It's a big day for the Windows ecosystem, with the announcement of Copilot+ AI PCs and the widely anticipated launch of laptops using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite platform. HP was one of seven OEMs to announce new wares, but it's also taking this time to totally revamp its branding strategy.

The new products include the OmniBook X and the EliteBook Ultra, which would have been known as Spectre and Dragonfly in a previous world.

“In this transformative era of artificial intelligence, how we define an exceptional device is no longer about speeds and feeds – it is measured by our ability to create and enable meaningful breakthrough experiences,” said Alex Cho, President, Personal Systems, HP Inc. “We’re at the beginning of a new decade of personal computing that will redefine what a personal computer is. AI enables a fundamentally more personalized and creative experience we believe will empower people in both their personal and professional lives.”

HP's new branding

Goodbye Spectre, Envy, Pavilion, and Dragonfly

We have an article explaining the difference between HP's Spectre, Envy, and Pavilion brands, and frankly, the fact that that article needed to exist should tell you all you need to know about how confusing the consumer portfolio had gotten. Now, all consumer laptops will sit under the OmniBook brand, which HP hasn't used in about a quarter-century.

From there, there will be tiers, including 3, 5, 7, X, and Ultra (convertibles will be called Flip instead of x360). Ultra is going to be reserved for special cases, like if HP were to make a new Spectre Foldable.

As for all-in-ones and desktops, those will be called OmniStudio and OmniDesk, respectively, with the same tiers.

For commercial PCs, things aren't changing as much, since HP is keeping ProBook and EliteBook branding, also replacing 'Book' with 'Studio' or 'Desk' where appropriate. Tiers are 2 and 4 for ProBook, and 6, 8, X, and Ultra for EliteBook.

EliteBook Ultra replaces Dragonfly, while EliteBook X replaces EliteBook 1000. X is premium, and Ultra is more experimental.

HP confirmed to me that the OMEN brand isn't going anywhere for gaming, nor is Victus. That seems to be unchanged.

The HP OmniBook X and EliteBook Ultra

HP is diving headfirst into Snapdragon X Elite

The HP OmniBook X and EliteBook Ultra are essentially the same product, just coming in different colors. They're completely new products. The OmniBook X replaces Spectre, but it's not a convertible, and the EliteBook Ultra replaces Dragonfly, but it's not ultra-light and it's made out of aluminum.

The products are some of the most premium that are being announced today, especially since they're all-new chassis, unlike Dell's new Snapdragon-powered XPS 13. They've got the things you'd expect from products of their tiers, including a USB4 port (the other USB Type-C port is 10Gbps, strangely), up to 2TB storage, and up to 32GB RAM.

And as you've probably heard plenty about today, that have Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite chipset, which includes an NPU capable of 45TOPS. While Microsoft has its own suite of Copilot+ features, HP has its own. In fact, it even has its own Helix branding that you've probably spotted in pictures.

The camera is still a big focus, as it has been since Microsoft debuted Windows Studio Effects back with the Surface Pro X. And HP has heavily invested in webcams, acquiring Poly in 2022 and continuing to improve webcam quality in laptops. With Poly Camera Pro, you can use background blur and replace, auto framing, and much more. It can also automatically switch between two webcams, such as the one built into your laptop and one on your monitor, and it can carry settings between devices.

Another thing that HP talked about was AI Companion, which is basically an app store for AI services. You're probably thinking, "Oh great, another app store." It's a fair point, but all of these PC companies are trying to change how you use your PC, and the hardest question to answer is how they can do that without annoying users. Giving people a way to find their own tools is one way of doing that.

• HP OmniBook X

  Operating System

  Windows 11 Home or Pro

  CPU

  Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 (up to 3.4 GHz, 12 cores)

  GPU

  Qualcomm Adreno

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5X

  Storage

  Up to 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD

  Battery

  59 Whr

  $1200 at Best Buy $1150 at HP

• HP EliteBook Ultra

  Operating System

  Up to Windows 11 Pro

  CPU

  Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

  GPU

  Qualcomm Adreno graphics

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5x

  Storage

  Up to 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD

  Battery

  59Whr

  If you're looking for an interesting new laptop, this HP machine sports a Snapdragon Elite chip, 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage alongside a 2.2K IPS display. Plus, most importantly, you can find one of these for under $1000, making it an affordable buy.

  $1699 at HP

Pricing and availability

Every Copilot+ laptop that was announced today is available for preorder immediately, and they'll begin shipping on June 18. The HP OmniBook X stats at $1,199, while the EliteBook Ultra starts at $1,699.