The most effective Chromebook you should purchase in 2024

The Chromebook market has grown a lot over the previous few years that selecting the most effective Chromebook for you will be arduous. The mixture of years value 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 excellent 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 under), there are nonetheless a number of issues to remember when looking for a brand new Chromebook. I’ve been testing and reviewing Chromebooks for years and know what you need to be in search of, and what you may count on out of those laptops in 2024.

What’s Chrome OS, and why would I take advantage of it over Home windows?

That is in all probability the primary query about Chromebooks. There are many cheap Home windows laptops available on the market, so why trouble with Chrome’s working system? Glad you requested. For me, the easy and clear nature of Chrome OS is a giant promoting level. Chrome OS is predicated on Google’s Chrome browser, which suggests many of the packages 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 may fully reset to manufacturing facility settings nearly as rapidly.

After all, simplicity can even be a serious disadvantage for some customers. Not with the ability to set up native software program could be a dealbreaker when you’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 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 Pictures app on Chromebooks – it gained’t exchange Adobe Premiere, but it surely needs to be useful 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 run Android apps, which tremendously expands the quantity of software program obtainable. 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 nicely. Between Android apps and a common enchancment in net apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.

What do Chromebooks do nicely?

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook — Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Put merely, net shopping and actually something net primarily based. On-line procuring, streaming music and video and utilizing varied social media websites are among the many most typical each day duties folks do on Chromebooks. As you may count on, in addition they work nicely with Google companies like Pictures, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Maintain and so forth. Sure, any pc that may run Chrome can try 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 when you’re an Android person you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You may get many of the similar apps which might be 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 knowledge.

Google continues to tout safety as a serious differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s positively an element value contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary strains of protection: Chrome OS updates obtain rapidly within the background and a quick reboot is all it takes to put in the newest 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 referred to as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the easy truth that you just typically can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for dangerous actors to entry the system.

In case you’re involved in Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an effective choice as nicely. Each Chromebook in our high 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 fairly stable perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embody instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Pictures Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you may create by filling in a number of prompts.

As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: In case you rely closely on a selected native software for Home windows or a Mac, likelihood is you gained’t discover the very same choice on a ChromeOS machine. That’s most true in fields like photograph and video enhancing, but it surely will also be the case in regulation 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. In case you’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 just isn’t with the ability to entry iMessage on a Chromebook.

Lastly, gaming Chromebooks aren’t ubiquitous, though they’re turning into a barely extra affordable 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 greater refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with companies like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Recreation Cross and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these companies, however the excellent news is that taking part in fashionable video games on a Chromebook isn’t inconceivable. 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 crucial specs for a Chromebook?

Chromebook Plus — Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Chrome OS is light-weight and runs nicely on pretty modest {hardware}, so crucial factor to search for won’t be processor energy or space for storing. 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 in search of a laptop computer they will use each day.

Chromebook Plus fashions have a minimum of a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 collection 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 except you’re actually pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus fashions should have a 1080p webcam, which is good in today of fixed video calling, they usually additionally all should have a minimum of a 1080p IPS display screen.

After all, you may get greater specs or higher screens when you want, however I’ve discovered that mainly every little thing 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 value checking before you purchase. Final 12 months, Google introduced that Chromebooks would get software program updates and help 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 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 record costs typically coming in beneath $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being basically fashionable netbooks to the sort of laptop computer you’ll wish to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, it’s best to count on to spend a minimum of $400 in order for you a stable each day driver. There are nonetheless many low-cost Chromebooks on the market that could be appropriate as secondary gadgets, however Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will price extra. However, notably, even the most effective Chromebooks often price lower than the best Windows laptops, and even the most effective “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 further space for storing. After all, you additionally generally pay for the model title. However, the specs I outlined earlier are often sufficient.

