Chromebook Plus models typically dominate our best Chromebook recommendations, and some of the features of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 make it easy to understand why. It boasts a durable Lenovo chassis, a bright 15.3-inch touchscreen display, and a superb 5MP webcam. But is that enough for me to recommend it?

While your basic computing needs could be met by a cheaper Chromebook like the sub-$300 Asus Chromebook CX15, there are many quality-of-life improvements when moving up to this mid-tier range. The hardware feels more sturdy, the display is better, and you get better overall performance. However, at $579, it lands in an increasingly competitive segment of the laptop market, with options like the MacBook Neo and the Dell XPS 13 announced at Computex 2026 that are a little more expensive but offer considerably more capabilities.

But more capabilities come with tradeoffs; part of the appeal of ChromeOS is the simplicity and ease of use. Chromebooks offer more features than they once did while remaining the simplest laptops to maintain from a software standpoint. However, even among Chromebooks, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus faces stiff competition for just a bit more, like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 or the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.

I’ve spent the last two weeks using the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 daily to get a good feel for its advantages and its limitations. Read on to see if this relatively affordable Chromebook might be the right choice for you.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 is a mid-range Chromebook.
• Who is it for? People who want the simplicity of Chrome OS in an affordable package without sacrificing hardware quality.
• What does it cost? The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 starts at $579 but is often on sale for less.
• What do we like? We like the durable build quality, the bright display, and the solid performance.
• What don’t we like? Battery life comes up short at just over eight hours, the keyboard isn’t up to typical Lenovo standards, and the lack of an NPU hurts in the AI era.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Specs

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: The ups

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 hits a few high points for a budget laptop with a bright touchscreen display, a sturdy build, an outstanding 5MP webcam, and every port you could ask for.

Built to last

While a plastic chassis doesn’t scream premium, it’s not a surprise at this price, but what is surprising is how sturdy and well-built it feels. Picking it up to toss it in my bag or just move to another table at the coffee shop, there is no noticeable flex in the chassis.

The hinge is also remarkably stiff, holding perfectly in place during even my most aggressive typing sessions and my occasional taps on the touchscreen.

At 14.05 x 9.76 x 0.61 inches and weighing 3.44 pounds it isn’t challenging for any thin-and-light awards. However, that isn’t really the goal for this laptop, which is primarily targeting the education market. It isn’t exceedingly heavy, and it will hold up well to the drops and bumps.

A display to brighten your day

The display on the Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 is the biggest upgrade you are getting by opting to upgrade from a true budget Chromebook. It hit 379 of brightness in our testing, which is more than 100 nits brighter than the likes of the Asus Chromebook CX15 or Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

It even slightly outshines the pricier Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus on brightness, and while it can’t hold up to Samsung’s color, it again destroys the budget competition at roughly double the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut.

The display easily handled adverse lighting conditions in the coffee shop, even when I had to sit right next to a bright window I was able to view everything on the screen. Avoid direct sunlight, but otherwise you will be absolutely fine in any conditions.

I watched the trailer for The Odyssey and everything looked crisp and vibrant. In a close-up on Matt Damon’s face a small trail of sweat was visible on his brow and you could count every hair in the small section of his bristly beard that was in focus.

A plethora of ports

Given the education focus for the Lenovo Chromebooks Plus 15I TN10, it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that it offers so many ports, but regardless I love to see them.

Most critically have two USB-C ports supporting up to 65W charging and DP 1.4 along with two USB-A ports. Then you also get an HDMI port, a combo 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, a microSD card reader, and finally a Kensington Nano Security Slot.

This is an embarrassment of riches for any laptop, let alone one at this price point.

Keyboard is good, but not great

Lenovo is a victim of its own reputation here as I just expect a stellar keyboard every time. This is a very solid keyboard for a budget laptop. I was able to maintain about 86 words per minute on it, which is just a bit off my normal speeds of 92 words per minute.

However, I had more errors than normal and the keys don’t have sufficient bounce back, so I came away more fatigued from typing after a full day. Overall, it is a good keyboard and particularly if you have to do any data entry you’ll love having the number pad as well.

Ready for your close-up

Whether you are using this for education, work, or personal use, it’s a safe bet that you will have an occasional video chat. This is another area where budget laptops typically skimp and you either need to buy one of the best external webcams or look like a blurry mess to everyone on the call.

The Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 doesn’t fall victim to this trend with a 5MP webcam that looked excellent in my testing. The colors and details in my office were captured perfectly and it handled the overhead lighting well. And for those that have privacy concerns, there is a physical shutter to slide over the camera whenever it isn’t in use.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: The downs

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 punches above its weight in several areas, but a few key features let me down, which may prove to be dealbreakers for you.

Don’t leave your charger at home

Over the last few years I’ve seen battery life dramatically improve on most laptops, so my expectations have changed.

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 lasted just over 8 hours in our testing, which involves web-surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness. That would have been a middling result a few years ago, in 2026 it is bordering on completely unacceptable.

The more powerful (and admittedly more expensive) Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus pushed past 11 hours in the same test and Lenovo’s own Chromebook Plus 14 even managed to last 13 hours and 19 minutes.

Again just thinking of the intended users for this laptop, in an educational setting you do not always have access to an outlet and if you are using the screen closer to full brightness, you won’t get close to making it through a full day on a single charge. If however you are picking this up for use around your house, the battery life is far less of a concern.

Even Chromebooks need better performance than this

I tested the highest configuration of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10, which offers an Intel Core 3 N355 CPU and 8GB of RAM. I concede that I am accustomed to using much more powerful laptops, but even with that in mind I found the performance to be disappointing.

I didn’t try to push it with my typical workload of dozens of Chrome tabs, and yet even with just a handful of tabs I found things slowing down and the fans running, particularly when running a YouTube video in one of them.

I adjusted to it, but there’s just a slight delay to navigating around the operating system that feels like it shouldn’t be there even on this level of hardware. Our benchmark testing supports this with the Lenovo Chromebook Plus falling well behind the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but more importantly the Acer Chromebook Plus 515. The latter uses a much older 12th Gen Intel CPU and of course is much cheaper at under $400.

While again I was able to adjust to the slower performance after spending some time with the laptop, it falls short of what I would expect in this price range.

Bring your headphones

The bottom-firing speakers on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 are only worth using if you are trying to watch something with a friend briefly. Otherwise you should invest in one of the best wireless headphones or best bluetooth speakers rather than listen to the tinny and muted audio coming out of the laptop.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Verdict

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 offers a lot of hope when you take it out of the box. It feels so solid and I was thrilled at all of the ports available on it. Then you power it up for the first time and that bright, vivid image pops off the screen at you. But unfortunately things start to fall down from there.

Eight hours of battery life just isn’t cutting it in 2026 for all but the cheapest laptops, and the performance also feels like a Chromebook from a previous era. While the overall package is otherwise solid, these are two absolutely crucial features for any laptop, so it spoils the entire experience.

As I mentioned in the intro, this is just a tough segment of the market right now, so Lenovo could not afford to miss on any fronts to keep up with the competition. You would be better off spending up just a bit for either one of the best Chromebook alternatives in the $600 to $800 range or taking a look at the MacBook Neo or Dell XPS 13 if ChromeOS isn’t a must. Or if you are on a budget, look to some of the sub-$400 Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, where the price excuses some of the trade-offs.

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 is one of the rare Chromebooks that I actually think is a great little device. Most Chromebooks are disappointing enough that not even the low price tag is enough to save them from ending up as a mediocre compromise.

Not only is the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 a fantastic bargain with a low price of just $439, it’s also got Lenovo’s premium build quality and industry-leading keyboard, along with performance that’s reliable enough for your average ChromeOS user, and has access to all the web apps you could need, from the Google suite to TikTok and the GeForce Now app.

The only things holding the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 back from pure perfection is its disappointing battery life and dim display. But how does it compare to the best Chromebooks?

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10: Cheat sheet

• What is it?: The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 (2026) is a ChromeOS laptop with a 2-in-1 convertible chassis that can switch between laptop, tablet, and tent modes to meet a range of uses.
• Who is it for?: Students, employees, and individuals who need a laptop to access web applications like the Google suite, email, and social media sites.
• What does it cost?: The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 (2026) has a starting price of just $439.
• What do we like?: The luxurious build quality and sturdy convertible hinge, the fantastic keyboard, reliable performance, and incredible value.
• What don’t we like?: The battery life and display could be better, also, the Chromebook Plus label could do with a stronger identity.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10: Specs

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10: The ups

While I may not be the target audience for a Chromebook, there’s plenty to appreciate in this particular 2-in-1, from a fully aluminum chassis with a sturdy convertible hinge, to a fantastic keyboard, and reliable computing power.

This chassis might just be too premium for a Chromebook

Oftentimes, Chromebooks offer low prices to offset mediocre specs and build quality. While the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1’s Intel Core 3 N355 processor isn’t winning any benchmark races, it’s definitely got enough power in it to run all the apps you need, and the Chromebook’s chassis is fully aluminum, with a keyboard that feels like it belongs on a more premium laptop.

Not only does the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1’s chassis look like it belongs to a Lenovo Yoga laptop with its full aluminum paneling and camera hub bump along the top edge, it’s also got a ribbed pattern on the bottom panel that offers some nice detail on what is otherwise a standard Lenovo chassis. The Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 comes in the standard Luna Gray, but it’s also got a stunning Cosmic Blue color option which really helps set it apart from other, lackluster Chromebooks.

Lenovo used its sturdy convertible hinges on the Chromebook Plus, so opening and folding the laptop into tablet or tent modes feels smooth and secure. The inside of the hinge has some nice detailing on the vents which adds visual interest while also keeping the Chromebook operating at cool temps, and the bezels are nice and slim so the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 looks and feels like a premium laptop.

As for the keyboard deck, there’s nothing to complain about at all. Between the top-firing speakers along the edges of the keyboard, nicely spaced keys with a crisp activation and comfy key travel, to a touchpad that’s just on the right side of large.

If you told me Lenovo simply re-used a Yoga chassis for this Chromebook generation, I’d believe you without question. It’s honestly way too good for a $400 Chromebook.

Dependable performance

Chromebooks aren’t exactly known for setting performance records, and that’s okay. ChromeOS laptops and tablets are intended to be budget devices that run web apps well, but some Chromebooks handle large workloads better than others.

Thanks to its Intel Core 3 N355 processor, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 (Gen 10) is one of the more responsive laptops in its class. While it isn’t going to be doing much heavy video editing, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 is more than capable of streaming video, managing your emails, and keeping a good 10 research tabs open without major slowdowns. Anything past that is just asking for trouble with how memory-hungry Chrome tends to be.

As for the numbers side of things, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 fares well when compared to similar Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (2025), Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (2025). The Lenovo 2-in-1 Gen 10 underperformed on our Geekbench 6 benchmark on both single and multithreaded workloads, and its JetStream 2 and WebXPRT 4 scores were also behind its competition. However, Chromebooks don’t often need to leverage that much multicore performance given their app-bound usage.

So while the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 underperforms on benchmarks, its actual usability is not in question. While you can get more horsepower from any of the other three, that doesn’t equate to a huge difference in actual use. The 2-in-1 is powerful enough for what it is, without needing to be the most powerful Chromebook on the market.

And if you want to game on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1, it runs the Nvidia GeForce Now app just fine. Thanks to Nvidia’s recent upgrades to the GeForce server rigs, the base tier of Geforce Now gets access to RTX 3050 GPUs, allowing you to play games like Baldur’s Gate III on High to Ultra settings without stuttering or drastic frame drops.

Incredible value

Google’s Chromebook Plus tier is intended to be a more powerful, more premium product and that usually means Chromebook Plus models retail for about $600 or more. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus was $699 at launch, and is now selling for $799 at most retailers. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (2025) was originally $649 and the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (2025) was $699 at launch, though both are often on sale for as low as $389 now that the newer generations are available.

But the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10, despite having the Chromebook Plus label, has a base price of just $439. That’s regular Chromebook territory in terms of cost. And yet the 2-in-1 has some serious premium chops thanks to its elevated build quality, crisp keyboard, and solid performance.

Finding a laptop of any kind for under $800 these days often feels like an impossibility, and yet here’s a Chromebook Plus for just about half that price. $439 would be an absolute bargain on a good day, when compared to the rest of the laptop market that’s suffering due to the RAM shortage, it’s practically a miracle of value.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10: The downs

Just about any laptop is going to have some downsides. It’s just part of the process in cramming as many features and performance into a constrained chassis. But some downsides are better or worse than others. And the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 does have some proper faults.

Chromebook battery life isn’t what it used to be

Chromebooks used to be the best option for folks who wanted a laptop with at least 8-hours of battery life. However, standard Windows laptops have gotten significantly better than they used to be, often averaging well over 10-hours of battery life for a 14-inch laptop.

Chromebooks, meanwhile, have stayed the same. And the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 is no different. The 2-in-1 lasted 8 hours and 32 minutes on our web surfing battery test. Which is disappointing but not particularly below the Chromebook average.

However, there are some Chromebooks that break the 9-hour threshold. Last year’s Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 lasted over 13 hours on the same battery test while the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 Spin got over 14 hours, and even the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus lasted over 11 hours.

While 8.5 hours of web surfing battery life looks like it’ll get you through a work or school day, chances are you’ll be doing more than just surfing the web in a single tab all day. Which means your actual battery mileage may be closer to 6.5 hours like mine was.

The display appears better than it is

In the right setting, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10’s display looks brighter and more vibrant than it actually is. It’s only once you take it near a window or out in the sunlight that it becomes obvious the display barely breaks the 200-nit threshold.

With a glossy IPS LCD panel, the Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 will catch a glare from any stray sunbeams or hanging pendant lamps, which isn’t ideal for a Netflix streaming binge.

