Google launches affordable Chromebooks in India, priced at Rs 12999

Google India has launched Xolo Chromebook and Nexian Air Chromebook notebooks in India priced at Rs 12,999. The Chromebook notebooks will be available on ecommerce retailer Snapdeal and Amazon India.

The Google Nexian Air Chromebook has an 11.6-inch TFT display with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution and a splash proof design. It is powered by a 1.8 GHz Cortex A17 Rockchip quad core processor with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. The notebook has an expandable 16 GB of internal storage of which 9.6 GB will be available to user. Other specifications included are 2 USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, Bluetooth 4.0 and an inbuilt a 1MP web camera with microphone for easy chatting. The Chromebook will be powered by a 4200mAh battery that delivers 8 hours of battery backup according to the company. The Google Xolo Chromebook also has similar specifications including an 11.6-inch TFT display with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, 1.8 GHz Cortex A17 Rockchip quad core processor, 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and expandable 16 GB internal storage. Connectivity options included are 2 USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 1MP web camera. The laptop has a 4200mAh battery and offers a backup of 10 hours. Both the notebooks run on Google Chrome OS.

In addition to the new devices, Google also announced the availability of Chromebooks for Indian schools and educational institutions that are equipped with Google Apps for Education and the Chromebook Management Console. Google India stated about the new Chromebooks, "Super­fast to boot up with built in security and virus protection, Chromebooks help teachers and students get straight down to learning. They also come with Google Apps for Education which makes it easy to create, learn and collaborate." “With the Chromebook Management Console, administrators can set up and manage up to thousands of Chromebooks from a computer or phone. Plus, regular updates from Google mean that Chromebooks actually get better over time, reducing school's maintenance and software costs," said Google in a press note.

Google also announced the availability of Chromebooks for Businesses and Chromebox for meetings, starting from Rs 90,000. Apart from this Google has also stated that the latest Chromebook from Asus including the Chromebook Flip and C201, and Samsung will be available from local retailers in the country over the next few months.