HP Unveils Chromebase All-In-One Desktop: 5 Things To Know

The Chrome OS desktop features a 21.5-inch display that can rotate from a horizontal to vertical orientation.

A New Take On Chrome

Devices that run Google’s Chrome OS continue to be in high demand, with research firm IDC reporting that Chromebook sales more than quadrupled during the first quarter of 2021 and then grew 69 percent during the second quarter, year over year. And while much of the Chromebook demand has come from K-12 education, HP Inc. is looking to expand the reach of Chrome with the launch of an all-in-one desktop that runs Chrome OS, the HP Chromebase AIO. It’s the first all-in-one from HP to run Chrome OS, and one of the first Chromebase devices on the market overall (following the debut of Chromebase AIOs by Acer). HP’s Chromebase All-in-One also stands out by offering a display that can rotate from horizontal to vertical orientation. Meanwhile, the company is also unveiling its next 2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet, the HP Chromebook x2 11.

While geared toward users in the home, HP is touting the hybrid work potential of the devices. The two new devices are launching “as users search for devices that help them seek a more personal, or family friendly experience, in today’s hybrid world,” said Josephine Tan, global head and general manager for consumer PCs at HP, in a statement. Like other Chrome devices to date, the new HP Chrome OS devices also start at a modest price point.

What follows are five things to know about HP’s Chromebase All-in-One Desktop and Chromebook x2 11.

Chromebase: Display and Design

HP says that its new all-in-one is the first Chromebase to hit the market featuring a rotating display. The 21.5-inch FHD display can rotate 90 degrees from a horizontal “landscape” orientation to vertical “portrait mode” orientation. The display is a touch screen and can also be tilted upwards by 20 degrees, HP said.

The advantages of the vertical portrait mode include providing “better viewing to read, to scroll through lengthy webpages and social posts, or to be more productive when taking notes, or creating and editing documents,” HP said in its news release. The HP Chromebase All-in-One also offers a split-screen viewing option.

In terms of design, the Chromebase AIO features a conical base that is compact in size and wrapped in durable fabric, HP said. Additionally, the display includes a slim bezel on three sides of the screen for improved aesthetics and a reduced overall size.

Chromebase: Performance, Storage and Ports

While not featuring the fastest processors available, HP’s Chromebase AIO will be available with a chip from Intel’s previous generation of Core i chips, with a 10th-gen Core i3 processor (i3-10110U, dual core). An entry-level configuration will be offered with a lower-end Intel Pentium Gold 6405U processor, as well.

Users can also choose between RAM configurations depending on their performance needs—with either 4 GB of RAM or 16 GB of DDR4 RAM available. On storage, the Chromebase AIO will be configurable with 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB of hard drive space.

In terms of ports, the HP Chromebase All-in-One offers four ports in total—with two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports included. HP notes that the ports all offer “SuperSpeed” capabilities with a 10Gbps signaling rate for the USB-A ports and a 5Gbps signaling rate for the USB-C ports.

Chromebase: Collaboration and Assistant

As part of enabling the hybrid workforce—or even just enabling a higher-fidelity video chat with family—HP is including several collaboration-friendly components in its new Chromebase All-in-One.

The features include a 5-megapixel webcam (an improvement over the 1.2-megapixel webcams that are still common on many devices). The webcam also includes a larger sensor to enable “dynamic adjustment from low lighting for higher quality images in any room,” HP said in its news release. The AIO will also include a physical switch for turning off the webcam and microphone. As for the speaker system, HP’s Chromebase will include a pair of 5W speakers that are “custom-tuned” with the help of audio specialist Bang & Olufsen.

Another notable feature on the Chromebase AIO is built-in support for the Google Assistant, enabling voice control of the desktop.

Additionally, included with the HP Chromebase All-in-One are a wireless Bluetooth-connected keyboard and mouse.

Chromebook x2 11: Details

The HP Chromebook x2 11 features an 11-inch display with resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 and brightness of up to 400 nits. The device comes with a magnetically detachable keyboard and includes a kickstand with a 170-degree range of positioning.

On performance, HP is touting the 2-in-1 tablet as the first Chrome device to run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c processor, which is targeted for enabling power savings on devices that use cloud-based operating systems. The result is up to 11 hours of available battery life on a charge for HP’s Chromebook x2 11. The tablet is also the first Chrome detachable to offer optional LTE connectivity, HP said.

Along with the keyboard, the HP Chromebook x2 11 is bundled with a stylus, the HP Wireless Rechargeable USI Certified Pen.

For collaboration, the tablet offers a 5-megapixel front camera and dual speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen.

And for portability purposes, the HP Chromebook x2 11 weighs 2.57 pounds.

Price and Availability

Both the HP Chromebase All-in-One and HP Chromebook x2 11 will have an identical starting price of $599.99. Configurations with faster CPU, more RAM and more storage will come in at a higher price point.

The Chromebase AIO will be available from HP and select retailers in August, HP said. The Chromebook x2 11 will only be available from Best Buy in August, and will be available from HP starting in October, the company said.