Like most laptop-makers, HP had a ton of announcements at CES 2026. At the top of its lineup are the new OmniBook Ultra and EliteBook X, and the company was kind enough to send some pre-production units to sample. Sorry, but that means no performance testing.
HP did refresh pretty much its entire OmniBook lineup though, from the entry-level 3-series all the way through the Ultra. They all come with next-gen processors from Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD.
Specifically, the units that HP sent me are the Snapdragon X2 Elite version of the OmniBook Ultra and the Intel Panther Lake version of the EliteBook X. They both come in flavors with other silicon.
The HP EliteBook X G2i feels similar
Not that that's a bad thing
The HP EliteBook X G2i comes in the familiar blue color that we've seen variants of from HP since the Dragonfly era. The regular one weighs in at 2.42 pounds, although there's a special lightweight version that's exclusive to the Intel model that weighs 2.2 pounds.
It's a delight. Carrying around a laptop that weighs that little is something that you never regret when you're on the go, and all three processor variants have 5G options.
Now, let's talk about the keyboard, because that's the big, glaring difference. Over the last five years or so, HP has put serious work into keyboard quality, to where I've called them the best in the industry, often better than ThinkPad. That's saying a lot.
So, they went and changed it. It's a bold move. HP seems to be moving to zero-lattice keyboards (no space between the keys) across the board, and I don't quite understand why. It's not that zero-lattice keyboards are bad, but I do think they're not for everyone. Moreover, I don't think that there's a real benefit to this kind of keyboard layout. I've been over this in a bunch of Dell reviews, since Dell went this route with XPS and its business laptops.
In fact, when I reviewed the Dell Pro 14 Premium, I noted that as a key differentiator for Lenovo ThinkPads and HP EliteBooks.
To be clear, this keyboard is fine, and it's a quality keyboard like I've come to expect from HP. I'm just concerned about putting it on all products.
Normally, when I do these types of hands-on articles, I like to dive into HP AI Companion features, because it's one of my favorite things about HP laptops. Oddly, it wasn't pre-installed, so I'm not going to go too into it. You can still get it from the Microsoft Store, and I do recommend checking it out.
The Intel model that HP sent me is coming in February, with pricing available closer to launch. The AMD and Qualcomm variants will be available in the spring.
The HP OmniBook Ultra really shines
It's an all-new design
Weighing in at 2.81 pounds, the OmniBook Ultra is a stunner. It's an all-new design coming in a new Stone Blue color, rather than the more bold blue colorway on the EliteBook X. It's also got more of a two-tone look around the keyboard, something I've come to appreciate from HP over the last few years.
Unlike the EliteBook X, it has a haptic touchpad, which is the correct choice for a touchpad. You can press it anywhere and it works, and it has that more comfortable feel. The keyboard is zero-lattice, which as I said above, seems to be something that HP is starting to push across its portfolio. It seems to be the same keyboard as on the EliteBook X, which is fine, but I maintain isn't necessarily for everyone.
Probably the most interesting things about the OmniBook Ultra are things I couldn't test. I'd have loved to benchmark the Snapdragon X2 Elite in actual shipping hardware. Also, while the unit HP sent me has the Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100, there's a variant that has the X2E-90-100, a chip with an 85 TOPS NPU that's exclusive to HP.
Indeed, you might remember in last year's OmniBook Ultra that it had an exclusive AMD chip with a more powerful NPU. The same thing is the case here. HP really cares about AI chops in its products, although this unit didn't have AI Companion pre-installed either. I'd actually assume that the shipping model will, and I'd be interested to see how much faster this stuff runs with the new NPU. Even the regular Snapdragon X2 Elite has an NPU that's way more powerful than its predecessor.
But for me, the new OmniBook Ultra is all about the design. Going back to when it was called Spectre, HP was always a champion of laptop design, making products that stood out as truly beautiful. The new OmniBook Ultra seems to revive some of that spirit, from the unique colorways to the sharper edges to the premium metal feel.
Stone Blue is the only color for the Qualcomm version, but the Intel model comes in Silk Sand and Eclipse Gray. I saw the Silk Sand model at the briefing, and it looks fantastic.
The HP OmniBook Ultra is going to be available this month, starting at $1,549.99. The OmniBook X and OmniBook 7 series will be available in the spring with pricing announced closer to availability. Finally, the OmniBook 5 and 3 series will be available in February, starting at $849.99 and $499.99, respectively.