Our favorite convertible Chromebook has once again been updated. And, it’s gotten even better. With a larger display, longer battery life and stronger performance, the new Asus Chromebook Flip C433 (C433TA-AS384T model in this review) gets a big improvement over its predecessor, the Chromebook Flip C302CA from last year.
Furthermore, the Chromebook Flip C433 gets a sleek aluminum chassis and its 14-inch panel is both robust and bright, though set in a 13-inch body. What that means, you can tote it around without feeling the extra weight, and the long battery life will last an entire day at work or school – and maybe some more.
Most of the new changes have produced one of the best Chromebooks we’ve ever reviewed. Noy only that, the Asus Chromebook Flip C433 makes it to the list of the best laptops around at this price range – Chromebook or otherwise.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 review – Release date and configuration options
The Chromebook C433 C433TA-AS384T model we’re reviewing was released in April 2021, and comes equipped with an Intel Core m3-8100Y CPU, 8GB RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. Asus also offers the base model – Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-DSM4T, with the same processor, storage capacity but with half the RAM (4GB).
Both sport a full HD (1,920 x 1080 pixel) touch screen, a backlit keyboard, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) plus Bluetooth 5.0, and Intel HD Graphics 615 GPU (integrated).
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 review: Design
Looking at the Chromebook Flip C433, you’d be forgiven to mistaken it for Asus’ pricier ZenBook ultrabooks. It sports a matte-silver aluminum finish with a chrome trim, and I can’t think of any other laptops in the sub-$500 range that looks as exquisite as the Flip C433.
The 14-inch FHD display is surrounded by barely-there bezels on the sides and bottom, while the upper bezel is slightly bigger to accommodate the webcam. We’ve seen this design before, but bearing a screen-to-body ratio of 87%, this Flip C433 is without a bout one of the most compact 14-inch laptops we’ve reviewed.
However, with such a super-thin chassis, there isn’t much space for ports on the Chromebook C433, but it offers all the essentials, nonetheless. That includes a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a USB-C, a headphone jack (all on the left side); along with a second USB-C port and a microSD card on the right side. Both USB-C ports support charging, so you can plug in from either side of the C433TA-AS384T.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 review: Display
As mentioned, the Flip C433’s 14-inch, 1080p touch screen looks bright and vivid, and that’s a good thing. It covers 93% of the sRGB color gamut, while the Chromebook x2 (115%) and Chromebook Pro (119%) have more-vivid displays, but the Chromebook Flip C433’s panel is more vibrant over its predecessor, the Chromebook 302CA (76%), and the average Chromebook (82%).
The Flip C424’s display similarly falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to brightness. It has a peak brightness rating of 287 nits, but its still more luminous than the average Chromebook (235 nits); however, the displays on the Chromebook Pro (376 nits), Chromebook x2 (403 nits) and Flip C302CA (292 nits) all shine brighter.
The touchscreen is precise, but while the Flip C433 has a small footprint for a 14-inch laptop, it’s quite bulky as a tablet.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 review: Keyboard and Touchpad
The island-style, backlit keyboard on the C433TA-AS384T is fine, and offers a solid typing experience, despite proving only 1.3 millimeters of key travel (we prefer anything from 1.5 to 2mm). Individual keys are nicely spaced, and they have 71 grams of actuation force (up from a meagre 49 grams on the Flip 302CA), which gives them a tactile click.
Below the keyboard is a 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad, which swiftly responds to swipes and taps as you browse the web. You also won’t encounter problems when using Chrome OS gestures, like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger swipes when you move back and forth between pages.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 performance
Our Asus Chromebook Flip C433 C433TA-AS384T review unit, equipped with an Intel Core m3-8100Y CPU and 8GB of RAM, has enough muscle to comfortably browse the web while running simple tasks. It can swiftly load 18 Google Chrome tabs and watch a 1080p stream of BBC’s Planet Earth II, as other three HD videos stream in the background. However, you’ll notice some minor lag when switching between tabs, but the Chromebook Flip C433 does a great job overall.
It runs on Google’s Chrome OS which has aged like fine wine over the past few years, transforming from an OS created for a K-12 into a viable alternative to Windows 10 and macOS for daily users. The main catalyst for the change was the launch of Android app support, which now lets users download their favorite mobile apps directly on their laptops.
So far, the execution has been stellar – certain apps don’t scale well on larger, high-res displays – but their inclusion gives Chrome OS a wider appeal, especially among younger generations who grew up using the services on their smartphones.
Even with the improved functionality, Chrome OS remains a lightweight, easy-to-use operating systems optimized for the Google Chrome browser.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433 battery life
The new Flip C433 tops its predecessor’s already respectable runtime (8:54) by more than an hour, lasting for 9 hours and 56 minutes. That’s more than the Chromebook Pro (8:05) and Chromebook x2 (8:51) runtimes and the longer category average (9:04).
The Bottom Line
The Asus Chromebook Flip C433 is easily my new favorite Chromebook. This 2-in-1laptop improves upon its stellar predecessor by offering a larger, 14-inch display in a similarly size, aluminum chassis. It adds a relatively bright and vivid 1080p panel, some powerful speakers and lasts for nearly 10 hours on a single charge.
But no laptop is ever perfect. For its price, the Flip C433 is on the upper side of affordable, and for a Chromebook to be exact. Nonetheless, it’s a standout 2-in-1 that gives Mac and Windows users enough reason to make a switch to Chrome.
If you prefer a detachable and can stretch your budget a bit, then go with the HP Envy x2, a 12-inch hybrid with a brighter display, long battery and a comfortable detachable keyboard. And if you want to save money, the Samsung Chromebook 3 might be a great choice for you.
Overall, the Asus Chromebook Flip C433 C433TA-AS384T is a perfect 2-in-1 laptop and is one of those devices I would readily recommend to anyone willing to make the big switch to Chrome OS.
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Our Pick
ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 2 in 1 Laptop, 14" Touchscreen FHD NanoEdge Display, Intel Core m3-8100Y Processor, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Silver, Chrome OS, C433TA-AS384T
21 used from $149.99
