The Chromebook market has grown a lot over the previous few years that selecting the very best Chromebook for you may be onerous. The mixture of years price of software program updates and producers making laptops with extra energy, higher construct high quality and long battery life means there are a ton of fine Chrome OS machines that work nicely as on a regular basis drivers. Whereas Google did make issues easier final fall by introducing the Chromebook Plus initiative (extra on that beneath), there are nonetheless a number of issues to bear in mind when looking for a brand new Chromebook. I’ve been testing and reviewing Chromebooks for years and know what you need to be on the lookout for, and what you’ll be able to anticipate out of those laptops in 2024.
What’s Chrome OS, and why would I take advantage of 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 hassle 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 a lot of the applications you’ll be able to 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 utterly reset to manufacturing unit settings nearly as shortly.
In fact, simplicity may also be a significant disadvantage for some customers. Not having the ability to set up native software program could be a dealbreaker in case you’re a video editor or software program developer. However there are additionally loads of individuals who do nearly all of their work in an online 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 exchange Adobe Premiere, however it ought 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 ability of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.
Chromebooks may also run Android apps, which significantly expands the quantity of software program out there. The standard varies extensively, however it means you are able to do extra with a Chromebook past simply web-based apps. For instance, you’ll be able to set up the Netflix app and save movies for offline watching. Different Android apps like Microsoft Workplace and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly succesful as nicely. Between Android apps and a normal enchancment in net apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.
What do Chromebooks do nicely?
Put merely, net shopping and actually something net primarily based. On-line procuring, streaming music and video and utilizing numerous social media websites are among the many most typical every day duties folks do on Chromebooks. As you would possibly anticipate, additionally they work nicely with Google companies like Images, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Hold and so forth. Sure, any pc 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 in case you’re an Android person you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You will get a lot of the identical apps which can be in your telephone on a Chromebook and preserve information in sync between them. You can even use some Android telephones as a safety key to your Chromebook or immediately tether your laptop computer to make use of cell knowledge.
Google continues to tout safety as a significant differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s positively an element price contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary traces 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 nicely, so any safety threats are contained to that particular person app. Lastly, Chrome OS has a self-check known as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the straightforward truth that you just usually can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for dangerous actors to entry the system.
For those who’re keen on Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an efficient possibility as nicely. 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. On condition that this plan is $20/month, it’s a reasonably strong perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embody instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Images Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you’ll be able to create by filling in a couple of prompts.
As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: For those who rely closely on a particular native software for Home windows or a Mac, chances are high you received’t discover the very same possibility on a ChromeOS system. That’s most true in fields like photograph and video modifying, however it can 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. For those who’re an iPhone person, you’ll additionally miss out on the way in which 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 will not be ubiquitous, though they’re changing into a barely extra affordable possibility 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 greater screens which have larger refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with companies like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Sport Cross and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these companies, however the excellent news is that enjoying trendy video games on a Chromebook isn’t unattainable. You can even set up Android video games from the Google Play Retailer, however that’s not what most individuals are pondering of after they need to sport on a laptop computer.
What are an important specs for a Chromebook?
Chrome OS is light-weight and runs nicely on pretty modest {hardware}, so an important 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 system 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’ll use each day.
Chromebook Plus fashions have no less than a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 collection processor, each of which ought 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 sweet in today of fixed video calling, they usually additionally all need to have no less than a 1080p IPS display screen.
In fact, you will get larger specs or higher screens in case you want, however I’ve discovered that principally all the pieces included within the Chromebook Plus goal specs makes for an excellent expertise.
Google has an Auto Replace coverage for Chromebooks as nicely, 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 assist for a formidable 10 years after their launch date. This support page lists the Auto Replace expiration date for just about each Chromebook ever, however a very good rule of thumb is to purchase the most recent machine you’ll be able to to maximise your assist.
How a lot ought to I spend?
Chromebooks began out notoriously low cost, with record costs typically coming in beneath $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being basically trendy netbooks to the sort of laptop computer you’ll need to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, you need to anticipate to spend no less than $400 if you need a strong every day driver. There are nonetheless many low cost Chromebooks on the market which may be appropriate as secondary gadgets, however a very good Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will value extra. However, notably, even the very best Chromebooks normally value lower than the best Windows laptops, and even the very best “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. Usually, that’ll get you a greater design with extra premium supplies, in addition to extra highly effective internals and additional cupboard space. In fact, you additionally typically pay for the model identify. However, the specs I outlined earlier are normally sufficient.
