HP’s CES 2026 debut was less a booth refresh and more a strategic repositioning: the company laid out a cohesive vision for the “future of work” that ties on-device AI, fleet manageability, printer intelligence, gaming consolidation, and sustainability into a single, enterprise-friendly story—anchored by a strikingly literal device: a full Windows PC built inside a keyboard.
Background / Overview
HP’s CES announcements emphasize two converging trends: the push to run meaningful AI locally on endpoints (minimizing cloud dependency, latency, and data movement), and the need to manage and secure increasingly complex distributed fleets. The company’s headline products — the EliteBoard G1a “keyputer,” the EliteBook X G2 Series, and new Snapdragon X2-powered OmniBooks — are framed as practical, IT-manageable building blocks for that strategy. HP also extended that strategy outward, adding AI to printers via Microsoft Copilot integration, building recovery features into its Workforce Experience Platform (WXP), consolidating gaming under HyperX, and calling attention to material-circularity milestones. This article dissects the hardware and platform claims, validates key specifications against independent reporting, evaluates the enterprise implications, and highlights the risks and procurement considerations IT teams should weigh before buying into HP’s vision.
What HP showed at CES: the headline products
The EliteBoard G1a — a full PC in a keyboard
HP introduced the
EliteBoard G1a, which the company bills as “the world’s first full AI PC built into a keyboard.” That description isn’t marketing hyperbole alone: HP’s official materials and CES Innovation Awards listing describe a standalone keyboard chassis that includes a CPU, NPU, memory, storage, I/O, and optional battery — intended to connect to displays via a single cable and function as a Copilot+ Windows PC. HP’s press materials, the CES Innovation listing and major press outlets all confirm the product and its March 2026 ship window. Key verified specs and design points:
- Weight and profile: HP claims an ultra-thin 12 mm profile and roughly 0.75 kg (≈1.65 lb) — independently reported by several outlets as “under 1.7 lb.”
- Processor and NPU: Configured around AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series silicon, with HP advertising over 50 TOPS of NPU for on-device AI inference. This aligns with HP’s Copilot+ positioning.
- Serviceability: HP emphasizes IT serviceability — removable bottom panels for RAM, storage, Wi‑Fi module and replaceable battery in the detachable SKU, underlining the device’s enterprise intent.
Why it matters: the EliteBoard reframes the “desktop” as a portable, IT-managed endpoint that can be moved between workspaces while still offering local AI acceleration. For organizations that need data locality, simplified desk setups, or easy asset replacement, a serviceable “PC-in-a-keyboard” could be compelling — but it’s a new category that raises very practical questions about thermals, ergonomics, and software parity with traditional notebooks.
EliteBook X G2 Series and OmniBook Ultra 14 — up to 85 TOPS for concurrent AI apps
HP claims leadership across business and consumer notebooks by shipping devices with NPUs capable of
up to 85 TOPS, enabling
concurrent AI app workloads on-device. The two flagship product lines cited are:
- HP EliteBook X G2 Series — positioned as business-class Copilot+ laptops with configurations that include Snapdragon X2 Elite processors enabling up to 85 TOPS NPU performance in select SKUs. HP describes multiple EliteBook X variants (Snapdragon, Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI) tuned for different workloads.
- HP OmniBook Ultra 14 — a consumer laptop HP says is the first consumer notebook to offer up to 85 TOPS when configured with Snapdragon X2 Elite silicon. HP’s consumer press release and multiple outlets corroborate the claim.
Independent context: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite family (and the higher-tier X2 Elite Extreme) was widely reported to bring NPUs in the ~80 TOPS range and higher CPU clocks compared with previous Snapdragon X chips — corroborating HP’s 85 TOPS claims when the OEM pairs the right X2E SKU (X2E-90/84 series) with its systems. Major outlets that covered Qualcomm’s announcement confirm the X2 Elite NPU figures and expected OEM launches in early 2026.
