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| The keyboard of the HP EliteBook X G2i 14. |
The humble keyboard finally gets the innovation it deserves—and it might be the best typing experience on a business laptop yet.
Every laptop has one, but they are too rarely given the appreciation and importance that they actually deserve. We are talking about the humble keyboard—the central input device of pretty much all PCs and the thing that separates laptops from tablets. Yet for years, it has remained largely unchanged, treated as an afterthought rather than the critical interface it truly is.
Why Laptop Keyboard Innovation Has Stalled
Innovation in laptop keyboards these days is quite rare. After all, laptops have had them for decades, so manufacturers figured them out a long time ago. If anything, when manufacturers change something, they often make things worse—like Apple with their infamous and short-lived butterfly keyboard switches that plagued MacBooks for years before the company quietly retreated back to scissor switches.
HP has long used very good keyboards in their EliteBook laptop line, their premier business laptop series. Keyboards like the one in the HP EliteBook 8 G2a 14 are solid performers, but they also have not changed too much in many years. The Chiclet keycap design, 1.5 mm travel, backlit nature, and basic six-row layout are very much standard these days for business laptops.
HP EliteBook X G2i 14: A Genuine Leap Forward
Changing something that is good—actually improving it—is difficult. But HP has managed it with the new HP EliteBook X G2i 14. Here, HP has introduced a completely new keyboard with a brand-new, frameless keycap design.
This does not just look more modern; it also is better. The keycaps improve the backlit function significantly. With a classical Chiclet design, the LEDs often bleed out beneath the keys, creating uneven lighting. This is not the case here. Plus, the dark grey keys have a very nice, premium material texture that does not seem to get dirty easily, and the typing feel is excellent.
Different from Dell's frameless design on the XPS, HP's approach is easier to use, as you can still clearly tell each key from another. That might sound like a small detail, but in practice, it makes a huge difference during long typing sessions.
The Details That Matter
For those who want to dive deeper into the full specifications and performance benchmarks of this impressive machine, you can read the full review of the HP EliteBook X G2i here. The lightweight design combined with this revolutionary keyboard makes it a compelling choice for professionals on the go.
Should You Consider This Laptop?
Overall, we were highly impressed by the keyboard of the 2026 HP EliteBook X G2i 14. It represents a rare thing in the laptop industry: genuine innovation that actually improves the user experience rather than complicating it.
Hopefully, HP implements it across the rest of the EliteBook lineup in the future. For now, if you are in the market for a premium business laptop that finally treats its keyboard with the respect it deserves, the EliteBook X G2i 14 is worth a serious look. You can check current pricing and availability on Amazon to see if it fits your budget.
The humble keyboard may never get the spotlight it deserves, but at least with devices like this, it is finally getting the engineering attention it has always needed.
