Yesterday, we reported about a new Samsung Chromebook receiving FCC certification. All the available information about this model pointed to an LTE variant of the current Chromebook Plus V2. Even as we wait for the official launch of this model, three new Chromebook variants are up for pre-order on the B&H website in the US. The model numbers are different from the LTE model so they're obviously different devices.
First, we have the XE520QAB-K01US model which packs an Intel Celeron 3965Y chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage, and is priced at $500. The XE520QAB-K03US variant bumps the internal storage to 64 GB and carries a price tag of $550. The XE520QAB-K02US model is the most expensive of the three at $600 and comes with an Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
No Chromebook Pro refresh in sight
It is somewhat odd that Samsung is still opting for Intel 7th generation chips when the industry has moved to the 8th generation processors. The company went with the older chips probably to bring down costs. Considering these processors are anyway capable of running Chrome OS without any major hiccups, it may not be a bad idea if Samsung can pass on the cost benefits.
While there is a lot of action surrounding the Chromebook Plus V2, Samsung hasn’t paid much attention to the Chromebook Pro other than relaunching it with a backlit keyboard. With Google allegedly working on a 2-in-1 detachable form factor for its upcoming Chrome OS device, it is possible Samsung might have abandoned the Chromebook Pro model to work on new form factors.