The Lenovo 2-in-1 display is also a bit flat in color, covering just 65% of the sRGB gamut. So if you want to do any photo editing on your Chromebook, you’d be better off with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, which has a far superior display.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10: Verdict

Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10 combines Lenovo’s fantastic keyboard, premium build quality, with dependable performance and fantastic value for a Chromebook that finally feels properly premium.

If anything, the 2-in-1 is such a good value, Google now has an identity crisis on its hands with the Chromebook Plus branding since the 2-in-1 is a good $150 cheaper than most other laptops in the Chromebook Plus bracket.

A large part of the appeal of Google's Chromebooks has been their lower price, but the new Googlebooks are launching at a premium, which means much higher pricing.

However, in a recent interview with Chrome Unboxed, John Maletis, Google's Vice president and GM of ChromeOS, confirmed that more affordable versions will be available down the line.

“We’ve always been about enabling technology and the ability to be productive and access information regardless of your price point,” Maletis said. “So over time we will come down, but these first devices are super premium.”

Outside of Apple's MacBook Neo, the trend for laptop makers in 2026 has been to ditch their budget laptops in favor of premium options, which command higher prices and avoid the RAM crisis. Unfortunately, that might be working, as The Register reported that Lenovo posted record numbers as it switched to premium PCs and dropped its budget lineup.

Which is why it's good that Google is even promising that more affordable options are on the roadmap.

What are your budget options?

Despite announcing the Googlebook series, Google has promised that Chromebooks aren't going anywhere yet. So the best Chromebooks are still available and an affordable option for those looking for something more wallet friendly.

Besides, Googlebooks are meant to compete with Apple's high-end MacBooks, not the Neo.

While the MacBook Neo is the best budget laptop, there are plenty of other options, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x and the Acer Aspire Go 15. Nicely, with the launch of the Neo, we now have options for every operating system from ChromeOS and Windows to macOS.

Maletis declined to provide a potential timeline for the more affordable Googlebook, so we may have to wait. Meanwhile, despite the memory crisis, you do have options.

It might get worse as we get deeper into 2026, though, so if you're in the market for a budget laptop, now might be the best time to pick one up.

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The newly announced Googlebooks will soon be here. Unlike the best Chromebooks, these laptops are meant to be high-end machines for professionals and power users. In that sense, Googlebooks could be direct competition for the best Windows laptops and best MacBooks.

As Google details in a blog post, Googlebooks are built from the ground up for Gemini Intelligence to provide proactive help. These laptops promise seamless compatibility with the Android ecosystem, and new customization features like Create your Widget. Right now, these are features that Chromebooks don’t have.

Based on what we know, Googlebooks could be Google’s next major laptop line. To that end, here are the biggest differences between Googlebooks and Chromebooks that we know about at the moment.

Googlebooks vs. Chromebooks: Design

We only got brief glimpses of the Googlebook, so we can’t yet say exactly what these laptops will look like. However, Google says it is working with manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to make the first Googlebooks.

“Every Googlebook will be built with premium craftsmanship and materials, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes,” says Google’s press release. If they’re like current Chromebooks and Windows laptops, then it’s reasonable to expect traditional clamshells, convertibles, 2-in-1s, OLED models, and so on.

Googlebooks will also have a unique glow bar to set them apart from Chromebooks and other laptops. Based on the presentation, these laptops will have a Googlebook logo on their keyboard decks, but this may not be the case for every model.

Googlebooks vs. Chromebooks: Features

While Chromebooks were built to work in the cloud with a traditional operating system (ChromeOS in this case), Googlebooks are designed for an intelligence system that utilizes an operating system built for AI, in this case, Google Gemini. This way, the laptop can provide proactive help, according to Google.

A feature that’s currently not available on Chromebooks is called “Magic Pointer,” which has you wiggling the pointer to bring up contextual suggestions based on what’s on the screen. For instance, you can point your cursor over a date in an email to set up a meeting, or visualize placing items you want to buy in your living space to see how they’d fit.

Another feature that Chromebooks don’t have is “Create your Widget,” which lets you generate custom, prompt-based widgets that gather information from the internet and Google apps into a personalized dashboard. This isn’t exactly vibe coding, but it has a similar ring to it since you’re using natural language to create widgets.

Lastly, Googlebooks let you use your phone apps right on the laptop. This is reminiscent of the existing Quick Share feature, except you won’t have to download anything or use emulated touch controls to interact with apps. A feature called Quick Access allows you to view, search, or insert your phone’s files on your laptop.

Googlebooks vs. Chromebooks: Price

Since Google is marketing Googlebooks as premium laptops, it’s a safe bet that they’ll cost more than Chromebooks.

Right now, Chromebooks are some of the most affordable laptops available, ranging from $150 to over $600. This has long been a reason for their popularity, despite ChromeOS not being as robust as Windows or macOS. If you frequently work somewhere with a reliable internet connection and exclusively use Google’s suite of apps, Chromebooks are a solid choice.

It’s difficult to say how much Googlebooks will cost. If they pack comparable components to the latest Windows laptops, such as Intel Panther Lake chips, discrete GPUs, and a healthy amount of RAM and storage, their starting prices could land at around $1,000 for lower-end models. Of course, given the current RAM crisis, driving up the cost of electronics, starting prices might be higher than they would have been under normal circumstances.

Googlebooks vs. Chromebooks: Outlook

We don’t yet know enough to make direct comparisons between Googlebooks and Chromebooks. However, based on what Google has said, these laptops will have more robust integration into the wider Android ecosystem. The fact that the notebooks are built around Google Gemini is another major differentiator.

Googlebooks are expected later this year, so it shouldn’t be long until we can go hands-on with these machines and see what they’re all about. If they live up to Google’s promises, they could be a nice shakeup for the laptop world. And we’ll also see if Chromebooks can live alongside these laptops. Stay tuned for more!

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If you’re on a budget but need a laptop for work, or maybe you’re a student, a Chromebook is usually a great place to start, as they’re generally cheaper than Windows machines. For the past month, I’ve been testing what I initially thought could be one of the best Chromebooks.

Alas, it couldn’t be further from the truth, as the Acer Chromebook 311 is anything but. Don’t get me wrong: this is a decent Chromebook for light work, web surfing, and for Google Pixel owners as it offers seamless Pixel integration.

But its flaws are too jarring to overlook. Unfortunately, the Chromebook 311’s color coverage is poor and inaccurate, and its large bezels make the already small screen feel even smaller. Throw in a sizable price tag of $514, and because of these shortcomings, it’s hard to justify the premium it costs.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Acer Chromebook 311 review.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Specs

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A robust and portable laptop running ChromeOS
• Who is it for? For school and college students who need a laptop primarily for web surfing and light productivity
• How much does it cost? The Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) costs $514
• What do we like? The portable and rugged design, seamless integration with Pixel phones, long battery life, and its productivity-first capabilities
• What don’t we like? The large bezels, small SSD, poor color coverage, and steep price

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: The ups

The Acer Chromebook 311 is a rugged and portable laptop. It’s suited to light productivity, and it boasts long battery life too.

Portable and rugged

If you want a laptop to use on the go, and one that doesn’t take up too much space in your backpack or handbag, the Acer Chromebook 311 is an excellent choice. Measuring 11.65 x 8.11 x 0.83 inches and weighing 2.57lbs (or 2.86lbs, depending on the configuration), it barely takes up any space in my bag, and I haven’t had any issues carrying it to and from work.

The Chromebook 311 boasts a rugged design too, and Acer claims it features Military Standard (MIL-STD 810H) durability. This means it’s impact-resistant and can withstand drops from 1.2m heights, as well as up to 132lbs of downward force. For students and young learners, this is a great feature to have, as users can rest assured the laptop will be protected against wear and tear over the years.

Ports-wise, the Chromebook 311 is stripped back, featuring two USB-A Gen 3.2 Type 1 as well as two USB-C ports (including one for charging). There’s also a 3.5mm headphones jack to plug in the best headphones for working from home or the office. Though not many, these ports should be plenty for students. Acer sells a 7-in-1 USB-C hub ($24) separately for those who want extra ports and an SD card reader.

Seamless Pixel integration

Similar to how Apple’s MacBooks offer seamless integration with iPhones and iPads, the Acer Chromebook 311 syncs perfectly with Google Pixel smartphones. I own a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and pairing my phone with the Chromebook 311 was a walk in the park. All I needed to do was sign in on the laptop with my Google account, and et voilà! I instantly had access to all my bookmarks, Google Chrome browsing history, passwords, and more.

In addition to that, I was able to receive notifications from my phone on the Chromebook 311, and even access recent photos and apps installed on my Pixel via Phone Hub. This made it easy to reply to WhatsApp messages directly from the laptop without picking up my phone or launching WhatsApp Web in a separate Chrome tab. Being able to access my recent photos was a boon too, as I take a lot of photos of products I’m reviewing, so being able to easily offload them without mailing them to myself saved me precious time.

Suited to light productivity

For casual typists and students, the Acer Chromebook 311 is a good laptop for light productivity, such as typing in Google Docs, making presentations, creating spreadsheets, and so on. To assist with that, the Chromebook 311 features a good, simple membrane keyboard. The keys’ short travel distance and soft bottoming out make typing feel effortless, and the keys are well-spaced out too, so you don’t accidentally hit unintended ones.

I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com to see how the Chromebook 311’s keyboard fared, and I was able to achieve 87 words per minute with 91.09% accuracy. This is similar to how I type on my work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2, on which I have an average typing speed of 88WPM with 93.04% accuracy.

The Chromebook 311 also features a touchscreen integrated into its 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, so you can type on that too if you don’t fancy using the keyboard. I found the touchscreen responsive in my testing, and scrolling from the top to the bottom of a long spreadsheet was quick and easy. The screen doesn’t lag too much either, and I noticed some stuttering only after I had 30 tabs open in Chrome, including Google Docs, YouTube and other memory-eating websites.

On Geekbench 6, which tests overall CPU performance, the Chromebook 311 pulled in a multi-core score of 2,168. While it’s low compared to many other laptops, this is a Chromebook running a MediaTek Kompanio 540 CPU, and not an Intel or AMD CPU. It upstages the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($359) which has a multi-core score of 1,732, but it’s outdone by the MacBook Neo ($599) and its A18 Pro chip pulling in an impressive 8,920 multi-core score.

Looooong battery life

If you want a laptop that lasts a day’s worth of work, the Acer Chromebook 311 is a great choice. Acer promises 15 hours of battery life, thanks to the MediaTek Kompanio 540 CPU, and the fanless design means the laptop stays quiet when you need to focus on your studies or work. Fast charging is also supported too, with Acer claiming that it takes 30 minutes for the 45Wh battery to charge up to 50%, and an hour for 80%.

In my testing, it took the laptop just over an hour to go from zero to 100%, ascertaining Acer’s claims. I then conducted a battery test where I left the laptop playing an HD live video on YouTube until it ran out of charge, with the brightness calibrated to 150 nits. I timed it manually, and the laptop promptly died after 13 hours and five minutes, which is outstanding. As you can see from the table above, the Chromebook 311 upstages the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, and the Acer Aspire Go 15 ($299), and it comes close to the MacBook Neo.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: The downs

Unfortunately, the Acer Chromebook 311’s large bezels, poor color performance and small SSD massively let it down. Oh, and that eye-watering price tag!

Large bezels

While the Acer Chromebook 311 is great to type on and is good enough for low-stakes productivity, its large bezels take away from the overall user experience. A laptop bezel is the frame surrounding the screen, and it serves as a protective border and adds to the laptop’s structural integrity, and provides housing for components like a webcam. I remember when laptops sporting massive bezels when they first became popular, but we’ve come a long way since then, and many modern laptops feature thin bezels.

Not the Chromebook 311. The thick black bezels are too prominent for my liking, and make the laptop look clunky and cheap. The Chromebook 311’s 11.6-inch screen is already kinda small, and the large bezels do it no favors, making it appear even smaller than it is. Personally, I prefer the wafer-thin bezels found on the likes of the MacBook Air M5 ($1,099), but I also understand that the laptop I’m referring to is twice the Chromebook 311’s price. If you want thin bezels, I’d recommend the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 instead.

Poor color coverage and accuracy

The Acer Chromebook 311 is designed for students or those who partake in low-stakes productivity, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who edits photos or deals with other creative work. That’s because the Chromebook 311 struggles when it comes to color coverage as well as accuracy.

My lab testing showed that the Chromebook 311 is not fit for any kind of work involving colors — or even watching movies and playing video games, really. Let’s talk about the brightness first. The Chromebook 311 achieved a peak brightness of 225.8 nits in my lab tests, which isn’t too bad, and in real-world use, I didn’t particularly struggle to see and read what was on the screen. But it’s worth noting that the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 and the MacBook Neo offer nearly double the brightness, alongside better color coverage and accuracy.

I then measured color coverage and accuracy. The Chromebook 311 covers only 59.7% of the sRGB color spectrum, and 55.3% of the wider DCI-P3 gamut. This means that colors appear washed out on the screen, and as the screen can’t produce deep, rich colors, the contrast between dark and light areas appears poor with blacks appearing more gray than black.

Delta-E, which determines color accuracy (the closer the score to zero, the better), measured at 7.2 is abysmal, for lack of a better word. This means that the human eye perceives vastly different colors than what was originally intended by, say, a videographer filming animals at sunrise. The World Wildlife YouTube video I always watch when testing laptops appeared washed out with poor colors, and it didn’t feel enjoyable.

Tiny storage

The last area the Acer Chromebook 311 let me down in is its internal storage. It packs a 128GB SSD which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things. Install a few heavy duty apps or games and that storage will fill up quicker than you can say “butterscotch.”

