Acer Chromebook Spin 11 specs, release date news: $349 gadget turns 360 degrees

Acer Chromebook Spin 11Acer website

Acer reveals its new Chromebook called Spin 11, a convertible device that sports a 360-degree hinge and two USB-C ports.

Spin 11 features an 11.6-inch touchscreen with a 1366 x 767 resolution, not extraordinary compared to other recent releases, but at least the panel is IPS, which shows liquid crystal displays.

The new Acer Chromebook will run on either quad-core Intel Pentium N4200, Intel Celeron quad-core N3450, or Intel Celeron dual-core processor N3350, depending on the consumer's choice. It boasts up to 10 hours of battery life. It sports two USB-C ports, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. It also has a microSD card reader.

As for storage, consumers can choose between 4 GB and 8GB of RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB of on-board memory.

Those willing to spend a bit more can order an additional Wacom stylus or a Spin 11 variant that also features a world-facing camera on its cover -- that is on top of the traditional existing webcam.

A laptop/tablet hybrid with flexible joints, Spin 11 is one of the several devices that can run Android applications. Users can fold it back when they need for purposes that do not require a keyboard.

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 launches in March, with a starting price of $349. It will hit the shelves of Europe, Middle East, and Africa a month later.

Apart from Spin 11, Acer announced a new Chromebook 11 variant called C732. The education-focused model will run on either a a quad or dual core Intel Celeron processor and is IP41 rated for durability.

It is customizable in a couple of ways. Consumers can choose among three screens -- 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 IPS touchscreen, IPS non-touchscreen, or non-touch TN panel. Users also have the option to include LTE connectivity.

Non-touch C732 models are priced at $279.99, while the touch models are at $299.99.