Report claims Samsung and ASUS looking to build Pixelbook competitors

Looks like two tech companies don’t want Google to monopolize the high-end Chromebook space. Rumour has it both Samsung and ASUS are looking to upgrade their Samsung Chromebook Pro and ASUS C302CA to match up against Google’s Pixelbook. At the moment, both are powered by the Intel Core m3 processor with 4GB of RAM. The rumoured upgrades might see RAM pushed up to 16GB and the processor changed to an Intel Core m7 one.

In terms of pricing, we don’t a figure yet, which makes sense as the products themselves are rumours at the moment. But it’s expected these two devices might undercut Google’s Pixelbook with a price tag of at least US$800. The Pixelbook’s price starts at US$999. When it comes to the official launch, speculation is it might come by the end of the year or just in time for CES 2018.

Source: ChromeUnboxed | Via: Android Authority

A new ASUS Chromebook with USB Type-C gets leaked

Just a few days ahead of CES, we might expect to see a new Chromebook from ASUS showing up at the show. Chrome OS news site Chrome Unboxed discovered a listing for an unannounced model, the ASUS C302CA, on Newegg. The full specs and details of the Chromebook was put up but the listing was later taken down.

It showed that the C302CA has a 12.5-inch 1080p touchscreen and works as a 2-in-1 convertible tablet. It’s powered by an Intel Core m3 2.2GHz processor and has two USB Type-C ports, a microSD card slot, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. This configuration of the Chromebook retails for US$499 (around CA$670).

Source: The Verge

Preorder page for a new Samsung Chromebook leaks specs and photos of the device

Rumours about a new Chromebook nicknamed "Kevin" started to circulate earlier this year and it seems we have more “news” about the said device. ChromeUnboxed found a series of retailer listings for what will supposedly be called the Samsung Chromebook Pro. There’s a preorder page on Adorama and a landing page was up for the device but has since been taken down.

Some of the specs of the Chromebook Pro include a 12.3-inch with a 2,400 x 1,600 resolution touch screen that can be rotated 360 degrees and comes with minimal bezels. It’ll have 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, an all-metal 12.9mm thick body, and 10 hours of battery life. Based on the listing on Adorama it’ll go for US$499 (around CA$650) and a since-deleted B&H product page for the device listed its availability for October 24.

Source: The Verge

Acer introduces Chromebook with 13-inch touchscreen display

Acer outs the biggest Chromebook yet. The new Chromebook R13 revealed at IFA in Berlin sports a 13.3-inch touch-based 1080p IPS display. The Chromebooks of past have all played in the 10- to 11-inch space so it’s refreshing to see a bigger model. This laptop is convertible into a tablet with 10-point touch capabilities and allows for tapping, swiping, and pinch-to-zoom gestures. While Chrome OS isn’t particularly touch-friendly, the feature might come in handy when Android apps come to Chromebooks soon.

Other specs for the R13 include USB Type-C port, USB 3.0, HDMI out, Bluetooth 4.0 support, and 720p webcam. It comes with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage and 4GB of RAM. Battery life is touted at 12 hours. The R13 will be available in October with starting price at US$400 (roughly CA$520).

Source: Gizmodo