Google recently announced its newest device, the Samsung-built 11.6″ Chromebook, which received immediate criticism for not supporting 3G or 4G LTE. However, it appears as if Google actually is releasing a Chromebook with cellular connectivity in the form of a 3G model priced at $330, just $80 more than the WiFi version.
The 3G version is available from both Amazon and Newegg right now while Best Buy and TigerDirect, the other two retailers that offer the device, are not currently carrying the Chromebook. Newegg lists its release date as October 31 for the 3G model.
As far as specs are concerned, both devices appear pretty similar. They each include an 11.6″ screen with 1,366 x 768 resolution, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard
storage, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, HDMI out, webcam and 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi.
In addition to that, Google is also offering new Chromebook buyers 12 free Gogo inflight passes along with 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years. If you take that, based on the current pricing from Google, 100GB on Google
Drive would cost you $60 per year after the free period.
The other significant difference between these two devices, aside from the connectivity options, has to be the processor. Both devices have an ARM-based dual-core 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos chip, but according to Amazon’s listings, the WiFi version uses the Exynos 5250 while the 3G model uses the Exynos 4210.
However, that could very well be a typo as Samsung’s site lists the Exynos 4 line as maxing out at 1.2GHz. Regardless, both chips are dual-core processors, though the 5250 uses the newer Cortex A15 architecture while the 4210 version is based on the Cortex A9.
Editors Note: The proliferation of small and smaller devices is definitively adding to the mix of hardware options offered by the top computer rental suppliers.
Source: PC World – 3G Chromebook appears on Amazon, Newegg for $330