The vast majority of Chromebooks that have shipped in the past few years have had 32GB of storage or less… because you don’t need a lot of storage space for apps when using a browser-based operating system designed to run web apps. By shipping models with 16GB or 32G GB of storage, device makers have been able to offer reasonably fast storage and reasonably cheap laptops.
But now that Google is bringing support for Android apps and games to Chrome OS, you might want more storage space… and the only options right now are high-priced models like the Google Chromebook Pixel.
Now it looks like there may be a cheaper option: the Asus C301SA Chromebook with 64GB of storage is coming soon for $300.
Sure, that’s a lot less storage space than you get with most Windows or macOS laptops, but it’s a lot more than you get from most Chromebooks… or even from most Android phones and tablets that sell for under $300.
And if you need more room for music, movies, or other files you can use an SD card.
The storage capacity is only one of the things that makes the Asus C301SA Chromebook unusual. It also has 4GB of RAM, a 13.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and USB 3.0 as well as HDMI output. The laptop features an Intel Celeron N3160 quad-core Braswell processor.
We first saw a listing for the Asus C301 Chromebook in May, but at the time it was described as having 16GB of stroage and a $280 price tag. Since then, it’s since been removed from the Asus website.
This weekend Brent Sullivan noticed that B&H was taking pre-orders for a new $300 model with 64GB of storage. And at least one other retailer is showing a similar model.
Note that the Asus C301SA Chromebook may have plenty of space for Android apps and games… but it does not have a touchscreen. So some Android apps may not run properly on this particular notebook.
For now the only Chromebook that officially supports Android apps is the Asus Chromebook Flip, which is a 10 inch model with an ARM-based processor, a touchscreen display, and a 360 degree hinge that allows you to fold the screen back all the way and hold the laptop like a 2 pound tablet.
It’s likely that upcoming Chromebooks will have a range of sizes, shapes, and features designed to take advantage of Android app support.