Acer Chromebook 15 boasts aluminum design and 12 hours of battery life

Acer has just unveiled a selection of new hardware at IFA 2017, including a big refresh to its biggest Chromebook 15. The all-new fanless Chromebook from Acer offers a large 15.6-inch IPS display, a durable aluminum design, and apparently 12 hours of battery life to get you through even the busiest day. These improvements do some with a considerable uptick to the pricetag though, it’ll be available in October starting at $399, up from the last generation’s $299 asking price.

While Chromebooks are still at a nascent stage, their versatility and affordable price tags make them an attractive option for families and students. Similar to iPads and Windows S-powered devices, they rely entirely on apps, which was one of the biggest drawbacks in the past, but with Google’s recent decision to bring over Android apps to Chromebooks, things are slowly changing. We’ve already seen solid Chrome OS-powered laptops earlier this year, and what better place than IFA to unveil even more?

The new Acer Chromebook 15 brings a massive 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display to the world of Chromebooks. The screen is available in touch-screen and non-touch configurations, and just above it sits an HD webcam with a wide 88-degree field of view. The laptop itself is mostly constructed of aluminum – the top cover and the palm rest, to be more specific – giving it a modern look and durable feel. The upward-facing speakers next to the backlit keyboard should deliver even and unmuffled audio quality no matter where you place the laptop.

According to the company, the Acer Chromebook 15 is powered by your choice of a dual-core Intel Celeron or quad-core Intel Pentium processor, and it will be available in either 32 GB or 64 GB of eMMC storage and 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM. On the sides are two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port as well as an SD card slot. Perhaps because of its battery – which Acer claims should get you 12 hours of battery life – the laptop is on the heavier side, weighing 1.72 kg or 3.79 pounds. However, thanks to the fanless design, it’s a little under 2 cm in terms of its height.

Acer says that the Chromebook 15 will be available in Europe and North American in October starting €499 and US$399. In the US, in particular, it’ll be sold through Acer’s online store and Best Buy.

Thoughts on the newly announced Acer Chromebook 15? Would you pay $399 for a 15-inch laptop that relies on Android apps? Let us know by leaving a comment below!