Why buy a laptop and a tablet when a 2-in-1 offers the best of both worlds in one compact package? That's the appeal of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360.
This 12.4-inch convertible starts at $429 and has solid specs for the price, including a 350-nit display, Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 4 to 8GB of RAM and 64 to 128GB of storage.
As the name suggests, it’s a Chromebook that’s capable of functioning as both a laptop and tablet, and with its relatively low cost of entry, Samsung believes the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 will be of special interest to students who need an inexpensive device for work and play.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360.
Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360: Release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360 will be available from April 15 2022, with the company promising prices “beginning at” $429.
As far as we can tell from the specs revealed, there’s not a huge amount of variety, so we would expect this to refer to the version with 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, with the 8/128GB model costing a little extra. There’s also a version with an optional Nano SIM Slot for cellular connectivity, so expect to pay a bit of a premium for this, too.
Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360: Features
The main features promoted by Samsung appear to be the Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360’s 2-in-1 flexibility and its rugged build quality, designed to take the knocks of being carried from class to class in a school bag.
The ‘360’ part of the branding refers to the 360 hinge, which allows the screen to flip all the way around, allowing you to use the machine as a tablet, a laptop or something in between.
On the latter ruggedness point, Samsung says that the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is “built to be sturdy, durable and shock-resistant.”
This promised build quality also extends to a comfortable day-to-day experience, with a 19mm keycap pitch and large touchpad aimed at hours of consecutive use. Curiously, battery life isn’t highlighted as a key selling point, but generally speaking Chromebooks do tend to have impressive stamina, so hopefully that’s an oversight rather than a bad omen.
Finally, Samsung highlights some Chrome OS features that are exclusive to Galaxy Chromebooks thanks to its partnership with Google. Phone Hub allows owners to control their Android phone directly from the ChromeBook 2 360 (think responding to text messages and turning on ‘do not disturb’ mode remotely), while Nearby Share allows you to instantly and securely send files to Android devices in a nearby radius.
Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360: Specs
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has the kind of relatively modest specs required to get decent performance from Chrome OS. An Intel Celeron N4500 processor is paired with 4- or 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, and you can choose between 64- or 128GB eMMC storage. There’s a 720p 8MP webcam built in, too.
The touchscreen is a 12.4-inch LED panel with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. Samsung claims that this offers an “immersive viewing experience” whether you’re gaming or working, and hopefully it will cope fine with the range of viewing angles made possible by the 360-degree hinge.
In terms of connectivity, Samsung offers two USB-C ports, one USB 3.2 port, a microSD slot, a headphone jack and a nano security slot. There’s also an optional SIM slot if you want mobile connectivity.
It’s pretty light, weighing in at 2.8 pounds (1.28 kg), and has dimensions of 11.3 x 8.1 x 0.66 inches (287.9 x 206.6 x 16.9 mm).
Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360: Outlook
The Samsung Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360 has a whole lot of potential. Notably, its less flexible sibling — the Galaxy ChromeBook 2 — currently tops our list of the best Chromebooks, and the addition of a 360-degree hinge will certainly increase that appeal further.
We’ll have to wait until we’ve got it in our hands for testing, but early signs for the Galaxy ChromeBook 2 360 look very promising indeed.
