Samsung Chromebook 2 (Intel): Review

After enjoying a sound-market position in 2013 by holding approximately 88% of the global Chromebook market share, Samsung recently experienced a downfall to stay at 48% (source: NPD, a Consumer Market Research company.) What let this happen to the biggest Chromebook manufacturer? Well, as per the tech experts and market researcher’s comments, entry of cheaper gadgets from OEM’s like Acer, Toshiba and Dell is the prime reason behind this fall. Samsung released its 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2 featuring a sexy faux-leather design and full-HD display earlier in this year, but it doesn’t bring any change in its market share. 

The company decided to upgrade the device with Intel’s performance and some advanced features at a lower price. Undoubtedly, the latest Chromebook 2 retains its predecessor's design but it sports a smaller 11-inch screen and faster 2.58-GHz Intel Celeron N2840 processor. The latest Chromebook model promises better performance, improved design and display, faster processing speed and much more. Keeping the affordability and price war factors in mind, Samsung placed it in the market for just $249.

  Design

 

The chassis of the device hasn’t recorded any improvements in the outer cover as the Samsung Chromebook 2 (Intel) appeal like a mini version of its big brother. The device is crafted using the same faux-leather material and the stitches around the edges offer a portfolio-sequel and professional look. The keyboard deck and bezel features a shiny silver and smooth surface, and are nicely paired up with a black colored island-style keys.

Measuring around 11.40 x 8.60 x 0.66-inch, the body weight of the device is quite light and easy to hold at just 2.65 pounds. Its optimal 11-inch screen is capable of serving all your productivity, entertainment, gaming, and professional requirements to make it ideal for meetings or while traveling. Giving tough competition to its closest competitors, the device is slightly heavier than the Acer Chromebook C720 (2.6 pounds).

Keyboard & Touchpad

Undoubtedly, the new Samsung Chromebook 2's keyboard features a perfect combination of a sturdy deck and black colored island-style keys. The keys are spaced and offer a comfortable and satisfying experience while typing even for longer hours. Possessing key space of 1.3 mm and an actuation of 50 grams, the entire keyboard deck requires less force to press. The device incorporates a 3.9 x 2.3-inch touchpad that is optimally responsive and is quite comfortable to use. The incorporated touchpad ensures comfortable browsing and app using experience along with reacting to the common movements swiftly.

Display

Offered with an anti-reflective, 11.6-inch LED HD display, the device’s screen supports a screen resolution of 1366 x 768-pixels. Many of the tech guru’s comment about the Samsung Chromebook 2’s display quality by saying that the device doesn't have the best viewing angles. Tilting the screen in a forward or backward position may result in blown-out images, but keeping it straight produces clear and vibrant pictures. The latest Chromebook by Samsung scored 59.1 percent on the sRGB color gamut test with an average of 163 lux on the brightness meter.

Audio, Ports, and Webcam

Music or entertainment freaks will surely understand that louder doesn't necessarily mean better. Incorporated with 2W x 2 stereo speakers, the device only produced 91 decibels on the audio test. Coming with handful of ports, the device houses a headphone jack and a USB 2.0 port line on the right side. The left side of the device is adorned with a microSD card slot, an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port and the charging port. For catering all the image capturing and picture clicking requirements, the manufacturer has incorporated a 720p webcam that takes decent yet grainy selfies.

Chrome OS and Apps

Chrome OS, a browser-based operating system, is designed to provide a minimal desktop experience, but the icons for notifications, the timestamp, Wi-Fi signal, battery and settings are highly supportive. The OS is capable of offering your Google account’s information and changing the device's hardware settings with just a few clicks on the desktop wallpaper. The device comes with pre-installed shortcut icons to apps like Gmail, Google Chrome, and Hangouts for offering greater access to the web.

The Chrome Web Store currently houses more than 33,614 apps, and users can also visit ChromeOSApps.org to learn more about the platform. The device also offers you direct access to some of the amazing Chrome apps like Evernote, Spotify, Duolingo, Feedly, Netflix and even Microsoft Word Online.

 

Performance

Samsung has replaced the Exynos 5 chip found in the 13-inch version with a 2.58-GHz Intel Celeron N2840 processor in this 11-inch model. The Chromebook is nicely paired up with a 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage. Aiming towards enhancing the Chrome OS performance, the device supports multitasking features including sending emails, playing videos, streaming music, and typing notes at the same time.

The Celeron processor incorporated within the device’s configuration ensures that your gadget boots up to the Chrome OS in quick 9 seconds. The device comes with Intel HD Graphics chipset that supports up to 9 frames per second (fps) and enhances overall performance of the device. The Samsung Chromebook 2 battery lasts for around 7 hours and 50 minutes on a single charge while using it for active browsing and productivity apps.

Technical specifications of Samsung Chromebook 2 (Intel)

  

Feature	Description
Processor	2.58-GHz Intel Celeron N2840 processor
Operating System	Chrome OS
Battery	Up to 8 hours
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics chipset
Memory	2 GB
Storage	16 GB
Display	11" LED HD display
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Version 4.0

Verdict

At $249, the device offers excellent competition to all the existing Chromebooks in the market. Coming with a 2.58-GHz Intel Celeron N2840 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of storage, and an 11.6-inch LED HD1366 x 768p display, the device works as an excellent machine for both work and entertainment. After experiencing a downfall in its global Chromebook market share, Samsung thought of incorporating the powerful Intel Celeron processor to make 11-inch model relatively faster than its 13-inch brother. The device features a leather-like design and a highly responsive touchpad that not only offers a professional yet elegant look, but also enhances productivity. Offered with around 8 hours of battery life, the device can be considered as an ideal device for students and users who need a portable gadget for all-day use.