HP Elite x3 First Look

It was perhaps HP that surprised us the most at this year's MWC. The company took to the trade show to unveil the HP Elite x3, a smartphone that runs Windows 10 Mobile and leverages Microsoft's Continuum feature to also serve as a computer with both a desktop and laptop dock. We got a chance to play with the handset on the trade show floors, and you can check out our initial impressions of the HP Elite x3 in the video.

The HP Elite x3 is only the second smartphone from the American company to offer Microsoft's mobile operating system. The two companies have partnered to build an elegant, metal-clad large smartphone that feels very premium. The 6-inch smartphone, much like any other smartphone of this form-factor, is very difficult to operate using one hand, though its large and sharp display make up for it.

The smartphone is also IP67-certified, which means that it can withstand dust and immersion in water for up to 1 metre for about 30 minutes.

As for the software, the HP Elite x3 runs Windows 10 Mobile. It also utilises Windows 10's headline feature Continuum, as you can see in the video above. Continuum enables the Elite x3 to connect to docks - Desk Dock and Mobile Extender - and serve as a full-fledged desktop and laptop, respectively.

The HP Elite x3 is no slouch at hardware specifications either. It sports a 5.96-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) Amoled display with Gorilla Glass 4 protecting it. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.15GHz coupled with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB inbuilt storage. There's also a microSD card slot should you need more storage.

Other features of the HP Elite x3 include a 15-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, support for 4G LTE, and a 4150mAh battery. Watch our video, embedded above, to see the phone in action.