HP launches industry's thinnest, lightest business-class notebooks

Source: HP. The EliteBook 1020.

HP has introduced the HP EliteBook Folio 1020 family, which it says are the industry’s thinnest and lightest business-class notebooks. Both the HP EliteBook 1020 and the HP EliteBook 1020 Special Edition (SE) are 15.7 mm thick, and the SE is made of an exclusive blend of magnesium-lithium alloy and reusable carbon fibre that enables it to weigh just 1 kg1. 

"The HP EliteBook 1020 represents game-changing innovation in both materials and mechanical engineering to create the world’s thinnest and lightest business notebooks in a form factor that enables our customers to be more productive in more places,” said Serena Yong, GM, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia. “Customers demand not only a stylish, thin and light notebook, but also a device that delivers advanced security and can withstand the rigorous demands that come with a highly mobile lifestyle – and the HP EliteBook 1020 delivers this complete solution.” 

Both notebooks are designed with enterprise mobility in mind, with up to nine hours of battery life2 to power a full work day. Like the rest of the EliteBook family, these are designed to pass military-grade (MIL-STD 810G) testing – drops, shocks, and exposure to extremes of temperature and humidity, and high pressure testing3. The notebooks also deliver both speed and near-silent operation with a fanless design and solid state storage, supported by latest Intel CoreM processor technology. Both devices come with HP Client Management Solutions and optional LANDesk4 and Intel vProTM technology5 to easily integrate and deploy into an enterprise IT environment. 

The notebooks include HP’s enterprise-class security, including certified Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2/2.06 , pre-boot authentication, fingerprint reader and the exclusive HP Sure Start self-healing BIOS to help better protect the device, data and identity. The HP EliteBook 1020 with optional touchscreen and HP EliteBook 1020 SE offer a 12.5" diagonal Quad HD (QHD) display, and are the first EliteBooks to come with the HP Premium Keyboard, a newly designed keyboard that provides optimised, consistent key responses.

The 720p webcam, front firing speakers, featuring HD Audio with DTS Studio Sound and HP Noise Reduction Software, make web conferences and collaboration on-the-go more productive. 

Today’s announcement also includes updates to the HP EliteBook line of notebooks and convertibles, which will feature the latest generation of Intel Core processors. All new HP EliteBooks include the HP Noise Reduction Software for greater clarity in collaborative environments, and come pre-loaded with the company’s cloud-based management solution HP Touchpoint Manager7 to easily manage and secure multi-OS devices in an IT environment and can also be deployed on customers’ existing devices. The devices also include enhanced security features with HP Client Security8 and HP BIOSphere9 to help keep data and devices safe. In addition, HP EliteBooks have undergone more than 115,000 hours of testing to multiple military reliability standards. 

The updated HP EliteBooks include: 
 HP EliteBook Folio 1040 
 HP EliteBook 850 
 HP EliteBook 840 
 HP EliteBook 820 
 HP EliteBook Revolve 810 

Pricing and Availability 
 The HP EliteBook 800 Series are available today with a starting price of S$1,599. 
 The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 will be available in Singapore from March with a starting price of S$2,299. 
 The HP EliteBook Revolve 810 will be available in Singapore from the end of March with a starting price of S$2,499. 
 The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 Standard Edition will be available in Singapore from March with a starting price of S$2,399, and 
 The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 Special Edition will available in May. Pricing for the Special Edition will be set closer to availability.

