Samsung's new 2-in-1 Chromebooks now include a stylus
LAS VEGAS — Samsung's making Chromebooks interesting again.
The company's two newly announced Chromebooks — the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro — sport 2-in-1 designs and a built-in stylus to better work with Android apps installed from the Google Play store.
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From the outside, the two Chromebooks are virtually indistinguishable. I had a hard time telling the two apart. The only real distinction between the two is what's inside; an ARM processor inside of the Plus and a 2.2GHz Intel Core M3 processor in the Pro.
Otherwise, storage and RAM are the same: 32GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM per machine. Pretty standard specs for a Chromebook. Battery life on both is up to 8 hours.
The Plus will start at $450 and launch in February and the Pro will come out by the end of April with pricing TBA later.
"Since launching our first Chromebook over five years ago, we have continued to improve the product, developing a computer that not only fits into consumers’ lifestyles, but makes their lives easier, more mobile and more productive," said Alanna Cotton, vice president of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America, in a press release. "With the Chromebook Plus and Pro, we’re partnering with Google to pair a sleek design with supreme flexibility, encouraging users to experience more with Google Play and Android."
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
For Chromebooks, the Plus and Pro are pretty solid. They're lightweight at 2.38 pounds and the aluminum body is nice and sturdy, even in tablet mode.
Their 12.3-inch touchscreen displays (2,400 x 1,600) are sharp, bright and responsive. And speaking of responsive, the keyboard and trackpad are pretty good, too, from my brief play time with them.
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For ports, the Plus and Pro have two USB-C ports, a microSD card slot for storage expansion and a standard headphone jack. On the front, you'll also find a 720p front-facing camera and stereo speakers for sound.
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
As just a laptop and a tablet, the Chromebook Plus and Pro are more than competitive with other Chromebooks in their class, but what really makes them stand out is the included stylus.
Samsung's standalone tablets and phones have had styli for years and now its Chromebooks have them as well.
On the Plus and Pro, the stylus (not called an S Pen) pops out of the right side of the machines with a light press.
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
While not as precise as the iPad Pro's Apple Pencil or Microsoft Surface Pro's Surface Pen, the stylus on Samsung's Chromebook Plus and Pro are still pretty decent. For basic handwriting and drawing, the stylus gets the job done, especially when used with apps like Google Keep and Google Jamboard that have shape and handwriting recognition.
And even though I didn't get to spend more than a few minutes trying the stylus out, I didn't notice any real lag, which is impressive.
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Once upon a time ago, I would have shrugged at a laptop with a stylus. But these days with 2-in-1s and styli all the rage, it's a welcome addition.
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Image: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