OmniBook 3 16 and HP’s battery-life claims
HP also updated the whole OmniBook portfolio with OLED panels and Snapdragon X2 options, and made an aggressive battery-life claim:
up to 45 hours of local video playback in a 16-inch OLED consumer AI PC (the OmniBook 3 16) in a specific configuration (Snapdragon X1‑26‑100, 32GB RAM, 68Wh battery). HP’s testing methodology for the claim is documented in its press materials; the number is achievable only under controlled playback scenarios rather than general mixed-use workloads. Independent reporting recaps HP’s claim but also highlights the usual caveats about real-world variance.
Printers with Copilot — HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot
HP announced
HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot, a Workpath app that embeds Microsoft Copilot capabilities directly into HP Workpath-enabled multifunction printers (MFPs). Features called out by HP include on-device summarization of scanned documents,
smart file naming and storage suggestions to OneDrive/SharePoint, and on-device translation — effectively moving Copilot workflows to the point where paper becomes digital. HP says availability is planned for Spring 2026 as part of a Workpath Premium bundle and requires Copilot licensing.
Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) firmware-level recovery
HP expanded its
Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) with a firmware-level recovery capability intended to allow IT to repair devices that cannot boot — a valuable tool for distributed fleets and kiosks. HP’s blog explains this feature alongside unified printer management and collaboration analytics. The capability targets faster mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) and greater continuity in hybrid environments.
HyperX master gaming brand & HyperX OMEN MAX 16
HP consolidated OMEN and HyperX under the
HyperX master gaming brand and announced the
HyperX OMEN MAX 16, which HP describes as the “world’s most powerful gaming laptop with fully internal cooling,” claiming up to 300W Total Platform Power (TPP) using internal cooling and a redesigned cooling stack. HP’s release and early hands‑on coverage confirm the rebrand and the Max 16’s thermals/TPP posture; outlets noted HP’s aggressive positioning and the risk that internal thermal management will be scrutinized by reviewers.
Sustainability and Digital Passport
HP highlighted that it has used
more than five billion pounds of reused, recycled, or renewable materials in products and packaging since 2019 — a milestone repeated across HP press materials at CES. The company also introduced
HP Digital Passport, a QR-based device-serial hub for onboarding, feature discovery and surfacing a device’s sustainability story; HP calls it a CES Innovation Award honoree. Independent outlets and HP’s own newsroom/blog coverage confirm both announcements.
Technical verification: what stands up and what needs scrutiny
HP’s announcement combines hardware capability statements (NPUs measured in TOPS, battery-life figures, TPP numbers) with product features (Copilot in printers, firmware recovery). Each of those claims is verifiable to varying degrees; the following summarizes third‑party corroboration and caveats.
NPU performance claims (50 TOPS / 85 TOPS)
- HP’s 50 TOPS claim for the EliteBoard G1a and the up to 85 TOPS claim for EliteBook X G2 / OmniBook Ultra 14 map cleanly to the available Qualcomm and AMD/Qualcomm product stacks. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite family is widely reported to deliver NPUs in the ≈80 TOPS class in its higher-tier SKUs, and AMD’s Ryzen AI also targets robust on-device inference. Independent reporting from major outlets corroborates the order of magnitude for these NPUs.
- Caveat: TOPS is not an application-level performance metric by itself. TOPS measures theoretical neural operation throughput; real application performance depends on model architecture, quantization, memory bandwidth, software stack and driver optimization. HP emphasizes “concurrent AI workloads,” but actual concurrency and latency will depend on software optimizations (Windows, Copilot+ stacks, drivers) and how ISVs use the NPU. Benchmarks from independent reviewers will be essential.
Battery-life claims (up to 45 hours local video playback)
- HP’s 45‑hour playback number for the OmniBook 3 16 is explicitly conditional on a specific hardware configuration and a tightly-controlled test (local 1080p playback at 200 nits, particular SOC and RAM, headphone or speaker use, wireless on but not connected). HP documents the test method in its consumer press release; reporters note the caveat that general-purpose workloads will reduce those numbers substantially. Treat the 45‑hour figure as a best-case video playback metric, not a mixed-use battery life indicator.
