You is perhaps tempted to get a Chromebook as your subsequent laptop computer and we wouldn’t blame you. Chrome OS has come a great distance: Chromebooks right now have a great mixture of construct high quality, battery life and energy whereas additionally supporting years of software program updates that may take you years into the long run. If you happen to primarily browse the net, or don’t want a ton of additional software program frequently, a Chromebook generally is a highly effective day by day driver.
Whereas Google did make issues less complicated final fall by introducing the Chromebook Plus initiative (extra on that beneath), there are nonetheless a number of issues to bear in mind when searching for a brand new Chromebook. The market is saturated with machines at totally different worth factors and energy ranges; I’ve been testing and reviewing Chromebooks for years and know what you need to be on the lookout for, and what you may anticipate out of those laptops.
What’s Chrome OS, and why would I exploit it over Home windows?
That is most likely the primary query about Chromebooks. There are many cheap Home windows laptops in the marketplace, so why trouble with Chrome’s working system? Glad you requested. For me, the straightforward and clear nature of Chrome OS is a giant promoting level. Chrome OS relies on Google’s Chrome browser, which implies many of the applications you may run are net primarily based. There’s no bloatware or undesirable apps to uninstall such as you typically get on Home windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you’ll fully reset to manufacturing facility settings virtually as shortly.
In fact, simplicity can even be a significant downside for some customers. Not having the ability to set up native software program generally is a dealbreaker for those who’re a video editor or software program developer. However there are additionally loads of individuals who do the vast majority of their work in an internet browser.
Google and its software program companions are getting higher yearly at supporting extra superior options. For instance, Google added video editing tools to the Google Images app on Chromebooks – it received’t substitute Adobe Premiere, but it surely needs to be helpful for lots of people. Equally, Google and Adobe introduced Photoshop on the web final 12 months, one thing that brings a lot of the facility of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.
Chromebooks may also run Android apps, which enormously expands the quantity of software program accessible. The standard varies broadly, but it surely means you are able to do extra with a Chromebook past simply web-based apps. For instance, you may set up the Netflix app and save movies for offline watching. Different Android apps like Microsoft Workplace and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly succesful as effectively. Between Android apps and a common enchancment in net apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.
What do Chromebooks do effectively?
Put merely, net looking and actually something net primarily based. On-line buying, streaming music and video and utilizing numerous social media websites are among the many commonest day by day duties individuals do on Chromebooks. As you may anticipate, in addition they work effectively with Google companies like Images, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Hold and so forth. Sure, any laptop that may run Chrome can do this too, however the light-weight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and steady platform.
As I discussed earlier than, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so for those who’re an Android person you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You will get many of the identical apps which are in your telephone on a Chromebook and hold information in sync between them. You may as well use some Android telephones as a safety key to your Chromebook or immediately tether your laptop computer to make use of cellular information.
Google continues to tout safety as a significant differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s undoubtedly an element price contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary strains of protection: Chrome OS updates obtain shortly within the background and a quick reboot is all it takes to put in the most recent model. Google says that every webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its personal sandbox as effectively, so any safety threats are contained to that particular person app. Lastly, Chrome OS has a self-check referred to as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the straightforward truth that you just typically can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for unhealthy actors to entry the system.
If you happen to’re enthusiastic about Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an effective choice as effectively. Each Chromebook in our prime picks comes with a full 12 months of the Google One AI Premium plan — this combines the same old Google One perks like 2TB of storage and 10 % again in purchases from the Google Retailer with a bunch of AI instruments. You’ll get entry to Gemini in Gmail, Docs and different apps, Gemini Superior (which runs on the 1.5 Professional mannequin) and extra. Provided that this plan is $20/month, it’s a reasonably stable perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embrace instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Images Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you may create by filling in just a few prompts.
As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: If you happen to rely closely on a particular native utility for Home windows or a Mac, chances are high you received’t discover the very same choice on a ChromeOS machine. That’s most true in fields like picture and video enhancing, but it surely will also be the case in legislation or finance. Loads of companies run on Google’s G suite software program, however extra nonetheless have particular necessities {that a} Chromebook won’t match. If you happen to’re an iPhone person, you’ll additionally miss out on the best way the iPhone simply integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the large draw back isn’t having the ability to entry iMessage on a Chromebook.
