Chinese computer maker Chuwi is updating its line of thin, light, and low power laptops with the new Chuwi Lapbook SE.
It’s a 3.2 pound fanless notebook that measures 0.6 inches thick, features a full HD display, a backlit keyboard, quad speakers, and an Intel Celeron N4100 quad-core Gemini Lake processor.
The notebook also has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, and a 128GB SSD.
It will be available for pre-order from Gearbest next week for $270.
That’s the pre-order price if you order between August 13th and August 20th. After that the price goes up to $300.
While it’d be nice to have options for additional memory or a faster processor, that’s a pretty intriguing price point for a laptop with a 1920 x 1080 pixel IPS display, backlit keyboard, and quad speakers… features which are often reserved for higher-priced machines.
If the 128GB SSD isn’t enough for you, it’s also possible to pop it out and add a higher capacity M.2 SSD. The RAM is also upgradeable.
Other features include two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a microSD card reader. There are dual microphones with support for Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant, and a 2MP webcam. And the laptop has a 33.7 Wh battery that Chuwi says should be good for up to 8 hours of run time.
The notebook supports 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a Gemini Laptop from a more established brand, the Asus E406MA is already up for order in Canada. That model has a Pentium Silver N5000 processor and a 56 Whr battery, but it lacks an M.2 SSD and sells for $399 CAD.
Obviously that deal went quite fast 😀
One of the best deals, I’ve seen in many years:
https://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/52028/jvjnb/Acer-Aspire-3-15-6-kannettava-Win-10
$399 Canadian is less than $305 US. That ASUS is a deal. The processor is better, but the storage is worse.
How reliable is CHUWI really and what kind of custom service do they provide?
Chuwi is well-established brand in China for more than a dozen years. I purchased Chuwi LapBook 12.3 ~15 months ago – very impressive IPS screen, machined-metal chassis, MacBook-level build quality… zero problems in nearly daily use. Haven’t had any need myself so can’t speak to their customer service here in US – my guess is you’re largely on your own. So I wouldn’t go Chuwi if I needed/wanted/expected Dell/HP-style hand-holding/support – they just don’t sell $1000+ (or even $500+) devices providing the margin to offer white-glove support down to $200 to $300 units.
Thanks, that’s good to know.