HP
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Information Technology, Electronics Manufacturing |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://hp.com/ |
HP Inc. is an American multinational information technology company formed in 2015 as a successor to the Hewlett-Packard company founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard.
HP Sub-Brands
[edit | edit source]| Sub-brand[1] | Description | Created/Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| OMEN | High-end focused laptops and desktops lineup, former VoodooPC | 2013 |
| HyperX | High-end gaming peripherals | 2021 |
| Z by HP | Professional workstations and laptops | 2009 |
| HP Wolf Security | Security service to lock in and add anti-virus to HP laptops for remote offices[2] | 2021 |
| HP Anyware | Service to create a seamless experience for teams to interact with their digital workspaces from virtually anywhere | 2021 |
| Fitstation by HP | Partnership to create personalized tech products like footwear, in 2024 HP took the Fitstation insole platform off the market.[3] | 2017 |
* HP Anyware was acquired in 2021 along with Teradici.[4]
Consumer Impact Summary
[edit | edit source]HP has implemented several controversial policies and practices that negatively impact consumers:
- Forcing customers to wait 15 minutes on support calls;
- Some printers requiring ink cartridges to be sufficiently filled to use scanning and faxing features, and scanning often mandating an HP account (see Forced account) and app (see Forced app download), sometimes even an internet connection;
- Firmware updates bricking devices;
- Instant Ink subscription service and Dynamic Security system, which respectively lock cartridges behind a subscription and restrict the use of aftermarket ones.
- Laptop Subscription service which takes ownership away from the device and locks the consumer into HP's terms for 1-year.
Controversies
[edit | edit source]Removing support pages for older products (October 2025)
[edit | edit source]HP started to remove support information, software downloads and documentation for older products, instead redirecting customers to community forums.[5]
This makes it difficult for users to keep using old products, reinstall driver software they may not have archived, or to set up an older device that was bought used and came without drivers.
HP Adds 15 Minutes to All Customer Service Phone Calls
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP adds 15 minutes to all customer service phone calls
In February 2025, HP Inc. instituted a policy to artificially force all consumer PC & print customers to wait a minimum of 15 minutes when calling support. This policy pushes the callers towards the cheaper online support channels, an operation which HP Inc. calls influencing customers to "increase their adoption of digital self-solve".[6]
Ink Required to Scan and Fax
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP Printers Ink Requirements Controversy
To use the scanning and faxing feature on some HP all-in-one printers, all cartridges must not be too low on ink.
Account Required to Scan
[edit | edit source]To use the scanning feature on some HP printers, both the HP app and a HP account are required, at times even an internet connection is also required.[citation needed]
An alternative would be to use Windows' in-built scan feature (albeit rudimentary, it should suffice for basic scanning) or 3rd party software / program such as NAPS2 (a free and open-source software).
Firmware Updates Stop HP Printers from Working (Errors 79 and 49)
[edit | edit source]An over-the-air update for some HP printer products (DeskJets and LaserJets) with network capabilities caused errors 79 and 49 to be shown on the user interface of these devices, soft-locking the printers. In some instances, these faulty updates were not avoidable, because the "update" prompt had to be accepted to re-access the printer. First reports of this showed up in public around October 2022.[7] [8] In some cases, the devices could be recovered,[9] but for an unknown number of users, no official nor unofficial fix was applicable. This effectively led to bricked devices that had to be replaced, often but not always, right after the warranty period had ended.
HP Locks Printers if There Is a Failed Subscription Payment
[edit | edit source]HP is known to push its average customer to its HP Instant-Ink subscription. If a monthly charge for the service fails to approve, the customer's printer will lock up with "Account Issues". An example can be found here. The issue is usually to resolve a failed monthly charge. An additional example can be found here. The user "koteol" finds that this is the exact problem with his printer and paying them the ($2.09) for the failed payment resolves the issue and unlocks the error from the printer.
EPEAT Violations for Disallowing Third-Party Cartridges
[edit | edit source]In 2019, the International Imaging Technology Council (IITC) filed a complaint against HP over new firmware that shuts off their printers upon detecting a non-HP cartridge.[10] HP lists their affected devices as compliant with the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT); however, one of the key provisions for devices to be given this eco-label requires the manufacturer to "allow use of non-manufacturer cartridges and non-manufacturer containers". The IITC claimed that these firmware lockouts were "outrageous" and that HP "shouldn't get to claim to adhere to a higher environmental standard" since recycled and remanufactured cartridges brick the devices.
