5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity), also called NR Lite, maintains key 5G features such as fast response time, low power usage, and enhanced security, while restricting bandwidth to a few hundred Mbps. When Qualcomm announced its RedCap Snapdragon
Realizing the potential it offers, CTL has produced a new NL73 Chromebook with the Snapdragon X35 modem and demonstrated a prototype of this to stakeholders at this year's MWC Barcelona.
CTL's NL73 range of Chromebooks currently consists of six models, all with 11.6-inch displays (some with touchscreen, some not): two “essential” (NL73 and NL73T), three “enhanced” (NL73-8 , NL73CT, NL73TW) and a 'performance' (NL73TWB). All except the NL73TWB come with a 3.4 GHz quad-core Intel N100 processor (the high-performance model has an N200 CPU).
NL73 “5G RedCap”
The latest addition to the lineup, the NL73 “5G RedCap,” follows mostly the same specs as the other Chromebooks in the range, including an N100 processor, 11.6-inch touchscreen, 16GB of RAM, 128GB of storage UFS and Intel AX211Wi-Fi 6E. The main difference being the inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X35 modem.
While it's not exactly the best device for the new modem to appear in, Gautam Sheoran, vice president and general manager of communications and wireless broadband at Qualcomm Technologies, is pleased with CTL's adoption of the technology, saying: “Congratulations to CTL for the “Groundbreaking achievement of demonstrating their 5G RedCap-capable Chromebook and our Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF system. This milestone shows our commitment to closing the digital divide with fast speeds, low latency and reliable connectivity, which users have come to expect from 5G. “We are proud to collaborate with CTL to drive innovation and bring the benefits of 5G RedCap to Chromebook users around the world.”
There's no word on when the new NL73 “5G RedCap” Chromebook will launch, or how much it will cost, but existing NL73 models are priced from $299 to $449.
