NewsUpcomingReviewsUnboxingTips & TricksAppsChromebooksChromecastGoogle AssistantAbout

Chrome Unboxed - The Latest Chrome OS News

A Space for All Things Chrome

Samsung Chromebook Pro Is On Sale!

By 10 Comments

by Gabriel Brangers
Filed under:

The Samsung Chromebook Pro, for all intents and purposes, is still the best Chromebook of 2017. Some would say the best to date but we’ll leave that argument for another day. (I stand by my choice of the ASUS C302 but that’s just me)

The Pro’s little brother, the Samsung Chromebook Plus, has been consistently on sale for weeks and you can pick it up new from Amazon for a cool $419.

The Core m3 Pro, however, has steadily stayed at its initial $549 (and sometimes more) since the initial release at the end of May. While this may be a worthy device for that price tag, I still think sub-five hundred is the sweet spot for the Pro.

If you agree, then I have some great news for you. Right now you can grab a Samsung Chromebook Pro for $499 on Amazon. A $50 discount from the regular retail, this puts the Pro right where it needs to be to stay ahead of the pack when we see devices like ‘Eve‘ come to the market.

Just by the slim chance you aren’t familiar with the Pro, here’s what you get for $499.

  • Chrome OS
  • Intel Skylake Core m3 processor
  • 4GB RAM
  • 32GB storage
  • 12.3″ 3:2 aspect ratio 2400 x 1600 backlit IPS touch display (400 nits)
  • 2 x USB-C 3.1
  • MicroSD
  • 2.38 lbs
  • Android Apps in the Stable channel

 
So, there you go. If the Pro has been on your wishlist, now may be the time. You could have one on your doorstep as early as tomorrow.

Order The Samsung Chromebook Pro On Amazon

Order The Samsung Chromebook Plus On Amazon

  • This thing has replaced my 2012 Macbook Air and I haven’t looked back! It’s a little reminiscent of my 2010 MBA when the Airs had so little internal storage, I had to keep my photos on my external hard drive. So I figured I could get used to that again.

    I was honestly prepared for a weaker, slightly frustrating machine but decided I was ready to get out of Mac OS, don’t use iOS, and I needed a new Android tablet anyway. To my genuine surprise, I haven’t felt limited in anything I’ve tried to do, nor have I had to be patient or baby the machine.

    • RMP

      Your remark about what you were “prepared for” made me curious. Had you used a Chromebook before and, if so, which one(s)?

      • Used a Chromebook, no. Lots of various Android devices and the Chrome browser on a Macbook, yes. I relied on a fair bit of third-party Mac software to add functions to finder, spotlight, file management etc on the Mac, and I was prepared to lose some of those nice add-ons because I expected Files to be quite basic compared to Finder. And, tasks especially related to file management always seemed a little clunkier on Android. But, I haven’t found Files to feel “basic” in the way I thought I would.

        I was expecting this Chromebook experiment to be an exercise in learning to live within constraints, which I was game for. But I haven’t felt constrained really at all. I started training myself months ago to have fewer Chrome tabs open at a time in preparation, but the few times I’ve had 20 or 30 tabs open briefly, I’ve been fine. I even found a little extension for the Chromebook to do batch file renaming which has been a lifesaver for my photo management. The only glitches I sometimes experience are when I convert between tablet/laptop and the screen rotates while certain Android apps are open. But I purposely have screen rotation OFF on my phone for this exact reason, because some apps just don’t play nicely with messing up orientation while they’re running, so that’s not even a new thing for me.

        I guess my perception was coloured by moving from a “powerful” $2000-$3000 machine with extensive 3rd-party apps and utilities to a $500 (US) machine. Surely you’d expect a Chromebook to be “simpler” and not as robust, right? I’m just not feeling that at all, but absolutely I would say the Android apps are a key part of the rich experience, and feeling like you can “do stuff” that you need to do. And, maybe it’s just a little hard to break out of the Mac marketing machine. 😉 Hope that somewhat addresses your curiosity.

        • RMP

          Nice to get the perspective of someone accustomed to using mainly a Macbook. Enjoy the extra $2000+ in your pocket.

  • Zach Mauch

    I REALLY want to upgrade my plus. It is very hard not to jump on this. I know I need to wait on Eve as it will likely blow this out of the water.

  • S_Deemer

    Thanks to all the stories of new devices under development in Chrome Unboxed, I am in a holding pattern until the end of the year. The C302 and SC Pro come very close to my “ideal” Chromebook, but aren’t quite there. Something under $600 with 8 gb RAM, 64 gb local storage, built-in stylus, backlit keyboard, ultra high resolution 3:2 screen ratio, decent speakers would put me over the edge.

    • Timm Torchiana

      make that two!

    • huckleberry582

      I’m in your camp on this, too. But that will probably be out of my price range. As it sits, I’m looking at the c302 when the end of year sales start.

  • ellett

    Good to see the sales start to come to the Pro. I’d like to upgrade my Plus, but there’s really no urgent need, so I can wait for a deeper cut.

    Of course I’d like to wait and pick up an Eve, but I strongly suspect that’s going to be in the $1000 range, too rich for my blood.

  • Albert

    I am waiting for an equal(s), by someone that has backlit keys. What is the retail cost, maybe $10? If they print characters on top of the keys… what good is that if the room is dark?