Acer has launched its new Chromebook 11 C732 for education customers at The Bett Show in London. According to the company, the new Chromebook builds on the rugged design of predecessors with MIL-STD 810G compliance and an IP41 rating for protection against object and water intrusion and will include models with 4G LTE for connectivity and access to data on-the-go.

“Acer has been known for providing incredibly durable Chromebooks that exceed the expectations of our education customers for investment protection and performance,” said James Lin, General Manager, Commercial & Detachable Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer.

He added, “The new Acer Chromebook 11 C732 delivers durability features typically found in much more expensive and specialized products. This enables schools to expand learning to more environments so students get even more out of their Chromebook.”

The Acer Chromebook 11 C732’s unique internal honeycomb structure reinforces the body to handle up to 60kg (132 pounds) of downward force on the top cover.

The keyboard on the Acer Chromebook 11 C732 features design technology that ensures maximum uptime for students. It has recessed keys that prevent tampering and reduce the likelihood that the key caps will be removed by students. Plus, the keyboard is spill-resistant with a unique gutter system that drains water away from internal components and out two drain holes in the bottom of the chassis, providing protection against spills of up to 330ml (11 fluid ounces) of water.

The Acer Chromebook 11 C732 has a fan-less design that provides cool and quiet operation. So it doesn’t add noise, even to a whole classroom of students. Also, reliability is boosted since it doesn’t require venting that may cause airflow issues and dust accumulation.

It provides long battery life of up to 12 hours – enough for use all day and into the evening to support 1:1 programs, or several days of classroom use for schools with wireless carts. The Acer Chromebook 11 C732 delivers solid everyday performance powered by either an Intel Celeron dual-core processor N3350 or Intel Celeron quad-core processor N3450. Plus, the Acer Chromebook 11 C732 fully supports Google Play, so teachers and students can use Android apps for enhanced learning.

The Acer Chromebook 11 can be purchased with either an 11.6-inch IPS touch screen display (C732T) or a non-touch IPS or TN display (C732). In both cases, students can make the most of the display with the Acer Chromebook 11’s hinge that opens a full 180 degrees, allowing it to lay flat on a desk for group work and enabling a heightened level of student engagement. The display has a 1366x768 HD resolution that ensures crisp, clear apps and text as well as vivid videos and photos.

The new Acer Chromebook 11 C732 includes two USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 ports, which can be used to charge the device as well as other products, transfer data quickly up to 5Gbps, and connect to an HD display. The device also includes two USB 3.0 ports and a MicroSD card reader to access and transfer content. Customers can stay connected to their network with fast and reliable 2x2 MIMO 802. 11ac Wi-Fi connectivity and to peripherals via Bluetooth 4.2. Some regions will also offer models with integrated 4G LTE.

Students can use the HD webcam with HDR technology and dual accompanying speakers and microphone for Google Chats and Hangouts.

The new Acer Chromebook 11 C732 with a non-touch display will be available with either 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of eMMC storage. The C732T with an IPS touch screen display will be available with either 32GB or 64GB of eMMC storage. Both will offer up to 8 GB of RAM.

The new Acer Chromebook 11 C732 line will be available to education and commercial customers in North America in March with prices starting at US$299.99 for touch models and US$279.99 for non-touch models, and in EMEA in April with prices starting at €329.