You can always buy one of the best external SSDs if you want extra storage, or opt for Google cloud storage, which you might already have if you own a Google Pixel smartphone.

Expensive for what’s on offer

Given the large bezels, poor color coverage, and small SSD, I find it hard to justify the Acer Chromebook 311’s steep price. It’s available for $514 at Amazon, which is quite a bit given the laptop’s shortcomings. If you’re willing to extend your budget that far, you should spend it on something actually worth the money.

If it’s a Chromebook you’re after, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($359) is a great choice. Don’t mind a Windows laptop? Try the Acer Aspire Go 15. For Apple users, the MacBook Neo ($599) is the undisputed king of sub-$600 laptops. There’s no dearth of alternatives out there when it comes to the best laptops under $500, and Apple has made it very difficult for its other competitors to justify spending more on anything other than the MacBook Neo.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Verdict

If you’re a student looking for a productivity-first laptop that lasts a day’s long worth of studying, then the Acer Chromebook 311 is a decent choice. It boasts more than 13 hours of battery life, and seamless Pixel integration for those already invested in Google’s ecosystem. The Chromebook 311 is fit for light productivity and web-surfing, and its keyboard feels lovely to type on too.

But this doesn’t mean the Chromebook 311 is perfect — far from it, actually. The laptop, unfortunately, sports large bezels which make the already small 11.6-inch screen look even smaller. Color coverage and accuracy are poor, making the Chromebook 311 unfit for photo and video editing. The small SSD leaves a lot to be desired, and the laptop is too expensive for what’s on offer.

In a crowded market where a giant like Apple has created a budget-friendly MacBook for students, why wouldn’t you just buy that? Or another Chromebook like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3? The Chromebook 311 faces a lot of fierce competition and, at the end of the day, struggles to come out on top.

With the MacBook Neo priced at $599, budget laptops now face stiff competition from Apple. For years, the best Chromebooks dominated the sub-$600 laptop space. That era is over, which begs the question: Is a Chromebook still worth buying?

While the MacBook Neo is arguably the best budget laptop right now, we shouldn’t completely dismiss Chromebooks. For some people, these ChromeOS-driven notebooks might actually be the smarter choice. This is doubly true if you mostly use Google's apps, like Docs, Drive, and YouTube.

Below, I'll detail some of the Chromebook options out there, along with the pros and cons of these budget laptops. Are Chromebooks worth getting over a MacBook Neo, or is Apple's affordable laptop the new budget king? Read on to find out!

The $200 tier

The MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook ever, but Chromebooks can still be significantly cheaper. Models like the Acer Chromebook 315 and HP Chromebook 14 cost $150–$250 less than Apple’s colorful new laptop, making the Neo two to three times as expensive at that price point.

One big advantage these cheap Chromebooks have is that they’re expendable. They’re the laptops you hand to a kid or toss in a backpack without a second thought. They handle Google Docs, YouTube, and email just fine.

That said, the daily experience isn’t great, thanks to their dim 250-nit screens, slow Celeron processors, and an overall cheap feel. The Neo’s brighter display and faster A18 Pro chip make it far more future-proof than a Chromebook you’ll probably replace in two years.

Unless you’re on an extremely tight budget, it’s worth spending a few hundred bucks more for the noticeably better experience the Neo delivers.

The $600 tier

This is where things get truly interesting. For the same $599, you can grab a more “premium” Chromebook Plus like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. On paper, it can actually look like the wiser pick.

Chromebooks at this price give you several advantages the Neo skips: 2K OLED touchscreens, backlit keyboards, and even 2-in-1 designs that flip into tablet mode. The base Neo is a straightforward clamshell with no touch support and no backlit keyboard.

So if you work at night a lot or you’re an artist who wants stylus support, something like the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 still offers more everyday versatility—even if macOS is the more robust operating system overall.

Chromebooks: Pros and cons

Here’s a quick breakdown of what Chromebooks give you over the MacBook Neo, and what Apple’s laptop delivers that Chromebooks can’t.

Pros: Why you’d still pick a Chromebook

• Hardware perks: Touchscreens, OLED panels, and backlit keyboards.
• 2-in-1 options: Many mid-range Chromebooks convert to tablet mode.
• Port variety: HDMI, USB-A, and microSD slots are common.
• Simplicity: If you mostly live in Google’s apps, ChromeOS is basically all you need.

Cons: Where the MacBook Neo wins

• A18 Pro performance: Apple’s chip runs circles around the Intel Core i3 or i5 chips in most Chromebooks.
• Resale value: A four-year-old Mac still has solid trade-in value; a four-year-old Chromebook is usually e-waste.
• Native apps: Real desktop versions of Photoshop or Final Cut simply aren’t possible on ChromeOS.
• Build quality: Even “premium” Chromebooks lean on plastic; the Neo is precision-milled from aluminum end to end.

MacBook Neo vs. Chromebooks: Which one should you buy?

If your budget is locked under $300, a basic Chromebook is still a smart, practical choice, especially if you mainly stick to Google’s apps. If you can spend $600 and really want a touchscreen, backlit keys, or tablet mode, machines like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 offer a more versatile physical experience than the base Neo.

Chromebooks still serve a purpose, but for most people, the MacBook Neo is the stronger long-term pick. Sure, it skips a few features, but it makes up for those gaps with strong performance, more-than-all-day battery life, broader app compatibility, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem. That combination is hard to beat when you’re shopping in the budget space.

More from Tom's Guide

• MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air M5. vs. MacBook Pro M5: Which one is best?
• I played 5 games on the MacBook Neo — here's my report card
• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked

For nearly a year, it’s been hinted Google wants to merge its Android and ChromeOS operating systems into a single OS. Google confirmed this narrative in July, but a now-deleted job listing seems to confirm the firm’s plans.

Spotted by Android Authority, a two-month-old job listing for a project manager mentions work on a project named — or codenamed — “Aluminium OS.” The ad goes on to describe the project as a “new operating system built with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the core.”

The “ALOS” system is also described as “Android-based” with Google looking to build entry-level, mass market and premium devices using the new OS. Those devices include laptops, detachables, tablets and boxes at a variety of prices.

It doesn’t sound like ChromeOS will go away immediately, as the listing says the team will develop devices across both operating systems before eventually transitioning to ALOS.

Interestingly, the name uses the British spelling with the ending -ium, though it might be a bit of a nod to Chromium, the open-source code that makes up the structure of ChromeOS.

How we got here

In November of 2024, Android Authority reported that a source inside Google confirmed the plan was to combine Android and ChromeOS. Google’s Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat officially confirmed that mission in July during an interview with our colleagues at TechRadar, stating “we’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform.”

In September Google’s Rick Osterloh announced it’s working with Qualcomm to make a big push to bring Android to PCs, with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon praising early versions of the software.

Potential launch windows

Based on what we heard in September, it’s likely the Aluminium project will launch in 2026, though what year is up in the air. The most likely windows are around the release of Android 17. Android 16 arrived early this year in June, rather than August or October. It’s not yet clear if Android 17 will keep that date. We could also see ALOS during Google’s big I/O event, which typically takes place in May, and both windows would suggest a spring or early summer debut.

More from Tom’s Guide

• AI-generated images get roasted online — but they're great for this one thing
• Google Maps is getting 4 big upgrades for millions — here's all the new features
• Gaming on a Chromebook just got better with a free year of Nvidia GeForce Now — here's how to get it

Chromebooks are always a good choice if you’re on a budget, and this is especially true now that Black Friday deals are well underway. I just found a fantastic deal for a Chromebook that’s purpose-made for school, work and watching videos.

Right now, Amazon is selling the HP Chromebook 14 for $169. This laptop typically costs $260, so saving $91 isn’t bad at all. While this Chromebook isn't the fastest machine, it has enough power for everyday tasks. Here’s why you should consider the HP Chromebook 14.

This HP Chromebook 14 has a 1366 x 768 resolution. While that’s not as sharp as 1920 x 1080p, websites and videos will be clear enough on the 14-inch IPS display. The product description says it has an anti-glare panel that should reduce glare if you’re using this Chromebook outdoors.

Inside, you’ll find an Intel N100 processor and 8GB of RAM. That’s just enough for websites to scroll relatively smoothly and for video to run without a hitch (provided you have good Wi-Fi). This Chromebook also packs 128GB of storage. While that’s not a lot, you’re likely going to use Google’s cloud-dependent apps like Drive to store your files. You should also be able to play some Google Play games.

As you'd expect, this Chromebook runs on ChromeOS. If you frequently use Google’s services for work and play, then using this laptop should come naturally. Just remember that you’ll need to be connected to the internet to get the most use from this machine.

Chromebooks aren’t the most exciting laptops available, but they’re almost always the cheapest option if funds are tight. At this low price, this HP Chromebook 14 isn’t a bad choice if you need a cheap but reliable notebook for simple everyday computing. This deal might not last long, so don’t hesitate!

Shop today's best early Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, Under Armour and more
• Amazon Basics: fitness/home/kitchen essentials from $3
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia and more
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + 66% off bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster laptop deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Nike: apparel/sneakers from $7
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

I’ve been covering Black Friday for eight years and testing laptops for the past decade. And in all my time doing this, I never thought I’d be able to say the following words: you can buy a Chromebook for $49.

Normally, the holy grail writers like me look for is the $99 Chromebook. Well, consider my mind blown. Right now, the Dell Chromebook 3120 is just $49 at Walmart. If you just need something cheap for the basics, there’s no better deal available right now on a refurbished laptop.

Taking me back to my netbook days, this 11-inch Chromebook is every bit of what I appreciated of the tiny laptops of old — a simple, super cheap clamshell system with basic performance to get stuff done and keep yourself entertained while taking up next-to-no backpack space.

Of course, this isn’t going to be for everyone. At such a low price, don’t expect to do anything more than browse the web, watch videos and write documents. With a HD display, Intel Celeron chip, 4GB RAM and a 16GB SSD, you’re definitely not going to set the world on fire with this configuration.

But if these are your only use cases, and you just need something super low cost to tide you over, there’s far worse ways to spend 50 bucks. This is a solid Grade A refurbished device with a durable build quality to withstand knocks, and even some connectivity to plug into other peripherals too.

Shop today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, AirPods and more
• Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia, more
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

As someone who travels from work to a home office, local events to tech expos abroad and from train to plane, I need a laptop that can handle my daily workloads without a hint of struggling while on the move. With this in mind, the Asus Chromebook CX15 doesn't cut it

But that's being unfair to this 15-inch budget machine. Not all laptops are meant to deliver peak speeds while playing the latest PC games or editing videos, and if they were, these machines would be a niche. That's where the Asus Chromebook CX15's true strength lies: its price.

For just $259/£249, this is a solid laptop that offers just enough power for scrolling through websites, answering emails, writing up documents and watching shows on. For my mother, who literally only uses a laptop to do these things, that's a steal.

The CX15 takes full advantage of what ChromeOS offers — a mainly web-based experience that's simple to use. But it also boasts a decently large 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display, a spacious, comfy keyboard and an attractive, slimline design that's easy to carry around (and durable thanks to its MIL-STD 810H military grade protection).

With its affordability, though, sacrifices had to be made. For one, its performance trails behind modern Chromebooks we see today, and it can feel cheap to work on, thanks to its poor trackpad. Plus, it would be nice to see more ports, especially when the one USB-C port is being used by its charger.

All that being said, it's almost a given knowing what you're in for when you see that sub-$300 price. For those after an easy-to-use family computer to get stuff done, or students looking to jot down notes, the Asus Chromebook CX15 makes the case for being one of the best budget laptops, and more so, one of the best Chromebooks for kids. Even if it's nowhere near the strongest Chromebook around.

Asus Chromebook CX15: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A budget sub-$300 Chromebook with simple specs.
• Who is it for? For families or students looking for an affordable laptop to browse the web, answer emails, watch shows or catch up on study.
• How much does it cost? The Asus Chromebook CX15 is available for $269 at Amazon in the U.S. and £249 at Amazon in the U.K. It's also available at Best Buy, but Amazon's price is far better with an even better-specced model at 8GB of RAM. Plus, I've spotted it for just $219 during a sale.
• What do we like? Its charming design with a large, comfy keyboard (number pad included), the solid 15-inch 1080p display and extremely affordable price (even less on sale).
• What don’t we like? The bare minimum specs spell weak performance, the touchpad feels plasticky and it could use a few more ports.

Asus Chromebook CX15: Specs

Asus Chromebook CX15: The ups

I mean, as soon as I saw its $259/249 price, I knew the type of experience I'd get from this laptop. But the Asus Chromebook CX15 surprised with its ability to be a decent machine for simple, general use.

Value for the basics

Look, there's hardly much point spending upwards of $999 for a MacBook Air M4 or a Dell 14 Premium if all you'll use it for is browsing websites on Google Chrome or spinning up a document on Google Docs. Sure, you can, and you'll get a speedy experience, but that would be a waste of the laptop's potential and, more importantly, your hard-earned cash.

Following that sentiment, the Asus Chromebok CX15 excels. It comes with the simplicity of ChromeOS to get you up and running in no time, booting up Chrome with your account linked so you can head right back into your favorite websites (if you use Chrome as your main browser, that is).

But there's also Google Gemini for AI assistance, Photos to check out your latest snaps, Meet to set up video calls with colleagues or loved ones and all the usual suspects. Of course, the Play Store is also there to try out the latest apps.

It all works as intended, too. During my time exploring websites and watching shows, the Chromebook didn't crash or experience extreme lag while jumping from tab to tab, even with a show playing in the background (but there is some stutter, but more on that later).

