Google and its partners at Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Asus are announcing a new category of Chromebook devices. Called Chromebook Plus, you'll see an initial eight of these devices on store shelves starting October 8 for prices beginning at $399. These new Chromebook Plus devices are different from standard Chromebooks, featuring guaranteed specifications from standards set by Google itself. Chromebooks Plus devices are also double faster than many regular budget Chromebooks, have better webcams backed by AI features, better displays, and double the storage and RAM, just to name a few things.
What are the specs of Chromebooks Plus?
Chromebook Plus devices are indeed a bit special. When shopping for one, you'll have to worry less about looking for specs yourself, and about what's fast, what's slow, and what's good and not good. All Chromebook Plus devices meet Google's pre-set standards.
They have double faster processors when compared to some of the top-selling Chromebooks (that typically feature Intel Celeron or N-series CPUs). Under the hood of Chromebook Plus units will be 12th-generation Intel Core i3 CPUs or newer, and AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or newer CPUs. You also will find these devices are starting with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, double that of other budget and top-selling Chromebooks.
As for the webcams, Chromebook Plus devices have 1080p resolution or higher webcams, featuring Temporal Noise Reduction, and AI-backed features like background blur and lighting improvements. You'll have access to these exclusive AI-backed features with a button on the ChromeOS system tray, regardless of which app you're using.
Finally, with the displays, Chromebook Plus models feature Full HD or better IPS displays. You'll find some models are touch-enabled convertibles, and others are non-touch. It depends on the device manufacturer, really, but the point is that Chromebook Plus devices do not use low-resolution screens and will be ideal for multitasking, streaming, and other day-to-day activities.
What are the special ChromeOS software features on Chromebook Plus?
With ChromeOS 117, Google did some work to ChromeOS under the hood so that Chromebook Plus devices can enjoy a few exclusive features. We already mentioned the webcam features, but there are others like a magic eraser in the Google Photos app, File Sync on the Files app, and other Google software features. Chromebook Plus users will also have access to partner apps for creativity, that you can access on standard Chromebooks, too. Note that some eligible devices that already exist today will get upgraded to the Chromebook Plus software experience in the coming weeks, but Google says it will share a full list later.
One of the highlight software features of Chromebook Plus models is Magic Eraser in the built-in Google Photos app. You're probably familiar with this on Google Pixel phones, and it's pretty much the same feature, now on your Chromebook. You can remove unwanted distractions from your pictures. The app also has an HDR effect on Chromebook Plus models.
Another big feature is File Sync on Chromebook Plus. Since these Chromebooks have double the storage of others, you can now keep your Google Workspace files accessible when you're offline, too. You can have your Chromebook automatically download Drive files for you, so you can worry less about connectivity issues.
Some smaller features in ChromeOS that are exclusive to Chromebook Plus include dynamic wallpapers and screen savers. A choice of two special wallpapers on Chromebook Plus laptops can change throughout the day, for sunrise, day, evening, and night, just like the world around you (if you set light and dark mode to auto). As for the screen saver, it also changes throughout the day similarly.
These features are not exclusive to Chromebooks Plus, but you also can try out Google Photos Movie Maker, the Lumafusion Video Editor, and the new Adobe Photoshop on the Web experience, which has generative AI features powered by Adoble Firefly. Chromebook Plus laptops come with a free 3-month subscription for Photoshop on the Web, and 3 months of GeForce NOW's priority tier, and up to 25% off LumaFusion one-time cost of $30. You'll see these in the ChromeOS Explore app, under Perks.
Which Chromebook Plus models can I buy now?
There are eight new Chromebook Plus models that are launching on October 8. These devices are from Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Asus. Pricing on the devices starts at $399, but can go as high as $800, too. We divided things up for you below should you want to buy a device from a specific company.
Acer
Acer is launching two new Chromebook Plus laptops later in October. There's the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, and the Acer Chromebook Plus 514. Both models start at $400 and are traditional clamshell laptops.
Acer Chromebook Plus 515 features options for either 13th-generation or 12th-generation Intel Core processors, and sports a 15.6-inch FHD display, with touch or non-touch. Acer Chromebook Plus 514, meanwhile, sports the AMD Ryzen 5 7520 C-series CPU, a 14-inch 1920x1200 resolution display with touch or non-touch options. The 515 model has up to a 512GB SSD, and the 514 model has a 256GB SSD. Models have up to 8GB or 16GB RAM and the webcams are 1080p webcams.
HP
HP also has two new Chromebook Plus models. You can choose either the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch or the HP Chromebook Plus x360 14-inch. HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch starts at $600, and HP Chromebook Plus x360 14-inch starts at $750. Both models are coming on October 9.
The HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is another traditional clamshell laptop. It sports a large 15.6-inch display with 1920x1080 resolution. It comes with an Intel Core i3-N305 CPU, 8GB RAM, and either 256GB or 128GB of storage. The webcam is a 1080p webcam.
For something more premium, there's the HP Chromebook Plus x360 14-inch. This is a touchscreen convertible, and it has two CPU options, either the Intel Core i5-1235U or the Intel Core i3-1215U CPU. You'll get it with either 8GB of RAM or 16GB of RAM, and storage comes in at 128GB, 256GB, or 512 GB. The webcam here on this device is a 5MP webcam, and the screen sports a 1920x1200 resolution with narrow bezels.
Lenovo
As you probably guessed, Lenovo has two new Chromebook Plus devices. There's the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus which starts at $550, and the IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus which starts at $500.
IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is another convertible. It features either an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU or an Intel Core i5-1334U CPU. You can find it with 8GB RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage or 256GB or a 512GB SSD. It sports a 1080p webcam and a 14-inch 16:10 aspect ratio display with optional support for the Lenovo USI pen.
The IdeaPad Slim 3i, meanwhile, is a traditional 14-inch Chromebook Plus clamshell. It has an FHD resolution touch or non-touch screen, the Intel Core i3-N305 CPU under the hood, and 8GB of RAM paired with 128GB or 256GB of eMMC storage.
Asus
Finally, there's Asus. Following the theme here, Asus has both a clamshell Chromebook Plus laptop and a convertible, too. There's the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, which is the clamshell starting at $400, and the Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip which is the convertible. Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 has up to an Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, an FHD display, and a 1080p webcam, it also sports an antimicrobial finish and a large touchpad. Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip starts at $500, sports the AMD Ryzen 3+ CPU, and has a 14-inch FHD resolution display.
Future Chrome OS features coming to Chromebook Plus
That's pretty much everything that you need to know about what's coming now, but in the year ahead, Google is planning to roll out additional AI-powered features to Chromebook Plus models. The firm is planning to make it easier to write on Chromebooks with a new writing assistant available from the right-click menu, to help with descriptions in social media, blog posts, or YouTube descriptions. Additional AI features include the option to generate custom wallpapers using easy text prompts and to generate backgrounds for your video calls using AI and simple text prompts.