Exynos 5 Octa-powered Samsung Chromebook 2 priced at $320, full HD variant at $400

Samsung has added to its Chromebook portfolio with a second-gen range, and **just as expected** , there are some now-familiar Samsung touches. The new Chromebook 2 series will be available in the US from April 2014 onwards and Samsung has not yet confirmed global availability of the new laptops. The 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 2 will be available for an $$319.99, while the 13.3-inch model is $399.99. When converted to India prices, the Chromebook 2 will cost Rs 24,800 for the larger model, while the 11.6-inch model will cost Rs 19,500 approximately.   The new series has two models in 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch screen sizes. Both Chromebooks have a faux-leather dark finish with visible seams, just like on the **Galaxy Note 3** and the **Galaxy Grand 2** . This seems to be Samsung’s go-to design theme this season. [caption id=“attachment_219355” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Samsung seems to love this look for its devices[/caption]   The lower-end 11.6-inch model has a standard 1366x768 display with a Samsung Exynos 5 series octa-core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz. It has 4 GB DDR3L RAM, and the Chromebook standard 16 GB Flash storage. Above the display is an 720p HD webcam. Ports include an HDMI port, a singular USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port, a MicroSD card reader slot. The battery has been rated for 8 hours of usage. This is the lighter of the two models at 2.43 pounds (approx 1.13 kg).   The 13.3-inch model has a Full HD display, which is a nice touch given the price. It is powered by a Samsung Exynos 5 series octa-core processor clocked at 2.1 Ghz. The other specs are the same as the smaller model. Samsung has rated the battery for 8.5 hours of usage. It weighs in at 3.09 pounds, which is approximately 1.4 kg.   Samsung says that both models are optimised for Google+ Hangouts messaging and video calling with enhanced audio quality on high-power speakers (2Wx2) and a noise-reducing array microphone. The Chromebook 2 Series will come preloaded with premium apps worth more than $100, which includes smartphone access and data management service Airdroid Premium, task management and collaboration app Wunderlist Pro, and LittleBridge, an English learning app.   “Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing our designs and features to meet our users’ ever-changing needs. Samsung has been the top selling consumer Chromebook brand for the past three years and we’ll continue to grow our leadership position in this space with the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America in a press release.