Acer was the first company to pull Google's browser-based Chrome OS into tablet territory a couple of weeks ago. Now, HP is taking the search giant's "other" operating system into the increasingly-popular 2-in-1 detachable form factor. HP's Chromebook x2 packs a 12.3" high-resolution display, an Intel seventh-generation Core processor, and up to 8 GB of memory. Unlike with Acer's education-focused Chromebook Tab, HP has widespread consumer availability in mind for the Chromebook x2.
HP didn't say which seventh-gen Core processors will be on the option sheet, but Valentina Palladino at Ars Technica says to expect power-sipping Y-series chips. The CPU plays data-and-instruction Marco Polo in a pool of 4 GB or 8 GB of LPDDR3 memory. Palladino goes on to say the Chromebook x2 has a 12.3" IPS touchscreen panel with a Microsoft Surface-like 2400×1600 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. That display is topped with a slab of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Some models of the x2 come with an active pen stylus, too.
Chromebooks don't tend to have much onboard storage, and the x2's measly 32 GB of integrated storage follows that trend. Users can add microSD cards as large as 256 GB or trust in the cloud with the included two-year subscription to Google's 100-GB storage tier. A 5-megapixel user-facing camera and a 13-MP rear-facing snapper help fill that storage capacity. HP made sure to highlight the machine's ability to run Android apps, which we take to mean the Chromebook x2 will have full access to the Google's Play Store.
The Chromebook x2 is svelte at 0.33" thick (8.4 mm), though that figure nearly doubles to 0.6" (15.3 mm) when the detachable keyboard is attached. The weight similarly balloons from a featherweight 1.6 lbs (0.74 kg) all the way up to 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg). At least some of the mass in that keyboard comes from a metal plate that HP says improves the typing experience compared to competing detachable convertibles.
The x2 has a pair of USB Type-C ports for charging, external displays, and data transfer. HP says the battery should be good for 10 hours of usage between charges. The company says to expect prices for the Chromebook x2 to start at $600 when the device goes on sale on June 10.