The HP Elite Dragonfly Max is one of the best laptops HP has made in years, optimized for telecommuting The webcam is super sharp, the microphone does a good job of picking up audio, and the screen is super bright and easy on the eyes

Announced as part of Virtual CES 2021, the Dragonfly Max is powered by an Intel 11th generation processor, which is also found in the company's ultra-lightweight Elite Dragonfly G2, making it faster It also has an ultra-sharp 5MP webcam, a proximity sensor that automatically activates the laptop, and a wide-range microphone that improves audio during calls, whereas the MacBook Air with the M1 chip is 720p

Will these Dragonfly notebooks soar to even greater heights? Let's find out

According to HP, the Elite Dragonfly Max will be available this month (January 2020), but pricing is unknown at this time The first generation started at $1,629 at launch, so it probably won't be cheap We will let you know the price as soon as it is available

As seen above, the HP Elite Dragonfly Max is powered by 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake processors (Core i5 and i7) This should give the Dragonfly Max speedy performance, and one clever trick HP has included is HP Presence Aware, which uses a built-in "proximity sensor" to automatically lock or sleep the laptop

The HP Elite Dragonfly wins points for its elegant dragonfly blue hue, but its excellent design is not the only color variation this time around A sparkling black option is also available; we'd love to see it in person at CES

At 12 x 78 x 06 inches and 25 pounds, the Dragonfly Max is exactly the same size and weight as the original Dragonfly

However, two changes HP made to make the HP Dragonfly Max an ideal work-at-home computer are the biggest changes to its design First, it now has a 5 megapixel webcam that allows for clearer video calls than anywhere else This camera has a privacy shutter that can be opened and closed manually

Second, the Dragonfly Max's four wide-range microphones ensure that your voice is always heard in crystal clear sound; HP Dynamic Audio suppresses background noise so only you can hear you

The Elite Dragonfly Max's 133-inch Full HD touchscreen is just what your tired eyes need: with an HP-rated output of 1000 nits, it's not only incredibly bright, it takes care of your eyes, too

HP Eye Ease is an "always-on, low-blue light filter that protects you from potentially harmful blue light," helping you see the colors on your display as accurately as possible while protecting your eyes It is also TUV Rheinland Eyesafe certified, meeting the modern standard that screens should be easy on the eyes

It also features Sure View Reflect technology for added privacy You will be going on a business trip sometime, won't you? You want to be private when you are on a business trip

Unfortunately, we don't know how long the Dragonfly Max will last; HP notes that it has a 562 WHr battery, but does not provide a durability estimate

The original HP Elite Dragonfly lasted 12 hours 25 minutes in Tom's Guide battery tests

The Max is not the only Elite Dragonfly to be released this year; HP also announced the Elite Dragonfly G2 (available this month, price TBD, same as the Max) Powered by 11th generation Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, the second-generation Dragonfly is lightweight at only 22 pounds

HP boasts an environmentally friendly enclosure that "incorporates recycled materials, including marine-derived plastics" Also, unlike the original, all Elite Dragonfly G2 models will have built-in Tile tracking They also feature the same background audio suppression technology as the Max, with sound tuning by Bang & Olufsen The major difference is the lack of a fourth microphone for wider audio input

The Dragonfly G2 and Max feature HP's Sound Calibration technology, which adjusts headphone audio for optimal listening, and thanks to four top-facing speakers and four discrete amplifiers, the sound should be great

We wish we could have been there to see the Elite Dragonfly Max and G2 models for ourselves That said, in this age of always working from home, which will continue in some form past this pandemic, the Elite Dragonfly Max has a lot of appeal for those seeking a laptop built for communication However, there is still much we don't know about these laptops, including their price, so we look forward to showcasing them in a full review