Google is introducing the Chromebook Plus badge. ChromeOS gadgets with the moniker have minimal hardware necessities and will likely be granted exclusive software program and AI features, with Google promising the next degree of efficiency. On October 8, eight new laptops with the Chromebook Plus branding will likely be launched in North America, beginning at $399.
In a weblog publish right this moment, John Maletis, VP of ChromeOS product, engineering, and UX at Google, stated Chromebook Plus laptops have “double the efficiency” when in comparison with the top-selling Chromebooks from July to December 2022. Most of that considerably imprecise declare comes from the Chromebook Plus’ minimal hardware necessities:
- Intel Core i3 twelfth Gen or AMD Ryzen 3 7000-series processor
- 8GB of RAM
- 128GB of storage
- 1080p IPS show
- 1080p decision webcam with temporal noise discount
Some Chromebooks launched earlier than right this moment meet these minimal necessities already. A Google spokesperson stated that homeowners of such laptops “will get upgraded to the Chromebook Plus software program expertise within the coming weeks.”
The software program features included within the Chromebook Plus embrace Google Photos’ AI-powered Magic Eraser and different “enhanced modifying features, like an HDR impact that enhances brightness and distinction, and the flexibility so as to add portrait blur to your present images,” Maletis wrote.
The gadgets may also use AI to spice up picture readability and lighting throughout a video name, in addition to blur your background and block out background noise (all whatever the app used). The features will likely be accessible through the Chromebook app shelf, Google’s weblog stated.
Chromebook Plus gadgets may also assist File Sync, which mechanically downloads Google Workspace recordsdata to the system’s native storage so you may entry them offline. This is among the causes Chromebook Plus gadgets have a 128GB storage requirement.
Google plans so as to add extra features to Chromebook Plus laptops through future updates. The laptops will launch with exclusive dynamic desktop wallpapers that change 4 occasions a day, and Google plans so as to add generative AI wallpapers, so customers can enter a immediate like “cats within the fashion of Van Gogh” and see one thing like this:
Google additionally stated it should replace the Chromebook Plus platform with generative AI-created backgrounds for video calls and the choice to carry up an AI-powered writing assistant through a right-click.
New Chromebook Plus laptops
As talked about, it’s possible you’ll already personal a laptop computer that qualifies for the Chromebook Plus badge. But there’s additionally a slew of latest gadgets with the branding.
Here’s an outline of what we all know to date in regards to the new Chromebook Plus laptops introduced right this moment and arriving on October 8:
| CPU | Graphics | Display | RAM | Storage | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Chromebook Plus 514 | Up to Ryzen 5 7520C | AMD Radeon 610M | 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS | Up to 16GB LPDDR5x | Up to 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD | $399.99 |
| Acer Chromebook Plus 515 | Up to Intel Core i7-1355U | Intel UHD | 15.6-inch 1920×1080 IPS | Up to 16GB LPDDR5x | Up to 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD | $399.99 |
| Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip | AMD Ryzen 3+ | TBD | 14-inch IPS | 8GB+ | 128GB+ | $499 |
| Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 | Up to Intel Core i7-1255U | Up to Intel Iris Xe | 14-inch 1920×1080 IPS touchscreen | Up to 16GB LPDDR5-4800 | Up to 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD | $399 |
| HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch | Intel Core i3-N305 | Intel UHD | 15.6-inch 1920×1080 IPS @ as much as 144Hz | 8GB LPDDR5-4800 | Up to 256GB UFS | $499 |
| HP Chromebook Plus x360 14-inch | Up to Intel Core i5-1235U | Up to Intel Iris Xe | 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS touchscreen | Up to 16GB LPDDR4x-4266 | Up to 512GB PCIe SSD | $699 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus | Up to Intel Core i5-1334U | Up to Intel Iris Xe | 14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen | 8GB LPDDR4x | Up to 512GB PCIe SSD | $499 |
| Lenovo Slim 3i Chromebook Plus | Intel Core i3-N305 | Intel UHD | as much as 14-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen | 8GB LPDDR5 | Up to 256GB eMMC | $549 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook Plus | Up to Intel Core i5-1235U | Up to Intel Iris Xe | 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS @ 120Hz | 8GB LPDDR4x-4266 | Up to 512GB PCIe SSD | €599 (not accessible in North America) |
Giving the higher-end Chromebooks a “Plus” label makes it simple for consumers to shortly differentiate premium Chromebooks from entry-level ones focused at younger college students and those that want little greater than internet entry. As with any OEM certification program, there is a advertising and marketing angle right here, however just like Intel’s Intel Evo branding, Chromebook Plus can simplify the procuring expertise, particularly since Google’s normal has clear, simple necessities.
However, the Chromebook Plus branding nonetheless leaves OEMs wiggle room, together with round RAM and storage velocity and sort, port choice, and battery life. A standard criticism about Chromebooks is round sturdiness (particularly contemplating their decrease costs and frequent utilization by kids) and repairability, with some restore activists saying appropriately priced alternative components are exhausting to seek out. It would have been a real “plus” if premium Chromebooks additionally had sturdiness or repairability necessities. But with Google extending Chromebook assist to 10 years final month, we could not see one other main, sweeping improvement for some time.