Samsung discontinues Series 5 550 Chromebook, no new Series 3 until 2014
Samsung confirmed that the Series 5 550 Chromebook has been discontinued, with its replacement being the $249 Samsung Series 3 Chromebook on ARM. Additionally, Samsung stated that a refreshed version of the Series 3 Chromebook should not be expected until 2014.
This is a sad day for Chrome fans, as the Series 5 550 was really the only mid-range Chromebook available. Currently, consumers must choose between discount options (the Acer C7 for $199, the Samsung Series 3 for $249, or the HP Pavilion Chromebook for $329) or the luxury-priced Chromebook Pixel, which starts at $1299. The Series 5 550 filled in a gap in the $450-$550 price range.
Additionally, many people expected that a new Samsung ARM Tegra 4 or Exynos Octa-core Chromebook would be released very soon, probably as an upgrade to the current Series 3 Chromebook. The news that we shouldn’t expect a refresh until 2014 is extremely disappointing, to say the least.
Still, I understand Samsung’s rationale – it is a business, after all, and the $249 Chromebook has been one of the hottest selling laptops since its release last November. Samsung probably wasn’t selling many Series 5 550 Chromebooks anymore, and I’m sure it doesn’t want to slow or stop the momentum that current ARM Chromebook is currently experiencing.
Additionally, just because Samsung won’t release a mid-range Chromebook anytime soon, doesn’t mean we can’t expect any new device announcements in the near future. Toshiba and ASUS are both rumored to hop on the Chromebook bandwagon very soon, and maybe even Sony or Dell will release something soon.
Still, are you disappointed by this news?
[TIME]
