Samsung has officially unveiled two Chromebook 2 laptops running Google's Chrome OS and sporting "the stylish stitch design of the Samsung GALAXY Note 3."
Just yesterday rumors of a Samsung Chromebook 2 started to emerge, claiming that the new Chromebook would borrow the Galaxy Note 3's popular faux-leather finish.
Samsung has now confirmed those rumors with an official announcement, unveiling two versions of its latest Chromebook offering. One variant sports an 11.6-inch display, while the other model comes with a 13.3-inch screen.
Both Samsung Chromebook 2 versions pack Exynos 5 Octa processors under the hood, which should provide a speedy performance, and both models come with the muhc-touted leather texture. The 13.3-inch model has a full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 250nit brightness. Both models will last for up to 8.5 hours on a single charge and will wake up in less than one second, or cold boot in less than ten seconds, according to Samsung.
"Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing our designs and features to meet our users' ever-changing needs, while staying true to the core Chromebook attributes of simplicity, speed and security," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung has been the top selling consumer Chromebook brand for the past three years and we'll continue to grow our leadership position in this space with the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series."
"Chromebooks are particularly important in the education space - according to Futuresource, one in four devices now sold into K-12 schools in the U.S. are Chromebooks - so we've designed our latest models with students and teachers in mind, including features like rapid start times, longer battery life and an easy-to-grip design," added Tod Pike, senior vice president at Samsung's Enterprise Business Division.
Samsung further touts that its latest Chromebook 2 Series comes with a package of premium apps, valued at more than $100. This package includes the Air Droid Premium service for smartphone access and data management, the Wunderlist Pro app for task management and collaboration, as well as English learning app LittleBridge.com.
Moreover, laptops running Google's Chrome OS update automatically, ensuring that users are always up to date with the latest technology and security features. When using a Chromebook, users' full information and files are also saved and encrypted to their account, which makes it easy to switch between devices or share a laptop with others.
The 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 2 will come with a $319.99 price tag, while the larger 13.3-inch model will cost $399.99. Both Chromebooks will hit commercial availability starting in April, but Samsung has yet to announce a specific launch date.
