The Chromebook Enterprise Flip CB5 comes throughout as each a reinvention of Asus’ wonderful Chromebook Flip CX5 convertible, and as a premium, supersized model of its CM34 Flip. Like the previous, it’s a big-screen, 2-in-1 convertible with a metallic shell and a quick Intel Core i5 spec. Just like the latter, it’s switched to a squarer show with a 16:10 side ratio and 1,920 x 1,200 decision, solely right here the display screen is an enormous 16 inches. Utilizing it as a pill is a barely weird expertise and there’s no USI stylus for notes and doodles. However it’s good utilized in tent mode for advert hoc displays or leisure.

There’s loads to love about this design, together with the skinny “nano-edge” body across the show, and the way in which the hinge pitches the rear of the laptop computer upwards for a extra snug working place. In comparison with lots of the plastic-heavy Chromebooks on take a look at, the supplies really feel premium and the construct extraordinarily stable, with the near-black end wanting exceptionally good. Just like the outdated Flip CX5, it meets MIL-STD-810H certification for sturdiness.

Connectivity goes past the same old fundamentals, with two 10Gbits/sec USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port and an HDMI 2 video output, plus a microSD card slot and headphone socket. The keyboard is among the finest on take a look at, with 1.4mm of journey and a improbable mild however barely clicky really feel. There’s little to quibble about with the structure, bar a tiny break up left-Shift key and a pint-sized quantity pad. The touchpad is wider than common, at 128 x 74mm, and though it’s exact don’t anticipate the glass coating of the very best items.

Let’s get the dangerous stuff in regards to the display screen out of the way in which. Like too many Chromebook shows, shade depth is poor, protecting solely 59% of the sRGB gamut and 43% of DCI-P3. You may not discover the distinction in isolation, however whack up the brightness and put it subsequent to the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Gaming Chromebook Plus and immediately each stills and video look quite drab. What’s extra, the 1,920 x 1,200 decision can look stretched at this display screen dimension, so this display screen doesn’t have the identical readability as you’ll discover on the Lenovo. But it’s pretty brilliant, reaching 325cd/m², and low black ranges imply loads of punchy distinction. This and the sheer dimension work significantly effectively for video streaming and gaming, although it’s additionally simple on the eyes whenever you’re attempting to get some work accomplished: there’s no must squint on a display screen this huge.

There’s no must plug any headphones in, both, not less than if you happen to’re not out in public, because the Harman Kardon audio system dishes out good sound at wise volumes, with nice mid-range readability and even some bass. Throw in delicate mics and a 1080p webcam that produces crisp and well-exposed video, and also you’ve obtained a high-quality platform for calls and conferences.

That is one among three laptops on take a look at with the Intel Core i5-1235U processor, and it’s a perfect selection for Chromebook use. It gives greater than ample efficiency throughout web-based and Android apps, plus fundamental 3D graphics capabilities, with out the expense of the extra highly effective Core i7 CPUs. The Enterprise Flip CX5 got here second in lots of our benchmarks, simply behind the Core i7-powered Acer Chromebook Vero 514. The place it didn’t it wasn’t far behind, and even the Acer Chromebook Spin 714, with its newer Thirteenth-generation Core i5, couldn’t shake it off. What’s extra, battery life is stronger than you may anticipate with such an enormous display screen, with 11hrs 40mins of 1080p video playback in our exams.