What you need to know
- Acer unveiled four Chromebook models at IFA with Celeron processors.
- These models will be available in Europe in October and the U.S. in December.
- The Chromebook 311 and Spin 311 are 11.6-inch models while the Chromebook 314 is 14 inches and Chromebook 315 is 15.6 inches.
IFA is here and there are more Chromebooks on display, though you won't be seeing them on store shelves here in America until the Christmas season. The Acer Chromebook 311, Spin 311, 314, and 315 are sporting Celeron N4000 or N4100 processors, a USB-C port on each side of the chassis, and some affordable prices:
- The Acer Chromebook 311 will be available with 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, an 11.6-inch touchscreen and a $250 price tag in the US (€249 in Europe).
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 will be available with 4 or 8GB of RAM, 32 or 64GB of storage, and a starting price of $330 in the U.S. (€329 in Europe).
- The Acer Chromebook 314 will be available with 4 or 8GB of RAM, 32 or 64GB of storage, and a starting price of $280 in the U.S. (€299 in Europe).
- The Acer Chromebook 315 will be available with 4 or 8GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and a starting price of $280 in the U.S. (€330 in Europe).
The Acer Chromebook 315 will also have the option of upgrading to a Pentium Silver N5000 processor alongside the option for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, though it remains to be seen how much more expensive that configuration will be from the base $280 model. The 315 will have a number pad on its keyboard — a welcome addition for teachers and business users — and 1080p resolution for its 15.6-inch screen.
The Chromebook Spin 311 features Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass, which is great news for students who need to use their Chromebooks in crowded classrooms and cafeterias during flu season, and both the Spin 311 and regular clamshell 311 have the same footprint as a sheet of A4 regular printer paper.
I'm happy to see more upgraded Chromebooks from Acer, but I do wish they'd picked some new model names as the Chromebook 311, Chromebook Spin 311, and Chromebook 315 were pre-existing models and Acer doesn't tend to use generation distinctions between models the way HP and Lenovo do. We have a few months to see current stocks sell out before the new ones arrive, but once these show up, you'll need to pay closer attention to exact model numbers when picking one up.
