HP Chromebook 11 G5 Gains Touch Screen Display Option To Showcase Android Apps

While ASUS was the first Chromebook to officially support Android apps with the Flip, Hewlett-Packard is tossing its hat into the ring today with the announcement of the Chromebook 11 G5. The Chromebook 11 G5 is HP’s first 11.6-inch-class Chromebook that is available with an IPS HD touch screen display.

If you’re familiar with low-end Chromebook devices, then you won’t be surprised to see a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060 processor under the hood. The chip sips enough power to allow the non-touch screen version of the Chromebook 11 G5 to last 12.5 hours per charge. Opting for the touch screen will trim that figure to 11 hours, which is still respectable for a device this size.

HP is especially excited about the arrival of Android on Chrome OS and the two million apps that will instantly become available for customers. The low-cost and ease of use of the Chrome OS platform coupled with the versatility of Android apps should help to further establish Chrome OS as a rising star in the computing sector. Chromebooks surpassed Mac shipments during the first quarter (with nearly 2 million units sold compared to 1.76 million Macs) and that gap is expected to widen in the coming months.

“The demand for Chromebook in education continues to grow as schools take full advantage of the benefits of Chrome – manageability, simplicity, and security,” said Anna Wu, HP Chromebook product manager. “The functionality of Android apps – many of which are touch-centric—are adding more versatile learning experiences to the classroom with a host of new education-focused apps.” 

The Chromebook 11 G5 will ship this July with a starting price of $189.