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CES 2021 is getting underway a little bit early ahead of the official start on Monday, January 11th. Samsung is already making waves with several announcements surrounding some pretty awesome-looking televisions. Today, we’re getting a look at the first new Chromebook release of the year with the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2.
When the original Galaxy Chromebook was launched, there was quite a bit of hesitation as this was priced around $1,000. Despite the high price-point, Samsung continued to push this Chromebook, and it turned out to be one of the best options for the entire year in 2020.
Fast forward to 2021, and Samsung has recognized that potential Chromebook owners don’t necessarily want to spend $1,000 on one. That’s where the Galaxy Chromebook 2 comes in, with its starting price of just $550.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 Specs
- Display: 13.3-inch QLED FHD (touchscreen)
- Processor: Intel Celeron 5205U / Intel Core i3-10110U
- RAM: 4GB / 8GB
- Storage: 64GB / 128GB
- Camera: 720p HD
- Ports: 2 USB-C | MicroSD-Multi-media Card Reader | Headphone Out/Mic-In Combo
- Dimensions: 12” x 8” x .55”
- Weight: 2.71 lbs
- Stylus support: USI Pen support (sold separately)
- Battery: 45.5Wh
- Speakers: Stereo Speakers (5Wx2)
Breaking it down
Instead of looking at the Galaxy Chromebook 2 as a successor to the original, it’s better to look at this as sort of the “little brother”. The CB2 features a 13.3-inch touchscreen display, sporting an FHD resolution compared to the 4K panel found on the 2020 variant. This Chromebook also features a 2-in-1 design, meaning that you can fold it back and use the display by itself, before “unfolding” it and using the snazzy backlit keyboard like normal.
Perhaps the real excitement with the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is two-fold. The first of which is that the QLED panel marks the first Chromebook to be released with this type of display. Samsung surely knows how to create arguably the best displays on the market, so we’re glad to see this technology trickle down to the Chromebook. Secondly, that Fiest Red color variant is absolute fire, looks incredible, and will probably be the first to sell out once the CB2 is released.
The Chromebook 2 also continues to feature support for stylus’, including Samsung’s own USI Pen, but instead of including it, you will have to purchase a compatible pen separately. There are also two different versions of the Chromebook 2 when it comes to the spec-sheet and power. The base model, priced at $550, includes the Intel Celeron 5205U chipset paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The “flagship” variant sports Intel’s Core i3-10110U processor along with double the RAM and storage (8GB/128GB).
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Hands-On
Everything else about the different spec-models is exactly the same, so you won’t miss out on any features if you opt for the base model or spring for the high-end version. Speaking of, that i3-10110U version will be priced at $700, so you’ll get better performance without even coming close to the $1K price point of the original Galaxy Chromebook.
Although Samsung shared pricing for the Galaxy Chromebook 2, the company stopped short of providing a specific release date. Instead, the company simply states that this will be available sometime in “Q1 2021”. So expect a launch sometime in the Spring.
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