Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
I know it is approaching the holiday season and I know we always see great deals this time of year, but this one is ludicrous. What makes it even more crazy is the fact that just a couple weeks ago I wrote about this same Chromebook and a similar deal and it was a fantastic one at that time. While I was pretty happy to share a sub-$350 price tag on this one back at the beginning of the month, this new deal is not just hard to pass up: it makes it crazy-difficult to recommend just about any other Chromebook at this point under $300.
So, what Chromebook is it? We’re looking at the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 from last year, so that means a 10th-gen Intel Comet Lake processor, but don’t let that give you even a second of pause. Intel’s silicon in Chromebooks has been solid since 8th-gen and the 10th-gen devices and all their added connectivity options (Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6) have all been fantastic to use. As a matter of fact, I’m using a 10th-gen Chromebook to write this post and under my normal operating setup, there’s not a bit of hesitation in this Chromebook versus the 11th-gen Chromebooks I’ve been reviewing.
This version also comes with a couple other notable downgrades from the Chromebook we reviewed in 2020: it’s a Core i3 instead of a Core i5, there’s only 4GB of RAM, and the storage is downgraded to 64GB of eMMC. But for the ridiculous price of $279, I think all of those trade-offs are completely fair: especially considering the fact that this device still comes with the same, gorgeous 3:2 QHD screen that we all know and love.
It also boasts the same backlit keyboard, Gorilla Glass trackpad, USI pen support and convertible form factor that we expect in the Spin 713, too, so using this Chromebook won’t feel too different than using the higher-spec model we named one of our favorite Chromebooks of 2020.
And you’re getting it all for $279! With all these features and military-grade durability, this is a complete no-brainer if you are in the market for a less-expensive Chromebook that 100% will feel far nicer than this sort of price tag would imply. We can’t stress it enough, though: if you are even considering this Chromebook a little bit, I’d get it immediately. Prices and sales are quite volatile this time of year, so acting fast is your best path towards snagging a wild deal like this one before it vanishes.
