Samsung Has New $250 Intel-Powered Chromebook 2

By Kara Michelle Oct 19, 2014 02:01 AM EDT

Samsung Has New $250 Intel-Powered Chromebook 2

Samsung launched its Chromebook 2 series back in March in 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch configurations, improving on the previous Samsung Chromebook line with faster performance, longer battery life and a slim, light build enhanced by a durable textured faux-leather lid with stitched design. The 13.3-inch model also features a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution screen, enabling users to enjoy more vibrant visuals for work, teaching and learning, and entertainment. Both models come with Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5800 processor, with the 11.6-inch version having a 1.9GHz, 2MB L2 cache, and the 13.3-inch version with a 2.1GHz, 2MB Ls cache. The 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 sells for $299.99 while the Full HD 13.6 model retails for $399.99 at the Samsung website.

Recently, Samsung added a third version to its Chromebook 2 series - a second 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 model powered by an Intel processor. Available at just $249.99, it runs on a fanless Intel Celeron N2840 chipset that can reach up to 2.58GHz. However, unlike the Chromebook powered by Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa processor which has 4GB of memory, the Intel-powered iteration only has 2GB of RAM. The newer makes of the Samsung Chromebook 2 has been rendered more resilient and durable since each of the four corners of the device, as well as as the USB ports, are now reinforced by metal.

Regardless of the particular model, Samsung's Chromebook 2 is up to three time faster than the previous generation, particularly with its wireless 802.11ac connection. It has built-in security features for protection against viruses and malware. Battery life can last 8-9 hours on a single charge. It also comes with Google apps for most everyday needs and it keeps files safely and automatically backed up in the cloud (100GB free Google Drive storage for up to 2 years). Finally, as with all Chromebooks, security and software upgrades are also automatically downloaded from Google as soon as they become available.