Trying to keep up with HP UK"s nonsensical pricing of its Elite x3 and Desk Dock bundle isn"t easy - just look at the timeline below this article to get an idea of what we mean. After months of the bundle"s price rising and falling, the company has now launched another deal to encourage people to buy its Windows 10 Mobile flagship.
If you buy an Elite x3 before July 31, 2017, HP will give you £150 cashback. Unlike its other recent £500 cashback deal - which is no longer available - this latest offer doesn"t require you to trade in your existing handset.
However, as you might expect, there are terms and conditions to be aware of, and you"ll also have to follow a strict procedure to claim your cashback after purchasing the device:
- Wait 30 Days
Keep hold of your purchase receipt/invoice and wait 30 days from your purchase date.Claim
Complete the online claim form within 30 - 60 days of your purchase date.Reward
Receive your cashback reward.
HP says that once you submit a claim, you"ll receive notification of whether or not it"s been "validated" within three business days. If your claim is validated, you"ll receive the cashback reward within 45 days after that.
Even if you do everything as quickly as possible, you won"t receive the cashback for months after you actually purchase the device. But assuming that you do eventually get the £150 cashback, it will effectively reduce the cost of the Elite x3 and Desk Dock bundle from its current price of £673.20 to £523.20.
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
Make sure you check out our HP Elite x3 review if you"re thinking of buying one.
Source: Elite x3 (HP.com) / Details of cashback offer
Timeline: HP UK"s bizarre Elite x3 pricing
HP"s pricing of its Windows 10 Mobile flagship in the UK has been erratic, to say the least:
- August 2016: HP launches the Elite x3 in the UK, priced at £706.80, including the Desk Dock accessory, which supports Windows 10 Mobile"s PC-like Continuum mode.
- December: HP cuts 5% off that price, reducing it to £673.20. It offers no indication that this is a short-term promotional offer of any kind.
- January 17, 2017: The price of the Elite x3 and Desk Dock suddenly shoots up to £757.20 - 7% above its original price, and 12% higher than the price to which it had dropped a few weeks earlier.
- Late January: HP reduces the Elite x3 and Desk Dock back to its original price of £706.80.
- February 21: HP cuts the price by 5% again, reducing it to £673.20 for the second time since its launch. It also includes a free screen protector as a special offer.
- Late February: HP raises its price again, back up to £706.80, still including the free screen protector.
- March 7: The price inexplicably rises again to £757.20. The free screen protector offer continues.
- March 13: HP launches a new deal, offering up to £500 cashback for Elite x3 buyers trading in their existing phones.
- March 30: The company reduces the bundle"s price yet again by 7%, falling to £702.80, but the free screen protector offer ends.
- April 10: HP cuts the list price to £673.20, but offers an additional £90 off the handset and Desk Dock bundle, reducing it to £583.20, for a limited time.