Samsung has announced the second version of its premium Chromebook Plus convertible laptop/tablet. The V2 retains the same 360 degree hinge for tablet and laptop modes, packs a stylus for note-taking or drawing on the touchscreen and offers onboard storage expansion via microSD. The Plus sees the ARM processor of old swapped out for an Intel CPU, and it gains a second camera.
"For those who choose Chrome OS, we wanted to give them a lot of reasons to choose the new Samsung Chromebook Plus, as it is designed especially for people who never stop moving, to match their pace and magnify their creativity," said Samsung's Alanna Cotton.
The brains of the 2.93 lb (1.3 kg) V2 shape up as a 1.5 GHz dual-core Intel Celeron (3965Y) processor with HD615 graphics, supported by 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of solid state storage, with user cloud storage ensuring that documents and media are available whenever the Plus is online. There's a 12.2-inch, 300 nit touchscreen display at 1,920 x 1080p resolution that has a 1 MP webcam in the upper bezel, and a built-in pen can be used for making handwritten notes or drawing onscreen.
The spill-resistant keyboard features a 13 MP F1.9 camera with autofocus, which becomes rear-facing when the Plus is in tablet mode. Elsewhere, there are two USB-C ports and one USB 3.0, a microSD card reader and two 1.5 W speakers. And the promise of full day working from its battery.
The Chromebook Plus (V2) will be available from June 24 for US$499.99, which makes it way cheaper than Google's Pixelbook by some margin but still a couple of hundred books more than more basic offerings from Acer and Asus.
Source: Samsung