Google launches new Chrome devices, including a Chrome OS-based HDMI stick

Google has announced a range of new Chrome OS devices, including the Chromebit, a tiny Chromebook on a dongle which can be plugged into a television or monitor. The technology giant also unveiled three new Chromebooks: the Asus Chromebook Flip, the Haier Chromebook 11, and the Hisense Chromebook.

The Chromebit is a brand new device that puts a Chrome OS-running PC on a device "smaller than a candy bar." The Asus-made device plugs into any HDMI port, effectively turning any TV or monitor you have into a Chrome PC.

The dongle uses a Rockchip 3288 SoC (system on a chip), an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU, 16GB of eMMC memory, 2GB of RAM, a USB 2.0 port, and support for WiFi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.0. The Asus Chromebit will be available this Northern hemisphere summer in a range of colors for "less than US$100."

The Asus Chromebook Flip is a new Chromebook featuring an all-metal design. It's being marketed as an ultra-portable device thanks to its measuring less than 15 mm (0.59 inches) thick and weighing in at less than two pounds (907 g). As is becoming common on Chromebooks, the Chromebook Flip has both a keyboard and a touchscreen. As the name suggests, this particular Chromebook can also be flipped so that its keyboard is at the back, allowing it to be used like a tablet. The Asus Chromebook Flip will be available later this (Northern) spring priced at $249.

The Haier Chromebook 11 and the Hisense Chromebook, meanwhile, are highly affordable devices aimed at the budget-conscious. The Haier will be available to buy at Amazon, with the Hisense on sale at Walmart, both priced at just $149. These are standard 11.6-inch Chromebooks, with the big selling point of 10-hour battery life, which should be enough to see most people through a whole day of computing.

You can see the new Chrome products in action in Google's launch video below.

Source: Google Chrome Blog