Samsung has revamped its Chromebook line-up with two new models, the 11-inch and the 13-inch variants. While the 11-inch Chromebook still seems like a compromise in terms of screen-size and typing experience, the 13-inch Chromebook 2 is almost an ultrabook-like machine running on Chrome OS. For an asking price of $399, you do have to make compromises in terms of storage space, but leaving that aside, the 13.3-inch model promises excellent value and a full-fledged ultrabook-like experience.
Samsung Chromebook 2 13-inch specifications
Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1080p) LED back-lit screen
RAM: 4GB
Processor: Samsung Exynos Octa 5 chip clocked at 2.1 GHz
Storage: 16GB eMMC based onboard storage
Ports and other features: 720p webcam, a microSD card slot, combo headphone/microphone socket, HDMI port, one USB 3.0, and one USB 2.0 port.
Batterylife: 8.5 hours from 13-inch Chromebook 2
Weight: 1.36 kilograms/ 3 pounds
Pricing: $399 for 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2, $320 for 11.6-inch Chromebook 2
As mentioned earlier, apart from the on-board storage, the 13-inch model is almost an ultrabook running on Google Chrome OS, making it a very tempting proposition. Apart from bumping-up the hardware, Samsung has also paid a good amount of attention towards the looks and design aspects. The Chromebook 2 series carry textured faux leather finish (same as the one on Samsung Note 3 and Galaxy Grand 2), weighs just about 1.36 kilograms and the slim profile borrows design cues from its premium Ativ series of ultrabooks.
So, if you were planning to try out the Google Chrome OS or looking for a secondary slim laptop for basic usage, the Samsung Chormebook 2 seems like an excellent machine to get you going without spending a lot of money. These newer versions should come to India soon. And, we hope Samsung prices them at par with US markets and keeps the sticker price at Rs. 25,000 (approximately).
What do you think about the Samsung Chromebook 2 13-inch version? Would you consider trying out the Chrome OS? Let us know via the comments section below.