Today HP has announced two new refreshed Chromebooks in it's 11" series targeting the education market: the Chromebook X360 11 G2 and Chromebook 11 G7. As their names suggest, they're both 11" laptops running Chrome OS and designed for that extra durability required in the classroom. That means rubber trim, spill-resistant keyboards, and Gorilla Glass as required.
If you are familiar with the previous Chromebooks in the company's education-focused 11" series, these new models shouldn't be much of a surprise. Think incremental improvement, not brand-new hotness. As before, the X360 model flips into a tablet-style form factor, while the Chromebook 11 G7 is a more traditional laptop — though it is still available with an optional touchscreen.
The two Chromebooks might have substantially different form factors, but they have more in common than not when it comes to specs. Each is configurable with an Intel N-series Celeron (N4000 or N4100), and up to 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage — though base model storage configurations vary. They also have Miracast-compatible dual band AC 2x2 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion, a pair of USB Type-C ports, one USB-A port, seemingly identical 47.35 Wh batteries, and a 1366x768 resolution 11" display.
Full spec sheets and photo galleries are just below:
HP Chromebook x360 11 G2 Education Edition
SPECS
|
CPU |
Intel Celeron N4100 or N4000 |
|
Memory |
Up to 8GB |
|
Storage |
32GB, up to 64GB eMMC 5.0 |
|
Display |
11.6" 1366x768 IPS Gorilla Glass touch screen (Wacom EMR), rated 220 cd/m², 69% sRGB |
|
Connectivity |
2x2 MIMO dual-band AC Wifi (Intel 9560), Bluetooth 5 |
|
Ports |
2x USB Type-C (3.1), 1x USB Type-A (3.1), 1x headphone/mic combo, 1x microSD |
|
Camera |
720p |
|
Battery |
2-cell, 47.36 Wh Li-ion, "up to 11 hours" |
|
Dimensions |
12.04 x 8.18 x 0.83" (30.6 x 20.8 x 2.11 cm), 3.24 lb (1.47 kg) |
HP Chromebook 11 G7 Education Edition
SPECS
|
CPU |
Intel Celeron N4100 or N4000 |
|
Memory |
Up to 8GB |
|
Storage |
16GB, up to 64GB eMMC 5.0 |
|
Display |
11.6" 1366x768 — options for IPS, IPS touch screen, or SVA |
|
Connectivity |
2x2 MIMO dual-band AC Wifi (Intel 9560), Bluetooth 5 |
|
Ports |
2x USB Type-C (3.1), 1x USB Type-A (3.1), 1x headphone/mic combo, 1x microSD |
|
Camera |
720p, optional "world-facing" 5MP |
|
Battery |
2-cell, 47.36 Wh Li-ion, "up to 13 hours" |
|
Dimensions |
12.04 x 8.18 x 0.74" (30.6 x 20.8 x 1.89 cm), 2.93 lb (1.33 kg) |
They've both passed MIL-STD 810G environmental tests, 76 cm drops onto concrete, and come with keyboards advertised as "minor-spill-resistant." Kids probably can still tear these apart, but they'll have to put in a bit more effort to do it.
Both of the new models should be available in April, just in time for schools to snag them for the fall. For more details, school IT departments can check out HP's published spec sheets for both the X360 11 G2 and Chromebook 11 G7 (direct download warning).