Today at the global Next@Acer event in New York City, the Acer Chromebook 714 and 715 were introduced. These are targeted for “front-line” workers in business based on durability, security and – in the case of the Acer Chromebook 715 – a dedicated numeric keypad alongside a standard keyboard.
Both models are expected to be available in July with a base model price of $499.
Acer didn’t disclose all of the base model specs but you can get idea of most hardware options shared between the two Chromebooks:
- Up to 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processors and 16 gigabytes of memory
- 14-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display on the Chromebook 714
- 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display on the Chromebook 715
- Two USB Type-C 3.1 ports
- 802.11ac/a/b/g/n 2×2 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
- Wide-angle webcam
- An integrated fingerprint reader to the right of the keyboard
- Gorilla Glass touchpad
- All aluminum chassis designed to withstand up to 4-foot drops and 132 pounds of downward force
- An optional touchscreen and backlit keyboard
- 12 hours of battery life
Given that you have to sign up for updates on these Chromebooks through Google’s Chrome Enterprise page, I don’t anticipate consumer availability; at least not in retail stores. If either of these clamshells is of interest to you for consumer use, you might find them available from Promevo, or another business-centric reseller.
Here’s a closer look at the Acer Chromebook 15 and that extra number pad, which would be handy not just for work spreadsheets, but also math programming applications:
