14 DAY TRIAL // This week it was revealed that HP might have quietly launched a new model of its Chromebook 11 in Australia and reportedly in New Zealand too.
Now, the device maker seems to be gearing up to launch the new model onto international markets such as the US, UK and Canada.
OMGChrome noticed that a new model, dubbed Chromebook 11 G2, has popped up on HP’s official website in the UK. There’s no exact date for when the new version was added, but it appears it is a fresh inclusion.
A user guide for the device was uploaded by the Canadian HP website on May 8 2014, but oddly enough neither one shops offer the Chrome lappy for sale.
The original HP Chromebook 11 was launched back in 2013 and arrived with a low-power Samsung Exynos 5-dual-core CPU, a pretty vibrant IPS display and a compact, colorful and stylish case, which Google was actively involved into designing.
Actually, the design features are what sets the HP Chromebook 11 apart, making it indistinguishable from other Chrome-OS laptops. The notebook bares a distinctive color bar located on the lid and colored pads at the bottom, something the new G2 model lacks.
Actually, taking a look at the HP Chromebook 11 G2, you could confuse it for a smaller version of the company’s 14-inch Chrome-lappy.
On top of dropping the Google-characteristic design, the new lappy doesn't enjoy the vibrant display we saw with the first model, but takes advantage of a cheaper matte display, something akin to what Samsung has used with its first Chromebook.
Furthermore, you’ll notice the “by Google” moniker has been dropped as well as the Beats Audio mention.
However, it appears all the changes have taken place at the surface, because the entrails of the Chromebook remain pretty much the same.
So the G2 arrives with an 11.6-inch LED Matte Display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, being powered by a Samsung Exynos 5250 ARM processor clocked at 1.7GHz fitted with 2GB of RAM and backed up by 16GB of internal storage.
Other specifications include 2 USB 2.0, a microUSB charging port and a headphone/microphone combo.
Another interesting aspect to note is that the new model is a little bit bulkier than its predecessor, adding 0.2-inches / 0.5 cm in height and being 0.3 kg / 0.66 lbs heavier.
Even if the G2 is already being sold in Australia, there’s no information about the pricing specifications in US, Canada or UK.
However, it is expected the G2 will arrive with quite an affordable price tag, and according to sources, it will be targeted mostly at the educational sector. But that doesn’t mean main-stream consumers will be prevented from picking one up.
