Rumored back in mid-October, Samsung has officially unveiled its two new Chromebooks, named the Plus and the Pro, today at CES 2017.
These two new Chrome OS-powered machines are poised to represent the best Chromebook experience users can find on Google's proprietary laptops.
Samsung Chromebook Pro And Plus
The difference between the two models can be found mainly under the hood. The Plus variant houses an ARM processor, while the Pro variant packs a much powerful Intel Core m3 processor. On the graphics department, the former has internal graphics, presumably integrated. The latter has Intel HD Graphics 515.
Neither processors hold a candle to more powerful processors under the hood found on most mainstream laptops, but Chromebooks aren't really trumpeted as performance behemoths — the Chromebook brand is mostly associated with fairly priced machines that highlight productivity and an all-too-familiar workspace — who isn't familiar with Google's products by now? — as banner features. That said, the Pro and Plus aren't disappointing. In fact, as Engadget puts it, the two new Chromebooks are "plenty snappy."
Samsung Chromebook Pro And Plus Specs
Aside from the internals, the two Chromebooks virtually share the same aspects. Both don Gorilla Glass 3-protected 12.3-inch LED touchscreen displays, with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,600 and an aspect ratio of 3:2. The touchscreen will greatly complement Android apps on the machines, as these two will be the first to come preloaded with Google Play Store.
"With the Chromebook Plus and Pro, we're partnering with Google to pair a sleek design with supreme flexibility, encouraging users to experience more with Google Play and Android apps, while continuing to provide simplicity, top-rated security and shareability inherent in Chromebooks," said Alanna Cotton, Samsung Electronics America's VP for product marketing.
The two Chromebooks were built with flexibility in mind, featuring a 360-degree rotating hinge that lets users choose between different modes: the traditional clamshell laptop or an ultra-mobile premium tablet.
Rounding out the spec sheet is 4 GB of LPDDR3 memory and 32 GB of internal storage for each machine. On the connectivity department, both Chromebooks support 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.0. The pair also has a number of ports, with two USB Type-C ports that can output up to 5 Gbps, a MicroSD card slot, and, thankfully, a headphone jack.
Samsung Chromebook Pro And Plus Stylus
The Chromebook Pro and Plus are also the first laptops to come with a built-in stylus. Samsung has taken a page off its mobile playbook and migrated the stylus over to bigger machines. There's even a dedicated slot on the laptop's side to slide the stylus in snugly, which can be popped out, like users did with the Galaxy Note, when it's to be used.
Google's own note-taking app, Keep, was also redesigned to integrate seamlessly with the stylus, taking into account handwriting as an input method. Additionally, thanks to Google's machine learning technology, handwritten notes will be searchable, making them as easy to pull from the cloud as typed-out notes.
Pricing And Availability
Unlike most Chromebooks, the Samsung Chromebook Pro and Plus won't come cheap, but the pair will still be significantly cheaper than Windows laptops and Macs. The Plus model will start at $449, and interested folks should expect the Intel Core m3-powered Pro variant to cost a bit more, though Samsung hasn't issued an official price point for the latter.
The Samsung Chromebook Plus launches February, followed by the Pro later this Spring.
