Review about Asus Chromebook Flip
The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is like a cheaper version of it that user can actually buy. The 12.5-inch Asus laptop is a capable Chromebook with an all-aluminum 2-in-1 design and touchscreen. It looks and feels like a sleeker, more expensive product and, to be fair, for a Chromebook it kind of is. The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is a really good-looking laptop. Its metal body construction looks effortlessly cool and it also feels solid, despite being perfectly petite in size and weight.
Starting at $500 (converts to about £400, AU$655) the Asus laptop is no bargain-basement Chromebook; it’s a high-end model with a posh design and decent components. While it might be pricey for a Chromebook, it’s the perfect alternative to low-end Windows 10 laptops for those who only need a machine for simple online-based tasks. Its metal body construction, backlit keyboard, beautiful screen, and long battery life make it a very attractive alternative to yet another plastic laptop. Although ostensibly an update of the Chromebook Flip$279.00 at Amazon, one of Asus’s earlier convertible laptops, this iteration is all new, and an excellent evolution of the chromebook in general.
High-Quality Design
This Chromebook excels at almost everything. Design is a high point, here. Apart from a few other examples like the Pixel, HP 13 G1 and Acer 14, this device stands out as a quality slab of aluminum. Soft-touch aluminum, rounded corners, and straight, boxy sides all come together to make a slim, attractive design. The Flip charges and connects to peripherals via either of its two USB Type-C ports, which sit on the left and right sides. Asus placed the notebook’s headphone jack, volume and power buttons on the machine’s left side and a microSD reader on the right.
The Chromebook Flip C302CA’s screen quality is above average, especially when compared with similarly priced Windows 10 laptops. It has a bright and clear full HD display that looks great when watching video or reading articles.
- 5-inch screen
- 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution
Its viewing angles are also extra wide, so no matter what angle you’re at, you can still see what’s on the screen. This comes in handy with the 360-degree hinge; no matter what configuration the laptop is in, the screen is clearly visible.
Aside from being lighter, the C302 seems to have been specifically designed for tablet use. Asus has come up with a clever magnetic clasp that pulls the screen lid tight against the underside of the notebook. It’s an ingenious addition that helps the 2-in-1 Chromebook feel like one solid device rather than a foldable electronic, and we’re surprised this solution hasn’t come sooner.
Keyboard, Touch Screen, Touchpad and Audio
The Flip’s island-style, full-size, backlit keyboard offers an excellent typing experience. The laptop’s keys function so well because they provide 1.6 millimeters of travel, within the range of what we prefer (1.5-2mm). We do wish the keys required more than 49 grams of force to actuate, because amounts closer to 60 grams make for a better click. The Flip’s 4.1 x 2.3-inch, buttonless touchpad enables precise navigation and provides a solid feel to each click. It also supports smooth two-finger page scrolling and three-finger tab navigation.
The Chromebook Flip’s speakers blast enough volume to fill a medium-size conference room with a sweet version of Migos’ “T-Shirt.” The track’s bass sounded sturdy, its vocals came through clearly and drum cymbals hit crisply.
Battery Life
The Chromebook Flip lasted 8 hours and 52 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test. That showing beats the ultraportable average (8:03) and puts the Flip close to the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook (9:08). However, the Flip’s time falls short of those set by the Acer Chromebook R 13 (11:00) and the Dell Chromebook 13 (13:25).
Performance
With a Pentium, Core m3 and Core m7 slated to arrive, there are differing versions that will be available. Right now, the one that is available is the Core m3 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This all comes in at $499. For whatever reason, the Pentium version is only being sold at Best Buy for the same $499 with only 32GB of storage.
The Flip performed OK on the WebGL Aquarium graphics test, rendering 2,000 fish at a rate of 50 fps. That beats the Acer Chromebook R 13 (20-40 fps) and the Dell Chromebook 13 (48 mps), but the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook (60 fps) ran the animation more smoothly.
The Flip C302 runs Chrome OS, Google’s lightweight alternative to Windows, which currently relies on the Chrome Web Store for apps. The notebook will gain Android app emulation later this year, and the 2-in-1 will be able to make the most of those apps, with its touch screen and bend-back design.
It can give user the entire Internet, including desktop sites and plug-ins that don’t work or display too small on their Android or iOS phone or tablet.
