Acer debuts two new high-end Chromebooks to compete with the Pixelbook

Today at an event in New York City, Acer debuted two new Chromebook lines: the Acer Chromebook 13, and the Acer Chromebook 15. The Chromebook 13 models seem to be poised to compete with the Google Pixelbook directly.

The Google Pixelbook, launched in Fall of 2017, is a high-end Chromebook with a 3:2 display ratio, impressive specs, and a whopping $1,000 price tag. The new Acer Chromebook 13 and Chromebook Spin 13 also feature impressive specs and a 3:2 display ratio.

However, we’re not sure of the price tag yet. We can only hope that Acer significantly undercuts Google’s pricing for the Pixelbook.

The “Spin” moniker in these new Chromebooks refers to the laptops’ convertible nature; using the 360-degree swivel hinge, you can flip the touchscreen all the way back to create a tablet-like experience. This is helpful because all of Acer’s new Chromebooks support both Chrome apps and Android apps from the Google Play Store.

The Acer Chromebook 13 – without the Spin – features a traditional clamshell hinge. It was not immediately clear if it also features a touchscreen, but we assume it does.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 13 also comes with a stylus that conveniently docks inside the base of the laptop. This is notable because the Pixelbook has a stylus as well – that you have to buy separately at the cost of $99 and that does not dock inside the Pixelbook. Acer is really trying to one-up the PIxelbook in every way.

Both Chromebook 13 models come with a Corning Gorilla Glass trackpad, a 13.5-inch display with a resolution of 2,256 x 1,504, two USB Type-C ports, a legacy USB 3.0 port, and a microSD card slot. They feature an all-aluminum chassis for a sleek look and a light weight.

You can customize the specs of the Chromebooks, too. The Chromebook Spin 13 comes with either an eighth-generation Core i5 or Core i3, up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. The Chromebook 13 has the same options for RAM, but only comes with the CPU options of a Core i3, a Pentium 4415U, or Intel Celeron 3865U, and comes with either 32GB or 64GB of storage.

And if you like your laptops a bit bigger but with lower-quality specs, Acer is also releasing the Chromebook 15 and Chromebook Spin 15, which are just like the Chromebook 13 models except they feature a 15.6-inch, traditional 16:9 display in 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Acer dumps the Intel Core chips for Pentium and Celeron choices, drops the maximum amount of RAM to only 8GB, and limits the storage options to either 32GB or 64GB.

All in all, these new Chromebooks seem like they are quality additions to the world of Chrome OS laptops. We just want to know what they’re going to cost and when we can get our hands on them.

NEXT: Do you like Chrome OS, but hate laptops? Acer’s newest Chromebox might be for you