From leak to launch, ASUS’ Chromebook Flip C433 has officially been unveiled. As expected, the new convertible by ASUS mirrors the current Flip C434 when it comes to internals but takes its design cues from the like of the Pixelbook and its predecessor, the Flip C302.
The most intriguing feature of the new Flip is perhaps the region in which it will debut. The majority of flagship (or otherwise) Chromebooks make their first appearances in the U.S. with subsequent releases in other countries and regions. Some devices, such a the Samsung Chromebook Pro, never make it across the pond and are limited to only a few, select markets.
The ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 could be the exception to that rule. According to the press release, the premium Chromebook that features up to a Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM will be made available in the United Kingdom some time in mid-October. Granted, we could see a U.S. debut tomorrow if ASUS chooses to do so. Their clamshell C425 just popped up on Amazon one day with zero warning whatsoever. Still, the fact that ASUS chose to announce a launch in the United Kingdom first is a very encouraging landmark for the Chrome OS market in general. Hopefully, we will continue to see a continuing expansion of adoption across the globe. With a little luck, that will also help to level frequenetly disproportionate pricing structures we see in regions outside of the states.
On to the finer details. Like the C434, the entry-level Flip C433 will be powered by the 8th Gen Intel Core m3-8100Y CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Unlike the C434, ASUS newest convertible will offer up to a Core i7 as well as 8Gb of RAM and a healthy 128GB of storage. It will also feature the same 14″ FHD “nano-edge” display that gives the Chromebook an 85% screen to body ratio. That gives the Flip a much smaller footprint than 14″ models from other OEMs.
Along with looking a lot like the Chromebook Flip C302, the C433 brings back the side-firing speakers that are mounted to the left and right of the trackpad on the outer edge of the “precision-crafted aluminum-alloy chassis.” Around the outside, you’ll find a single USB-A port and 2 x USB-C ports that provide data transfer, display out and power delivery. The C433 also features a MicroSD card reader that ASUS states will handle up to a 2TB card.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C433
- ASUS Chromebook Flip C433
- Operating system: Chrome OS
- Processor: Intel® Core™ m3-8100Y Processor 4M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz
- Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics
- Storage: eMMC:64G
- Memory: LPDDR3 4GB
- Display: 14″ FHD 1920×1080, wide 178° viewing angle w/touch
- Networking: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac); Bluetooth® 5.0
- I/O ports: 2 x USB Type-C™ (Full function); 1 x U
- SB Type-A; 1 x Combo stereo headphone/mic jack; 1 x Micro SD Card
- Webcam: HD Camera
- Keyboard: Backlit keyboard with 1.4mm key travel
- Battery: 3-cell, 48W Li-ion Polymer
- Dimensions: 321.7 x 208 x 16.9 mm
- Weight: 1.5 kg
I, for one, am excited to get my hands on this one. As much as I like the C434, the latest convertible from ASUS looks like a true successor to the Flip C302 and that is one of my favorite devices of all time. For the jilted who have waited so long for Linux apps to land on Skylake, this may be the best option for a replacement of the beloved C302.
