The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 has leaked again, revealing a February 2021 release date and a handful of key hardware features

Veteran tipster WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) tweeted a slide showing the Galaxy Chromebook 2 in the same black and red color scheme seen in last week's design leak, along with a spec list This means that the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will be the world's first QLED Chromebook, and that Samsung will be the first to bring high-end TV panel technology to a Chrome OS laptop

In some ways, this could be seen as a downgrade from the OLED screen of the original Galaxy Chromebook, but QLED has its own advantages, including much higher brightness QLED panels are also cheaper to produce, which can lower the overall price of the laptop The follow-up tweet from WalkingCat simply says "ps How about 699?", suggesting a much lower MRSP than the $999 Galaxy Chromebook, but this price is not listed on the slide itself, so it is just speculation It may be

Still, the even better news is that the "target battery life" is listed as 12+ hours In our review of Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook, the original laptop ran out of battery after just 555 hours, so the stamina upgrade is welcome; Wi-Fi 6 is also back, as it was on the previous model

However, it is also worth noting that the Galaxy Chromebook 2 weighs 275 pounds, heavier than the 23-pound Galaxy Chromebook The processor is listed as a 10th generation Intel i3 chip, a step back from the 10th generation Core i5 of the original Galaxy Chromebook

Thus, it is possible that Samsung will take a very different approach to the Galaxy Chromebook 2 than to its smartphones and other laptops Rather than aiming for an all-out upgrade, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 could make some beneficial adjustments while scaling back certain specs in order to lower the price

This may disappoint fans who were expecting a direct upgrade, but at least it makes some sense: Chromebooks were originally intended to be inexpensive, relatively low-power but long-lasting laptops, not premium ultraportables The leaked specs appear to bring the Galaxy Chromebook 2 back in that direction

In any case, we won't have to wait long to see the Galaxy Chromebook 2 in the flesh The slide shows a February 2021 release date, so it is possible that the device will be unveiled as part of Samsung's Galaxy S21 launch event on January 14 and fully released the following month