Asus has followed up on its popular Chromebook Flip with a brand new model. It comes with a refreshed design, more powerful components and a much higher price point. 

While the previous Chromebook Flip was an affordable mini tablet-sized slim Chromebook with mid-range specs, the latest model is a larger and sturdier affair with a lot of power.

Asus swapped the thin metal case for a more chunky-looking metal base that looks similar to MacBooks, and eschewed the small 10.1-inch display, swapping it for a 12.5-inch panel. This particular LED screen boasts full HD resolution at 60Hz in a 16:9 format, and is coated with an anti-glare panel.

Just like the last Chromebook Flip, the screen is equipped with 10-point multitouch and a fully rotating hinge so that you can use it folded back like a tablet, or stood up as a video watching screen. Several laptops have adopted this design in recent years, including the newly announced HP Spectre

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Asus

The chiclet keyboard is backlit and uses a solid scissor cut mechanism with 1.4mm travel for a fast, accurate typing experience and the touchpad measures in at 61 x 104.5mm. 

Inside, you'll find either a 6th generation Core m3 or Core m7 processor, similar to the chips that power the 12-inch MacBooks. You'll also be able to choose between either 4GB or 8GB RAM and between 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage. As Chromebooks go, it's a great lineup. 

Unlike the MacBook, it has two fast USB 3.1 Type-C ports, one of which is used for power, as well as a microSD card reader and 3.5mm headset jack. Wireless connectivity is provided by 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. 

Sound is provided by a couple of side facing speakers which Asus claims can deliver up to 87dB of high-fidelity audio. According to the manufacturer, it's better and more immersive than most larger laptops. 

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Asus

With up to 10 hours of battery life, a body that measures just 13.7mm thin when closed and weighs just 1.2kg, you shouldn't get tired of carrying it around and it should last a full day of work. 

Like every other Chromebook, this one runs Chrome OS, which comes with access to a plethora of Chrome apps in the Web Store as well as compatibility with Android apps downloadable from the Play Store. 

As you'd expect, this huge upgrade to the Flip also means an upgrade to the pricing. While the last model was towards the more affordable end of the market (sub £250), the new Flip's prices start at $500 in the US, that's around £400 for the m3 powered model.

Pricing hasn't been announced for the highest-specced models yet, but we suspect it'll be pushing towards the $1000 (£800) mark.