If that's how you plan to mainly use a laptop, what more could you want for a bargain price? There is no way this Chromebook will be playing games (its 3DMark Wild Life benchmark recorded 8 frames per second), or handle the massive workloads of a professional using spreadsheets and creatives who need to edit. But at this price, I don't expect it to.

'Just right' appeal

You won't see many 15-inch laptops anymore, with many manufacturers moving to a 14-inch or 16-inch form factor (except for Apple and its 15-inch MacBook Air, keep it going). It's a shame, as it does strike the right balance between being a sizeable machine while still being portable enough to carry around.

The Asus Chromebook CX15 finds that middle ground, coming in at 14.15 x 9.14 x 0.79 inches and weighing 3.5 pounds. It's only a little bigger and heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Air (13.4 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches, 3.3 pounds), meaning it's easy enough to carry around and slip in a backpack.

But it also means there's enough room for a full-sized keyboard with a number pad included. That's a boon for those who often rely on a set of numbers on the right to punch in counts into spreadsheets and the like, but the keyboard itself is comfortable to type on.

They're quiet when typing away, with the Chiclet keyboard coming with a decent 1.35mm key travel. Asus states these keys are spill-resistant, too, but you can imagine I didn't want to test this out. But this just gives the Asus CX15 another point for being one of the best Chromebooks for kids.

That, along with its military-grade durability. This means it should be able to survive sudden shocks, drops, spills and all the grime that's thrown at it.

Better yet, it comes with all the clean style of a modern laptop. The CX15 comes in four colorways, including silver, blue, green and pink. That last one is the model I received, and I adore its subtle, chic appeal.

Decent views

With the Asus Chromebook CX15's sizeable design comes with a fine 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This won't be winning any awards, for its main purpose of showing websites in clear view and for binge-watching shows on, it does the job with alright colors.

As you'll find below, compared to other Chromebooks like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, it doesn't reach the heights of color accuracy or brightness these bring to the table. But considering the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and Acer Aspire Go 15 are slightly more expensive, the CX15 doesn't fare too badly.

In real-world testing, I found the CX15 was able to show clear, detailed images on the websites I visited, and its brightness was fine while using the Chromebook indoors. Of course, it would struggle a little more when used outdoors or with sunlight beaming on it.

When throwing on the latest episode of Vince Gilligan's absurdly thrilling "Pluribus," I did see slight graininess without that crisp look you get on higher-resolution, vivid displays. But it was still easily watchable — hardly something I'd complain about when catching up with all my favorite shows.

It won't be showing highly detailed visuals, but for little ones watching shows or those who don't mind if their displays aren't showing mind-blowing images, the CX15 is a fine machine for productivity and entertainment.

Asus Chromebook CX15: The downs

Considering the price of the Asus Chromebook CX15, this laptop has a few pitfalls that will throw some people off. Mainly, its the performance, but it would have also been nice to see more ports and attention to its cheap-feeling trackpad.

Performance: Bare minimum

Now onto the crux of the CX15's problems: performance. With its Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 4GB of DDR4X RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, these are eye-watering specs (in the bad sense). Unfortunately, this is reflected in our testing too, but at the very least, Chromebooks are meant to rely on their internet-based prowess.

Even when compared to other bargain laptops, like the Acer Aspire Go 15 and Acer Chromebook Plus 515, the Geekbench scores of the Chromebook CX15 are atrocious. I'd say this is the weakest-performing laptop I've reviewed this year, considering not one of its scores reached the usual quadruple digits.

That's why I'd see slight stalls when loading up pages on Google Chrome, especially when having a dozen tabs open. Nothing game-breaking, but since it was already causing some lag, pushing it past this limit wouldn't be wise. Even the WebXPRT benchmark, which measures the performance of web-based devices, isn't very strong.

Now, on paper, it looks like this machine can barely open up Minesweeper. But in reality, I was still browsing through multiple websites with a show on Apple TV playing in another tab. Is it wicked fast? Not in the slightest, but it can still dish out enough power to get basic tasks done.

Where'd my ports go?

Sporting one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, one HDMI 1.4, a 3.5mm audio jack and...oh, that's it? Yes, and to make matters worse, the USB-C port is mainly used for charging the device (it lasts 7 hours and 26 minutes, so expect it to be plugged in every once in a while).

I appreciate any laptop that offers a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones, but only one port for a mouse, keyboard, USB stick and other peripherals? There should be more. And that's especially true, seeing as the whole right side of the CX15 is free for more ports to be fitted in.

Hollow clicks

This one may require one of the best mice to be attached, as the touchpad on the CX15 is simply too small (3 x 4.3 inches) and too cheap-feeling to be satisfying to use. Sure, I'm able to click around without issue, but the hollow feel of each click and how often I had to lift my finger to drag it back just to scroll further is a nuisance.

A small nuisance, in the grand scheme of it all, but an annoying one nevertheless.

Asus Chromebook CX15: Verdict

Is the Asus Chromebook CX15 a worthy investment? For the likes of me and my daily computing tasks, I'd say no. But that's because I require a speedy machine that can multitask without stress to manage my workload (and my streaming- and gaming-friendly entertainment habits).

But I have to pay more to achieve that. For those who only want a simple-to-use, affordable laptop that does the job of being able to easily run websites, read through emails, work through documents and stream the latest shows, then the Asus Chromebook CX15 is the value machine you're after.

Being just $259/£249 is a huge advantage for many, especially kids, students or families in need of a laptop for all to use. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better-looking laptop that's easy to carry around at this price.

One thing I do recommend is looking out for the model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB for storage, as with this model on Amazon. Some retailers may charge more for the less powerful 4GB version, and to make the most out of this machine, you'll want all the power you can get.

This is a budget laptop that isn't throwing any punches, but I quite like a peaceful, no-nonsense machine to browse the internet with, and the CX15 does just that.

Google and Nvidia are partnering to launch a new GeForce Now cloud gaming plan exclusive to Chromebooks. The new ad-free ‘Fast Pass’ tier gives Chromebook owners a way to stream over 2,000 games directly from your existing PC game library.

Starting today (Nov. 20), anyone who purchases a new Chromebook, including the best Chromebooks, will get a year of Fast Pass for free. Fast Pass has a few nice features and some restrictions in comparison to other GeForce Now tiers.

Here’s what Fast Pass gets you

At first glance, the new gaming plan is similar to the current GeForce Now free plan which lets you stream more than 2,000 “Ready-to-Play” games from your existing Epic, Steam or Xbox libraries. The difference between that plan and the Chromebook version is that Fast Pass has no ads and “allows you to skip the queue,” whereas the free plan shows ads and typically has a wait of two or more minutes to start playing.

Fast Pass users are limited to 10 hours of cloud gaming each month, though five of those can be rolled over to the next month if you don’t use them up. Nvidia’s other paid plans, starting at $9.99 a month, come with more features like faster frame rates, higher resolutions and access to more games using the “Install-to-Play” feature.

This is an important difference that sets this new free “Fast Pass” for Chromebooks apart from paid GeForce Now subscriptions. If you pay for a plan you can access both GeForce Now’s library of “ready-to-play” games which are always kept up-to-date and ready to launch, and you can install games you own (on Steam, Epic, etc) on Nvidia servers if they’re not part of the “ready-to-play” list.

So while Fast Pass members won’t be able to install games they own on Nvidia servers and stream them to a Chromebook, you will be able to stream a variety of popular games like Borderlands 4 and The Outer Worlds 2.

Pricing remains unannounced

While Google and Nvidia are offering a year free with new purchases, neither company has announced how much the plan will cost once you have to start paying.

For comparison’s sake, GeForce Now’s Free tier is ad-supported and you are limited to 1-hour gaming sessions. The Performance tier costs $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) and does not include ads, but you are limited to 100 hours of playtime a month. Presumably, the Fast Pass plan for Chromebooks will cost less than either of those plans.

Tom’s Guide has reached out to Google for information on pricing and will update if the company responds.

More from Tom's Guide

• Google has patched a critical Chrome zero-day flaw — update your browser immediately
• Google’s Gemini 3 is here — and it’s already beating ChatGPT in key benchmarks
• I just discovered the best Google Maps feature you (probably) haven't tried yet

Black Friday sales are known to deliver the biggest price cuts on our favorite tech, and it's just delivered on what appears to be the cheapest laptop I've seen right now. As in, you can get a full-blown laptop for a little over $100.

The Acer Chromebook 315 is now a whopping 60% off at Best Buy, taking it down to an absurdly low $119. That's by far the cheapest laptop I've spotted this year, and it's a 15-inch Chromebook that even comes with a laptop sleeve as part of the deal. This is no workhorse, but for checking emails, browsing the web and watching shows, it's hard to go wrong with this kind of value.

If you're in need of more power, there are plenty of Black Friday laptop deals to save big on, and we're tracking the very best of them in our Black Friday live blog. As for a super-cheap laptop the whole family can use, and even for kids, this Acer Chromebook is an absolute steal right now.

The best Chromebooks are known for their affordability while still offering enough performance to power through daily tasks, but this Acer Chromebook 315 offers a whole new level of cheap thanks to its 60% discount.

For $119, this Acer Chromebook will get you a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display, making it great for bigger-screen views, multitasking and watching your favorite shows. And its size also delivers a full keyboard with a number pad included. It also comes with plenty of ports, such as two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB-C ports (also used for charging), a microSD Card Reader and even a handy 3.5mm headphone jack.

With ChromeOS, this laptop is made to make the most of online usage. That means writing up documents in Google Docs, catching up with emails, checking the latest news on websites and even watching shows on Netflix, Disney Plus and more.

As for its specs under the hood, don't expect a powerhouse. It comes with an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU, 4GB of DDR4X RAM and 64GB of storage. But that's just enough to get through general tasks, and for those needing a family computer, or kids looking to study on a laptop, the Acer Chromebook 315 will do the trick.

This deal even throws in a protective laptop sleeve for good measure, so it can be tucked away and safe from harm when not being used.

It's a simple, reliable and affordable laptop that acts as your go-to computer for everyday tasks, and for its discounted $119/£159 price, the Acer Chromebook 315 is downright incredible value right now.

For those in need of better performance, I recommend checking out these Black Friday MacBook deals (now down to their lowest price yet).

When you look at their spec sheet, some Chromebooks may appear underpowered by today's standards. However, the Asus ExpertBook CX54 breaks that trend by packing a lot of power under its lid. The best part is that it's currently on sale.

For a limited time, you can get the Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook for $679 at Best Buy. That's $150 off one of the most powerful Chromebooks I've seen. The deal is part of the ongoing Best Buy Member Deals Days sale.

• shop all Chromebooks from $139 at Best Buy

Chromebooks are great machines for school, work, or everyday use at home. However, because they're designed to be used with cloud-based apps, they oftentimes feel underpowered. Enter the ExpertBook CX54.

It sports a 14-inch 2K display, Core Ultra 5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. That's more power than your typical sub $299 Chromebook and on par with some of the best Chromebooks we've tested. It should also be enough horsepower for some casual gaming when you're not multitasking.

Even better, this deal comes with a 12-month Google AI Premium plan for free ($239 value). The Google AI Premium plan includes access to Gemini Advanced, 2TB of cloud storage, and Gemini in your favorite Google apps like Gmail, Docs and more.

The Best Buy Member Deals Days sale is officially underway. The week-long sale includes discounts on various categories, but it's the Chromebook sales that have me doing a double take.

For a limited time, Best Buy has Chromebooks on sale from $139. It's a huge sale with budget models under $299 and more powerful models in the $399 range. One of the best deals is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 for $349.

If you're not familiar with Chromebooks, they're great machines for school, work, or everyday use at home. Some of the best Chromebooks offer the perfect balance of performance, efficiency and value — without breaking the bank. We wouldn't recommend them for hard-core gamers, but they're reliable for streaming and other Web-based tasks. Below I've rounded up my favorite affordable Chromebooks in Best Buy's sale. Keep scrolling to check them out.

Quick Links

• shop Chromebooks from $139 at Best Buy
• Lenovo IdeaPad 3i: was $249 now $149
• HP 14" Chromebook: was $329 now $170
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: was $399 now $189
• HP 15" Chromebook: was $429 now $239
• Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go: was $329 now $249
• Lenovo Duet 11: was $399 now $349
• Lenovo Flex 5i: was $599 now $419
• Acer Chromebook Plus 516: was $649 now $599

Best Chromebook deals

In the market for an affordable laptop? A Chromebook might just be your best bet. Whether you need the machine for school, work or everyday use at home, the best Chromebooks offer the perfect balance of performance, efficiency and value — without breaking the bank.

Fortunately, Best Buy is hosting a huge sale on Chromebooks with up to 50% off options from popular brands like Acer, Lenovo, HP and more. For example, you can grab Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook for just $139, saving up a whopping $180. If you want a laptop that can also fashion as a tablet, you can't go wrong with the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 2-in-1 for $120 off.

Below I've rounded up my favorite affordable Chromebooks in Best Buy's sale. Keep scrolling to check them out.

Quick Links

• shop the best Chromebook deals at Best Buy from $139
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $319 now $139
• Acer Chromebook 315: was $299 now $149
• HP 14-inch Chromebook: was $329 now $174
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $399 now $218
• HP 15.6-inch Chromebook: was $429 now $239
• Lenovo Duet 11 Chromebook: was $399 now $269
• HP 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook: was $479 now $299
• Acer Chromebook Spin 312 2-in-1: was $449 now $329
• HP 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus: was $629 now $449
• Asus CX34 Chromebook Plus: was $599 now $449
• Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: was $599 now $549
• Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: was $649 now $599

Best Chromebook deals

Google is making a big push to bring Android to PCs. During this year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, Google’s Rick Osterloh shared that the company was working on a way to merge Android and ChromeOS (via Android Authority). To make things more interesting, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said he’s seen the software and is excited.

