Samsung's Chromebook Plus now available for purchase

CES 2017 was chock full of products from Samsung, as it usually is every year. This year, however, Chromebooks were in the limelight. Samsung debuted two new top-tier notebooks running Google’s Chrome OS, the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro. While Samsung has been blithe about the release date of the higher-powered Pro, the Plus aimed at a February release. Samsung nailed their target; the Chromebook Plus is now available to order from select retailers.

Here’s a quick rundown of the specs for the Chromebook Plus:

• OP1 hexacore CPU (two Cortex-A72 and four Cortex-A53 cores)

• 4 GB LPDDR3 RAM

• 32 GB eMMC internal storage

• microSD slot

• 12.3-inch LED touchscreen with a resolution of 2400 x 1600

• 720p webcam

• 2x2 802.11ac WiFi

• Bluetooth 4.0

• 2 USB Type-C ports

• 2.38 pounds

• 39 Wh battery

This puts the Plus in the upper echelon of Chromebooks. It’ll make good use of this power right out of the box: the notebook will support Android apps via the Google Play Store for Chrome OS. While a few Chromebooks have basic support for Android apps, they only gained that access after a software update.

The Plus may be a good option for users on the hunt for an inexpensive but versatile notebook. In addition to its touchscreen, the Plus can fold into a tablet thanks to its 360-degree hinges. It will also come with a stylus akin to the S-Pen found in Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of smartphones, as well as a slot for storing the stylus.

The Plus is currently available for $449 from Samsung, Amazon, and Best Buy. Those wanting more power should wait for Samsung’s Chromebook Pro, which sports an Intel Core m3 processor. The Pro is expected to start shipping later in the spring.

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