Ahead of the official kick-off of IFA 2019 in Germany, Acer has announced a range of new laptops and computers, but the most interesting among them for us is some new Chromebooks.
There’s four new models coming, including two with large displays and 12.5 hour battery life, and two super portable 11.6-inch versions with 10 hour battery life for those on the go. The whole range comes with Gigabit WiFi and dual USB-C ports too.
Of the announcement, James Lin, General Manager for Acer’s notebook business had this to say:
Today we’re offering four new Chromebooks in three sizes, so consumers can get the right Acer Chromebook with the display size, features and technology that fits their lifestyle needs.
Chromebooks have moved far beyond their original promise of getting computer users online in a quick, secure and easy-to-manage way, now allowing customers to access apps that help with every aspect of their day from budgeting, staying in touch, having fun and taking care of life’s business.
The two larger Chromebooks – Chromebook 315 and 314 – feature a large 15.6-inch and 14-inch display respectively, both at Full HD resolution with IPS technology for wide viewing angles, and there will be touch and non-touch models.
The larger Chromebook 315 also comes with a numeric keypad for individuals and small business owners who need to do a bit more number work.
The compact models both fit within an A4-paper sized footprint. The Chromebook Spin 311 offers a 360 degree convertible design, so it can be used as a tablet, notebook, display and even a tent mode for media consumption. It’s also great for smaller family members weighing in at just 1.2kg.
Fitting in with that family friendly vibe, the Spin 311 also has a Gorilla Glass touch display to protect it from life’s little scratches and dents, and it’s also compatible with a Wacom EMR stylus for creative use.
The Chromebook 311 is the same model but in a more traditional notebook form-factor, making it a little lighter at 1.06kg and – probably – a little cheaper, too.
Across the range, there’s dual USB-C ports, traditional USB ports and MicroSD card readers. There’s front-facing HD webcams for video chats and Google Hangouts, as well as other laundry-list items including Bluetooth 5, fast Gigabit WiFi and multiple antennas for great performance around the home or the office.
There’s plenty of power under the hood, too. The range is powered by either dual-core Intel Celeron N4000 chips or quad-core Celeron N4100 processors. The Acer Chromebook 315 also offers the option for an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor.
Regardless of the processor, the Acer Chromebook 315 can be configured with up to 128GB eMMC storage and up to 8GB dual-channel SDRAM. The Acer Chromebook 314 and Acer Chromebook Spin 311 can beconfigured with up to 64GB of eMMC storage and 8GB dual-channel SDRAM. The Acer Chromebook 311 offers up to 32GB of eMMC storage and 4GB of dual-channel SDRAM.
Google Play is supported across the range, and the Google Assistant is built in, too.
The new Acer Chromebooks will be coming to Australia from January 2020, with pricing and retail availability to be confirmed.
Hopefully these are released here with sane, affordable, prices.
We’re lead to believe they will be.