HP"s pricing policy for its Windows 10 Mobile flagship in the UK is becoming increasingly confusing, as the company continues to raise and reduce the cost of the device every few weeks.
The Elite x3 launched in the UK in August, priced at £706.80, including the Desk Dock, which supports the PC-like Continuum experience in Windows 10 Mobile. In December, HP cut 5% off that price, reducing it to £673.20, with no indication that it was a short-term promotional offer of any kind. But at the start of the year, HP returned the handset to its original price, and then in mid-January, it suddenly increased its price by 7% on top of that, rising to £757.20.
Yet again, its price soon returned to the original amount, before - yep, you guessed it - HP cut its price back down to £673.20 in mid-February, and it also added a free "Privacy Screen" protector worth £10.80. Soon after that, its price bounced back up to £706.80, still including the free screen protector.
Now, inexplicably, HP has once again increased the cost of the Elite x3 and Desk Dock back up to £757.20 - and yes, the free screen protector is still available. You"ll need to add the evoucher code PRIVSCREEN at checkout to qualify for that offer.
HP"s motivations in pricing the handset so inconsistently remain unclear, especially when the Microsoft Store has continued to sell the device at one price - £706.80 - since its launch last year. You can get it for even less at Carphone Warehouse, where it"s priced at £699.99 with the Dock.
The Elite x3"s key specs include:
- 5.96-inch AMOLED with Quad HD (2560x1440px) resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and anti-reflective coating
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB onboard storage (plus microSD card support)
- 16MP rear camera
- 8MP front-facing camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth 4.0
- NFC support
- 4G LTE connectivity
- Optional dual-SIM support
- USB 3.0 port with Type-C connector
- Iris scanner
- Fingerprint scanner
- IP67 rating for dust- and water-resistance
- MIL-STD-810G rating, assuring device protection for drops from up to 1 meter
- Pogo pins
- Qi wireless charging
- 4150mAh battery
- 161.8 x 83.5 x 7.8mm; 194g
If you"re thinking of buying the Elite x3, make sure you check out our detailed review of the device before you do so.
Meanwhile, HP briefly showed an updated version of the Elite x3 at last week"s Mobile World Congress, along with a larger version of its Lap Dock accessory, which supports the Continuum experience on the go.
Source: HP