Samsung has unveiled a new Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 over at the BETT show, promising that this hybrid device takes flexibility to the next level.
The new Galaxy-branded Chromebook has a 360-degree hinge as the name suggests, meaning it can be used as a laptop, or a tablet (with the keyboard deck folded right back against the display), or in other ways such as stand mode.
It offers a 12.4-inch display which is a touchscreen, and boasts a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, with a brightness of 350 nits, meaning it’s brighter than the Samsung Chromebook 4, the company observes.
The notebook is built around an Intel Celeron N4500 processor backed with 4GB of system RAM, and storage options are 64GB or 128GB eMMC.
On the wireless front, this laptop comes with Wi-Fi 6E support (so you can use the 6GHz band, if your router supports it as well, of course), plus for when you’re out and about, there’s 4G LTE as an optional extra too.
Claimed battery life runs up to 10 hours and the Chromebook is nicely portable, weighing 1.28kg with a thickness of 16.9mm.
Unsurprisingly, Samsung is also pushing the benefits of close integration with Android smartphones, with the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 sporting a feature called Phone Hub.
This offers all sorts of tie-ins with your phone like ‘Nearby Share’ that allows for easy and secure sharing of files between the laptop and Android mobiles, and the ability to automatically and seamlessly join a Wi-Fi network with your Chromebook if your Android handset has already been hooked up to that network.
So, what about pricing? The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 goes on sale April 15 and starts from £419 for the basic Wi-Fi model with 64GB storage, rising to £499 if you want LTE with 128GB storage.
Analysis: Looks like a solid choice for students
It’s good to see Samsung bolster its range of Chromebooks with another Galaxy model, and this one looks like a decent Chromebook for students, as a proper 360-degree hybrid that can be used as a tablet, offering a good quality screen, with that LTE option for working (or entertaining yourself) on the move.
That said, the core component specs seem a little underwhelming – following very much in the footsteps of existing and cheaper Chromebooks from Samsung – but of course Chrome OS isn’t the most demanding operating system in the first place, which is part of the advantage of these devices.