Late in March, Acer announced Chromebook Tab 10, the first tablet to run Chrome OS. Two weeks later, HP has now announced the second, Chromebook x2, and it’s a lot more high-end one.
HP Chromebook x2
The HP Chromebook x2 is a 12.3 inch laptop that’s really a detachable tablet as well. Unlike the earlier Chromebook x360, which merely flips the keyboard behind the screen, you can actually leave the keyboard behind with Chromebook x2. However, the folding option is still there. The HP Chromebook x2 also supports stylus input.
The Chromebook x2 is quite a powerful machine, with Intel‘s Kaby Lake 1GHz Core m3 processor and integrated Intel HD Graphics 615. The processor is supported by 4GB of RAM (8GB option also available) and 32GB of storage, expandable via an SD card. The device has an IPS WLED touchscreen display panel of 2400×1600 resolution, stereo speakers, a 5 MP front-facing “Wide Vision” camera and a 13 MP rear camera.
The HP Chromebook x2 has two USB-C ports, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. HP hasn’t revealed any specific details regarding the battery, but claims that you’ll get 10.5 hours of battery life. The Chromebook as a whole weighs 1.38 kg, but the tablet portion weighs just 0.73 kg.
Price and availability
The HP Chromebook x2 is priced at $599, including a keyboard cover and the stylus. HP will ship the device starting June 2018, reportedly in Ceramic White and Oxford Blue colours. The design more or less hints that HP is going after Apple’s iPad Pro with Chromebook x2. The price definitely gives it a big chance to thrive, given that a iPad currently starts at $649, without a pen or keyboard. But there still remains a big question of whether Chrome OS is cut out to work on a touchscreen display. Or will the declining interest in high-end Android tablets play the catalyst for HP Chromebook x2 as a potential competitor for Apple? Come the end of June 2018, we will have answers for all the questions.
