Asus has announced the Chromebook Flip C434, an update to the excellent Flip C302, which we called the best Chromebook to buy back in 2017. Like its predecessor, the C434’s main attraction is its 360-degree hinge, which allows its display to be flipped over and used like a tablet. Internally, its specs have been upgraded to support Intel’s 8th Gen CPUs. Asus has also added a single USB-A port to connect older peripherals.

Aside from Intel’s Y-Series processors (you can choose between an i7-8500Y, i5-8200Y, or M3-8100Y), the specs of the Flip C434 are very similar to its predecessor. You still get a maximum of 8GB of RAM, onboard storage still tops out at 128GB, and there’s a microSD card slot if you want to add more.

Image: Asus

Image: Asus

Image: Asus

Image: Asus

However, on the hardware side, the HD display is now 14 inches rather than 12.5, although the device is very similar in size overall, thanks to the screen’s bezels being slimmed down. Alongside the new USB-A port, you once again get two USB-C ports for connectivity and charging the notebook’s 48Wh battery.

The updated specs are one thing, but what’s likely to make more of a difference is the two years of work Google has done on turning Chrome OS into a viable operating system for tablets. The release of the Pixel Slate last November suggests that Google still has a lot of work to do, but with a new version of Chrome released every six weeks or so, you’re at least promised incremental improvements over time.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is set to release in the coming months, with pricing starting at $569.