One such Chromebook was showcased at Computex 2015

Jun 5, 2015 07:59 GMT  ·  By

Chinese silicon pieces have slowly started making their way into Chromebooks, making these devices even more affordable. For instance, ASUS launched the C201, which bundles a Rockchip RK3288 processor and sells for only $169 / €150.

But in the near future, we can expect to see new Chromebook models taking advantage of other low-cost platforms. Like MediaTek’s.

At Computex 2015, the chip maker showcased a Chromebook model nestling a MediaTek MT8173 processor under the hood and, interestingly, a USB Type-C port. That’s a pretty surprising feature for a budget device such as a Chromebook.

Until Computex 2015, the only two laptops taking advantage of the USB Type-C standard were the new Macbook with Retina display and Google’s second-gen Chromebook Pixel 2, which is a high-end device.

Chromebooks with MediaTek are in the pipeline

Going back to the MediaTek chip inside the Chromebook, it’s not exactly new but it’s the first time we’re seeing it make an appearance on a notebook.

The MT8173 SoC is quite a powerful piece of silicon, arriving with a 64-bit multi-core big.LITTLE CPU that combines two Cortex-A72 and two Cortex-A53 CPUs.

The chip should be able to handle all media activities (including streaming 4K video) without putting a big toll on battery life.

According to the information coming to us from Notebook Italia, the first Chromebooks bundling MediaTek chips should make it out on the market in the second half of 2015 (most likely October).

Rockchip-powered Chromebooks were already released in April of this year and are currently available on the US market, but not in Europe. So it is only natural that other low-cost chip makers would want to have a piece of the cake, too.

In related news, we’ve recently told you that low-cost Windows 10 tablets with Rockchip processors might show up soon.

One such device was recently spotted with a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution (probably on a 7-inch display), a Rockchip RK3288 under the hood, and Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview software running on board.

While we don’t have any confirmation this will be the case, we do expect a fair share of interesting products to come out of Asia in the upcoming months. Stay tuned.

Chromebooks with MediaTek coming soon (6 Images)

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