The Galaxy Chromebook 2 weighs 2.71 pounds, which is a bit heavier than the original one, but where you really get the attention is the thickness is thick. It is just over a half-inch to a false height of one-third of the inch of the previous model.
It’s still lighter than most Chromebooks, but it’s definitely more prominent in your bag and harder to keep in tablet mode than the original one. Fortunately, you can still used as a record. This new Chromebook 2 retains its two-in-one design.
There are two versions available, the $ 700 one I tested features a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 128-gigabyte state-of-the-art hard drive. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 is slightly less powered for $ 550 that uses a 10th generation Intel Celeron processor and has only 4 gigabytes of RAM and a 64-GB SSD.
I find that Intel Core i3 chips are the sweet spot for Chromebooks. They offer enough power that you don’t have to think about how many tabs or Chrome apps you have open, and they keep the price down compared to models with Core i5 or even i7 chips.
The Celeron version is likely to be good but less of a snap. The biggest concern is the paltry 4 gigabytes of RAM – I recommend upgrading to 8 gig if you can. It is a more sustainable investment in the future. It’s not like websites are going up with less RAM tomorrow.
As for ports, there are two USB-C connections, a Micro SD card slot, and a headphone jack.
Beefier battery
Now, the million dollar question: How is battery life? The original Galaxy Chromebook managed just 6.5 hours in our standard battery drain test (playing 1080p curved video at 75 percent brightness). I’m happy to report that version 2 almost doubles that output, managing 12 hours, 24 minutes.