In connection with the subscription service of HP notebooks, which was recently brought to light by as Linus technical tips video. And for good reason: everything seems to be subscription these days. But it’s not just a dystopian feeling that companies like to sell you access to movies, music, games, phones, printers and now laptops without actually owning them. HP subscriptions for consumer and gaming laptop lines are just bad business.
HP offers subscriptions for four productivity laptops and four gaming laptops starting at $34.99 per month and $49.99 per month. There is no start-up fee or deposit, just a soft credit check. Every laptop subscription includes a coverage plan with 24/7 support from a live agent and you can upgrade to a new model after 12 months. This last part is the most attractive feature of the service. You’ll never own this laptop (nor can you buy out the lease), but you can stay ahead of the curve with a new computer every year if that’s important to you.
HP has a nice sounding trial period that allows you to cancel within the first 30 days with a full refund. But other than that, you pay for the whole year even if you cancel. End your Omen Max 16″ subscription at $130/month on the 31st and you’ll get over $1,429 in fees. (If you cancel after the full year is up, there’s no fee, though you’ll have to pay for the rest of the month you’re running.) And if you cancel early or after a year, it’s still yours no matter how much you paid full MSRP. still don’t own it. Under the terms of the contract, HP can remotely lock the laptop and turn any outstanding payments over to a collection agency, destroying your credit score.
Harsh consequences for not paying aren’t new, but if you do it right, these subscriptions are still lousy deals. Tea Linus technical tips video discussed the value of a one-year subscription to the Elitebook 6 G1q they leased, which is about a third of its $3,206 manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). LTTThe video is just a little critical of the value of the subscription, but by focusing only on the first year’s cost and listing the MSRP rather than the retail price, they’re giving HP more leeway than they deserve.
HP notebooks rarely sell for MSRP, either on HP.com or on sites like Best Buy. I just reviewed an HP laptop with an MSRP of almost $4,700 that I have yet to see sell for more than $3,500. At the time of publication, HP is selling the exact configuration of the Elitebook for $1,763.30. So if you lease it for $84.99 a month, you’ll spend more after 21 months than if you bought it outright.
Laptop computer |
Monthly fee |
After one year |
MSRP |
Price now on sale |
Months corresponding to retail |
Months to MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP EliteBook 6 G1q 14 | $84.99 | $1,019.88 | $3,206.00 | $1,763.30 | 21 | 38 |
| HP OmniBook X Flip 14 | $54.99 | $659.88 | $1,299.99 | $809.99 (bigger and brighter 16-inch version, for less) | 15 | 24 |
| HP Envy 17 | $44.99 | $539.88 | interrupted | ON | ON | ON |
| HP Pavilion 16 | $34.99 | $419.88 | interrupted | $679.99 (out of stock) | 19 | ON |
| Omen Max 16 | $129.99 | $1,559.88 | $3,299.99 | $2,499.99 | 19 | 25 |
| Sign 17 | $79.99 | $959.88 | $1,999.99 | $1,899.99 (upscale RTX 5070 model with $100 off promo code) | 24 | 25 |
| Sign 16 | $69.99 | $839.88 | $1,199.99 | $949.99 | 14 | 17 |
| Victus 15 | $49.99 | $599.88 | $1,199.99 | $949.99 | 19 | 24 |
I checked the retail prices of all the notebooks HP offers on subscription (or the closest configuration still available), and each of them costs more to lease for two years than to buy. A few of them are more expensive to rent for 14 months. Before, you could upgrade any of these after just 12 months, but that locks you in for another year and the price is subject to change. HP’s terms say: “If you choose to upgrade your laptop, your fee may change in the coming months.”
Like many loan-to-let or buy-now-pay-later deals, these programs appeal to lower-income people, but they are ready to prey on them. I’ll admit that the low barrier to entry for a laptop subscription can be tempting for someone who doesn’t have the money to pay for a laptop upfront. However, if buying a new laptop is not an option, it will be better if you buy a used or refurbished model from a few years ago. You would actually own any laptop you get.
HP wants to entice you with an “affordable” way to stay on top. But in the long run, you’ll be paying more, and you’re at the mercy of HP’s terms, hardware availability, and all the parts of the program that can change over time. Plus, there’s no benefit to getting a new laptop every year. By the time your old laptop feels slow or a new generation GPU comes out, you’ll be spending a lot more than the price of a new one.
The Verge reached out to HP about its laptop subscription program, but company representatives did not respond by the time of publication.