effect, or allowing the keys to change depending on your wallpaper.
This is a fun way to add a little personality to your device and to express yourself which most other professional Chromebooks and computers lack. Beyond the colorful keys, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook has a wonderful keyboard for typing. The keys are springy with a decent level of travel and it makes typing a breeze.
The haptic trackpad is equally pleasant to use with a nice smooth surface for using gestures.
Webcam
The 8MP user-facing webcam is a standout feature on the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. At a time when video calls are the norm for most businesses these days, it’s important to have a high-quality webcam for all of those Zoom meetings. Google even helped HP co-engineer and tune the image quality for the best results.
Audio
While the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is primarily a work machine, combined with the stunning display is a set of speakers with immersive Bang & Olufsen surround sound. And thanks to the use of two woofers and two tweeters, you end up with the perfect balance.
Furthermore, the speakers get extremely loud. So, volume will not be an issue. In fact, sometimes it’s a little too loud and can get distorted at higher volumes depending on the source.
Battery life
HP rates the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook for up to nine hours in YouTube video playback tests. I saw similar results when streaming at the lowest brightness setting, but with mixed usage in various lighting conditions, I saw battery life closer to 7-8 hours.
That’s still pretty impressive and puts the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook on par with most of its competitors. Plus, with HP Fast Charge it’s possible to go from 0 to 50% charged in only 30 minutes. Meaning you’ll be able to top it off in a hurry if needed.
Final thoughts
The HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook looks and feels like a $1000 PC. It has an incredible display, zippy performance, wonderful sound, an impressive webcam, and decent battery life. The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is sure to impress anyone who is looking for a premium Chromebook.
If you’re looking for a Chromebook with no compromises, then the Dragonfly Chromebook Pro from HP won’t disappoint. However, at $1000, the Dragonfly Chromebook Pro is priced at the higher end of the spectrum for Chromebooks. You’ll want to make sure a Chromebook fully serves all of your needs before spending the equivalent of gaming laptop on one.
The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is currently available from HP’s website for $1000 in Ceramic White or Sparkling Black.
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