HP’s Chromebook x360 14c is a premium Chromebook for $499
HP has announced its Chromebook x360 14c, which it says is its most premium Chrome OS product yet. It starts at $499 and will be available in June.
The 3.5-pound convertible device has a 14-inch touchscreen with an 88 percent screen-to-body ratio —the largest ever for an HP-made consumer Chromebook. Take a peek at the photos below — it looks nice:
Inside, you’ll find up to 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processors, up to 128GB of eMMC storage, and a claimed 13.5 hours of battery life. There’s a backlit keyboard, a webcam privacy switch, a fingerprint reader, and fast charging (HP claims you’ll get 50 percent in 45 minutes). The fingerprint reader is something we wouldn’t necessarily expect to see on a $499 laptop (but whether it’s really a benefit will obviously depend on how well it works).
That price is quite a bit lower than that of other Chromebooks that have been marketed as “premium” convertibles this year, including the $1,000 Samsung Galaxy Chromebook and Asus’ $799 Chromebook Flip C436. Of course, I can’t verify HP’s claims until I’ve gotten a unit myself.
HP also announced the Chromebook 11a, aiming more toward the budget end of the laptop market with a starting price of $219. This one has an 11.6-inch display (there are touch and non-touch options), up to 32GB of storage, 13 (claimed) hours of battery life, and Intel’s entry-level Celeron Dual-Core processors.
As you can see below, the bezels around the screen are quite chunky compared to those of the more expensive x360. But as sub-$300 products go, it looks to have a friendly and clean design — and at 2.99 pounds, it’s fairly light as well.
Still, the 11a has some steep competition in this price range, including the excellent $219 Samsung Chromebook 3, Acer’s $229 Chromebook 15, and Lenovo’s $279 Chromebook Duet. Keep an eye out for reviews to see how it compares.
Both Chromebooks are coming in June to HP and Best Buy.
HP has announced its Chromebook x360 14c, which it says is its most premium Chrome OS product yet. It starts at $499 and will be available in June. The 3.5-pound convertible device has a 14-inch touchscreen with an 88 percent screen-to-body ratio —the largest ever for an HP-made consumer Chromebook.…