See Additionally:

Greatest Chromebooks in 2024

Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Display measurement: 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 number of the finest inexpensive Chromebooks you should purchase for a number of years now, and its 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an inexpensive laptop computer that gives nearly every little thing you would 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 screen actual property, which is one thing I respect over a regular 1080p show. This Lenovo mannequin hits the Chromebook Plus beneficial 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 a lot, so that you’ll get good efficiency from this machine.

Sadly, the battery life is pretty mediocre — I acquired about six hours of normal use out of it. My workflow features a ton of Chrome tabs, plus net apps for issues like Slack, Todoist, Trello, Google Maintain and YouTube Music. I often take a number of video calls in the course of the day, so when you’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 value.

The backlit keyboard and trackpad are excellent and really feel a lot better than I’d count on on a reasonably inexpensive machine. The keys have good journey and the trackpad is giant and responsive. Even if 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 fulfill the newest Wi-Fi normal. At 3.5 kilos and 0.78 inches thick, it’s positively 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 purchase this pc and have it lined for years to come back.

For me, the $500 Ideapad Flex 5i is the best Chromebook, and the excellent news is that it’s recurrently 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 degree of high quality and efficiency that’s fairly uncommon to search out at this value level. That mentioned, it’s getting lengthy within the tooth in comparison with the remainder of our picks, so I’m retaining a watch out for an replace from Lenovo or a alternative from one other producer.

Professionals

Good total efficiency for the value
Good show
Stable keyboard and trackpad

Cons

Mediocre battery life
A 12 months older than our different picks

$469 at Amazon

Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

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 put in writing residence about, however you’re getting loads of worth for a laptop computer priced at $380. It additionally consists of the aforementioned AI options and a 12 months’s value of the $20/month Google One AI Premium plan, which features a beneficiant 2TB of cloud storage to your images, Drive and Gmail recordsdata.

Design-wise, the Plus 514 is fairly primary, but it surely will get the job executed; 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 truly ever-so-slightly lighter than the extra premium Spin 714.) Identical 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 adequate for a laptop computer at this value.

General, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a stable choice if price is your foremost concern — but it surely’s additionally value noting that the Lenovo mannequin we picked as the most effective total Chromebook is usually on sale, generally for beneath $400 as nicely. In that case, the value distinction between the 2 laptops is shut sufficient that it’s value 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 good deal for a succesful Chromebook.

Professionals

Cheap
Efficiency, specs and constructed high quality are all good for this value
Stable show and webcam

Cons

1080p show generally feels cramped

$325 at Amazon

Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 has lengthy been probably the greatest premium Chromebook choices on the market, and the newest mannequin launched this spring isn’t any exception. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 incorporates 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 available on the market, it’s nonetheless a cushty and prime quality display screen. It’s additionally a bit of 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 high decide, too.

As for the remainder of the {hardware}, the Spin 714 bests the Lenovo in a number 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, but it surely’s consistent 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 when you want it. That mentioned, for a $700 laptop computer, it’s comparatively skinny (.7 inches) and light-weight (3.2 kilos), so for portability functions, it’s arduous to complain. However Acer has been utilizing this similar primary design for a number of generations now, so I’m beginning to assume they may redesign the chassis for the following mannequin.

The most recent Spin 714 prices $700 – not an unreasonable value for a pc with these specs and constructed high quality. In case you’re a critical multitasker, need a greater show and keyboard, or simply need a pc that’ll final so long as doable (Google says it’ll obtain software program updates by June of 2034), the Acer Spin 714 is simple to suggest.

Professionals

Nice display screen
Clear webcam
Loads of energy and space for storing
Snug keyboard and trackpad

Cons

Just a little dear
Mediocre battery life

$699 at Best Buy

Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

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 should 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 fee. 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 another excuse players is perhaps involved in 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 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 comfy keyboard for enjoying video games or simply typing up studies. The trackpad is giant 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 verify the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a determine that’ll absolutely dip when you’re doing greater than watching movies or informal net shopping. Between the highly effective {hardware}, stable design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display screen, anybody who needs a much bigger Chromebook will possible be pleased with this mannequin. As for help, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032.

Professionals