Chuwi CoreBook Air, Cheaper-than-her-Ultralight Laptop now up for Sale
The new Chuwi CoreBook Air is a slim-and-light laptop that has started its pre-order list at $479. It comes across as an equipment with a rather lightweight construction, weighing in at just a kilogram in a 14-inch format, that is basically a mid-range feature in a budget device.
Specifications of Base Model and Price
The price of $479 is for the 14-inch model covering the following core components:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 6600H
- Display: 14 inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixel
- Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5 (soldered)
- Storage: 512 GB PCIe SSD (user upgradeable)
- Battery: 55 Wh
- Weight: 1Kg (2.2 lbs)
This price is after applying a coupon that activates automatically; it is likely a limited-time offer.
Comparison: CoreBook Air (14") vs. CoreBook Air Plus (16")
A sale of $549 is applied to the CoreBook Air Plus, a larger 16-inch version. These two laptops share the same processor, memory, and storage, but the specs diverge in other important areas:
- Display and Weight: The Plus boasts a 16-inch screen and weighs in at 1.35 kg (3 lbs).
- Battery: The larger 60 Wh battery for the 16-inch version.
- Keyboard: They are both full-size backlit keyboards. The 16-inch model also has a numeric keypad.
- Webcam: The two have 2MP webcam with privacy shutter, but the 16-inch gets an IR camera for face recognition.
- Dimensions: The 14-inch model measures 313 x 223 x 16mm, while the 16-inch model is 356 x 249 x 16mm.
Performance and Hardware Details
Both CoreBook Air models are powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, a 45W, 6-core, 12-thread processor from AMD's "Rembrandt" series. This chip features Zen 3+ CPU cores and RDNA 2 graphics. While functional for general use, this processor architecture is several years old.
The laptops ship with a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, but the mainboard supports faster PCIe 4.0 x4 storage if users choose to upgrade.
Connectivity and Other Features
The laptops include a range of modern features and ports:
- Wireless: WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2
- Webcam: 1080p resolution
- Ports: Three USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Availability and Regional Model Variations
A higher-performance model with an AMD Ryzen 7 "Hawk Point" processor, a 2240 x 1400 display, and 32GB of RAM is reportedly available in Hong Kong and China for around $550. It is currently unclear if this configuration will be released in other regions.
