Acer launches $349 Spin 11 hybrid Chromebook with Google Play support

After a shaky start, Google’s pairing of Chrome OS and Android apps has progressed enough to make Google Play support something of a deal breaker for many Chromebook buyers. Thankfully, there are plenty to choose from, including Acer’s newly announced Chromebook, the Spin 11.

Much like the Google Pixelbook, the Spin 11 is a laptop-tablet hybrid with a 360-degree hinge and a touchscreen display (11.6-inches). The big difference comes in the price department. While Google is asking a minimum of $1,000 for its flagship, pricing for Acer’s new convertible starts from just $349.

Of course, with a cheaper asking price comes more modest specs.

The Spin 11 comes with options for quad-core Intel Pentium (N4200), quad-core Celeron (N3450), or dual-core Celeron (N3350) processors, backed by between 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB of storage. The IPS display itself, meanwhile, has a resolution of just 1366 x 768.

Feature-wise, all configurations include two USB Type-C ports and two USB 3.0 ports, as well as a microSD card reader. There are also options for an additional webcam and a bundled Wacom stylus. The Spin 11 launches in the US in March, with an EMEA launch to follow in April.

Acer has also unveiled two new Google Play-compatible Chrome OS products for the education market – the Acer Chromebook 11 C732 and the Acer Chromebox CX13.

The C732 is a traditional Chrome OS laptop and is available with or without a touchscreen. Models with a 11.6-inch touchscreen start at $299.99, while those without drop down to just $279.99.

Spec-wise the latest 11-series Chromebook is similar to the Spin 11, although it has been designed with an IP41 durability rating so it can take a few bumps and bruises from younger users.

The Chromebook 11 C732 is coming to the US in March. There are also plans for a 4G LTE model, but these won’t be made available in the US market, Acer says.

Acer’s new standalone Chromebox, meanwhile, is a much more powerful beast, with the option for an eighth-generation Apollo Lake Intel Core processor. Pricing and availability for the CX13 has yet to be announced.