Hybrid Work Devices: HP Dragonfly G4 is an Ideal Laptop for Lightweight Work
Avi Greengart, Lead Analyst
Design
HP’s laptop targeting “mobile trailblazers” (HP’s term) has undergone multiple iterations, but a magnesium case that keeps weight down to 2.2 lbs. has been part of the design from the beginning. While the difference between 2.2 lbs. and 2.5 lbs. is relatively minor, most thin and light laptops clock in closer (or just above) 3 lbs., and the contrast there is stark: while those aren’t heavy, the Dragonfly G4 doesn’t feel like you’re carrying a full laptop at all.
The Dragonfly G4 starts at $1769 with new 13th gen Intel Core-i5 1335U processors along with 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and a 13.5” 400 nit 1920 x 1280 touchscreen. The version that HP sent me jumps up to a Core i7-1365U and 5G for $2279 but review units sadly lost the touchscreen somewhere in configurationland. I found both the resolution and brightness adequate, but I wouldn’t recommend this display if you frequently work poolside in the sun. There is also a 13.5” 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen option if you prioritize contrast, color, and resolution over battery life.
In all cases, the 3:2 aspect ratio makes the 13.5” size ideal for office productivity work. The port layout is terrific, too. There are dual USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports on each side for charging/connectivity, a USB-A for compatibility (the chassis is so slim that the port needs to expand), HDMI, and 3.5mm headphone jack. There is also a lock slot to make it less likely that the Dragonfly flies away.
The keyboard has reasonable key travel and all the buttons in the right places (looking at you, ThinkPad), while the trackpad worked as advertised. The 5 MP webcam includes a mechanical privacy shutter and dynamic voice leveling mics. All versions of the Dragonfly G4 are now Wi-Fi 6E; 5G cellular is an option for constant and secure remote connectivity.
Sustainability
HP makes the Dragonfly G4’s case out of 90% recycled magnesium, and the keycaps contain 50% recycled plastic from DVDs. New for the G4 model, the plastic display bezel incorporates used cooking oil to help lower CO2 emissions. Like all of HP’s recent products, the packaging is 100% recyclable and sustainably sourced.
Unique Hybrid Work Capabilities
In addition to a 5 MP camera with a privacy shutter, mic noise reduction, and background blurring for video calls, the Dragonfly G4 offers several unique multi-camera experiences to enhance hybrid work. If you give presentations often, these can be incredibly useful features. You can set up two cameras and point one down at a document with automatic keystoning so the viewing angle is eliminated, text is easier to read, and diagrams have the correct perspective. The software can automatically prioritize the camera you’re in front of. Finally, you can easily set up picture in picture, which makes demoing products easier. (HP sent over a Poly kit with a webcam and wireless headset; these deserve their own reviews.)
Real-World Battery Life and Performance
Battery management on such a lightweight device is seriously impressive. HP Smart Sense optimizes power and thermal performance based on usage scenarios. I had tried this on the Dragonfly Pro and found that it didn’t make much difference, but here, where the use case is consistent (Office, web browsing, video calls, and maybe some light photo editing) leaving it Balanced Mode and just letting it do its thing absolutely works. There is a fan, but it wasn’t really audible on the go, and the laptop never got noticeably hot.
There’s a 68 Wh battery stuffed in here somewhere, and that helps explain the battery life I saw. HP claims up to 20 hours of video playback, which is an easily measured metric but does not reflect real world use. For a more realistic (and possibly unfair) usage scenario, I took the Dragonfly G4 with me to cover the iPhone 15 launch. Yes, I took a Windows laptop to an Apple event; it was a trial by fire for the laptop, but also a good test of T-Mobile’s 5G network, Microsoft’s Your Phone app in Windows, and the Pixel Fold’s 5x telephoto camera. I started the day at 6 AM PT with the Dragonfly G4’s battery reading 96%. I proceeded to use the Dragonfly G4 at breakfast to check email and social media on 5G; edited a report on WiFi in my room; liveblogged the Apple event on Twitter while pulling photos off a Pixel Fold; did some light photo edits for social media afterwards; wrote my report in the airport using 5G and a Bluetooth mouse, on the plane with radios turned off except for Bluetooth, and in the Lyft with 5G; and finally uploaded photos and text to Squarespace from my home office in New Jersey over WiFi. I ended the day at 3 AM ET with 38% battery. I consider this somewhere between extraordinary and heroic.
Before Apple fans jump all over me: yes, the battery life in the MacBook Air 15” M2 meets or exceeds this. I’ve experienced it; it’s wonderful. Apple Silicon’s performance levels are higher despite its efficiency, the MacBook Air needs no fan, and the MacBook Air is $200 - $500 less expensive. A MacBook Pro 14” has similarly spectacular battery life and dramatically better GPU benchmarks and is still cheaper than the Dragonfly G4 configuration I tested. However, the Dragonfly G4 performance was perfectly fine for my use case, and if the fan spun up, I didn’t hear it at the Steve Jobs Theater, in SFO Terminal 3, or on a United 777. The MacBook Air 13” weighs a half pound more, and the MacBook Air 15” or MacBook Pro 14” come in over a full pound more. HP’s built-in 5G is extremely useful, as Apple should know from its iPad line. If I was doing video editing, the MacBook would have been a better choice. But for highly mobile basic productivity in a chassis so lightweight it barely registers in your bag, HP’s Dragonfly G4 is exceptional.
The Dragonfly Brand
This is the third Dragonfly product Techsponential has reviewed within the past year. Dragonfly is HP’s enterprise design brand (Spectre serves the prosumer market), but Dragonfly product positioning does not always match its brand vision or retail strategy. The Dragonfly Pro and Dragonfly Pro Chromebook are aimed at freelancers, not IT buyers. Despite the clear product positioning, both Dragonfly Pros initially launched in enterprise sales channels, and for a while weren’t even visible on HP.com unless you searched the enterprise section. (The Dragonfly Pro has since shown up at Best Buy.) The Dragonfly G4 is aimed at mobile trailblazers and it delivers. However, many people in that target audience are self-employed or purchasing for personal use, while HP is selling the Dragonfly G4 solely through enterprise sales channels.
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