“In the past, we’ve always had very different systems between what we’re building on PCs and what we’re building on smartphones, and we’ve embarked on a project to combine that,” said Osterloh during the Snapdragon Summit opening keynote. “ We are building together a common technical foundation for our products on PCs and desktop computing systems.”

Osterloh then discussed Google’s plans to bring Gemini and the full Android AI stack to PCs. “This is another way we can leverage all of the great work we’re doing together on our AI stack, our full stack, bringing Gemini models, bringing the assistant, bringing all of our applications and developer community into the PC domain,” said Osterloh. “And I think this is another way in which Android is gonna be able to serve everyone in every computing category.”

To that, Cristiano Amon said that he’s seen it and that it “is incredible” and that it “delivers on the vision of convergence of mobile and PC.” Regarding a PC that runs on this platform, the Qualcomm CEO also said he “cannot wait to have one.”

This isn’t the first time there has been discussion about merging Android with Chrome OS. As we've previously reported, Android’s Sameer Samat said that Google was “combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform.” That statement was made when Google began developing ChromeOS on parts of the Android stack.

Android + Chrome = Windows threat?

We spoke with research firm IDC about the potential for Android on PCs, and it sounds like it could fix one of the biggest problems with Chrome OS.

“From an end-user perspective, Chrome OS’ heavy reliance on the web has always been a point of frustration and has excluded Chrome OS from participating in many countries where internet access is intermittent,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC.

“By combining the two operating systems, Google can hopefully create an operating system that shares the benefits of both Android and Chrome while shedding the parts of each that are less than ideal. It would also help Google create more cohesion between smartphones running Android and PCs running Chrome OS.”

According to IDC, Windows maintains a firm hold on the PC operating system market, with a global share of 79.8% of new PCs in 2025. Meanwhile, ChromeOS accounts for 7.3%. Google has a steep hill to climb if it wants to eat into Microsoft’s PC dominance. However, it can potentially shine in certain segments.

More from Tom's Guide

• Qualcomm is ready to have 6G devices "as early as 2028"
• I test the best Android tablets for a living — here's my top 3 picks for 2025
• I review over 200 laptops each year, and these are the best laptops of 2025

Hold up! Are Chromebooks good now? Yea, I’m just as surprised as you are. It’s been a journey of rediscovery for me since I was blindsided by the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 — the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chipset being its ace in the hole to make one of my favorite laptops of the year.

Now, it’s the turn of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, and once again, it’s shot up the charts and is easily one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can get right now. That Arm chip makes all ChromeOS processes fly by like it's nothing, while still giving you that same MacBook-esque stamina — all packed into a shell that feels amazing to hold with great ergonomics on the keyboard and touchpad too.

There are some power ups here over Lenovo’s efforts. First, it’s a 2-in-1, so you can flip that screen right back on itself for the tablet (or tent) experience — convenient given how well integrated Android is into ChromeOS (and how Google plans to bring them even closer together). And second, that display itself is super crispy with a 2.8K OLED, which brings that same deep contrast and mesmerizing color you know and love.

But there are a couple issues to note here. First is a small one in the grand scheme of things: the display color accuracy on the Spin 514 isn’t as close to just right as the Chromebook Plus 14. Better resolution, but not quite as vivid or accurate in tones.

And second is that finish. Not to take away from the premium feel of that aluminum shell, but whatever its coated with, it does make the Spin 514 very susceptible to dings and marks (more on that later).

Finally is that common ChromeOS problem — pricing this next generation of Chromebooks at $699 (starting) puts it in direct competition with Windows laptops and cheaper Macbooks. Provided you’re sure all of what you want to do is within the relatively small realm of app support in ChromeOS, you’ll have an amazing time with the Spin. But keep in mind that you won’t be able to use many of the usual suspects like Photoshop.

So let me take a beat and explain why if you’re in the market for a Google laptop, this is one of the best Chromebooks to buy right now.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a more premium 2-in-1 Chromebook.
• Who is it for? This is ideal for those who depend on all of Google’s services for work and play — spending a ton of time in Chrome and dabbling in the vast array of the big G’s AI features.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 with MediaTek chip will launch in October at a starting price of $699.
• What do we like? Unmistakably premium for every reason — that MediaTek chip provides impressive performance and incredible power efficiency, while Acer brings the luxury aesthetic of a sleek aluminum shell, great ergonomics and a gorgeous 2.8K OLED touchscreen on a full 2-in-1 hinge.
• What don’t we like? At $699, this is definitely a pricey Chromebook laptop. Plus, the coating on the aluminum shell is very susceptible to even the smallest of impacts.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Specs

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: The ups

Like I said, I used to be a Chromebook hater (sorry Google), but with every new Arm-armed option like this, I’m finding a new love for them.

Unmistakably premium

Normally with Chromebooks, you get used to a drop in build quality — tactical choices on cheap plastic that help keep that cost down. With the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, that’s not the case, as it’s an entire aluminum shell, and a damn good-looking one at that.

Holding it in your hands, it almost feels like a luxury experience. Then opening it up, you can really feel the confidence inspired in the strength of that hinge, and you can work to your heart’s content on a keyboard that feels oh-so ergonomically sound and a touchpad with zero spongeyness to every click.

This is a gorgeous laptop. But while the coating does make it fingerprint resistant, it does mark very easily (more on that later).

Arm strength and stamina

Just like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Acer’s Spin 514 comes armed with the latest MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chipset — packing an NPU capable of 50 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS) entirely locally on the silicon. And with it being an Arm chip, you best believe you’re getting blazing speeds with impressive stamina to boot.

RAM does take a knock back to 12GB vs Lenovo’s 16GB, but I doubt you’ll be feeling that in the multitasking capabilities unless you really stretch it. I only managed to see it stutter ever so slightly at a mammoth 65 tabs.

AI operations are nice and quick on that NPU, with smart photo edits happening locally zipping by in a flash. Whatever you throw at this, you won’t lose any of that responsiveness — especially in the immediate reaction to any multitouch inputs on that screen. And speaking of the display…

Blindsided by OLED beauty

It’s a stunner. That’s all I’d need to say here to my friends, but let’s get a little more geeky here.

That 14-inch 2.8k OLED panel is super crispy and uber vivid with a nice HDR quality. And popping it on a 360-degree hinge gives you many ways to interact with it — from having your work look super pretty in laptop mode, to binge watching/using Nvidia GeForce Now in tent mode, or getting creative in tablet mode.

Yes, it’s not as color accurate as Lenovo’s panel, but for the casual workload, this will only be a problem to those who need to make super specific granular creative work and need that accuracy ensured in what they do. For everyone else, you’ll just admire the really pretty screen here.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: The downs

One of these is par for the course for Chromebooks, and the other is something that sounds small on paper, but can be a frustration if you’re keen to take care of your shiny new laptop.

Pricey for a Chromebook

But this falls into the same trap that the Chromebook Plus 14 does. At $699, you have to really want a Chromebook, because you could grab a decent Windows laptop or maybe even a slightly older MacBook at this price (the M2 MacBook Air for example).

Because while in the grand scheme of premium laptops, it’s a decent price, we are still talking about ChromeOS here. It is getting better with time, and I stand by this being the best desktop UI when it comes to working hand-in-hand with AI.

But local app support continues to be oceans away from Windows 11 and macOS. And at this high price, that may be a question.

Accident prone

This is just a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but as it triggered my ADHD for clean lines and minimal wear and tear, I have to say it. The coating atop this aluminum shell is rather prone to small signs of damage. Not to the hardware itself — this is a durable design that inspires confidence. But rather small nicks that you’ll have no idea where they came from.

For example, I’ve been carrying mine around in a laptop case in my Mous Optimal backpack. Any other laptop in there has been able to withstand any kind of carrying/gently putting the back down on the floor/desk. But here, however, a small mark has appeared on the bottom corner of the keyboard deck that has scratched off some of that silver topping.

Small things like this peeking in your peripheral vision can be annoying — especially in a laptop you’ve paid 700 bucks for.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Verdict

Wear and tear susceptibility aside, though, after crowning a new best Chromebook, I’m now giving the best 2-in-1 throne to the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. It’s seriously that good.

The laptop hardware feels phenomenal to use at every angle, the display is drop dead gorgeous, and the turbo-charged Arm engine on the inside will crush any ChromeOS task while slow-sipping that battery.

If your work and life revolve around Google products, this is the best convertible option to snag.

With rising tech prices, Chromebooks are looking better and better. Whether you need a new laptop for school, work, or home use, Chromebooks offer a fantastic balance between price, performance, and efficiency. And fortunately, Best Buy has some great deals on top-rated Chromebooks for Labor Day, helping you save even more money on already-affordable laptops.

Best Buy is offering quite a few deep discounts that knock off over 50% of popular Chromebooks. For example, you can save $210 and snag HP’s 14-inch Chromebook for only $119. Or, score $160 in savings and pick up the Acer Chromebook 315 for just $139, a laptop that comes with a bonus protective sleeve.

Scroll on to see the rest of the Chromebooks I’d recommend from the Best Buy Labor Day sale, and feel free to check out the other Labor Day sales we’ve rounded up if you need a new TV, a fresh pair of headphones, or some early holiday gifts.

Quick Links

• shop the best Chromebook deals at Best Buy from $119
• HP 14-inch Chromebook: was $329 now $119
• Acer Chromebook 315: was $299 now $139
• HP 15.6-inch Chromebook: was $429 now $199
• Lenovo Duet 11 Chromebook: was $399 now $229
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $399 now $249
• HP 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook: was $479 now $279
• Acer Chromebook Spin 312 2-in-1: was $449 now $299
• Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: was $649 now $399
• HP 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus: was $629 now $399
• Asus CX34 Chromebook Plus: was $599 now $429
• Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: was $749 now $599

Best Chromebook deals

Choosing one of the best laptops is daunting enough, but shopping for the best laptop for students presents its own set of challenges. With so many brands and possible configurations, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. While that’s natural, finding the best notebook for your needs is important, as a good one can make your school year easier, while a bad one can make the semester a bigger headache.

Even though it’s been decades since I’ve set foot inside a campus or classroom, I’ve reviewed enough laptops to know what aspects students should consider. To that end, I've put this article together to detail what students should look out for. And of course, I’ll drop some specific recommendations to make things even easier.

By keeping everything I’m about to discuss in mind, you’ll be in a better position to make an informed decision on which laptop will serve your needs as a student. Here are the three most important things to consider when shopping for a student laptop.

Price

Price is likely the most important thing students think about when shopping for a laptop. Though some can afford an expensive laptop that can do it all, most students can’t. Because of that, you’ll want a machine that’s suitable for basic school work involving writing papers and surfing the web for research. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a lot to get these basics.

A Chromebook or a cheap Windows laptop with an Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM is the bare minimum you should look for to handle simple tasks. However, if you want something speedier and that can handle more than basic writing and web browsing, look for beefier laptops with at least an Intel Core i5 CPU from the past few years, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB to 512GB SSD for storage. These stronger laptops should still be relatively affordable.

For $300, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is a good choice for budget-conscious students who just want a machine that gets the job done. While its plastic-feeling build isn’t great, the 15-inch display, roomy keyboard, generous port selection, and over 10-hour battery life make up for that. If you like Macs, the MacBook Air M1 is still available from Walmart for under $700. This notebook still delivers smooth performance and over 13 hours of battery life.

Portability

Whether it’s traveling to school or walking around campus each day, you’ll want a laptop that’s thin and lightweight. After all, you have enough burdens to deal with, and a big and heavy laptop shouldn’t be one of them. Of course, a small and thin laptop means some trade-offs.

For instance, machines like the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Air are very light and slim, but their 13-inch screens might be too small for you. You can get a larger display on a premium ultraportable like the 15-inch MacBook Air M4 without worrying too much about weight, but once you start getting into the realm of 16-inch to 18-inch screens, expect your laptop to weigh at least 3-5 pounds.

For one of the best ultraportable laptops, you can’t go wrong with the 13-inch MacBook Air M4. This is the laptop I like to travel with during work trips since I barely know it’s even in my backpack. For a thin and light Windows laptop, the recent Dell 14 Premium is a fantastic device to consider.

Battery life

There used to be a time when the best Chromebooks were the industry leaders for laptop battery life. However, these days it’s MacBooks and Windows laptops that are leaders of the pack. To that end, your choices are between Mac and Windows for the best battery life.

Right now, Windows laptops with the best battery life pack Snapdragon X processors. However, since these are Qualcomm’s Arm chips, you might encounter some compatibility issues with select hardware. The latest MacBooks all have Apple silicon inside, and good software support for most things (except games). They also tend to have at least 14 hours of battery life, which is more than enough to get you through a full school day.

That's how my team and I know that the latest MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro is currently one of the best laptops for battery life: it lasted nearly 21 hours (20:46) in our battery test, beating out every other consumer-grade laptop we've tested so far. The Dell XPS 13 (20:51) isn't far behind, making it our second most recommended laptop if battery life is what matters most to you.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just got my hands on the new Framework Laptop 12, and this one feature is a game-changer
• Apple is ripping a page from Microsoft with this macOS Tahoe feature — and I couldn't be happier
• Windows 10 dies in October — 3 ways to avoid upgrading to Windows 11

OK I’ve got a confession to make — I’ve been a Chromebook hater for years. While I appreciate what they offer, I don't think dirt-cheap Google laptops are worth it. It's better to spend a little more for a Windows laptop or MacBook with more features.