Lastly, gaming Chromebooks aren’t ubiquitous, though they’re changing into a barely extra cheap choice with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and a few {hardware} companions introduced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in thoughts. From a {hardware} perspective, meaning laptops with larger screens which have larger refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with companies like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Recreation Move and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these companies, however the excellent news is that enjoying fashionable video games on a Chromebook isn’t not possible. You may as well set up Android video games from the Google Play Retailer, however that’s not what most individuals are considering of once they wish to sport on a laptop computer.
What are a very powerful specs for a Chromebook?
Chrome OS is light-weight and runs effectively on pretty modest {hardware}, so a very powerful factor to search for won’t be processor energy or cupboard space. However Google made it simpler to get constant specs and efficiency late final 12 months when it introduced the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any machine with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimal necessities, which occur to be similar to what I’d suggest most individuals get in the event that they’re on the lookout for a laptop computer they will use day-after-day.
Chromebook Plus fashions have at the least a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 sequence processor, each of which needs to be greater than sufficient for most individuals. These laptops even have a minimal of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which ought to do the trick until you’re actually pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus fashions need to have a 1080p webcam, which is good in today of fixed video calling, they usually additionally all need to have at the least a 1080p IPS display.
In fact, you may get larger specs or higher screens for those who need, however I’ve discovered that mainly all the pieces included within the Chromebook Plus goal specs makes for an excellent expertise.
Google has an Auto Replace coverage for Chromebooks as effectively, and whereas that’s not precisely a spec, it’s price checking before you purchase. Final 12 months, Google introduced that Chromebooks would get software program updates and help for a powerful 10 years after their launch date. This support page lists the Auto Replace expiration date for nearly each Chromebook ever, however a great rule of thumb is to purchase the latest machine you may to maximise your help.
How a lot ought to I spend?
Chromebooks began out notoriously low-cost, with listing costs typically coming in beneath $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being primarily fashionable netbooks to the sort of laptop computer you’ll wish to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, you need to anticipate to spend at the least $400 if you need a stable day by day driver. There are nonetheless many low-cost Chromebooks on the market that could be appropriate as secondary units, however a great Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will price extra. However, notably, even the perfect Chromebooks normally price lower than the best Windows laptops, and even the perfect “common” laptops on the market.
There are many premium Chromebooks that method and even exceed $1,000 that declare to supply higher efficiency and extra processing energy, however I don’t suggest spending that a lot. Typically, that’ll get you a greater design with extra premium supplies, in addition to extra highly effective internals and further cupboard space. In fact, you additionally generally pay for the model title. However, the specs I outlined earlier are normally sufficient.
See Additionally:
Finest Chromebooks in 2025
Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.52 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, MicroSD card slot (SD 3.0), Headphone jack, Kensington Naon safety slot | Drive capability: 128GB | Battery life: 6 hours as examined
Lenovo has been making a number of the finest inexpensive Chromebooks you should buy for a number of years now, and its 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an inexpensive laptop computer that gives nearly all the pieces you could possibly need in a primary Chromebook. (We’re calling it the Flex 5i from right here.) The 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen is each bigger and taller than final 12 months’s mannequin. This implies you get extra vertical display actual property, which is one thing I respect over a regular 1080p show. This Lenovo mannequin hits the Chromebook Plus really helpful specs with a Thirteenth-generation Intel Core i3 processor plus 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s a bump up from the Eleventh-generation processor within the 2022 mannequin, and the RAM and storage needs to be loads, so that you’ll get good efficiency from this machine.
Sadly, the battery life is pretty mediocre — I acquired about six hours of standard use out of it. My workflow features a ton of Chrome tabs, plus net apps for issues like Slack, Todoist, Trello, Google Hold and YouTube Music. I normally take just a few video calls in the course of the day, so for those who’re not on digicam a lot you may get a bit extra time from the laptop computer. I want it lasted longer, however I can’t knock it an excessive amount of contemplating the Flex 5i’s worth.
