Acer is introducing 2 new Chromebook Plus models at Computex 2024

Ahead of Computex 2024 in Taipei, we’re seeing some interesting Chromebook news. Today, MediaTek announced its latest Chromebook SoC with artificial intelligence in the Kompanio 838, and now we have Acer with several new Chromebook Plus models for both business and consumers. Let’s take a quick look at the new Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 and Chromebook Plus 515 Enterprise.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514

We’ll start with the more interesting of the two models, as the new Spin 514 will be only the second Plus model from Acer to be convertible. While it probably isn’t as high-end as the Spin 714 we saw at Google’s Chromebook event last week, the images and specs of this new device from Acer look pretty sweet.

With a 16:10 1080p screen, upward-facing speakers, a backlit keyboard, and an overall nice aesthetic, I’m very curious to see how this Chromebook will hold in the hand. Acer says it will start at $549.99 at Best Buy when it launches in August in North America (July for EMEA), so I’m hoping the build quality is solid and the screen is decent too. There will be quite a few SKUs of this device (and the enterprise-focused model), so let’s get all those specs out of the way and then discuss what we’ll be launching in the store.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 Key Specifications

• Up to Intel Core 7-150U processor (options for Core 5-120U, Core 3-100U, Core i5-1335U and Core i3-1315U)
• 14-inch touchscreen IPS display with a resolution of 1920 × 1200
• USI pen support
• Up to 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM
• Up to 256 GB NVMe
• QHD or 1080p webcam with temporal noise reduction
• Blue glass lens with private shutter
• 2x USB Type-C
• 1x USB 3.2 Type-A
• HDMI 1.4
• 10 hour battery
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Backlit Keyboard
• Fingerprint scanner
• Touchpad OceanGlass
• 12.59 x 9.05 x 0.82 inches / 319.9 x 229.9 x 20.9 mm
• 3.31 pounds / 1.5 kg
• MIL-STD 810H

What we’ll see in Best Buy stores to begin with will be the s model Intel Core 3-100U, 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS storage for $549.99. I’d imagine there’s a small chance the fingerprint scanner is omitted from this model, and I’d guarantee the webcam option is the 1080p version, not QHD. These things aren’t certain, but based on historical data, it’s likely that we’ll see it in the spec-boosted models that are on sale from Acer down the road.

Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515

When I first saw this listing, I wasn’t sure if they were just re-releasing the existing Chromebook Plus 515, but after seeing the specs and pictures, it’s apparently a new device. And I really like the look. Acer says it will only be available through commercial sales channels, so we may or may not ever see this Chromebook on store shelves; but there is always a chance.

Starting SKUs with a Core 3-100U and 8GB of RAM are decently priced (for Enterprise options), starting at $649.99, so I could see this very attractive, larger device being quite popular with businesses looking to deploy lightweight (3, £7), big-screen Chromebooks on a reasonable budget.

Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 key specs

• Up to Intel Core 7-150U processor (options for Core 5-120U, Core 3-100U, Core i5-1335U and Core i3-1315U)
• 15.6-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 (touch optional)
• Up to 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM
• Up to 256 GB NVMe
• 1080p webcam with temporal noise reduction
• Blue glass lens with private shutter
• 2x USB Type-C
• 1x USB 3.2 Type-A
• HDMI 1.4
• 10 hour battery
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad
• Fingerprint scanner optional
• Touchpad OceanGlass
• 14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches / 360.6 x 238.4 x 19.95 mm
• 3.7 pounds / 1.68 kg
• MIL-STD 810H

With the existing Chromebook Plus 515 and GE’s new Chromebook Plus 516 already in stores, I don’t know that this device has a place in the consumer space, but it’s still interesting. I like the look and the color update is quite attractive. Expect it to launch in June in both North America and EMEA.