Samsung seems to have a new Chromebook 4 series on the way with at least one device, the Chromebook 4+, already spotted at resellers. The device appears to be one of two that were first noticed gaining Bluetooth and Energy Star certification. The other device, a Samsung Chromebook 4, hasn’t appeared just yet.
Since the “plus” model is likely the more powerful of the two, if not just bigger, both new Chromebooks appear to occupy space at the budget end of the spectrum. They’re almost certainly a follow-up series to Samsung’s Chromebook 3. If that’s the case, the two devices will likely be almost identical.
The store listings may or may not be accidental since Samsung itself hasn’t provided any information about the new gadgets.
The Chromebook 4 series isn’t the biggest Samsung coming
A closer look at the specifications of the Samsung Chromebook 4+ reveals that the device probably isn’t going to be Samsung’s biggest Chrome OS reveal in the near future but it is a big deal in terms of size. The new laptop is listed with an LED 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display. That figure marks the Chromebook 4+ out as the first Samsung Chrome OS device to be sold with a display that large.
The panel itself is a”non-touch” widescreen display set in what will undoubtedly be a polycarbonate frame in a silver color that nearly looks metal. Thin bezels adorn that with a 720p webcam above.
The weight of that frame is listed at 3.750 lbs, putting it on par with other 15-inch Chrome OS laptops.
In terms of design, the device has an oversized touchpad and squared-off edges. The leading edge features a notched area to make opening up the clamshell easier. While not pictured, the edges also house two USB-C USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and a MicroSD reader.
Inside, the biggest indicator that Samsung has more on the way is the fact that it’s listed with a Gemini Lake Intel N4000 dual-core Celeron processor. That’s clocked at 1.1GHz — up to 2.6GHz — and backed by just 4GB LPDDR4 RAM with 32GB eMMC storage. Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth are part of the MIL-STD-810G tested package too.
The specs here indicate the Samsung Chromebook 4+ will be a capable device. But it’s going to be severely underpowered compared to another that’s expected to arrive in the future.
Presently listed in the Chromium repository under the codename Kohaku, Samsung is expected to launch that gadget as a new Chromebook Pro or Plus. Based on benchmarks and other repository-based details, that’ll land with 8GB RAM. That memory will serve a 10th-gen Comet Lake, the dual-core Intel Core i3-10110U clocked at 4.1GHz.
Chromebook 4+ is already here
At least one of the devices has already arrived via industry-grade sales sites. That may imply that both are intended for the education or enterprise markets instead of consumer retail. Or it may be the case that Samsung is just kicking off sales there first. Regardless, both Insight and Connection are already selling the larger the new Samsung Chromebook 4 series.
That’s the 15.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 4+, sold under model designation XE350XBA-K01US. The laptop can be purchased for $319.29 from Connection with shipping today. Insight is selling the same model for $329.99 and is presently showing just eight units in stock.