Acer refreshes Chromebook 15 with up to 12 hours of battery life

Acer has announced a refreshed model (CB3-532) of its affordable 15.6-inch Chromebook 15 with an improved battery life. It promises up to 12 hours of battery life compared to eight hours on the previous model. It also gets support for Android apps via the Google Play Store (via update in near future). Apart from that the rest of the specifications are entry-level.

The Acer Chromebook 15 CB3-532 comes with 15.6-inch display bearing the resolution 1366 x 768 pixels  and is powered by an Intel Celeron N3060 dual-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage (+ 100GB free Google Drive storage). 

The Chromebook supports WiFi 802.11ac featuring MIMO 2x2 technology and Bluetooth 4.2 for faster wireless connectivity and includes, 2 x USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, microSD card reader (up to 128GB supported) HD webcam and dual speakers.

Acer says that Chromebook 15 has been tested to handle more bumps and drop. It can withstand up to 60kg of force, while the corners can withstand up to 23.6-inch (60cm) drops without damage.

The new Chromebook 15 is priced at $199 and is available in the U.S exclusively from Walmart.

CES 2015 : Acer Launches 15-inch Chromebook

Taiwanese tech major Acer announced new Chromebook series laptop, the Chromebook 15 at CES 2015 Las Vegas. The striking feature of the Laptop is its mammoth size. Acer says that the new Acer Chromebook 15 is the "industry's first Chromebook with a 15.6-inch display." to date.

The Chromebook 15 will come in many versions that include Full HD (1920x1080) or HD (1366x768) display. According to the company, both the variants will come with Acer ComfyView that improves anti-glare properties of the display. Further consumers can select between 16GB or 32GB SSD drive storage and 2GB or 4GB in terms of RAM. The Chromebook 15 will also be available in two processor variants - fifth generation Intel Core i3 or next generation Intel Celeron processor.

The Laptop also features two upward front facing speakers, HD webcam and sport the largest touchpad of any Chromebook today. Connectivity features includes MIMO 2x2Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 port and HDMI port alongside a SD card reader

Acer claims that the Chromebook 15 is quite a strong and sturdy device. "The case can withstand up to 60kg of force, while the corners can tolerate up to 45cm drops without damage. Also, the new Chromebook can endure more twisting and stress on the case and hinges." 

The Chromebook 15 has been priced at $249.99 (Rs.16,000) in the U.S. Acer notes that the "exact specifications, prices and availability will vary by region"