IFA 2019: Four new or updated Acer Chromebooks debut, starting at $250

Based on some FCC filings I found earlier this week but didn’t report, I knew Acer would have at least one new Chromebook announcement at the IFA 2019 show. I didn’t know there would be four, but there are.

These range in size from 11.6- to 14- to 15.6-inches with availability in December for the U.S. and a starting price of $249.99. EMEA regions will see these Chromebooks go on sale next month.

First up is the updated Acer Chromebook 311 clamshell with 11.6-inch HD display, available with either touch or non-touch options.

Other specs provided by Acer:

• Intel Celeron Processor
• Google Assistant
• Gigabit Wi-Fi
• Dual-band MU-MIMO
• 10-hour Battery

Next is the similarly sized Acer Chromebook Spin 311, which adds a 2-in-1 mode, shares many of the same specs but includes a Wacom EMR pen.

The new Acer Chromebook Flip 311 will start at $329.99 in the U.S.

Moving up in size and price is the Acer Chromebook 314 which starts at $279.99.

It has a 14-inch HD display, has touch and non-touch options and can be configured with a 1080p screen. Other specs include:

• Intel Celeron Processor
• Google Assistant
• Narrow 7.3mm Bezel & Optional Touchscreen
• 12.5-hour Battery
• Gigabit Wi-Fi

And finally, there’s the behemoth: The Acer Chromebook 315 with a full numeric keypad.

Like the 14-inch model, this updated 15.6-inch Chromebook can be configured with a 1080p display, with or without touch. Pricing starts at the same $279.99 for the base model. Official specs are:

• Intel Pentium and Celeron Processor
• Google Assistant
• 12.5-hour Battery
• Built-in Numeric Keypad
• Gigabit Wi-Fi

Note that the smallest three devices can be had with a dual-core Intel Celeron N4000 or quad-core Intel Celeron N4100 processor. You can configure up to 8 GB of memory and 64 GB storage on the 311 and 314, while the Spin 311 tops out at half those capacities.

The Acer Chromebook 315 can be had with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of eMMC storage. And you can bump the processor up to an Intel Pentium Silver N5000.

All models have a front-facing HD webcam, Bluetooth 5.0, a pair of USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A and a microSD card slot. Optionally, you can add a rear camera to the Spin 311.

Since these are in the 300-model series, you can tell by the specs and pricing that these are considered entry-level devices. And we don’t yet know the pricing of anything beyond the base configurations shown above. But there’s definitely a market for the low-cost Chromebook, whether its for school, basic browsing, and general use.

About the author

Kevin C. Tofel has covered technology since 2004. He's used ChromeOS since Google debuted the CR-48 in 2010, reviewing dozens of Chromebooks since then. He worked for Google's Chrome Enterprise team from 2016 to 2017, supporting the launch of Android app support. In his free time, he uses Chromebooks to learn software engineering at Launch School. In 2019, Kevin joined the CS Curriculum Committee at his local community college.