Asus announces the Flip CX3400, a more affordable premium Chromebook with Tiger Lake-U processors

Some newer Chromebook models can already rival Windows-based ultrabooks as far as specs go, and, unfortunately, this also means that such devices are not that affordable anymore. Take for example the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5400 powered by Intel’s Tiger Lake-U processors that starts at US$700+, with some configurations easily breaking US$1,200. The whole premium Chromebook mentality goes against the initial affordability, so now Asus is presenting the Flip CX3400 models retaining most of the CX5400 features, but with more down-to-earth prices.

The CX3400 models look essentially the same as the CX5400 ones, but some features have been axed in order to bring prices to a more reasonable point. Fortunately, Asus did not touch the fanless design and is still offering Core i3-1110G4, Core i5-1130G7 and Core i7-1160G7 processor options; however, the CX3400 does not feature Thunderbolt ports, comes with a slightly dimmer FHD touchscreen (250 nits vs 300 nits), and RAM configurations start at 4 GB LPDDR4X and up instead of 8 GB+. NVMe SSD storage capacities include 128, 256 and 512 GB options. Apart from the absence of high-speed connectors, the port selection is still quite robust, with 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, a headset jack, plus a microSD card reader. There is also Wi-Fi 6 and BT 5.2 connectivity, a pen, plus a decent 50 Wh battery.

One advantage over the CX5400 series is the inclusion of a 5 MP camera below the keyboard that can come in handy when the device is used in tablet mode. The webcam is still only 720p, on the other hand.

Asus has not yet revealed price points for the Flip CX3400 models, yet we should see starting prices closer to $500.

Buy the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5400 convertible with Core i3-1110G4 processor on Amazon