What you need to know

• Samsung has announced the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360. 
• This is the successor to the Galaxy Chromebook 2 sporting a 2-in-1 form factor.
• The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is available for purchase now, starting at $430.

While many of us are waiting for the inevitable influx of gaming-centric Chromebooks, Samsung has taken a different approach. The company has just announced the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, bringing a reversible 2-in-1 form factor. There's a good reason why this Chromebook won't be considered among the most powerful Chromebooks, and that's because Samsung's main focus here is for students.

On the surface, there aren't that many differences between the Galaxy Chromebook 2 and this new version. Powering the 2022 model is Intel's Celeron 4500 chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage. You'll also find a 730p front-facing camera which should be more than serviceable if you need to join the classroom virtually.

As for the display, we've already talked about how you can flip it around thanks to the 360-degree hinge. But the screen itself measures in at 12.4-inches and can reach up to 340 nits of brightness. So you won't really be able to use this while you're outside, but it should be fine for the classroom or on the bus. The smaller display compared to other Chromebooks helps keep the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 lightweight, as it weighs in at 2.82 pounds and measures just 16.9mm thin.

Looking at the port selection, there were some sacrifices to be made compared to the competition, but it's not all bad news. There are two USB-C ports on either side, with a single USB-A 3.2 port, microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Samsung has also provided plenty of power here with its 45.5Wh battery paired with a 45W USB-C charging adapter.

In addition to the flexibility offered by the 360-degree display is the new keyboard. Samsung has redesigned the keyboard itself, not only making it spill-resistant but also implementing larger keycaps and a larger touchpad. This should make for a much-more enjoyable typing experience, which is extremely important if you're using this to get some work done or writing some papers.

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 looks to take on the best student Chromebooks for the year. If you're interested in picking one up for yourself, pricing starts at $429.99 for the 4GB/64GB model and it's available starting today.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360

Mainly for classrooms

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 doesn't offer much of an upgrade in terms of power. But Samsung makes up for it by introducing its 360-degree hinge for the touchscreen display and a redesigned keyboard.