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ASUS is all set to bring a true competitor in the Chrome OS tablet market, reports indicate, with the Chromebook Flip CM3000.
Now, as its branding suggests, this won’t be just a tablet either. Instead, it will be in the same category as detachable devices like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. The design features a tablet-like built with a folio-style kickstand and keyboard case. And, in fact, ASUS appears to have designed this gadget to compete directly, in terms of both specs and features, with that other popular top-ranked device.
For clarity, ASUS has not officially launched this particular Chromebook device. But the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3000 has appeared in several online listings, with one — German retailer Saturn — showing photos of the tablet-like Chromebook.
What is ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3000 and how will it compete among tablets?
The listings not only include a price expectation, at least for now, but all of the specs users might need to make a purchasing decision. The ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3000 will be a 10.5-inch tablet with a 1920×1200 resolution, 16:10 touch screen. That display, according to the listing, will have a respectable maximum brightness of 320 nits and cover 118-percent in the sRGB color gamut.
Above the display, ASUS has embedded a better-than-average 2-megapixel 1080p forward-facing webcam. ASUS embedded that in somewhat thicker-than-average bezels, giving the device an overall measurement of 255 x 167 x 7mm size. That’s approximately 10.03 x 6.57-inches by 0.31-inches thin. With weight coming in at 1.16lbs, making this tablet a featherweight compared to some of its rivals. Around the back, ASUS includes an 8-megapixel world-facing-snapper.
In terms of features, not only does this tablet support USI stylus standards, rivaling traditional active styli. It comes with a USI stylus that’s housed in the frame of the device. And the detachable keyboard is part of the bundle too. And that keyboard has a stand that can work horizontally or vertically.
For ports, those weren’t listed. But, presumably, there will be at least one USB-C port for charging. And, given that this is a Chromebook, that will also likely work for display output and data transfers. A 3.5mm audio combo jack is listed in the specs sheet. On the charging front, that port will power a 27Wh battery.
Other connectivity includes both support for Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 5.
In terms of power, ASUS opted for a respectable workhorse from MediaTek. Specifically, an octa-core MediaTek 8183. And the company backed that up with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.
So when was this listed to launch and for how much?
As indicated above, ASUS hasn’t officially announced this Chromebook Flip CM3000 tablet just yet. But the retail listing noted above also shows the ship date and it won’t be coming soon, if that’s accurate. The listing shows the device to arrive on July 21 or July 22.
The pricing here is also a bit off. Especially since the abovementioned Chrome OS gadget from Lenovo only cost $299. So it should probably be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism. The site lists the device at €449 — roughly $540.
