Google announced Chromebooks Plus laptops in October 2023.
If you’ve been considering a Chromebook for a while, this may appear to complicate matters. But it’s actually quite simple.
Chromebook Plus is a label given to Chromebooks that meet a certain set of criteria in terms of screen quality, power, and storage.
If you buy a Chromebook Plus laptop, you are pretty much guaranteed a good experience.
What is a Chromebook Plus?
A Chromebook Plus-certified Chromebook has to fulfil five core criteria. Here’s the list.
- Its core processor must be a 12th Gen Intel Core chipset, an AMD Ryzen 7000, or a newer equivalent.
- It must have at least 8GB RAM.
- 128GB storage is the minimum.
- Full HD resolution with an IPS type screen is the baseline quality level.
- The webcam must be Full HD resolution or better and use “temporal noise reduction”.
We’ve used countless Chromebooks since this style of laptop was introduced a decade ago, and these five strands are going to deliver a great all-round experience.
Of course, it doesn’t mean some existing higher quality Chromebooks that aren’t “Plus” certified will not do the job just as well. This seal of approval simply stops the less techy among us having to do quite so much research to make sure.
Intel devised a very similar standard for Windows laptops in 2020, called Intel Evo. It meant manufacturers had to deliver certain, pretty similar, standards in display quality, performance and, in that case, battery life.
Are there Chromebook Plus specific features?
Chromebook Plus laptops will run a special fork of the software these laptops use, which is called ChromeOS. It has a handful of additional features that, some of you might guess this one, are based around “AI”.
When you are on a video call/chat, for example, you’ll be able to blur out the background to disguise the mess of your flat. We saw this in Apple’s MacBook laptops, too — if your MacBook doesn’t have enough power, it won’t be able to use this feature.
You’ll also be able to use the Magic Eraser feature Google introduced in its Pixel 6 phones in 2021. This lets you remove objects from photos using AI.
Google says generative backgrounds are coming in 2024, too. This means you’ll just give your Chromebook Plus a text prompt, and it’ll whip up an image. Anyone want to try “a dog on a skateboard eating a slice of pizza”?
Some existing Chromebooks will also get these new features. Google has published the full list over on its Chromebook Help website.
Are Chromebooks being discontinued?
Chromebook Plus isn’t going to replace the standard Chromebook, because a big chunk of that market sits at price brackets below those that could meet the Plus standard.
And £150 Chromebooks can be fantastic. Shop around and you will often find ones that can meet some of the Chromebook Plus criteria, too, just not all of them.
What Chromebook Plus laptops can you buy?
Want to know how much you’ll have to spend to get one of these Chromebook Plus laptops? Here’s what has been announced so far.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
This laptop has a 14-inch screen and uses AMD’s Ryzen 5 7520-C processor. Acer says the battery lasts up to 12 hours. It weighs 1.45kg and is around 2cm thick. It’s not hugely thin or light, but still trim enough for everyday portable use. And it’s been ruggedly tested to military specs, too. From £399.
Acer Chromebook Plus 515
The 15.6-inch-screen alternative to the Chromebook Plus 514. Like that model, the Chromebook Plus 515 is plastic and has a somewhat dim screen. But you do get quite a lot for your money. This one uses Intel Core i3 and i5 processors, in place of AMD ones. From £399.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus
This is your regular style laptop, and it costs £450. That nets you 256GB storage, which is a lot for a Chromebook. The style is relatively plain, but the Slim 3i does have a two-tone lid for a little extra personality.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
Lenovo’s Flex series is all about hybrids. You can bend this laptop’s screen all the way around, so it can stand up in a “tent” position, or work like a very (very) thick tablet. It uses Intel processors and is rated for up to 10 hours’ battery life. Pricing TBC.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook Plus
A Chromebook for gaming? That’s right, although no Chromebook has true console-like capabilities. The gaming angle appears to hinge on having a great 16-inch 2560x1600 pixel screen and a quad speaker array. It’s a real entertainment machine. Pricing TBC.
Asus Chromebook Plus
This is another no-nonsense Chromebook with a fairly large touchpad. It may also be the cheapest option around with 256GB storage, at £429. You get a 14-inch screen here, and at 1.44kg it’s portable. Lookswise, the Asus is pretty plain, but not bad-looking.