The backlit keyboard and trackpad are excellent and really feel significantly better than I’d anticipate on a reasonably inexpensive machine. The keys have good journey and the trackpad is massive and responsive. Although it has a 1080p webcam, I can’t say that I regarded all that nice within the video calls I took. It does the job, however not way more.
Different issues within the Flex 5i’s favor embrace each USB-C and USB-A ports, a microSD card slot and a safety lock. It additionally comes with built-in Wi-Fi 6E to satisfy the most recent Wi-Fi customary. At 3.5 kilos and 0.78 inches thick, it’s undoubtedly not the lightest or slimmest choice on the market. It’s a utilitarian slab of a laptop computer, however that’s OK. Lastly, the Flex 5i will obtain software program and safety updates till June of 2032, so you should buy this laptop and have it coated for years to return.
For me, the $500 Ideapad Flex 5i is the perfect Chromebook, and the excellent news is that it’s frequently on sale for fairly a bit much less. I’ve seen it as little as $350 in latest months. It’ll hit the candy spot for lots of consumers on the market, offering a stage of high quality and efficiency that’s fairly uncommon to search out at this worth level. That mentioned, it’s getting lengthy within the tooth in comparison with the remainder of our picks, so I’m protecting a watch out for an replace from Lenovo or a substitute from one other producer.
- Good general efficiency for the worth
- Good show
- Strong keyboard and trackpad
- Mediocre battery life
- A 12 months older than our different picks
Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,080 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.15 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI port | Drive capability: 128GB | Battery life: As much as 11 hours
When Google first launched the Chromebook Plus line virtually a 12 months in the past, fashions with that designation began at $400 — however since, issues have gotten cheaper. Acer’s just-released Chromebook Plus 514 hits all the important thing specs, together with a Thirteenth-gen Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 1080p show and webcam. None of that is something to put in writing dwelling about, however you’re getting a variety of worth for a laptop computer priced at $380. It additionally consists of the aforementioned AI options and a 12 months’s price of the $20/month Google One AI Premium plan, which features a beneficiant 2TB of cloud storage to your photographs, Drive and Gmail information.
Design-wise, the Plus 514 is fairly primary, but it surely will get the job performed; it’s your customary laptop computer with a 14-inch show. It’s neither overly skinny (.81 inches) or mild (3.15 kilos), however these specs are completely cheap for a sub-$400 laptop computer. (It’s truly ever-so-slightly lighter than the extra premium Spin 714.) Identical goes for the display — it’s a touchscreen, and its 1,920 x 1,080 decision is okay, however I do miss the additional vertical pixels you’ll get with our different picks on this information. The show is in any other case good, and the keyboard and trackpad are likewise greater than ok for a laptop computer at this worth.
General, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a stable choice if price is your major concern — but it surely’s additionally price noting that the Lenovo mannequin we picked as the perfect general Chromebook is usually on sale, generally for beneath $400 as effectively. In that case, the worth distinction between the 2 laptops is shut sufficient that it’s price springing for the higher show you’ll get with the Lenovo. However I’ve additionally seen the Plus 514 promoting for as little as $330, which is a superb deal for a succesful Chromebook.
- Cheap
- Efficiency, specs and constructed high quality are all good for this worth
- Strong show and webcam
- 1080p show generally feels cramped
Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,980 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.02 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C / Thunderbolt, HDMI, Headphone jack | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 7.5 hours as examined
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 has lengthy been the most effective premium Chromebook choices on the market, and the most recent mannequin launched this spring is not any exception. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 contains a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen. Just like the display on Lenovo’s mannequin, this works out to a taller 16:10 facet ratio than you’ll get from the 1080p panels on most laptops. I’m a giant fan of taller laptop computer screens, and whereas this isn’t as luxurious because the few 3:2 ratio Chromebooks in the marketplace, it’s nonetheless a cushty and top quality display. It’s additionally a bit of bit brighter than the display on the Lenovo (340 nits vs. 300).
One noteworthy function is the 2K webcam included within the Spin 714. In a world the place we’re all doing extra video calls than we’d like, having a digicam that doesn’t scale back you to a blurry spot is certainly appreciated. It’s a much better digicam than the one on our prime decide, too.