Total Platform Power (TPP) and HyperX OMEN MAX 16 claims
- HP cites 300W TPP for the HyperX OMEN MAX 16 without external boosters; the company claims an internal cooling solution designed to sustain this level. HP’s own materials and first-hand reporting repeat this metric, and HP clarifies it as a designed TPP (graphics + thermal allowance) rather than a guaranteed sustained power draw across every configuration. Independent reviews will be required to confirm whether the OEM’s internal thermals prevent throttling over long gaming sessions.
Copilot on printers — functional dependencies and licensing
- HP’s printer Copilot integration is a Workpath app requiring compatible HP printers and Microsoft 365 Copilot entitlements. That means the functionality depends on (1) the specific printer model and its Workpath support, (2) tenant-level Copilot licensing and OneDrive/SharePoint configuration, and (3) enterprise policy and data governance choices. HP’s blog lists the features and availability window (Spring 2026) and explicitly notes the licensing prerequisites.
WXP firmware-level recovery
- HP’s WXP firmware-level recovery functionality appears to be a genuine addition to device management capabilities; HP’s WXP blog explains the feature and positions it as a way to reduce downtime for unbootable endpoints. Independent reporting is limited at the moment; IT organizations should validate the recovery mechanics (secure boot interplay, firmware signing, recovery prerequisites) during pilot testing.
Strengths: what HP gets right
- Coherent product-to-platform strategy. HP’s story ties devices, manageability and enterprise services together: Copilot+ endpoints, printer-level AI, firmware recovery in WXP, and lifecycle visibility with Digital Passport. That consistency lowers friction for IT when they want to fold AI into workflows while maintaining governance.
- Focus on manageability and serviceability. The EliteBoard’s removable internals and WXP’s firmware recovery show HP is prioritizing fleet uptime and TCO — a real differentiator for enterprise procurement where lifecycle and repairability matter.
- On-device AI investments. By shipping early Copilot+ capable machines and pairing them with Snapdragon X2 Elite and AMD Ryzen AI silicon, HP positions customers to run local inference for privacy-sensitive tasks (transcription, summarization, agent workloads) without round-tripping to cloud. Qualcomm’s X2 Elite NPU specs corroborate HP’s NPU claims.
- Integrated sustainability messaging. The Digital Passport and HP’s circular-materials milestone make sustainability more visible and operational — useful for ESG reporting and corporates with procurement policies tied to circularity metrics.
Risks, unknowns, and practical caveats
- TOPS vs. workload reality. NPUs measured in TOPS are promising, but they do not guarantee real-world improvements for enterprise apps. Model footprint, memory bandwidth, driver maturity, and Microsoft’s Copilot+ optimization all influence actual throughput. Organizations should avoid purchasing purely on TOPS numbers.
- Software maturity and driver support. The Windows-on-ARM ecosystem has improved but still requires rigorous validation for complex ISV stacks. Qualcomm and OEMs have committed to better driver and game compatibility, but compatibility for legacy enterprise software must be validated on target SKUs.
- Thermals and sustained performance. The EliteBoard’s thin chassis and the HyperX OMEN MAX 16’s internal 300W TPP pose opposite thermal challenges: the EliteBoard must dissipate NPU/SoC heat in a keyboard form factor, while the Max 16 must sustain extraordinary power inside a laptop shell. Independent thermal testing will determine whether these devices hold performance under prolonged load.
- Security and privacy considerations for Copilot at the printer. While on-device summarization can improve workflows, it also creates new endpoints where sensitive documents are processed. Enterprises must ensure that Copilot entitlements, OneDrive/SharePoint tenant controls, and MFP audit/logging meet compliance requirements before enabling the feature globally.
- Pricing and supply unknowns. HP withheld detailed pricing and expected MSRP for many SKUs. The cost of high‑RAM, high‑NPU configurations could be material and determine whether these devices remain niche or reach mainstream adoption. Forecasts are subject to component supply (LPDDR5x, NVMe) and global RAM markets.
