Why it matters: It's been close to four years since Samsung quietly dropped the Chromebook 3. Refreshed models from Samsung are now arriving with a bit more fanfare, and for good reason. Chromebooks are big business these days, especially in the lucrative education sector. With a svelte design and an attractive price point, Samsung could move a lot of these in the coming months.
Samsung has expanded its Chromebook lineup on Monday with the introduction of the Samsung Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+. The two systems are essentially identical save for screen size and connectivity options, with the former featuring an 11.6-inch LED panel operating at 1,366 x 768 and the latter utilizing a 15.6-inch LED screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080.
Under the hood, you'll find an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600 and your choice of 4GB or 6GB of LPDDR4 memory and either 32GB or 64GB of eMMC storage.
Both systems offer dual 1.5W speakers, an internal digital microphone and a 720p webcam as well as Wi-Fi 5 (2x2), Bluetooth connectivity, a microSD card reader and a combination headphone / microphone jack. The larger of the two offers an additional USB-C port (two versus one) and is a bit heavier at 3.75 pounds compared to 2.60 pounds.
As for battery life, Samsung said you can expect up to 10.5 hours and 12.5 hours per charge from the Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+, respectively. In terms of durability, both meet eight military-grade ((MIL-STD-810G) standards against treats such as humidity, high temperature and vibration, just to name a few.
You don't get amenities like a touchscreen, 2-in-1 functionality or a stylus but of course, those omissions are factored into the cost.
Samsung's Chromebook 4 starts at just $229.99 and you can take home the larger Chromebook 4+ starting at only $299.99. Both are available to purchase from today directly from Samsung and via select retailers like Best Buy.