Asus Chromebook Flip C436F
Others perform better, but this is a fast Chromebook that’s slim, versatile and has a fantastic screen
PRICE £666 (£799 inc VAT) from currys.co.uk
Asus led the way for slimline convertible Chromebooks with its original Chromebook Flip line and it’s still pushing forwards with the latest C436FA model. It’s a lovely laptop, repeating Asus’s trick of squeezing a 14in screen into a 13.3in chassis, with minimal bezels enabling an 85% screen-to-body ratio. What’s more, the new design reduces the weight and heft of the C436 even further over the old Flip C434, from 15.7mm down to 13.7mm and 1.45kg down to 1.1kg. And, thanks to a solid magnesium-alloy chassis, it doesn’t feel any weaker or more vulnerable for it.
This comes at th the expense p of ports – we’re do down to just one USB-C 3.1 port on each side, along with w an audio jack and microSD card slot – but if you want a thinner, lighter Chromebook then that’s arguably a price worth paying.
As a convertible, the Flip C436FA excels. excel You can use it in the sta standard clamshell mode or twist the screen around and use it as a tablet, where the slim design and overall balance means it feels more natural than many big-screen 2-in-1 designs. It’s also great when used in a tent configuration for a quick Netflix catch-up or Stadia game, particularly as you can tweak the volume using a rocker on what becomes the right-hand side.
It helps that the ergonomics are solid. The Asus doesn’t have the best keyboard on test – both the Pixelbook Go and Dell Latitude Chromebook have a crisper feel – but it does have a very spacious layout where your fingers seem to fall in the right place as you type. We also like the way the hinge angles the keyboard slightly upwards to give you a more comfortable working angle. Weirdly, what’s usually the Power/Lock key has been switched for a fingerprint reader, but this works quickly and consistently for logging you in.
The touchpad, meanwhile, is both massive i – nearly l 13cm across ross – and thoroughly responsive p to every movement, swipe e and tap. If you need even more control, or want to sketch and d annotate, Asus also o sells an optional al USI stylus, or you could use it with your our own. Better etter still, the Flip C436FA’s screen is one of the most likable on test. It’s not ot incredibly bright – the maximum reported was 301cd/m2 – but the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution is a good fit for the 14in size and colour reproduction is excellent, with sRGB coverage co of 97% and an av average Delta E of 1.93. We’re alm almost as fond of the sound, which is crystal clear with a wider-than-usual wider-than soundstage – but, as with most slim laptops, there isn’t a lot of bass. As we mentioned earlier, opting for th the Flip C436FA means accep accepting some compromises on physical phys connectivity, but wire wireless connectivity’s another matter. Not only do you get 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 support but Bluetooth 5, so you’re well equipped for hooking up to home or office networks or connecting to a wireless mouse or headset. One reason to do so might be to make video calls, in which case you’ll be glad of the sharp and well-exposed picture from the HD webcam.
Performance-wise, the Flip C436FA sits just below the fastest Chromebooks on test: the HP Pro C640 and Dell Latitude 7410. Still, as both have 16GB of RAM and faster processors, particularly the HP’s Core i7, this is no disgrace, and it’s likely that you’d only notice the difference when running more demanding Linux applications. For general browsing, productivity and web applications, all three feel extremely fast. The one area where the Flip C436FA couldn’t quite match its rivals was battery life. It lasted d just above ten hours of video playback ack before it ran out of charge, where e the Dell hit 11hrs 35mins and the HP sailed past 14 hours.
Both, of course, are also significantly nificantly more expensive, and if you’re ou’re in the market for a business-ready Chromebook, the e Asus offers better value. The he Acer Spin 713 is arguably a stronger rival, not as fast but with a brighter screen and a lower price, but the Asus beats it on size, weight, performance and the overall design.
“Not only do you get 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 support but Bluetooth 5, so you’re well equipped for hooking up to home or office networks”