What IT procurement and endpoint teams should do next
- Pilot before fleetwide purchases.
- Run targeted pilots with representative users and workloads (transcription, summarization, heavy Excel/Teams usage). Validate model latency, thermal throttling, battery behavior, peripheral compatibility and security controls.
- Test application compatibility.
- Verify all mission-critical Windows and line-of-business apps on configured SKUs: Snapdragon X2 Elite variants, AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra configurations can behave differently.
- Validate security posture.
- Confirm HP Wolf Security integration, firmware recovery workflows in WXP, and the privacy configuration for HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot (e.g., where inference occurs, logs retention, and DLP controls).
- Quantify TCO and repair workflows.
- Use the EliteBoard’s serviceability and WXP firmware recovery capabilities to model MTTR improvements and expected gains in asset reuse and repair costs.
- Confirm licensing and tenant prerequisites.
- For HP for Microsoft 365 Copilot, ensure you have the required Copilot entitlements and OneDrive/SharePoint architecture before enabling the Workpath app.
- Budget for verification tests and training.
- Allocate time and budget for driver updates, endpoint management integration, and user training around new Copilot workflows and Digital Passport onboarding.
Buying checklist — what to ask vendors
- Which exact processor and NPU SKU is in the device I’m evaluating (e.g., X2E-90 vs. X2E-84), and what software stack is required to unlock the NPU?
- Can the vendor provide independent benchmark data for the enterprise workloads we intend to run (models, dataset size, concurrency)?
- How does firmware-level recovery handle encrypted drives or TPM/BitLocker configurations?
- What telemetry, logs, and governance features exist for Copilot interactions on printers and endpoints?
- What are upgrade paths and serviceable parts for long-term asset lifecycle management?
- What are the default privacy settings for on-device inference, and how can they be configured centrally?
The strategic view: why HP’s approach matters
HP’s CES messaging is not merely incremental product marketing; it’s a deliberate platform play. By aligning
on-device AI (EliteBoard, EliteBook X, OmniBook) with
fleet-level manageability (WXP) and
workflow endpoints (printer Copilot), HP is pushing customers toward a future where AI capabilities are distributed across endpoints rather than centralized in the cloud alone. This architecture directly addresses latency, privacy, connectivity and cost considerations for many enterprise use cases — especially regulated industries and organizations with distributed or partially connected workforces. Additionally, HP’s emphasis on serviceability, warranty-friendly repairability and a digital lifecycle hub (Digital Passport) dovetails with corporate sustainability and TCO objectives. For CIOs and device procurement teams that must justify hardware refreshes in ESG and TCO terms, those are significant value propositions.
Conclusion
HP’s CES 2026 portfolio is ambitious, tightly integrated, and clearly aimed at organizations that want to operationalize on-device AI without sacrificing manageability or lifecycle accountability. The EliteBoard G1a is the most attention-grabbing proof‑point — a distinctive attempt to recast the desktop as a portable, IT-manageable endpoint — while the EliteBook X G2 Series and OmniBook Ultra 14 seek to mainstream high‑TOPS NPUs into both business and consumer laptops. HP’s platform moves (WXP recovery, Copilot at the printer, Digital Passport, HyperX consolidation) reinforce a single strategic direction: making AI useful at the endpoint and manageable at scale. Practical adoption will hinge on three things: independent validation of performance claims (especially sustained NPU throughput and thermals), clear licensing and governance for Copilot-enabled workflows, and pricing that makes high-NPU configurations accessible beyond early adopters. For IT leaders, the immediate next steps are straightforward: run pilots, demand application-level benchmarks, and validate security and recovery workflows before committing to fleet-wide rollouts. If those boxes check out, HP’s CES 2026 lineup represents one of the most coherent enterprise AI endpoint strategies shown on the CES floor.
Source: The Manila Times
HP at CES 2026 - HP Showcases the Future of Work