On May 22, 2023, the IITC brought forward another complaint against HP for preventing the use of third-party ink cartridges while also claiming to be EPEAT-compliant.[11] The IITC accused HP of violating the same provision as the last complaint which prohibits this. HP's datasheet for their OfficeJet Pro 9015e All-in-One printer labeled the product as EPEAT Silver compliant, while also claiming that it requires the "exclusive use of Original HP Ink cartridges for the life of the printer" as well as stating that "Cartridges using a non-HP chip may not function or may cease to function."[12] The IITC accused HP of greenwashing and asked the Global Electronics Council to review the EPEAT registrations for all of HP's HP+ and Dynamic Security printers.
HP Reverb G2 discontinuation bricking
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP Reverb G2
The HP Reverb G2 was bricked as part of the 24H2 update that Microsoft released.
HP disables HEVC support built into their laptops' CPUs
[edit | edit source]HP and Dell have disabled HEVC (H.264/H.265) hardware encoding and decoding support built into their laptops' CPUs using both Intel and AMD processors.[13]
Products/Services
[edit | edit source]HP Instant Ink
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP Instant Ink
HP Instant Ink refers to a subscription service for certain printers in which recipients may receive a set amount of HP Ink Cartridges each month. It has recently come into controversy for changing into a program with various limiting features in 2024.
HP Dynamic Security
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP Dynamic Security
HP Dynamic Security refers to a system in some HP printers to restrict the use of aftermarket ink cartridges, ensuring only original cartridges can be used. This includes locking customers out of using their printer if they purchase or attempt to use officially licensed and partnered ink-refill services, such as recycled cartridges sold by partner companies such as Best Buy, Walmart, and Office Depot.
HP Laptop Subscription
[edit | edit source]- Main article: HP Laptop Subscription
HP Laptop Subscription refers to a subscription service which offers customers access to HP's latest AI-powered laptops and additional benefits for a monthly fee. However, the customer never owns the laptop they receive and are locked into a 1-year commitment term if the consumer retains their subscription for more than the 30-day trial period, alongside additional caveats.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Brand Central". HP Inc. Archived from the original on 4 Feb 2026.
- ↑ "HP Wolf Security". HP Inc. Archived from the original on 19 Jan 2026.
- ↑ Sher, Davide (18 May 2024). "HP silently took the Fitstation insole platform off the market". VoxelMatters. Archived from the original on 26 Jan 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ "HP Inc. to Acquire Teradici". HP. 27 Jul 2021. Archived from the original on 31 Mar 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Sebastian, Linus (2025-10-21). "HP Keeps Getting Worse". Youtube – LMG Clips. Archived from the original on 23 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
- ↑ Kunert, Paul (20 Feb 2025). "HP deliberately adds 15 minutes waiting time for telephone support calls". The Register. Archived from the original on 3 Dec 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Born, Günter (17 Nov 2022). "Okt. 2022 Firmware-Update macht HP-Drucker mit Error 49 oder 79 unbrauchbar". Borns IT- und Windows-Blog (in Deutsch). Archived from the original on 7 Dec 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ guenni (17 Nov 2022). "Oct. 2022 Firmware update bricks HP printer with Error 49 or 79". Born's Tech and Windows World. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ "Color LaserJet Pro MFP-M281fdw shows 49 Service Error after firmware update from 20th October". HP. 15 Nov 2022. Archived from the original on 8 Jul 2025. Retrieved 15 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Gibbons, David (2019-10-06). "Complaint Filed Over HP Firmware Lockout". RTM World. Archived from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Int'l Imaging Technology Council Brings Another Complaint Against HP Inc. over Firmware and Greenwashing". International Imaging Technology Council. 2023-05-23. Archived from the original on 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e All-in-One Printer" (PDF). www8.hp.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ Harding, Scharon (2025-11-20). "HP and Dell disable HEVC support built into their laptops' CPUs". Ars Technica.
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