Google announces back-to-school Chromebooks
Google has announced two back-to-school Chromebooks, with both Samsung and Lenovo adding to their range of Google-powered machines.
Google shared the details of the new devices, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2 earlier this week. It also announced the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 inch, a consumer version of the Duet EDU G2.
According to Google, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is now the thinnest and lightest Chromebook on the market, measuring around 12mm thick and weighing a little over 1kg.
Related reading: All Chromebook Plus laptops compared
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus runs on an Intel Core 3 100U processor, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It sports a 15.6in OLED screen and a battery life of up to 13 hours.
It will also be the first device to come with Google’s Quick Insert key. This tool brings up a list of potential additions to the document the user is working on – anything from recently opened links, related emojis, a calculator, or files in Drives.
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus, priced at $699 or £649, will be available from this month.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11″
Before we introduce Google’s second back-to-school Chromebook, meet the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11″. This is a more budget affair, starting at $339 or £349. Anyone familiar with Microsoft’s Surface Pro range will recognise its design.
The Chromebook Duet 11″ features a 10.95in screen with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and runs on a modest MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor.
It comes with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage. Battery life clocks in at up to 12 hours, according to Google. There’s also a five-megapixel front-facing camera and an eight-megapixel rear-facing equivalent onboard.
The price includes the detachable keyboard, with a kickstand meaning it can flip from laptop to tablet form factor. There’s also a Lenovo USI Pen 2, which will be sold separately for some models, for those who use their devices for sketching or hand-writing.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11″ is already available in North America.
Related reading: Why businesses should add Chromebooks to their hardware mix
Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2
Lenovo expanded its back-to-school Chromebook line-up with the Chromebook Duet EDU G2. Like the Duet 11″, the EDU G2 comes with a keyboard so it can be used as a tablet or laptop, and runs on a Kompanio 838 processor.
It also shares its sibling’s 10.95-inch screen and supporting cast: either 4GB or 8GB of memory and 64GB or 128GB of storage.
The Duet EDU G2 is aimed at the education market, and so comes with a ruggedised case and Chrome Education Upgrade. The latter allows schools to update and manage the devices.
Pricing starts at $319 and, like its slightly more expensive stablemate, the EDU G2 is already available in North America.
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