Windows tablets are trying to make a comeback. HP has announced a new 11-inch tablet that runs Windows 11, has a detachable keyboard, and features a unique camera gimmick.
The HP 11-inch Tablet (yes, that’s the official name) has a reversible, 13-megapixel camera that functions both as the device’s rear-facing camera and as a pop-up, front-facing one. When you’re ready to start a video call or take a selfie, the rear camera will flip around to point at your face, rotating up to 235 degrees. It can even tilt down and point at your desk.
It’s nifty little trick, though it does present a problem. The camera is meant to be used in portrait mode, which is the opposite of how most of us take video calls or use laptops. If you do take your Zoom call in landscape, you’ll be stuck with the camera poking out from the left or right of the screen rather than the top.
The built-in kickstand does support both orientations, unlike the Surface Pro Type Cover. HP even demonstrated how its detachable keyboard still connects to the device in portrait mode, though it does look a little silly.
Apart from the camera and the back cover, the device looks like your standard iPad or Surface Pro alternative. It’s a stand-alone tablet with a detachable keyboard, which includes a large touchpad.
At 11 inches, it sits in between the Surface Pro and Surface Go, right at the size of the 11-inch iPad Pro. The tablet itself weighs 1.45 pounds, which is heavier than the 1-pound iPad Pro, but lighter than the 1.7-pound Surface Pro 7.
The internals, though, fall on the budget side of the spectrum. The base configuration of the tablet runs on an Intel Pentium Silver N6000 chip with just 4GB of memory and 128GB of SSD storage.
Fortunately, the HP 11-Inch Tablet makes up for things with its 3:2 display. The 2160 x 1440 screen is quite sharp for this type of device. It’s still a lower resolution than the Surface Pro 7 and iPad Pro 11, but HP’s 11-Inch Tablet is far cheaper.
HP includes a few software features such as Duet for HP, which lets you use the screen as a second display for another PC or even an iOS or Android device. If you want to use pen or touch input, though, you’ll have to pay for the Duet Pro version. There’s also PhotoMatch,a photo search that uses face recognition, and QuickDrop, an app that lets you send photos to your phone wirelessly.
HP is selling the tablet on its own for $499 starting in December, or bundled with the keyboard and stylus starting at $599.