HP’s Lighter, Thinner Chromebook 11 G5 Boasts Touch-Screen Option

The new Chromebook, which will debut in July starting at $189, is aimed at a wide range of users from students to enterprise workers.

The latest Chromebook includes an Intel Celeron dual-core N3060 processor with Intel HD Graphics 400, 4GB of LPDDR3-1600 SDRAM memory, and 16GB or 32GB of eMMC onboard storage. It also features a redesigned chassis that pares weight and offers a thinner bezel around the machine’s 11.6-inch display.

The new Chromebook 11 G5 will start at $189 with a standard HD non-touch-screen In-Plane Switching (IPS) display, but an IPS HD touch-screen model will also be available, which is covered with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. The machine runs on the Chrome OS operating system.

The Chromebook 11 G5 can be used as a multimedia machine as well. It features HD audio, dual speakers, an HD camera, and Intel Dual Band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. No further details are presently available about the onboard camera used on the machine.

The new Chromebook also features a multiformat digital media reader that supports SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards for expanded storage. Also included are two USB 3.0 ports and one HDMI port. The standard display version promises up to 12.5 hours of battery life, while the touch-screen version promises battery life up to 11 hours.

The latest model is 10 percent thinner and 11 percent lighter than past versions and includes a new, smooth-curve keyboard design that makes it easier to clean. It is 11.25 inches wide, 8.07 inches deep and 0.72 inches thick. The weight of a non-touch-screen model starts at 2.51 pounds, while a touch-screen model starts at 2.62 pounds. Also included is a 43.7-watt-hour Li-ion polymer battery.

The new machines will be available through HP channel partners starting in July and through retailers in October. The Chromebook 11 G5 is aimed at students, business users, education users and consumers. Adding to the versatility of Chromebooks, many Chrome and Android applications in the Google Play store will be compatible with the machine’s browser-based Chrome OS later this year.