Google’s AI ambitions ushered in the world of Chromebook Plus laptops in late 2023, which I started to warm to, but it's the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 that has finally helped me see the light. I'm the grumpy old man who's been yelling at kids on his lawn for years and finally offers them all ice cream (yes, I look forward to being this person when I retire).

This is easily the best Chromebook you can buy, and I had no problem whatsoever switching from my daily driver MacBook and using this for a week.

So what changed? Well, it comes down to three key things:

• Performance and power efficiency: The battery life on Chromebooks is always pretty good, but that’s due to weakened internals that can’t really handle more than a few Chrome tabs. With a new MediaTek chip in the Chromebook Plus 14, you’re getting both zippy speeds and plenty of stamina.
• Actual usability: Chrome OS is essentially an operating system built around the Chrome browser, but more and more apps and capabilities are here than ever before. Especially with the beefy NPU built into the Kompanio chip inside, you can do quick things like Google’s magic photo edits without an internet connection.
• A fully-fledged AI suite: Whether for your studies, work life or general day-to-day, getting a year of Google AI Pro for free is insanely good value — Gemini Pro has been a huge help for everything from my research to workout plans, and Veo 3 is a crazy good video generation platform.

Plus, it all comes in a seriously good-feeling laptop with a gorgeous OLED display, a fantastically tactile keyboard you’d expect from Lenovo, and a utilitarian aluminum construction that adds a great premium feel to it all.

I know the news broke recently about Android and Chrome OS “combining” into a single platform, and make no mistake about it, the $649 Chromebook Plus 14 should be at the front of the line for this. It’s easily one of the best laptops I’ve used all year, and a fantastic notebook for college students.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a premium Chromebook.
• Who is it for? This is ideal for those whose workloads revolve around Google’s suite of apps, and who spend a lot of their personal time in Chrome too — whether you’re a student or a professional.
• What does it cost? Right now, you can pick one up for $649 (though it doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere). The price goes up to $749 if you want a touch screen.
• What do we like? Put simply, it’s just a really damn good laptop. The build quality is impressive, the OLED display is mesmerizing (pairing quite well with the crystal clear speakers), ergonomics are sound, and the MediaTek chip provides surprisingly strong power with great battery life.
• What don’t we like? Obviously at $649, this is on the pricier side for a Chromebook Plus laptop. Of course, you’re getting higher quality specs for the cost, but this does put it squarely in a more upmarket category than the cheaper systems that can do essentially the same thing.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Specs

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: The ups

I fired up the Chromebook Plus 14, put my MacBook on ice (not literally) and daily drove this as my work system for a week. And all it took was seven days to become a full Chrome OS convert.

Shockingly good performance and battery life

Let’s get into what’s most important here. With Chrome OS being a much more simplistic system to run, you see laptop makers compromise on the system specs. Not that you’d overtly feel it — these Chromebooks are usually zippy enough. But under multitasking pressures, they can quickly crumble and the lower-end battery takes a serious hit.

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is built different — packed with a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 Arm chipset, 16GB of RAM and a beefy 60Wh battery, you’re getting all that speed of an Arm chip with the stamina to boot.

And aiding that further is the 50 TOPS NPU built onto the chipset too — making this the first Chromebook to have its own AI-focused brain for offline processing for tasks like photo editing. This puts this system into worry-free battery life territory for a whole day’s usage.

Oh, and shoutout to the thermal management here. Much like the M4 MacBook Air, the Chromebook Plus 14 is able to run at an impressive sustained speed without the need for a fan. Whisper-quiet performance is a joy when I want to embrace complete silence while working.

Glorious OLED and immersive speakers

But of course, working by day is one thing. A great laptop has to be just as effective at being an all-in-one entertainment machine by night too (or for background Lo-Fi while you work), and the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 delivers this in spades.

It all starts with a gorgeously vivid 14-inch OLED display up top. Sporting impressive color accuracy and deep, inky blacks, this panel is fantastic for not only getting stuff done on, but for immersing yourself in whatever you’re binge-watching on Netflix.

Topping it all off are the speakers, and I have to be honest here — these give MacBooks a serious run for their money. They’re loud, crystal clear, and have a nice amount of warmth to the lows.

AI smarts out the wazoo

Out the box, you’re getting the Google AI Pro Plan for 12 months — a $200-per year suite of features including higher levels of access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, NotebookLM with higher limits, Gemini across the entire Google suite, access to the AI filmmaking tool Flow (with Google Veo 3), Jules AI coding agent and 2TB of Drive storage.

I’m never one to include the freebies companies include in their laptops into my judgement, but the fact of the matter is that AI brings everything together in the best of ways. Chrome OS is already the better choice when it comes to sneaking AI into your workload — adding it into the right click options contextually rather than overlaying it clumsily on everything.

But NotebookLM has become an incredible thinking partner for me across everything I do (and is a fantastic tool for college studies), Gemini is a top tier brainstormer, and while I’m sure Veo 3 can be utilized for incredible professional video uses, I’m still having so much fun with it.

It’s the glue that brings this collage of one of my favorite laptop of 2025 together.

Just a really well-built laptop

Let’s not forget the fundamentals of being a good laptop. Its utilitarian aesthetic is a premium sight to behold, which is a huge jump forward from the cheap plastic options you find across the Chromebook market.

The slimline, lightweight aluminum construction is nice and durable, while being easy enough to throw into a backpack between classes (or meetings). The 5MP webcam is a seriously sharp shooter with great color.

And of course, the ergonomics have got to be rock solid. With Lenovo behind the wheel, you can expect that and more.

The tactile feel of that keyboard feels spectacular, and is paired with a silky smooth touchpad with great multitouch controls. Plus, if you spring the extra hundred bucks, that touchscreen is super responsive to any input.

This all comes together to become a laptop you’re genuinely happy using — seriously unexpected for a former Chromebook denier like myself.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: The downs

Honestly? There’s only one downside to this, and it’s something that comes with the territory of Chromebooks always being dirt cheap.

$649 is kind of steep

Don’t get me wrong — you do really get what you pay for here. It’s a premium laptop with great performance and battery life, and the best AI suite for a year. But when Chromebook Plus laptops have typically fit into that $350-$500 space over the past year, this price is definitely on the higher end for a Chromebook.

For example, you could get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for a very similar price (or cheaper during sales season), and you get a full version of Windows for a far wider range of apps supported. Of course, you get a way worse display, but it's a trade-off you'd have to think about.

The Chromebook Plus 14 is, indeed, value for money when you see what you get. But this puts it in more direct competition with other laptops, and kind of eliminates that value message.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Verdict

My days of dunking on Chromebooks are over. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is one of the best laptops I’ve used all year. Not only is it all really well-put together with a great design, ergonomics, a beautiful OLED display and sharp webcam, but Chrome OS has come along leaps and bounds to be a seriously good AI-fueled system that can help you get things done.

If $649 is in your budget for heading to college or looking for an all-dayer for productivity, this stamina monster is a fantastic buy, and the true realization of the Chromebook vision that has turned me into a fan.

There are plenty of Chromebooks on the market, but picking the best Chromebook for your needs can be tricky. Some are underpowered, whereas others are overpriced.

Fortunately, back to school sales are underway and Best Buy has Chromebooks on sale from $219. The sale includes some basic machines — that are great for Web-based tasks — as well as deals on more powerful Chromebooks that could even serve as your main laptop. Below I've rounded up my top five deals. (For more discounts, check out our guide to the best back to school laptop sales).

Quick Links

• shop all Chromebook deals at Best Buy from $219
• Lenovo IdeaPad 3i: was $249 now $219
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: was $399 now $279
• Acer Chromebook Plus 516: was $479 now $379
• Asus CX34 Plus: was $599 now $479
• Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: was $749 now $599

Best Chromebook deals

There are plenty of Chromebooks on the market, but not all of them make for a great back to school laptop. Some are underpowered whereas others are packing outdated tech. Enter the Lenovo Flex 5i.

As part of its back to school sale, Best Buy has the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus on sale for $449. That's one of the best back to school laptop sales I've seen this week on a laptop that won our Editor's Choice award.

• shop all Chromebook at Best Buy from $129

Some of the best Chromebooks are known for their affordable prices, but as you'll find in our Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review, this one takes the cake. It's one of our favorite 2-in-1 Chromebooks for good reason, and I'd happily put my work laptop on the side to use this lightweight, versatile machine instead.

It has a crisp 14-inch 2K touch display that not only is great for productivity, but also for watching the latest shows on. It also packs an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. That's not going to break any speed records, but for young students it's more than enough power to access cloud-based and stream shows.

It also offers over 10 hours of battery life, which is way more than what most work laptops can push out these days. Plus, its portable, compact design (just 3.5 pounds) is ideal for using as a laptop or tablet.

It may be a tad small for some, especially when typing on its keyboard, and for those who require more horsepower for demanding apps, this isn't for you. However, as a driver for all online tasks, which ChromeOS is best at, this laptop is a solid bargain.

Chrome OS is good and all, but it’s always felt distant — on an island of its own away from the might of Android. Well, it turns out Google finally got the memo to send a rescue boat out to said island, as an executive has confirmed the company’s plans to combine the two platforms.

This comes in an interview with TechRadar, where Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem at Google, just dropped this nugget into a conversation about why the interviewer was using a suite of Apple devices.

Now, we have heard this before. Back in November, Android Authority reported that a source inside Google had said this was the mission. However, this is the first time Google has confirmed it on-the-record. And honestly? It may be a few years late in my eyes, but I’m glad it’s finally happening. Let me explain.

Android’s hitting the big screen

This comes off the back of Android bringing some new big screen features to the table, such as a proper desktop mode a la Samsung Dex, improved adaptability of apps, better external display support and windowing within the desktop.

Basically, Android is now able to do pretty much everything that a Chromebook could, so why have the two running side by side in isolation of each other?

I’ll always appreciate what Chrome OS has brought to the table, though. I mean with the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Google was able to make low-key one of the best laptops for students, sharpen up the OS with quick shortcuts and add AI features that are logically added rather than clumsily overlaid (looking at you, Microsoft Copilot).

But what was learnt in Chrome OS can also come over to Android too, and having it all in one place unlocks a special new perk on the computing skill tree.

‘It just works’

This is the moniker you hear around a lot of Apple devices. It’s one of the reasons why I use them, why Lance who conducted this interview at TechRadar uses them, and hell, it’s probably why a lot of you out there use them.

The fact that everything just comes together through Continuity features and marries these devices together nicely is always one of Apple’s superpowers that Google has been able to do somewhat, but just not to the level of smoothness you’d find in the Cupertino playground.

To do it properly, you need real sync up in the operating systems, which for all the heavy lifting Google did with Chrome OS to try and make it talk to Android, it was just not feasible. But now a proper merger is on the cards, this is the answer to all of its problems.

And stat-wise it makes sense too. According to most recent data, around 1.25% of the world’s computer users are on Chrome OS — down from nearly 2% last year. With a downward trajectory, change needed to happen, and this might just be the smartest decision the company’s made in a decade.

So what now?

As this was a quick quote from a Google exec, there are some questions I have that remain unanswered as of now:

• Does this mean any Android device could be a desktop device too? Imagine the Pixel 10 getting a laptop-esque accessory (like the long-gone NexDock) to browse your device like a laptop. Pretty cool, right?
• What does this mean for current Chromebooks? Android does technically work on Arm and the more computer-traditional x86 architectures (I go more into the differences in my review of the AMD-armed Asus Zenbook S16), but we’re talking over 99% of its features and apps have been built with Arm in mind. What happens to Chromebooks that are running older Intel chips? Are hardware requirements going to change drastically and leave these people in the cold?
• What about updates? Chrome OS is usually updated every four weeks, mostly for security reasons but Google does sneak some new features in there too. Will moving to Android’s more infrequent feature drops affect this?

We don't have answers to any of these, and it'll be just a case of waiting and seeing what happens (my guess is by the time Android 17 rolls around). But as far as the initial news itself goes, this is an encouraging step in the right direction for Chromebooks.

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I've had enough of my Microsoft Surface work laptop: it's old, slow and its battery life is miserable. So, an upgrade is needed, and Prime Day has just the sales I'm looking for to replace my laptop on the cheap.

Now, I'd never think to grab a Chromebook, but grabbing one of the best for less than $250/£250? That's the value we're all looking for.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is now down to its lowest price yet at Amazon, and at just $229, I'd swap my aging laptop for this 2-in-1 Chromebook. It's the latest model, packs enough power for all my online tasks and is extremely portable. Plus, it doubles as a tablet with the easy-to-use ChromeOS.

It's one of the best Prime Day laptop deals we've seen, as it really is hard to beat getting a 2-in-1 bundle (stand and keyboard included) for just $239. For students or families after an affordable laptop (and myself), this Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a steal. Oh, and the deal applies to both the U.S. and U.K.!

Some of the best Chromebooks are known for their affordable prices, but as you'll find in our Lenovo Chromebook Duet review, this one takes the cake. It's one of our favorite 2-in-1 Chromebooks for good reason, and I'd happily put my work laptop on the side to use this lightweight, versatile machine instead.

I've been impressed by how far Chromebooks have come over the years, using the latest Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus as my main driver while I was testing it and doing everything I'd normally do on a daily basis with ease.

That's what the Lenovo Chromebook Duet offers, too, with a bright, crips 11-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS display that not only is great for productivity, but also for watching the latest shows on.

It also offers over 10 hours of battery life, which is way more than what my work laptops can push out these days. Plus, its portable, compact design (just 2.1 pounds!) with a detachable keyboard is ideal for me when taking it out and working on public transport or a coffee spot.

It may be a tad small for some, especially when typing on its keyboard, and for those who require more horsepower for demanding apps, this isn't for you. However, as a driver for all online tasks, which ChromeOS is best at, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a surprisingly reliable laptop (and tablet) to grab. I mean, for under $230? It's hard to go wrong.

