You should probably go ahead and assume that for the next 6 weeks or so, we’ll be discussing the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Chromebook in every way, shape and form that we can. The newest Chromebook on offer from Samsung is simply the best overall Chrome OS device we’ve ever seen and we’re clearly excited about it. More interesting than that, it seems the tech world as a whole is also intrigued by this new Chromebook, and that is something we rarely (if ever) see from a Chromebook release.
One of the tidbits of info most people have already heard about is the Galaxy Chromebook’s starting price of $999. While that might put some people off of this device from the get go, we feel quite confident that the asking price is actually substantiated by top-tier hardware all around. From the pristine build materials to the eye-popping 4K AMOLED screen, this Chromebook skimps on basically zero fronts. Sure, we have to hold some judgement back for the review, but in our time with it, we found very little to complain about.
Samsung wasn’t clear about what variations we’d see in the Galaxy Chromebook, however, so we’re left to guess at both how many variants we’ll see and how much they will cost. Today’s news of a fresh, new Bluetooth certification looks to at least shed a bit of light on how many variations we could see when the launch date for the new “King of Chromebooks” comes around in early March. The listing shows a total of 4 certifications that point to what will likely be 4 different configurations of the Galaxy Chromebook.
As you can see in the image, there are four entries with pretty similar model numbers: XE930QCA, XE930QCAI, XE931QCA, XE931QCAI. There are two sets of the same basic number, each with and without an “I” at the end. This could mean 4 distinct models or 2 basic models set for different markets in the US and internationally. It’s almost impossible to tell at this point, but we do know that the starting configuration is the Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. Samsung stated this would be available up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, but it seems odd that they would only have the base model and the highest spec (and likely very expensive) models with nothing in between.
If it turns out that there are four models on offer, I’d assume we’d see the base 8GB/256GB model accompanied by 16GB/256GB, 16GB/512GB, and 16GB/1TB models. Again, this is simply my speculation at this point, but I just don’t see Samsung only having two models at such wildly-differing spec and price points. For flagship Chromebooks, 4 models is pretty standard fare (think Pixelbook, Pixel Slate, and Pixelbook Go) and I can easily see Samsung keeping pace with the trends that have come before it in this space.
We’ll keep digging around to see if we can find any further specifics on this highly-anticipated device, but everything will be fully unveiled in about six weeks, so it is at least nice to know that we don’t have long to wait at this point. We published earlier today about Best Buy and Samsung both having landing pages set up where you can get alerted the moment a hard shipping date is revealed, so check that out if you haven’t already and be sure to sign up for our newsletter (right below) so you don’t miss any upcoming news about this Chromebook and the slew of others we’re expecting in the coming weeks.