1 Final weight of the 1020 is 1.2 kg; the 1020 SE is pending.
2 Windows 8 MM12 battery life will vary depending on various factors including product model, configuration, loaded applications, features, use, wireless functionality, and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. See www.bapco.com for additional details.
3 MIl STD 810G testing is not intended to demonstrate fitness for US Department of Defense contract
requirements or for military use. Test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test
conditions. MIL STD testing on the EliteBook 1020 is final; testing on the 1020 Special Edition is pending.
4 Remote Secure functionality requires LANdesk software, sold separately. Select devices offer location-based functionality and require an active LANDesk Management Suite 9.5 SP1 (LDMS) maintenance service or license with location-based settings, Windows 8.1 and WWAN/GPS functionality. Wipe functionality performs a “Windows 8 Reset” and requires Windows 8. Lock performs a Windows “Lock Computer.”
5 Some functionality of this technology, such as Intel Active management technology and Intel Virtualization
technology, requires additional 3rd party software in order to run. Availability of future "virtual appliances"
applications for Intel vPro technology is dependent on 3rd party software providers. Microsoft Windows required.
6 Firmware TPM is version 2.0. Hardware TPM is v1.2, which is a subset of the TPM 2.0 specification version v0.89 as implemented by Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT). 
7 HP Touchpoint Manager supports Android™, iOS and Windows operating systems and PCs, notebooks, tablets and smartphones from various manufacturers. Not available in all countries see www.hp.com/touchpoint for availability information. HP Touchpoint Manager requires purchase of a subscription.
8 HP Client Security requires Windows.
9 HP BIOSphere features may vary depending on the PC platform and configuration.

OPPO launches world's thinnest smartphone

OPPO is showing the world that it is worth watching in the smartphone space with unique innovations that show it knows what users want. The company has just launched the R5, the world's thinnest full high-definition phone, which is just 4.85mm in width. 

Source: OPPO. Bakarrik Azeri, Product Manager, OPPO, introduces the R5, the world's slimmest smartphone, at the launch event in Singapore.

"This phone has been developed with the end user in mind," said Sky Li, General Manager of OPPO's overseas mobile phone business. "We used cutting edge manufacturing techniques to create a phone that fits perfectly into the users' hands and that feels incredible. The frame has been forged nine times and then finished by hand to give a perfect sheen and feel."

Built with top-grade steel and designed with a micro-arc frame that physically strengthens the device, OPPO's R5 is the world's first smartphone that uses phase-change material, maintaining a constant cool temperature while delivering superior functionality. The R5's patented heat dissipation technology "Cool Element" protects its Qualcomm octa-core MSM8939 processor, prolonging the life of the phone. 

A 5.2" AMOLED screen offers for high brightness and colour rendition as well as a low reflection ratio and very good ambient light contrast ratios while Pure Image (PI) 2.0 Plus Flash Shot technology enables pictures to be taken with a maximum focus time of 0.18 seconds. The camera in the R5 handles low light environments easily, with "50MP high-definition quality" for the images.

Charging is a snap with OPPO's VOOC mini rapid charging system, with which a 30-minute charge will provide 75% battery life and a five-minute charge will allow for a two-hour call. 

'The R5, like the rest of the 'R' series, delivers a truly stylish. exquisite and distinctive design and will continue to delight our customers with its innovative yet practical functions," added Li. 

OPPO also introduced the N3, the world’s first smartphone to feature an automated swivel camera, at the same launch event. 

Source: OPPO. The N3.

“We took what our users loved about the N1 and made it even better,” said Li. "The N3 is a perfect demonstration of our commitment to design and innovation.” 

The N3 incorporates the much-loved rotating camera that is also in the earlier N series phones, but adds automation. The N3’s 16 MP camera can rotate 206 degrees and is capable of taking pictures using free-stop and multi-angle shooting. Panoramic shots can also be created through the automatic rotation feature. 

The N3 camera also features OPPO’s target-tracking focus function for panning shots. Users merely need to identify the target to focus on, and the camera will modify its angle to follow the target, helping users create clear photos and videos of a moving subject. Breakthrough mobile camera lens technology developed in partnership with Schneider Optics, enables the camera to take shots that are 64MP-resolution quality, OPPO said.

The OPPO N3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU and is packed with 32GB ROM and 2GB memory plus a 5.5" screen made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for maximum clarity and durability. The N3 has a hollow underside design which protects the phone if it is dropped. Notifications about incoming texts and messages are presented in the hollow. 

Like the R5, the N3 has OPPO's VOOC mini rapid charging system and PI 2.0 Plus imaging technology.

Both phones are available in the following markets in Asia Pacific and the Middle East: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, Vietnam and mainland China.