That's just one deal I recommend you put on your radar, but our Amazon Prime Day live blog has plenty more offers worth scooping up.

Picking the best laptop for college is a tricky decision to make — what OS to go for, how much power you actually need for your studies, any actually useful AI features and what about the battery life? All questions form a finely tuned balance you need to find for your course.

Well, if you’re looking for a recommendation that cuts through all the marketing noise (including Apple’s rather hilarious PowerPoint presentation), I’d like to put one in front of you. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is a serious shout for the best back-to-school buy you can make.

With a gorgeous OLED screen, the most powerful Arm chip I’ve seen in a Chromebook, an OLED display and up to 17 hours of battery life, the hardware has a lot going for it. But the real beauty lies in the software and its logical AI implementations.

And while comparatively, this is quite pricey for a Chromebook starting at $649, I believe for what you get, it’s absolutely worthwhile. Let’s get into it.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Specs

An AI productivity powerhouse

Before I go into all the “just laptop things,” I want to hone in on that MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip. You see, up until this point, AI on a Chromebook has been very much reliant on the cloud — given the lower-end chips used to keep costs down.

For most of us always being surrounded by Wi-Fi, that’s fine, but it does cause latency in the features that matter. But with a new chip that sports an NPU capable of 50 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS), Google and Lenovo are moving over to a hybrid approach.

This brings on-device AI features that are sensibly implemented and actually useful! First thing’s first, Smart Grouping — perfect for a multi-tab Chrome browsing monster like me.

If you’re working across multiple projects and need to bring some structure to what you do, the on-board AI is able to analyze all your tabs and separate them into different desktops by task.

The speed of doing this is a cinch, too, as you just swipe up with three fingers on the touchpad and you’ll see the suggestion appear at the bottom. Then Chrome OS works it all out for you. It’s a level of smart organization that you just can’t find on a Windows laptop or a MacBook at the moment.

Then there’s AI image editing directly in the gallery app. This is more of a “fun to have” than a real useful tool, but it does drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to remove a background and create a PNG sticker of the subject.

Up to the cloud

But the AI features don’t stop there. I could go on about the 12 months of Google AI Pro that you get for free — giving you access to 2TB of cloud storage, Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Research, Veo 3 video generation platform and the incredible NotebookLM (perfect for notetaking in lectures).

But what caught my eye the most is the intelligent Text capture that plugs into all your Google services. Essentially, this is the company’s circle to search feature on speed, as it is able to capture text from any image and take contextual action on it.

So, beyond the usual capture a picture and shop for the thing via Google Search, you could highlight a text entry and get it as editable text in Google Docs, capture an event promo image and add it as a Google Calendar event.

In my testing, I wrote out a table by hand, highlighted the picture of it, and it was still able to intelligently recognize and turn it into a spreadsheet. This could be huge for people who work out by doodling to digitize their work.

Also, shoutout to the Simplify expansion to help me read, which can take complex subject matter and dumb down the language a bit. Now I can finally sound as clued up on deep psychological studies as my fiancée!

Not forgetting the fundamentals

For all the things I do like about using a Chromebook, one thing that can get lost along the way is actually being a good laptop. I’ve faced a minefield of mushy keyboards, bad speakers, poor displays and battery life that drops to zero if you even look at it funny.

With the Chromebook Plus 14, I think Lenovo’s cracked it. First of all, I can’t ignore that dazzling OLED screen, which Google has gone ahead and paired with NASA to make some custom wallpapers of Jupiter to really make it sing.

This makes it an ideal panel that’s easy on the eyes for getting work done, which is further backed up by a properly tactile-feeling keyboard (that same comfortable thump to each key that you know and love from Lenovo) and a smooth, clicky touchpad.

It also comes in clutch for those moments when you’re so over your studies for the evening, as the Dolby Atmos setup of two woofers and two tweeters sounds fantastic (even in the busy room I was in). That’s sure to make this a binge-watching beast or a great laptop to turn to for firing up the playlist in your student dorms.

That Arm chip doesn’t stutter when opening any programs. With 12-16GB of RAM, I didn’t feel any slowdown or hitching when I took the Plus 14 up over 20 tabs. And Lenovo is stepping up to the mighty stamina of MacBooks with a claimed 17-hour battery life.

And all of this in a premium aluminum shell with a playful ribbed plastic underside and a 5MP webcam for catching up with your family at home. Everything has been considered here, and when it comes to the typical Chromebook compromises, none of them have been made.

Outlook

For some of these claims (like battery life), I’ll leave that for our full review (coming soon), but early impressions are strong. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is a shoo-in for the best Chromebook I’ve ever tested, and possibly one of the best laptops of 2025, too.

It’s easy to count out Chrome OS as the third-place option in favor of Windows 11 and macOS. However, with system-level AI implementations across the board that actually make sense and an incredibly easy-to-use UI.

Of course, there are the big question marks here, like dedicated app support. Google does say that more are coming, but we’ll wait and see on that. But in terms of a solidly powerful system with a great screen, zippy internals, a great screen for binge watching and a stellar OS for getting stuff done, this has everything a student needs.

More from Tom's Guide

• I paired my Pixel with a Chromebook — and MacBooks could learn a thing or two
• I tried gaming on a Chromebook for a week — and it's better than I expected
• Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2024) review

Google has revealed new Gemini-powered accessibility updates for Android and Chrome ahead of Google I/O, in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

The new updates were revealed in a Google blog post, the first set of which use Google Gemini to help people better understand what is happening on their screens. Last year, we saw Google introduce Talk Back, which uses AI to generate descriptions of images, even if they had no alt-text. However, thanks to Gemini, users will soon be able to ask questions about images and receive generated responses. For instance, you could ask about the color of a car that your friend sent you an image of.

On top of that, Google Gemini can be asked questions about your whole screen, making it much faster to search through a webpage. For example, you could ask Gemini if there are any deals on a store page, or if there are any critical updates on a news site.

For those who are hard of hearing, Google is rolling out its Expressive Captions feature for its devices. This will allow the captions on the video to better match the tone and cadence of the person speaking. For instance, if the speaker extends their vowels in excitement, the text will match that. Google is also adding more labels for specific sounds, making it easier to tell if someone is coughing, whistling or clearing their throat.

Chrome is also becoming more accessible

The blog post includes several new additions to Chrome on both desktops/laptops and mobile. This includes the addition of Optical Character Recognition, which allows your device to easily recognise a PDF that’s been scanned into your desktop Chrome browser. This is especially useful for users with screen readers, apps which struggled with these file types before.

Google is also adding page zoom functionality to Google Chrome on Android, making it much easier to change the text size to fit your preference. To make use of the feature, users will need to tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the screen. From there, all you’ll need to do is select the zoom preferences option to change the size of the text.

Special needs students are getting extra help

Google is building upon features like Face Control and Reading mode by allowing Chromebooks to work with the College Board's Bluebook testing app. This means that when students take their SATs as well as most Advanced Placement exams, they’ll have access to all of Google’s accessibility features, including ChromeVox screen reader and Dictation, as well as the College Board's own tools.

Finally, app developers will be getting access to Google’s open-source repositories via Project Euphonia’s GitHub page. This will allow them to better train their models and develop personalized audio tools using diverse speech patterns.

Overall, these are some great-sounding additions for anyone with special needs, and will help to make some of the best Android phones and best laptops that much easier to use. We expect more features to be announced during Google I/O next week, so keep an eye out for all the news as we hear it.

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The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is a slightly above-average, entry-level 2-in-1 device with budget internals. It's not the cheapest Chromebook on the market, but with a wimpy processor and a lackluster display, it sure feels like it.

The Chromebook Spin 314 is fine for surfing the web, using Android apps, and streaming. You won't have a problem writing on a Google Doc or watching YouTube. In its tablet mode, you can use Android apps in their original portrait orientation. Tablet mode is also great when you want to read comics, draw, or use touch to navigate.

One of the best things about this device is its battery life. It lasts a full work day and can be fully charged from zero in around one hour. Whether you're working on a project all day or binge-watching a show, you can rest easy knowing this 2-in-1 won’t suddenly run out of power. With more ports than some high-end laptops, you can easily connect to an external monitor via HDMI or attach a storage device in any of the three USB ports.

Despite some highlights, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 falls short of being one of the best Chromebooks or best 2-in-1 laptops. From the weak specs, outdated keyboard and disappointing display, there are too many things about this notebook that feel cheap. While it is a budget, entry-level machine, it does little to impress and stand out from better Chromebooks.

Find out more in my full review of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A budget-friendly, entry-level 2-in-1 Chromebook.
• Who is for? Those who want a 2-in-1 laptop and are on a tight budget.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 we reviewed costs $499 on Amazon. A version with less memory and storage is also available for $429.
• What do we like? We like having a 2-in-1 device at this price point. It's great for entertainment.
• What don't we like? With an underpowered processor, the device is limited to web surfing and light gaming via Google Play apps.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: The ups

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lets you take full advantage of the Google Play Store’s slew of apps. The all-day battery life and generous port selection are also noteworthy features.

2-in-1 functionality

This 2-in-1 Chromebook is a lot better than I expected. While the laptop has a flimsy build, the hinges move smoothly when you open and close the device. Rotating from laptop to tablet mode is easy. There’s even an external power button and volume rocker near the ports, eliminating the need to convert back to laptop mode when powering off the device or adjusting music volume.

With a 14-inch screen, converting this device to a tablet is a choice. Whether I was watching YouTube or reading comics, I couldn't stop thinking about how ridiculous it all looked. I mean, can you imagine reading Invincible on a monitor-sized device at a coffee shop? Surely, someone will crack a joke.

Despite the size, the 2-in-1 functionality works well thanks to the inclusion of Android apps on Chromebook devices. Instead of a glorified web browser, the Chromebook can now do a lot more, and it's even more functional because of the tablet conversion.

This allows you to fully utilize Android apps designed for touch controls. While it's still possible to use Android apps in laptop mode, sizing can be weird, and using the mouse and keyboard can feel less intuitive, depending on the app.

Just enough battery for a full day

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 has good battery life. If you're mainly using the web browser for work, entertainment, and general web surfing, the battery should last you all day. In our lab testing, it endured for a little over ten hours on average, which is just enough to get you through the workday.

When I used the laptop, the battery life was much shorter because I had to crank up the brightness of the display for reasons I'll get into later. I also mostly used the Chromebook to watch YouTube and read comics, causing the battery to last closer to six hours than nine. That's not bad if you're planning to use this laptop for entertainment instead of solely for work.

What makes the shorter battery life more palatable is the fast charge time. You can charge this device from nearly depleted to full in about an hour.

More ports than some high-end laptops

Budget laptops often skimp on build quality and port selection. This one doesn't do the latter. You have a full HDMI port here, not a mini or micro HDMI. If the single display isn't working for you, you can easily hook up to another display to watch a film or have multiple windows for productivity.

In addition to HDMI, this Chromebook has two USB-A ports and a single USB-C port that doubles as a power supply and data port. Since this isn't a laptop I would use for editing video or photos, I don't see how much use these ports would get, but having a variety of ports is never bad.

I used the 3.5mm audio port the most during my testing. I hooked up my Truthear X Crinacle Zero in-ear monitor, which sounded fine. While the laptop doesn't have built-in EQ software, such as Dolby Advanced Audio or Creative's Sound Blaster Control Panel, the port has enough juice to power my IEM, at least.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: The downs

You can't expect a budget Chromebook to perform like a high-end device. Surfing the web and watching YouTube is smooth, but if you want to play games like Zenless Zone Zero or edit video using the Android version of Davinci Resolve, you'll be disappointed. Additionally, the build quality makes this device feel cheap.

Underwhelming performance

The Spin 314 contains an Intel i3-N305 CPU with integrated Intel UHD graphics. Jargon aside, this is a laptop that's about as powerful as a tablet or phone from a few years ago. In terms of performance, this chip is about on par with Apple's A13 Bionic chip, which is featured in the iPhone 11 and the 9th Gen iPad.

In our lab tests, the Spin 314 turned in disappointing single- and multi-core scores. It didn't fare well in the Wildlife Extreme 3D graphics benchmark. Sure, other Chromebooks we've tested didn't do much better, but that's little consolation.

If all you plan to do is browse the internet, stream your favorite shows and movies, read comics, or play the occasional game, the laptop should provide a stable experience. But if you're thinking of downloading Steam on this laptop and playing games like you would on the best gaming laptops, I'd think again.

Tablet-made apps for photo editing and video editing are also largely out of the question, especially with only 8 GB of RAM to play with. You might be able to get away with creating a short clip on Capcut using FHD video, but I wouldn't.

Outdated keyboard

The keyboard on this Chromebook doesn't feel bad to type on. It's a bit stiffer than I would like, but I still enjoy the tactility, and it's also relatively quiet. Acer managed to cram in the numbers row and function keys to manage volume, brightness, and even screen recording.

My main issue is with the cheap keycaps, which are dye-sublimated. This means the letters and symbols on the keyboard are essentially stuck on. You can very clearly see the outline of the symbols.

While this looks very cheap, that's not the only reason many hate sublimated keycaps; it's that the symbols rub off over time. Sure, the keycaps look good now. In a few years, though, the symbols on those keys may be blurred or completely gone.

My other issue with the keyboard is the lack of backlit keys. This is an essential laptop keyboard feature these days. I like to write at night, and though the light from the display is often enough, I rely on the backlit keys, especially when I dim the screen at night to preserve my vision.

Backlit keys might have solved my other issue since Acer would’ve had to use shine-through keycaps that utilize the double-shot process. This process uses two types of plastic in a mold to create keys with characters that never fade, unlike the keys on this device.

