Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus will likely come in two configurations

As we inch ever closer to fall, the anticipation for new Chromebooks only continues to grow. Sure, we got new hardware in the spring at Google’s Chromebook event in New York, but as we’ve seen, those devices were largely iterative in nature. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing iteration in the Chromebook space so we can get fantastic devices like the new Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE and the updated ASUS CX34.

But I also like new hardware that pushes the boundaries a bit, too. There’s a lot of action on the MediaTek front with the upcoming ‘Ciri’ tablet that houses the just-announced Kompanio 838; but there’s also proof that a new high-end SoC is also on the way at some point (the MT8196 in ‘Rauru’) along with an upgrade to the MT8188 (the Kompanio 838) in the mysterious, brand-new MT8189.

And as exciting as all of that is, there’s equally-enticing proof that Samsung is just about ready to re-enter the fray with a new Galaxy Chromebook Plus. For now, the code name is ‘Xol’, but we know it will be a Plus device, have an OLED screen, come with unique keys, and will be the device that gets Samsung back in the higher-end Chromebook game.

New details on processors and RAM

Today, we have a few more details to add to the ‘Xol’ story thanks to some benchmark tests run over on Geekbench. According to these tests, ‘Xol’ will come packing either an Intel Core 5-120U or Core 3-100U and will sport 16GB of RAM with the Core 5 variant and 8GB with the Core 3 version.

While you would think Samsung would opt for the 14th-gen Core Ultra 5-115U, benchmarks actually show the 13th-gen Core 5-120U being a bit faster all around. I’m sure there are some different trade-offs between the two, but my time with the Core 5-120U in the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE shows it to be wildly fast and capable for ChromeOS. And with 16GB of RAM to go with it, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus should absolutely fly.

Perhaps just as interesting is the addition of the (assumed) lower-cost Core 3-100U model with 8GB of RAM. This version could easily hit the Chromebook Plus standard and get the cost down a bit, giving potential buyers an option for a more affordable version of what could be a really awesome Chromebook this fall.

I’d love to see a $699 version with the Core 3, 8GB of RAM, and all the same bells and whistles (like the OLED screen) as the (assumed) more expensive, higher-end model. While I never love seeing 6 versions of a single Chromebook with fluctuating availability, I think a 2-pronged approach makes a ton of sense. Give us a standard Chromebook Plus, and then a souped-up model for those looking to really max things out. We should know more about ‘Xol’ very soon, so stay tuned.