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Well, it seems it is once again officially Chromebook Silly Season! We have Chromeboxes from Acer, HP and ASUS finally arriving on top of new Chromebooks from Samsung, HP, Acer, and now ASUS. We’re still tracking multiple other devices in the pipeline as well, so it is safe to say that between now and the end of 2018, we’re going to have a wider variety of Chromebooks on offer than we’ve ever had before.
Though I’m very much looking forward to an official update to the solid ASUS C302, this new device leak is not that at all. Instead, if you recall the Acer C213 from many months ago, you’ll be more in line with what we’re talking about with this newest leak.
According to 9to5Google (who caught wind of this new device via WinFuture), this device will feature the Apollo Lake N3350 processor from Intel, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a pretty decent port selection. On board are 2 USB Type-C ports, one USB Type A port, a microSD slot and a headphone/mic jack. Pretty standard fare, here, but we’re glad to at least see ASUS put the USB Type-C ports on opposite sides (cough, Samsung) instead of cramming them together on one side.
Probably most striking is the overall thinness of the design. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of aluminum, here: this one is all plastic, but it is still quite attractive, thin and harkens to the overall look and feel of the all-metal ASUS C302. That is a very good thing in my opinion. The C302 is one of the best-looking Chromebooks you can buy and it is very sturdy. Let’s hope this smaller brother is built with the same durability in mind.
The screen is 11.6-inches, so that should give you a good idea of the overall size, though I’m inclined to think the thinness is a bit of an illusion as this one tips the scales at 2.7 lbs. While not overly heavy, a small device with a plastic body usually weighs a bit less. You can see all the pics over at WinFuture, but regardless of the overall thickness and heft here, I think ASUS has done a good job making a very attractive device.
With the internals and plastic build, I’m guessing this will be shooting for the lower-end Chromebook crowd. If it can get in between $250-$300, just on looks alone, this one could sell well. Some details – like screen resolution, brightness and inclusion/exclusion of a touchscreen – will play into the overall pricing, for sure, but releasing an Apollo Lake Chromebook at this point is a bit of a strange play for ASUS unless the are aiming for a low, competitive price.
We’ll keep an eye out for this one to hit online retailers and, as always, we’ll report as we find out more.
