CES 2021 | Asus launches ChromeBook CX9400 and ChromeBook Flip CX5500 premium-grade laptops with Intel Tiger Lake-U CPUs
Chromebooks have come a long way in the past few years. Initially designed to serve as very affordable educational tools for students, the Chrome OS laptops come in many flavors now, including premium models with expanded business or entertainment features like the latest ChromeBook CX9400 and ChromeBook Flip CX5500 laptops from Asus, which are powered by Intel’s 11th gen Tiger Lake-U CPUs.
The new ChromeBook CX9400 is targeted at remote workers with cloud-first operating systems and collaborative tools. It features an ultra-durable, yet extremely portable magnesium-alloy chassis processed with high-precision CNC-milling, which is 16 mm thin with a total weight of 2.2lbs. Asus includes a 14-inch NanoEdge FHD display that provides an immersive, near edge-to-edge viewing experience with a 91% screen-to-body ratio. As far as specs go, this model packs up to an Intel Core i7 Tiger Lake-U CPU with Iris Xe integrated graphics, and it also comes with 2x Thunderbolt 4, USB-A 3.1 and HDMI connectors, plus Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Other specs include Harman Kardon dual speakers, backlit and spill-resistant keyboard, a fingerprint sensor, and ErgoLift hinge for comfortable typing. For business-grade protection, Chromebook CX9 is secure by design, offering Titan C security for storing sensitive information such as passwords and encryption keys. Furthermore, the CX9 automatically receives software updates every six weeks to safeguard data from harmful attacks with the latest defenses.
On the other hand, the ChromeBook Flip CX5/C536/CX5500 is geared towards cloud entertainment. This is Asus’s first 15.6-inch Chromebook convertible to be powered by the 11th gen Intel Core processor with Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, and it can be equipped with up to 16 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, plus up to 512 GB NVMe SSD storage. As suggested by the Flip denomination, the 15.6-inch touch screen gets a 360-degree hinge and it also features Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with ASUS WiFi Stabilizer, dual Harman Kardon-certified speakers along with support for Google Stadia / NVIDIA GeForce NOW for an expanded gaming experience. It also includes a microSD card reader and a 57 Wh battery that can last up to 11 hours. The chassis incorporates a metallic design on an elegant Immersive white exterior that has a ceramic-like feel.
There is no pricing info as of yet, but the ChromeBook CX9 (CX9400) will be available starting from Q2 2021, while the ChromeBook Flip CX5/C536 (CX5500) will start shipping this quarter in North America.
