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| The HP EliteBook X G2i - despite the screen being on full brightness and SureView being disabled, it is unreadable from the side |
When you're in the market for a business laptop, the display is one of those things that can make or break your experience. Unfortunately, finding the perfect screen isn't always straightforward. Many manufacturers limit which display options are available for certain configurations, which means you might end up with a screen that doesn't really match your needs.
Business laptops—those machines designed specifically for corporate users—tend to offer a wide variety of display choices. On paper, that sounds great. In practice, it can be overwhelming.
A Case Study: The HP EliteBook X G2i
Take the HP EliteBook X G2i, for instance. This 14-inch flagship business laptop from HP comes with no fewer than seven different display options. Each one offers different resolutions, different underlying panel technologies, and different feature sets.
If you want to dive deeper into what this laptop offers, you can check out our full review of the HP EliteBook X G2i here.
The particular unit we tested came equipped with one specific screen option: a WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS LCD with a marketed brightness of 800 cd/m². What makes this panel notable is that it's an HP SureView screen.
What Is HP SureView?
SureView is HP's marketing term for an ePrivacy screen. These types of displays have intentionally limited viewing angles, which prevents people around you from reading whatever is on your screen. For professionals who frequently work with sensitive information in public spaces—think trains, airplanes, or coffee shops—this can be a genuinely useful feature.
But here's the thing: it's only useful if you actually need it.
The Problem with ePrivacy Displays
If privacy isn't a concern for you, we strongly recommend avoiding this screen option altogether. The viewing angle stability is simply poor, even when you don't activate the "SureView mode."
Now, to be fair, it's not quite as bad as a TN panel—the colors don't invert when you view the screen from an angle. But the brightness drops off dramatically as soon as you move your head away from the center position. Even a slight movement can cause part of the display to appear darker, which creates a frustrating viewing experience.
Better Alternatives for Most Users
The HP EliteBook X G2i 14 is genuinely a great laptop. In our review, it earned a "Very Good" rating, and there's a lot to like about it. But if you're going to buy one, do yourself a favor and choose a different display option.
The OLED panels available for this model are excellent alternatives. You can find current pricing and configurations on Amazon here.
The Bottom Line
SureView technology is only worth it if you're absolutely certain you need the privacy protection it provides. For everyone else, it's a compromise that isn't worth making. When you're spending good money on a business laptop, you deserve a screen that looks great from every angle—not just straight on.
