Acer’s Chromebook Spin 13 business-ready laptops started life as outside of the general consumer space before quickly becoming a staple in the Android Headlines list of top Chromebooks and now there are two new models certain to cement its placement.
While there aren’t a huge number of differences between the new gadgets and previous models, each new device sits at an opposite end of the cost spectrum for the line, expanding Acer’s offerings to a wider audience. The first is a series entry model designated with model number CP713-1WN-37V8 while the second — model CP713-1WN-813G — is a powerhouse that should be a strong contender as a candidate for the most powerful and capable Chromebook to-date, first spotted by Chrome Unboxed.
Beginning with the weaker of the two new gadgets, Acer has effectively revamped the previous comparatively budget-friendly variant model — CP713-1WN-37G5 — that currently costs $699.99 with an apparently better version at $20 off.
The new device still ships with the same combination of an Intel Core i3-8130U dual-core 2.2GHz processor and UHD Graphics 620, coupled with 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM as that other model. But now it ships with 128GB of storage, compared to the other gadget’s 64GB.
The 2-in-1 convertible frame appears unchanged. That includes the 13.5-inch QHD 2256 x 1504 resolution IPS Wacom-enhanced touch panel — compatible with the included garaged EMR stylus. So buyers really are getting more bang for their buck with the new entry model.
But what about the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 CP713-1WN-813G?
The new entry at the top end of Acer’s Chrome OS-bearing Spin 13 series is a different story entirely from the minor adjustment made to the ‘budget’ model. It’s got a price tag to match those differences too, coming in closer to a Google Pixelbook than the sub-$1000 price tag of the previous most powerful variant.
At $1569.99, the most powerful variant of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 now ships with an Intel Core i7-8550U quad-core processor coupled with the standard UHD Graphics 620 chip. Compared to the 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor found in that other model, this chip is clocked at a healthy base frequency of 1.8GHz. That’s still got the same 16GB LPDDR3 RAM and 128GB storage as the previous top model too. As with the other new model, all of the remaining specs are left the same across all configurations down to the backlit keyboard.
What’s that mean?
Now, while the new entry-level Chromebook Spin 13 is listed among others at Acer’s site at $679, it shows up at Amazon for a premium at $719 or at B&H Photo for $649. That doesn’t necessarily take away from the fact that users can now buy one of the best if not the best Chromebooks around with more storage for apps, files, and games at approximately the same price as the previous ‘cheap’ version.
Conversely, the new Intel Core i7 model of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 is going to give any other Chromebook on the market a run for its money and that includes Google’s own Pixelbook. The primary difference is that, until the search giant launches a new model, consumers can buy the same level of specs at a similar price but get what is basically a much newer model.
With Chromebooks, that’s incredibly important because it means that more updates will be received over the Chromebook Spin 13’s lifecycle than would be if the Pixelbook were purchased instead. The primary drawback is that the new Chromebook 13 performance model doesn’t currently have any sales listed anywhere. So it’s going to be some unspecified length of time before it actually becomes available to purchase.