HP has steadily become a leader in ChromeOS devices that range from inexpensive to ultra-premium. In the shadow of the company’s exciting release of the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, HP is quietly releasing new iterations of its most popular devices that bring the latest 12th Gen Intel CPUs to the party. Just last month, the all-new HP Chromebook x360 14c hit shelves at Best Buy and along with the new 12th Gen Core i3, HP made the shift from 16:9 to a 16:10 display that is gaining popularity among Chromebook users and laptop owners, in general.
This week, two more refreshed HP Chromebooks surfaced on Best Buy’s website and these come in the form of 15.6″ clamshells. While the upgrades are slight, this is the first time in quite a while that we’ve seen a larger clamshell from HP rocking a Core i3 processor. Like last year’s model, there is an entry-level Pentium version that’s equipped with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. However, the CPU is the 12th Gen Intel N200 which we have seen puts out some serious horsepower and is beefy enough that most general users will have no issue getting things done with ease on this Chromebook. The only major drawbacks to this model are the minimal storage and the display. For whatever reason, HP opted to use a
1366 x 768 HD panel which is fine for smaller devices but a 15.6″ laptop with less than 1080P is going to be noticeably sub-par.
The more desirable SKU of the new HP comes bearing a 12th Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM and a much more respectable 128GB of storage. In addition, this model has a Full HD display which, in my humble opinion, is a must-have on a device this size. Around the outside of both devices, you’ll find two USB-C ports, a single USB-A, a MicroSD slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. Standard fare for a device on the lower end of mid-range and upper end of budget-friendly.
Currently, these new Chromebooks are listed as “coming soon” on Best Buy’s website which generally means that they’ll be available in the next week or two. Price wise, these are very affordable devices for the specs they offer. The HD version with Intel Pentium processor will run $399 while upgrading to the better CPU, storage and screen will only cost you an extra $100. Personally, the upgrades are worth the extra Benjamin. If you’re in need of a solid device with a large screen and a built in numeric keypad, this will be a solid choice when it arrives and like its predecessors, it will likely be on sale frequently. You can see both of the new HP Chromebooks at the link below.
