Ah, Chromebooks. What’s not to love? Rugged, reliable, and largely virus-free, these machines are designed with everyday people in mind. While Chromebooks have a lot to offer to the day-to-day user, traditionally speaking, they’re not the most powerful laptops around… until now.
Today, Google officially announced the release of Chromebook Plus laptops, a slew of Chromebooks that promise better performance, better displays and webcams, and new apps and AI capabilities. New features include enhanced editing in Google Photos, which allows you to remove unwanted bits with the Magic Eraser. You’re also getting new apps such as Google Photos Movie Maker, Lumafusion Video Editor, and more. The best part? The low $399 starting price.
Looking to pick up a new Chromebook? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best Chromebooks available right now.
So, what is Chromebook Plus?
Chromebook Plus laptops will feature faster processors and twice the amount of memory and storage as standard Chromebooks. They will also have full HD IPS displays and 1080p webcams (huzzah!). I’m particularly excited about the 1080p webcams, as I’m a full time remote employee and spend a good amount of time in videoconferencing calls. Nothing bums me out more than a blurry video. AI will even help sharpen the way you look and this works across Zoom, Google Meet, and so on.
The minimum specs are Intel Core i3 12th Gen processors or above, AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series processors or above, 8GB+ of RAM, and 128GB+ of SSD storage. That’s not too shabby, huh? Given the minimum specs, you should be able to zip right through office work or everyday tasks.
These Chromebooks will even feature a myriad of new apps and AI capabilities, which are designed to help boost creativity and productivity. The apps include Google Photos Movie Maker, Lumafusion Video Editor, Adobe Express, Cloud Gaming, Material You, and so on. Adobe Express, for example, has generative AI, which produces an image based on whatever you type in. You can also create videos with a cool drag-and-drop feature or create TikTok videos, flyers, reels, and more. Plus, there are thousands of templates to choose from. The world is your oyster, as they say.
Google partnered with eight laptop manufacturers to introduce the Chromebook Plus line. These new Chromebook Plus laptops will come in all different screen sizes and form factors, too.
The mighty eight
From portable 2-in-1’s to traditional clamshells, there will be a number of new Chromebook Plus laptops to choose from. Me? I love a laptop that’s both fast and lightweight, which is why I’m especially excited about the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34. This laptop weighs a little over three pounds and comes with up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. Plus, the pearly white color scheme is wonderfully chic and who doesn’t love a good statement piece? The other Chromebook Plus laptops look mighty enticing (and powerful), too.
Asus
- Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Up to i7-1255U processors, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, 14-inch 1080p touch and non-touch options
- Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip: Up to AMD Ryzen 3 7320C processors, AMD Radeon graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, 14-inch 1080p touch display with stylus support
The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 and the Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip will launch October 2nd with a starting price of $399.99 and $499.99.
Acer
- Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Up to AMD Ryzen 5 7520C processors, AMD Radeon 610M graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, 14-inch 1200p touch display
- Acer Chromebook Plus 515: Up to Intel Core i7-1355U processors, Intel UHD graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, 15.6-inch 1080p touch and non-touch options
The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 will be available to buy in October with a starting price of $399.99.
HP
- HP Chromebook Plus x360 14-inch: Up to Intel Core i5-1235U processors, Intel Iris Xe graphics (Intel UHD graphics in the Intel Core i3 model), up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, 14-inch 1200p touch display
- HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch: Up to Intel Core i3-N305 processors, Intel UHD graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of SSD storage, 15.6-inch 1080p display
The HP Chromebook Plus x360 and the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch will be available on October 8th at HP with a starting price of $789.99 and $599.99, respectively. You’ll be able to buy the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch for $499 at Best Buy as well.
Lenovo
- Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Up to Intel Core i5-1334U processors, Intel Iris Xe graphics (Intel UHD graphics for the Intel Core i3 model), up to 8GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, 14-inch 1080p display
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus: Up to Intel Core i3-N305 processors, Intel UHD graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of SSD storage, 14-inch 1080p touch and non-touch options
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus and the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus will hit the shelves in October with prices starting at $549.99 and $499.99.