The original Asus Chromebook Flip bearing model number C100PA launched a couple of years ago, and it touted $250 MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). Moreover, it was one of the first Chromebooks to feature the Play Store, and as a result, the device garnered immense popularity among tech buffs.
Lining with this, the big Taiwanese PC vendor introduced a new Chromebook earlier this week at Computex Taipei 2017. It's worth noting that the model above does not support Android apps at the moment. The new Chromebook along with the Android-powered ZenPad 3S 8.0 showed up in the exhibition region, where a hawk-eyed German tech journalist spotted, took a picture and even tape-recorded the devices.
The new Chromebook Flip - What to expect
Dubbed as ASUS Chromebook Flip C101, the recently divulged device seems to bear a striking resemblance to the first Chromebook, featuring an identic 10-inch screen, and the same hinge form factor. However, there are two significant advancements.
- Rather than sticking to the ARM-based Rockchip 3288-C processor, the original model used the new Flip packs a relatively faster Rockchip RK3399 chipset, which is up from a quad RK3288 used in the previous version, with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM in haul, an impressive 16GB or 32GB storage options, and a battery that warrants up to ten hours of usage.
- Deemed as world's thinnest and weightless flappable 10-inch Chromebook, the device's dimensions are 262.8 x 182.4 x 15.6mm, and it weighs in at just under 2 pounds.
- Aside from that, the follow-up to the original Chromebook ousts the proprietary charging port employed on the previous generation model and replaces it with two USB Type-C ports that facilitate charging as well as data transfer.
Moreover, the Flip also enables storage expansion via a microSD card and includes a headphone jack and one USB Type-A port.
While the touchscreen display with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution doesn't really give users something to shout about, but it arrives sooner rather than later and actually carries a price tag of $300 or even less, this is without an iota of doubt, a smart buy.
Pricing and availability
There's no word regarding the pricing and availability of the new Flip; however, multiple sources suggest it is likely to be priced more or less in the neighborhood of the original model.
The 10.1-inch model displayed in Taipei is expected to hit the store shelves as a low-priced Chromebook as compared to the C302 model.
Nevertheless, the device's full aluminum chassis may push the price in the upwards of $300. For instance, The Chromebook Flip C302 from ASUS that also featured an aluminum case debuted bearing a $499.99 price tag.
