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A few days ago, we saw rumors that ASUS was working on an all-new Chromebook that really didn’t include any major new features other than the fact that it would have been the first 17-inch Chromebook. Well, Acer has beat ASUS to the punch with a 17-inch Chromebook of its own with the announcement of the Acer 317. The company also announced a total of four new Chromebooks today, including an update to the ultra-popular Chromebook Spin 713.
Acer Chromebook 317
This marks the first 17-inch Chromebook that we’ve ever seen with a 17.3-inch FHD display with an anti-glare coating and slim bezels on three out of the four sides. Thanks to the sheer size of the Chromebook 317, the casing is now large enough to include a full-sized keyboard including a numpad.
When it comes to power, you won’t find the latest Intel chipsets, instead, you’ll have the option of choosing between Intel’s Pentium Silver N6000, the Intel Celeron N5100, or the Intel Celeron N6100. There will be a variant made available with a multi-touch IPS display, along with including up to 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. Battery life is rated for around 10 hours on a single charge, while also being Wi-Fi 6 compatible.
The Acer Chromebook 317 will launch in June starting at $379.99.
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
If it weren’t for the 17-inch Chromebook 317, the updated Spin 713 would be the star of today’s announcement. This is the first Chromebook to be certified for Intel’s Evo platform, bringing the latest Intel Evo processors to a Chromebook. Previously, we have only seen Evo chipsets launched on traditional Windows laptops like the Dell XPS 13 and the Razer Book.
There will be a total of five different configurations available making use of Intel’s Evo chipsets, ranging from the Core i3-1115G4 and going all the way up to the Core i7-1185G7. RAM configurations are available up to 16GB depending on the model, and you’ll be able to get up to 256GB of NVMe PCIe Gen 3 storage. What makes the Intel Evo chipset so interesting on a Chromebook is the integrated Iris Xe graphics, which is more than capable of handling some of the best AAA games.
The display itself measures in at 12.5-inches with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2256 x 1504. Battery life is rated for up to 10 hours on a single charge, and you’ll have dual stereo speakers with Acer’s Smart Amplifier in tow. Another benefit of featuring the Intel Evo verification is that the Chromebook Spin 713 is also the first of its kind to feature Thunderbolt 4 for faster data transfers, power delivery, and much more.
Acer will launch the Chromebook Spin 713 in the US sometime in June with prices starting at $699.
Acer Chromebook 314 and 514
Rounding out today’s announcement is the arrival of two new 14-inch options in Chromebook 314 and Chromebook 514. With the latter, you’ll find Intel’s 11th-gen processors (but won’t find Intel Evo certification), along with a 14-inch display, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of NVMe storage. Surprisingly there are four different display types to choose from, including a 14-inch multi-touch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Battery life falls in line with the other options announced today, also coming in with a rating of 10 hours.
The Chromebook 314 is the entry-level model of the bunch, powered by the MediaTek M8183C CorePilot chipset. This is being paired with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 64GB of eMMC storage. If you need a budget-friendly Chromebook with the longest battery life, the 314 will be the way to go with a rating of up to 15 hours on a single charge.
The Chromebook 514 will launch in June starting at $599, while the Chromebook 314 will arrive in July starting at $270.
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