Google is trying to infiltrate Indian market with its Chrome notebooks that run on Google own Chrome OS. It is an attempt to woo consumers who are basically netizens as these very affordable Chrome notebooks with light specifications having all data and apps residing in the cloud. These Chromebooks are known to have a very little boot up time. This is the reason Google is promoting them as a very good alternative for Windows based notebooks that take a long time to start. This time, Google has partnered with two Indian brands Xolo and Nexian to launch its Chromebooks. Xolo has been making mobile phones in India for quite some time while Nexian is an Indonesia mobile manufacturer that has been acquired by Spice mobiles recently. Both Xolo as well as Nexian Chromebooks basically carry very similar specifications. However, there are some differences between these Chromebooks that will be discussed in this article to enable readers to buy wither of the two according to their requirements.

Both Chromebooks are fitted with same internal hardware

If you are not aware, Cromebooks are Google’s answer to Windows based laptops. They run on Google Chrome OS and most of their data and apps reside on the cloud. They are super fast devices and boot up in no time at all. This is a big advantage for students and other professionals who need to connect to internet in a very quick time. If you are not a power user and your only requirement is surfing, checking email and social media, these Chrombooks are perfect computing machines for you. As both Xolo and Nexian Chromebooks are fitted with same specs, they are also priced identically. Both are available online with Xolo Chromebook being sold on Snapdeal at a price of Rs. 12999 and Nexian Chromebook being sold on Amazon India at the same price. Both Chromebooks have following specifications.

• 11.6 inch screen making use of IPC LCD and producing a resolution of 1366X768pixels.

• Aspect ratio in both Chromebooks is 16:9

• They have 2 GB of RAM (DDR3)

• Both have 16 GB of internal memory

• They are powered by 1.8GHz Cortex A17 quad core processors

• They have the same Chrome keyboard and a touchpad that is clickable

• Both boast the same 1 MP webcam

• They have a combined jack for microphone and headphone

• Both Chromebooks are Wi-Fi, have Bluetooth V4.0 and USBV2.0 port

• To compensate for small onboard memory, Google is offering 100GB storage space on Google Drive free for 2 years

• Both Chromebooks are fitted with a large 4200mAh battery that lasts for 10 hours with a single charge

• Xolo Chromebook has dimensions of 290 x 205 x 17.9mm whereas Nexian Chromebook looks slightly bigger as it measures 292 x 209 x 22.6mm

• Xolo Chromebook weighs only 1.15kg whereas Nexian Chromebook is slightly heavy as it weighs 1.25kg

As the internal hardware in Xolo and Nexian Chromebooks is more or less same, it is hard to find or feel a difference in the performance of these notebooks also. Xolo Chromebook has a good looking keyboard from Google and it is certainly very responsive. At first look, Nexian Chromebook looks more attractive than Xolo Chromebook because it has a matte finish.

As far as offers are concerned, Amazon is giving following offers on purchase of Nexian Chromebook.

• 64 GB memory card made by Strontium

• A buyback offer of up to Rs. 10000 on your old laptop

• Rs. 400 discount on purchase of Chromecast HDMI media player

On the other hand, Snapdeal is giving up to Rs. 4000 in exchange for your old laptop.

Talking about differences between the two Chromebooks that have essentially the same internal hardware, the Chromebook by Nexian looks more rugged than Xolo Chromebook. In addition, it also has a pop up handle that allows the user to carry the notebook easily. Xolo Chromebook looks ordinary having a plastic body and there are no additional tweaks to make it look attractive for the consumers.

It is surprising that while both Xolo as well as Nexian Chromebooks are fitted with the same 4200mAh battery, Xolo claims that its notebook will last for 10 hours after charging. On the other hand, with the same battery, Nexian Chromebook lasts for only 8 hours.

Conclusion

It is apparent that Google is trying to rope in as many as OEMs to make and sell its Chromebooks in India. This is why it has partnered with not only Xolo and Nexian but also plans to ask even Samsung and Asus in near future to make and market these Chromebooks. In the first phase, only Xolo and Nexian Chromebooks are being sold and that too only online. Both these Chromebooks are essentially the same as they contain the same internal hardware and any difference (if there is any) lies in their design and build.

Comparing the two Chromebooks side by side, it becomes clear that it is Nexian that is more attractive of the two devices. Not only does it have a matte finish to make it look more beautiful, it also has tweaked in a pop up handle to make it more portable for the users. On the other hand, Xolo Chromebook looks ordinary with its plastic body. It ultimately boils down to one’s personal choice as well as attractiveness of offers being given by Amazon and Snapdeal on the purchase of these two computing devices. For some people, the longer battery life being claimed by Xolo may tilt their decision in its favor as Nexian says that its battery would last for only 8 hours. These extra 2 hours may be a big bonus for students living in rural areas where electricity supply is erratic.

There are slight differences in dimensions and weight also. For those who are obsessed with lightweight computing machines, Xolo Chromebook is a better choice as it weighs 100g less than Nexian Chromebook. Xolo Chromebook is also smaller than Nexian Chromebook making it easier for users to carry it around.

Author Bio:The author is an expert in mobile technology and loves to write about different handsets launched. He has listed the specifications Xolo Chromebook for the readers to make an informed buying decision