What a surprise! HP positions Qualcomm as AMD's only rival in fiercely contested 40+ TOPS business laptop market

• EliteBook 6 G1q is HP’s flagship 14-inch next-gen AI laptop
• It's powered by Snapdragon X chips with up to 45 TOPS NPU performance
• There's an AMD version of the 14-inch laptop, but Intel sits this one out

HP has been shaking things up at its Amplify 2025 event, unveiling new AI laptops and changing brand names in a bid to make them easier for would-be buyers to understand. The company offers "i" or "a" versions of its AI laptops, so you can tell at a glance whether a device has an Intel or an AMD processor.

However these aren’t the only players in town - and HP knows it. If you’re a highly mobile professional who needs to stay constantly connected and wants to offload time-consuming tasks to AI, HP has launched the EliteBook 6 G1 series laptop, which includes a 14-inch model with a 40–60 TOPS NPU that’s "purpose-built for knowledge creators to do more."

There are two EliteBook 6 Next Gen AI models to choose from: one with an AMD processor (G1a) and one with a Qualcomm processor (G1q), both in a 14-inch size. While Intel is offered in the standard AI version (less than 40 TOPS NPU), and in the higher-end EliteBook 8 G1 models, it’s not offered at all in the EliteBook 6 Next Gen AI lineup.

Choice of Snapdragons

The 14-inch EliteBook 6 G1q Next Gen AI PC is powered by a 45 TOPS Snapdragon X, X Plus, or X Elite processor. Memory configurations go up to 64GB LPDDR5X, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. The 14-inch display comes in multiple options, including WUXGA (1920 x 1200) and WQXGA (2560 x 1600).

Other features of note include an FHD camera, with optional 5MP+IR or AI-enhanced cameras. Audio is delivered through dual stereo speakers by Poly Studio and dual microphones with AI noise reduction.

The laptop also includes a spill-resistant keyboard (optionally backlit with Durakeys) and a Microsoft Precision touchpad. Connectivity options include two USB4 Type-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, audio jack, RJ45, and an optional Nano SIM. Wireless support includes Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.4 or 5.3, along with optional 5G WWAN.

Battery options are 48 or 56Wh. The laptop weighs around 1.45 kg and comes in any color you like, as long as it’s silver. Bundled software includes MyHP, HP AI Companion, Microsoft Copilot, Poly Camera Pro, and more.

There’s no word yet on pricing or availability for HP’s sole Qualcomm AI laptop.

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