The Asus C433 Chromebook Flip is a 2-in-1 notebook that can be turned into a tablet by sliding the 14-inch screen back 360 degrees. It has 64 GB of built-in storage, but since it runs Chrome OS, it also offers secure online storage. Looking at the Chromebook Flip C433, you might mistake it for Asus’ more expensive ZenBook Ultrabooks. It has a matte-silver aluminum finish with a chrome trim, and I can’t think of any other notebook in the sub-$500 price segment that looks as exquisite as the Flip C433.
The 14-inch FHD display is surrounded by barely visible edges on the sides and bottom, while the top edge is slightly larger to accommodate the webcam. We’ve seen this design before, but with a screen-to-body ratio of 87%, the Flip C433 is undoubtedly one of the most compact 14-inch notebooks we’ve tested. With such a super-thin chassis, however, there is not much room for ports on the Chromebook C433, but it still offers all the essentials.
These include a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack (all on the left), as well as a second USB-C port and microSD card on the right. Both USB-C ports support charging, so you can connect the C433TA-AS384T from either side. As mentioned earlier, the Flip C433’s 14-inch 1080p touchscreen looks bright and vibrant, and that’s a good thing.
It covers 93% of the sRGB color space, while the Chromebook x2 (115%) and Chromebook Pro (119%) have more vibrant displays, but the Chromebook Flip C433’s panel is more vibrant than that of its predecessor, the Chromebook 302CA (76%), and the average Chromebook (82%). The Flip C424’s display is in the midfield in terms of brightness. It has a peak brightness of 287 nits, but is still brighter than the average Chromebook (235 nits); however, the displays of the Chromebook Pro (376 nits), Chromebook x2 (403 nits), and Flip C302CA (292 nits) all shine brighter.
The touchscreen is accurate, but while the Flip C433 has a small footprint for a 14-inch notebook, it is quite bulky as a tablet. The keyboard is the area where the Asus Chromebook C433 shines. The keys are clacky and provide very good feedback thanks to the short travel. Although the keys require more force to press compared to the previous Asus C302, they are still fun to use.
You can comfortably type on them for hours without your fingers getting tired. What bothers me is the weak backlight on this keyboard, which makes it difficult to read the lettering even at the highest brightness setting. If you’re switching from a Windows laptop to the Asus Chromebook C433, you’ll also have to say goodbye to CAPS lock. Chromebooks have a search button instead. You will have to get used to using the shift key when you type in capital letters.