As for the remainder of the {hardware}, the Spin 714 bests the Lenovo in just a few methods. It options Intel’s newest Core Extremely 5 115U processor, together with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of native storage. It additionally has higher battery life in my testing — I sometimes acquired about eight hours utilizing it beneath my regular workload. That’s not distinctive, but it surely’s in step with what I’ve seen on different Intel-powered Chromebooks.
Simply because the title suggests, the Spin 714 has a 360-degree hinge which helps you to use the laptop computer in pill mode. I’m not a fan of this convertible design – I don’t know who needs to make use of a 3-plus pound pill, but it surely’s there for those who want it. That mentioned, for a $700 laptop computer, it’s comparatively skinny (.7 inches) and lightweight (3.2 kilos), so for portability functions, it’s arduous to complain. However Acer has been utilizing this identical primary design for just a few generations now, so I’m beginning to suppose they might redesign the chassis for the subsequent mannequin.
The newest Spin 714 prices $700 – not an unreasonable worth for a pc with these specs and constructed high quality. If you happen to’re a severe multitasker, need a greater show and keyboard, or simply need a pc that’ll final so long as attainable (Google says it’ll obtain software program updates by means of June of 2034), the Acer Spin 714 is straightforward to suggest.
- Nice display
- Clear webcam
- Loads of energy and cupboard space
- Snug keyboard and trackpad
- Somewhat expensive
- Mediocre battery life
Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 16 inches | Display decision: 2,560 x 1,600 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.75 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Headphone jack, Ethernet | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 9 hours (producer estimate)
Acer first launched the Chromebook 516 GE within the fall of 2022 as a part of Google’s push to make units appropriate for cloud gaming and simply up to date it for 2024. The excellent news is that you just don’t must be a gamer to understand the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. For $650, you’ll get a 16-inch show with a 2,560 x 1,600 decision and a 120Hz refresh price. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now gaming service helps as much as 4K visuals at 120Hz on its Final tier so that you’ll get to see these advantages. This laptop computer additionally helps Steam, but one more reason avid gamers is perhaps enthusiastic about attempting it. However even non-gamers ought to benefit from the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear display and refined {hardware}.
It additionally consists of Intel’s Core 5 120UL chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Given the laptop computer’s measurement, it’s good that Acer didn’t skimp on ports right here: there’s an HDMI port, USB-C, USB-A, ethernet and a headphone jack. The keyboard has gamer-friendly LED lights that you could customise, however extra importantly, it’s only a stable and cozy keyboard for enjoying video games or simply typing up studies. The trackpad is massive and responsive as effectively.
The 516 GE weighs 3.8 kilos – fairly mild for a laptop computer with a 16-inch display. We haven’t examined the 2024 mannequin but, so I can’t verify the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a determine that’ll absolutely dip for those who’re doing greater than watching movies or informal net looking. Between the highly effective {hardware}, stable design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display, anybody who needs an even bigger Chromebook will seemingly be proud of this mannequin. As for help, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032.
- Massive, high-resolution display with a quick refresh price
- Loads of ports
- Core 5 chip supplies loads of energy
- Massive and spacious keyboard
- Comparatively light-weight for a big-screen laptop computer
- Not everybody will respect the gamer aesthetic
Different Chromebooks we examined
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
Samsung’s new Galaxy Chromebook Plus is likely one of the extra distinctive Chromebooks on the market. It’s extraordinarily skinny and lightweight, at .46 inches and a couple of.6 kilos, but it surely manages to incorporate a 15.6-inch show in that body. That display is a 1080p panel that’s sharp and vivid, however its 16:9 facet ratio made issues really feel a bit cramped when scrolling vertically. Efficiency is excellent, and the keyboard is stable, although I’m not a fan of the quantity pad because it shifts all the pieces to the left. At $700 it’s not low-cost, however that feels honest contemplating its measurement and capabilities. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a giant display laptop computer that can also be tremendous mild, this Chromebook deserves consideration, even when it’s not the most suitable choice for everybody.
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