No matter how far Chromebooks come, they continue to be defined by “cheap,” budget-focused laptops that “don’t get the job done.” I strongly disagree with this sentiment, as I’ve worked full-time from Chrome OS computers for the last seven years, but there’s no denying that when normal folks go hunting for a new laptop, it can get tricky to figure out which ones arethe best Chromebookswithout having to dig into reviews for each and every model.
Fresh off the announcement a few weeks ago that new Chromebooks will now be gettinga full decade of system updates, Google has partnered with manufacturers to debut the new Chromebook Plus category. Beginning with eight laptops from four brands — Acer, Asus, HP, and Lenovo — the Chromebook Plus designation seeks to become a cheat code to finding your next laptop. This new category has strict hardware requirements, including double the RAM and internal storage of current Chromebooks —finally,8GB of RAM can become standard — as well as some exclusive perks like access to Google Photos' Magic Eraser, a 25% discount on the acclaimed LumaFusion video editor, and free months of Adobe Photoshop.
This isn’t the first time Google has attempted something like this to try and simplify the Chromebook buying experience, but this is by far the most robust attempt to date. And in a crowded laptop market still too reliant on buyers' understanding of specifications, Chromebook Plus looks like exactly what we need.
Hardware requirements and initial models
Chromebooks, like any other laptop, only earn their price tags when they fulfill your needs, and nothing is worse than spending $400 and getting a machine that you’re able to’t work properly on. Chromebook Plus’s hardware requirements should ensure that this never happens to you again, and the exact specs are as follows:
Chromebook Plus guaranteed hardware specs:
While some previous standard attempts have included 8GB of RAM and processing power, it’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen any that had a webcam requirement. Google centered Chromebook Plus around “getting more done,” and a big part of work for many of us in this work-from-home age need more than a potato camera for meeting with clients, coworkers, or our corporate overlords. the jump from 720p to 1080p may not be revolutionary, but any improvements here are welcome.
I do wish the Display specification included multitouch support, but alas, only the minimum resolution and display type are included. Touchscreens are slightly more expensive — and Google is aiming for a much more affordable price point than the Project Athena Chromebooks of 2020 — but are also nearly essential for interacting with Android apps. 1080p has also been the de facto standard for all but the most budget-focused Chromebooks for several years, but making it an official standard for Chromebook Plus should help further push the old 1366 x 768-pixel panels out to pasture.
The requirement of 12th Gen Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series likewise codifies an existing guideline, but we wish ARM had been included, too. Too bad, but maybe they’ll join the party eventually.
Each of the four manufacturers partnering with Google will debut two Chromebook Plus laptops, with the first models arriving on October 8, starting at $400. More will be coming next year — CES and WMC 2024 should be quite busy for Chromebooks — and my sincere hope is that we get more that are touchscreen, as only the three 2-in-1 models seem to have multitouch on the base model.
Apps and perks
Chromebooks have long come with some exclusive offers and features for buyers — free months of an app here, a discount on some games there — but for the Chromebook Plus category, these benefits aren’t just limited to free/discounted apps. Chromebook Plus laptops will be getting access to the heretofore Pixel-exclusive Magic Eraser in the Google Photos app, three free months each of Adobe Photoshop and Pixlr Premium, as well as a 25% discount on popular video editor LumaFusion.
Chromebook Plus also gets first dibs on the File Sync feature, so you can more easily access your most important files even when the network is down. Next year, Google will be bringing AI to many aspects of Chrome OS, too, such as generative AI content — including wallpapers — reading aloud when your hands and eyes are busy, and better task integration for productivity. Speaking of wallpapers, Google’s also touting exclusive wallpapers that adjust to the time of day outside. I tried the island version on my review unit of the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, but outside dawn and dusk, you’d never really think it was a responsive wallpaper.
Material You is also rolling out to all Chromebooks starting this week, but Google touted it as “really starting to shine” on Chromebook Plus. Material You is still a bit rough around the edges, but it’s worlds better than only having a theme in the Chrome browser. You’ll need a bit of time to adjust to the new quick settings panel, but once you get a handle on it, it’s a subtle but sweet quality-of-life upgrade.
Existing Chromebooks that meet Chromebook Plus guidelines could get updated to Plus via a system update, which is great news for current Chromebook owners who went futureproof when buying their laptop. These laptops include:
Stay tuned for our first Chromebook Plus review in the coming weeks, and for the inevitable wait to see which of these features make it to current Chromebooks.
