Two weeks ago, Acer announced the Chromebook Tab 10 – the world's first tablet running Chrome OS. Shortly after that announcement, HP's now throwing its hat in the ring with the HP Chromebook x2.
Where the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is made specifically for the education market, the HP Chromebook x2 is more similar to Google's Pixelbook is the sense that it's being targeted at general consumers and folks that want a premium, good-looking machine. The brains of the x2 are housed in the tablet itself, and this is where you'll find a 12.3-inch 2400 x 1600 touchscreen display. There are dual front-facing speakers flanking the display and there's a 13MP camera on the back as well as a 5MP camera up front.
Powering the Chromebook x2 is the Intel Core m3 processor along with 4GB of RAM, and you can bump this up to 8GB if you need more power. 32GB of storage is present out of the box, but this can easily be expanded via a microSD card. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to your tunes, as well as two USB-C ports with an estimated battery life of 10.5 hours.
The HP Chromebook x2 is already $200 cheaper than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on its own, but that $599 price includes more than the tablet itself. Along with the x2, you're also getting a keyboard dock and a stylus. HP says that the x2 should feel just as sturdy as a traditional laptop when connected to its keyboard accessory, and there's a loop on the right side of it for storing the stylus.
You'll be able to purchase the HP Chromebook x2 this June, and considering the specifications and accessories that come with it, we could be looking at one of the year's best Chrome OS machines yet.
