Intel is planning to partner with Google and notebook players including Asustek Computer, Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology to launch 2-in-1 Chromebooks in the second quarter, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

The sources pointed out that the brand vendors will initially focus on releasing 11- to 13-inch 2-in-1 Chromebooks and will promote them with their low pricing. The vendors will first target the US education market and then expand into emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The devices' prices are expected to be 10% cheaper than same-spec Windows-based 2-in-1s.

Intel plans to release Braswell-based Pentium and Celeron processors in the third quarter and new 14nm Skylake-based processors in the fourth, and vendors are expected to be adopted these new CPUs into their next-generation Chromebooks to push shipments.