Samsung reveals leather-clad Chromebook 2 notebooks

MANILA, Philippines – Google enters the high-end notebook market with the unveiling of the Samsung Chromebook 2 series on Tuesday, March 4. Comprised of two different models (11.6-inches and13.3-inches), this new line of Chrome OS notebooks will sport a better set of specs, a new premium leather look and feel, and a much higher price tag.

The 11-inch model has a 1,366×768 resolution and will cost $320 while the 13.3-inch model offers a full HD resolution of 1920×1080 and will be available for $400.

Both models are more expensive than the current version of the Chromebook which is priced at $249.

A slew of upgraded features have also been announced for the next-generation laptops. Both notebooks run on Samsung’s native octa-core processor called the Exynos 5 Octa which is also used in some models of the company’s Galaxy S5 smartphone.

According to the South Korean tech giant, the laptop hard boots in less than 10 seconds, and ‘wakes up’ in less than a second. Additionally, the battery life has been increased from 6.5 hours to more than 8 hours.

“Chromebooks are particularly important in the education space, […] so we’ve designed our latest models with students and teachers in mind, including features like rapid start times, longer battery life and easy-to-grip design,” said Tod Pike, Samsung’s Enterprise Business Division senior vice-president.

Currently, Google’s Chrome operating system runs mostly on low-end, ‘budget’ notebooks. Samsung’s Chromebook 2 will be the first time that Google’s Linux-based platform will be used on a high-end device outside of the company’s own $1,300 Chromebook Pixel.

The Chromebook 2 series will adapt the stitched design of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3. The notebooks will feature a faux feather lid and will sport three different colors – jet black and classic white for the smaller version, and “luminous titan gray” for the larger model.

Both are expected to hit the shelves this April. 

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 — Rappler.com