2022 Acer Chromebook 314 with Gemini Lake, 8 GB of RAM is $389.99
Back in April, I uncovered a pair of upcoming 2022 Acer Chromebook 314 models. Now there’s some additional information on these clamshells that are powered by Gemini Lake processors. We knew there would be a $429.99 model and at least one that was less expensive. It turns out there is one of those and one that’s more expensive too.
2022 Acer Chromebook 314 models and pricing
Here’s what I see on the Acer website today when searching for the 2022 Acer Chromebook 314:
What’s interesting here is that neither of these configurations matches up with the $429.99 model found in April. And the Gemini Lake processors are different from what Acer said they would be in the 2022 Acer Chromebook 314. I’ll take a stab and blame the chip shortage for the changes.
Newer chips than expected
Those changes aren’t bad though. In September, Acer expected this new model to be “…with the latest dual-core Intel Celeron N4000 or quad-core Intel Celeron N4100 processors.” As you can see above, these 2022 models have newer, better Gemini Lake chips. That should equate to a small performance boost and some energy efficiency over older iterations.
I like that all of the 2022 Acer Chromebook 314 configurations come with 8 GB of memory standard. I do wish there were options for more storage capacity though. 64 GB of eMMC flash memory is all you get. That can be supplemented with a microSD card, however. And all models use a 14-inch IPS touch display with 8.1-millimeter side bezels.
Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 6 are your connectivity choices which are more than adequate. The 720p webcam is probably barely adequate although these are entry-level devices. I wouldn’t expect a 1080p webcam for around $400. And you do get a pair of USB Type-C ports and a pair of USB Type-A as well. The battery is expected to provide 10 hours of runtime.
No backlit keyboard mentioned for the 2022 Acer Chromebook 314
When I first saw these Chromebooks, I wasn’t sure if the keyboard was backlit. I see no mention of backlighting on the current product page. I would assume that feature isn’t available on this laptop. And the final missing feature is availability. Acer has a “Buy Now” button for each of these models, however, the site says there are no sellers yet.
I feel like complaints about the amount of Chromebook internal storage should be accompanied by a justification for that complaint. After all, Google would argue that storage is unlimited if you’re using gDrive and that internal storage should just be for temporary stuff. You especially don’t want to get into the habit of using internal storage if you’re occasionally going to switch ChromeOS channels. The only really good justification that I can think of is based on using other supported OS apps, such as those from Android, Linux, and maybe even Windows. Even then, it’s probably safer to configure those apps to write files to the SDcard. Even if you use a Chromebook offline a lot, those files should sync to the Cloud, and the offline copy should go away.
That’s a fair criticism. And at least these devices don’t come with a paltry 32 GB; the OS can take up a bunch of that, even without Linux or Android enabled. Also, keep in mind that every Chrome OS device has two full installations of the operating system: One is the current version and one is the prior version; this is part of the seamless upgrade process. My other concern is that Chromebooks are advertised as storing all of your data in the cloud. That’s not true, as you know based on your comment. IF you save everything to Google Drive, then yes, all of your data is in the cloud. So I mention the storage mainly because I doubt most people truly understand the subtle but important difference between local and cloud data on a Chromebook. Personally, I can get by with 64 GB because I don’t save local files. Everything is saved in multiple clouds, based on the data type: code in Git, Docs in Drive, Photos with iCloud (which are accessible from any browser), etc… but again, point well taken.
Base storage chart.
iPad and iPad Air: 64 GB
Samsung Tab Ax (and Sx FE): 64 GB
iPad Pro and and Samsung Sx: 128 GB
Only the “pro” users need 128 GB. And pro users aren’t going to opt for Celeron and Pentium CPUs.
Acer is upping these to 8 GB because we now know that large Zoom calls need it. But folks whose local productivity (not work/play) storage needs are limited to Office documents and PDFs don’t even use 64 GB. Also, no way they stay below $400 with the 128 GB SSD.
It’s possible… I just picked up a 14″ touchscreen HP w/ 11th gen i5, 8GB/256 ssd, backlit keys for $399.97. Drawbacks are 250 nit display with a Jay Leno-sized chin and it’s not 2-in-1.
Oh Kevin, they’re not Gemini Lake CPUs (N5100 & N6000), they’re newer ones – Jasper Lake.
“Back in April, I uncovered a pair of upcoming 2022 Acer Chromebook 314 models.”
You are referring 2-year old article!