See Additionally:
Greatest Chromebooks in 2024
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display dimension: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.52 lbs | Obtainable 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 few of the greatest reasonably priced Chromebooks you should buy for a number of years now, and its 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an reasonably priced laptop computer that gives nearly all the pieces you might need in a fundamental 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 screen actual property, which is one thing I admire over a regular 1080p show. This Lenovo mannequin hits the Chromebook Plus really useful 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 ought to be lots, 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 a couple of video calls in the course of the day, so in case you’re not on digicam a lot you would possibly 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 reasonably priced machine. The keys have good journey and the trackpad is massive and responsive. Even though 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 embody 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 normal. At 3.5 kilos and 0.78 inches thick, it’s positively not the lightest or slimmest possibility 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 pc 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 commonly on sale for fairly a bit much less. I’ve seen it as little as $350 in current months. It’ll hit the candy spot for lots of consumers on the market, offering a degree of high quality and efficiency that’s fairly uncommon to search out at this worth level. That stated, it’s getting lengthy within the tooth in comparison with the remainder of our picks, so I’m holding a watch out for an replace from Lenovo or a substitute from one other producer.
- Good total efficiency for the value
- Good show
- Stable keyboard and trackpad
- Mediocre battery life
- A 12 months older than our different picks
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display dimension: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,080 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.15 lbs | Obtainable 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 nearly a 12 months in the past, fashions with that designation began at $400 — however since, issues have gotten inexpensive. 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 write down house about, however you’re getting plenty 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 pictures, Drive and Gmail recordsdata.
Design-wise, the Plus 514 is fairly fundamental, however it will get the job finished; it’s your normal laptop computer with a 14-inch show. It’s neither overly skinny (.81 inches) or mild (3.15 kilos), however these specs are completely affordable for a sub-$400 laptop computer. (It’s really ever-so-slightly lighter than the extra premium Spin 714.) Similar goes for the display screen — 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.
Total, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a strong possibility if value is your foremost concern — however it’s additionally price noting that the Lenovo mannequin we picked as the very best total Chromebook is commonly on sale, typically for beneath $400 as nicely. In that case, the value 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
- Stable show and webcam
- 1080p show typically feels cramped
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display dimension: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,980 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.02 lbs | Obtainable 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 top-of-the-line premium Chromebook choices on the market, and the most recent mannequin launched this spring isn’t any exception. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 includes a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen. Just like the display screen 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 prime quality display screen. It’s additionally somewhat bit brighter than the display screen 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 cut back you to a blurry spot is certainly appreciated. It’s a much better digicam than the one on our prime choose, too.
As for the remainder of the {hardware}, the Spin 714 bests the Lenovo in a couple of 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, however it’s according to what I’ve seen on different Intel-powered Chromebooks.
Simply because the identify 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 desires to make use of a 3-plus pound pill, however it’s there in case you want it. That stated, for a $700 laptop computer, it’s comparatively skinny (.7 inches) and lightweight (3.2 kilos), so for portability functions, it’s onerous to complain. However Acer has been utilizing this identical fundamental design for a couple of generations now, so I’m beginning to suppose they may redesign the chassis for the following mannequin.
The newest Spin 714 prices $700 – not an unreasonable worth for a pc with these specs and constructed high quality. For those who’re a critical 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 June of 2034), the Acer Spin 714 is simple to suggest.
- Nice display screen
- Clear webcam
- Loads of energy and cupboard space
- Snug keyboard and trackpad
- Slightly dear
- Mediocre battery life
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display dimension: 16 inches | Display decision: 2,560 x 1,600 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.75 lbs | Obtainable 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 gadgets 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 could be keen on attempting it. However even non-gamers ought to benefit from the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear display screen 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 dimension, 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 strong and cozy keyboard for taking part in video games or simply typing up reviews. The trackpad is massive and responsive as nicely.
The 516 GE weighs 3.8 kilos – fairly mild for a laptop computer with a 16-inch display screen. We haven’t examined the 2024 mannequin but, so I can’t affirm the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a determine that’ll certainly dip in case you’re doing greater than watching movies or informal net shopping. Between the highly effective {hardware}, strong design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display screen, anybody who desires an even bigger Chromebook will possible be proud of this mannequin. As for assist, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032.
- Massive, high-resolution display screen with a quick refresh price
- Loads of ports
- Core 5 chip gives loads of energy
- Massive and spacious keyboard
- Comparatively light-weight for a big-screen laptop computer
- Not everybody will admire the gamer aesthetic
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