Inaccurate and reflective display

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 has a touch display that comes in handy when using the device in tablet mode. The touch display also works well when using the device as a laptop.

While I'm happy with the touch display, I can't say the same for its color reproduction.

For color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3), the target is 100%. But as you can see in our testing data, this Chromebook falls well below that. Yes, it's Delta-E (color accuracy) is fairly standard for a laptop, but the poor color reproduction effectively negates that. With hues like this, it's no wonder YouTube videos and games look flat. And if you want to use a photo editing app like Lightroom, don’t bother.

My other issue with the display is the reflectiveness. It's some of the worst I've ever seen on a laptop display. Cranking up the display to 100% isn’t worth it because the average brightness of this display is slightly below 300 nits.

That's not the worst brightness. However, this display needs a maximum brightness of 400-600 nits or more to overcome the reflectiveness. I advise you not to use this laptop when the display is facing anything bright, like a window or a lightbulb.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 gets some things right. It delivers all-day performance and charges quickly. With the ability to turn into a tablet, it’s also great for playing mobile games and watching streaming shows. It also offers a good port selection.

Despite its virtues, this laptop costs too much for what it offers. The so-so processor and cheap display dampen the experience. For over $100 less, you can get the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. Or, if you don't care about the 2-in-1 feature, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a great option that costs roughly the same.

Although Chromebooks have a reputation for being budget machines, the Spin 314 is, ultimately, a little too budget for my taste. I recommend buying another Chromebook; after all, other, much better Chromebooks offer 2-in-1 functionality.

I wouldn't usually think a Chromebook could go toe-to-toe with a MacBook or a Windows PC, but pair a Pixel with it, and there's a whole new category it conquers.

Let's be clear: Google's take on laptops thrive at being affordable machines for basic productivity, and I've become a fan of what they've been able to achieve — especially with its Chromebook Plus lineup.

Can they match the raw power of a Windows laptop or MacBook? Not a chance. But when it comes to bringing another part of its ecosystem into the mix via Phone Hub? Now we're talking.

So far on my device ecosystem journey, I've matched my iPhone 16 with a MacBook and even paired that iPhone with a Windows PC. And I have to say, using my Pixel 7 Pro with a Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus has shown me how much Google has nailed connectivity between devices.

How so? Well, keeping in mind that the best Chromebooks are budget-friendly machines compared to their Windows and Mac rivals, the Phone Hub tool is packed with intuitive, easy-to-use connectivity features. Plus, streaming an app from a Pixel straight to a Chromebook never gets old — and that includes games.

That's not to knock what Apple's suite of Continuity features can do, as you're also able to mirror your iPhone on Mac and more. But the cross-connection between a Pixel and Chromebook showcases that you don't have to pay extra to enjoy a seamless ecosystem of devices.

This isn't solely for Pixel users, as Android phones can unlock many of the same benefits on a ChromeOS laptop, too (take that, Apple). From opening recent Chrome tabs and jumping on a personal hotspot with a click of a button to even locating your phone, there's a lot to praise about this connection between a phone and a laptop.

After using my Pixel with a Chromebook, here are the features I got a kick out of — and you shouldn't miss out on them either.

Pairing made simple

As with most brands with multiple devices linked together in a grand ecosystem, Google makes a connection immediately noticeable when its products are close to one another (call it a "Spidey sense" of sorts).

That happens when a Chromebook picks up that you use a Pixel. By using Fast Pair, I was immediately able to connect the Pixel 7 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and I was off to the races. There are a few permissions you have to accept, but as long as both devices have Bluetooth on and share the same Wi-Fi network, they can instantly interchange between one another.

This wasn't unlike me pairing my iPhone 16 with a MacBook Air, but the Pixel-Chromebook combo gets some kudos for a very simple implementation: there's a Phone Hub icon right on the Chromebook's taskbar.

It's here where you can easily interact with features on your Pixel right from your Chromebooks screen. I can check my phone's battery life, silence it, connect to its hotspot if I'm in need of internet access (and for ChromeOS, you will) and even locate it.

I know, these are minor features that may or may not be used from time to time, but if it means I don't have to take out my Pixel to check its battery, turn on silence mode if it's making a racket and even find out where it is, all on the laptop, that's a bonus.

All that is always easily accessible — as it should be — playing to the strengths of what Chromebooks do best: simplicity.

But that's just the scratching the surface, as the trump card under Phone Hub's sleeve is being able to stream apps from a Pixel right on a Chromebook.

Your apps on screen

Who doesn't want more screens? Big, small, however they come, having an extra way to multitask on one device is a boon. That's why I've enjoyed using iPhone Mirroring on my MacBook, as I could access all of its apps without actually using the phone itself.

Well, a Chromebook can do the same with a Pixel. Sort of. Using Phone Hub, you can stream apps on a Chromebook and use them as you usually would. And I mean any app.

So, instead of streaming the whole phone interface like a Mac would with an iPhone, it does specific apps instead. I found this to be an easier way to interact with the apps I want to use on the Pixel, instead of using the phone like usual on a Chromebook. However, there is one caveat, which I'll get to.

By being able to use my apps on the Pixel through the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, I could reply to messages on WhatsApp, open up Google Docs, check out websites on Chrome, scroll through Instagram and, even better, play games.

I tried playing Balatro, and Phone Hub even changed the aspect ratio for a better experience. As I found when trying to play games on a Chromebook, these machines aren't exactly built for gaming, but my Pixel 7 Pro can handle many more Play Store games, and it gives me a way to play them on a Chromebook.

This is incredibly handy to have, especially as I'm inclined to watching some YouTube videos while playing that extremely addictive card game. Now, I can do it all on the Chromebook's screen. I've found that stream can stutter a tad depending on my Wi-Fi connection, but it works all the same.

I wish I was able to move the window displaying the streamed app, as it seems to be permanently locked to where Phone Hub is placed (towards the bottom-right side of the Chromebook). This isn't a huge nuisance, but being able to freely move where I want to view my apps would be appreciated.

Regardless, being able to open all my recently used apps, and anymore I want to use, right in Phone Hub on a Chromebook has been a slightly simpler process than when using an iPhone and Mac connection. Not bad, Google.

The sprinkles on top

Chromebooks and Pixel devices fully utilize Google's suite of apps, and the connection between these two makes full use of that. Along with being able to check notifications in Phone Hub, it's also able to pull up recent Chrome tabs and photos taken on the Pixel.

I've talked about my joy of being able to quickly pick up where I left off from one device to another, and I've enjoyed features like AirDrop for Windows or Handoff on MacBooks that streamlines my productivity. A Pixel and Chromebook connection can mimic this.

While syncing Google Photos means I can pull up any picture on my Chromebook after taking it on my Pixel 7 Pro, Phone Hub skips a step by allowing me to pick a recent photo I've taken, download it, edit it and send it off. As someone who always snaps photos for reviews and beyond, I'm all for this seamless connection for photos.

Aside from being able to stream apps like Chrome, Phone Hub can also display recent Chrome apps used on a Pixel and I can easily click to resume what I was doing on this page. Just another way of jumping from one device to the other.

Is using a Pixel with a Chromebook worth it?

The lure of matching different devices to one another to gain access to the benefits of an ecosystem is a pricey one, and the features, while helpful, aren't generally worth completely overhauling the setup you already have.

That said, seeing as Chromebooks are the most affordable laptops you can get, and Android phones like the Pixel 9a are aren't set at flagship prices, Google's Phone Hub connectivity is far more accessible than the likes of a Apple's Continuity tool — and its features don't disappoint.

Will I be using a Chromebook as my daily driver just for these tools? Unlikely, but for those that happen to use a ChromeOS laptop and have a Pixel (or Android), it's worth making the most of Phone Hub, and I'm hoping these connectivity features continue to expand.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried gaming on a Chromebook for a week — and it's better than I expected
• I review Chromebooks for a living, and I install these 5 apps every time
• I tested astrophotography on my Pixel 9a — here's the results

Let's be real — nobody buys a Chromebook for gaming. Their true strengths lie in the simplicity and efficiency for workers and students, alongside being good for binge-watching to your heart's content.

But for playing games? That's a "no" from me. Even when Google promoted its laptops as being the "ultimate cloud gaming machine" a few years back (the ad with Michelle Rodriguez still runs through my mind), they couldn't stand up to the best gaming laptops sporting the latest in gaming-focused specs.

Not even the Acer Chromebook 516 GE ($649), which is specifically made for gaming, could compete with the raw might of, say, an Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 ($1,999). Considering their price differences, though, that's to be expected. But here's the thing: wouldn't it be great to play the latest games on a more generally affordable lineup of laptops? Of course, and Chromebooks present that chance.

Since 2011, I've seen Google's laptops evolve — delivering better performance, greater connectivity and now a new category of beefier notebooks: Chromebook Plus. Surely, the best Chromebooks of today could manage to pull off decent gaming performance, right?

Well, that's what I hoped, and after using a Chromebook as my main way to play games, I can say that the results are mixed. Ultimately, though, I was surprised by what was on offer, even if it still has a long way to go.

The many ways of gaming on a Chromebook

While these laptops aren't made for gaming, you might be surprised to know that there are several ways to boot up a game on a Chromebook. There are plenty of compatible gaming apps on the Google Play Store, cloud gaming via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and GeForce Now and yes, you can also install Steam on a Chromebook.

Each delivers a variety of titles new and old, from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Great, the games are here, but the real question is: can a Chromebook handle them?

I booted up a Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, a fine laptop with an excellent 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) AMOLED display and the following specs: Intel Core i3 100U CPU, Intel Graphics, 8GB DDR5X RAM and 256GB for storage. Not exactly beefy, but it meets the minimum requirements to play Steam on a Chromebook — and that's enough for me.

I tried playing games in each category, with the Play Store being the easiest — and my most viable — option.

All for Android gaming

As Apple continues to make gaming good on Macs, Google has quietly been populating its Play Store on Chromebooks with a strong catalog of Android games. Not Resident Evil 4-type good, but more in the classic and addictive, popular titles type of way.

There's everything from Roblox and Among Us to Dead Cells, Stardew Valley and Loop Hero. There are even all-time classics like GTA: San Andreas, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Final Fantasy III 3D Remake. Then there are addictive card-based titles such as Balatro, Slay the Spire and Marvel Snap.

These games may not be high-quality blockbuster hits that we see on Steam, but they're popular games that I would spend dozens of hours sinking my thumbs into regardless of the gaming device I play them on.

I booted up Balatro first, and it worked like a charm. It's not exactly a demanding title, and it's easily playable on many smartphones. Still, seeing as this break-out hit is even on a PS5, you bet this is the kind of game many gamers are checking out, and having this easily playable on a Chromebook is a major bonus.

I continued with the low-demanding title streak by playing the all-time classic RPG Chrono Trigger, made way back in 1995. And yes, now a full 30 years later, it can be played on a Chromebook. Hardly a surprise, but it's an engaging title to play on a Chromebook nevertheless.

Now, I decided to up the stakes a tad. I installed Call of Duty Mobile to see how well the Galaxy Chromebook Plus could handle 3D rendering, but I never got past the launch screen. Every time I opened the app, it would automatically force quit shortly after showing logos for a split second. Even after looking at the minimal troubleshooters online, like reinstalling the app, none of it worked. Apparently, it only works on certain Chromebooks, and one of them isn't mine.

So Genshin Impact it is. Not my general cup of tea, but a popular title fit for any gaming device. Unfortunately, though, to no avail. After what took over an hour to download the game and compile shaders, I was treated to the opening cinematic, where I could also choose my character. Afterward, though, it crashed. After booting it up multiple times, it kept crashing. Of course, this leads me to believe this isn't made for 3D graphics.

All in all, a Chromebook does have a nice selection of games to play from the Play Store, unless they demand the third dimension. One point of annoyance: Netflix has a great catalog of gaming apps to download that are included in subscriptions. Unfortunately, none of these apps are compatible with Chromebooks, which is a shame seeing as there are games like Dead Cells, Oxenfree, Katana Zero, Into the Breach and more.

Cloud gaming highs (and lows)

If it's the latest AAA titles you want, a Chromebook can provide — but only through cloud gaming. Chromebooks don't have the specs to pull off premium gaming features like Nvidia's ray tracing or DLSS 4 to boost frame rates, but they can stream games from a gaming PC that does.

More than anything, this all depends on your internet speeds and Wi-Fi connections. The gamer-ready Acer Chromebook 516 GE even comes with an Ethernet port for uninterrupted streaming. However, with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus' Wi-Fi 6E connectivity (although Wi-Fi 7 is preferred), along with my home network's internet speeds (up to 500Mbps), it should be enough to stream games on.

Lo and behold, it is! After using Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in a Chrome browser, I could scroll through a library of top-sellers, and that includes the updated Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. The thing is, these games need a controller to get going. A shame, seeing as there is a perfectly good keyboard here for certain titles, but a PS5 DualSense controller does the trick.

Without any installs, I tried out the latest, upscaled edition of Ryu Hayabusa's action-packed adventure. At first, visuals and gameplay were super smooth, and I was slicing, dicing and Izuna Dropping enemies without any lag. Then, as the on-screen action got more chaotic with waves of foes, the game dropped quality and stuttered far too frequently. As any fan of the fast-paced action franchise would know, this is not the way to play Ninja Gaiden.

I then tried Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and had a far better time. Perhaps it's the slower pace of action-adventure's stealth sections, exploration and combat, but I was able to get through an entire level without any hiccups. A tiny stutter here and there, but nothing game-breaking. That's genuinely impressive, especially for a laptop that would never be able to handle such a game on its own.

Cloud gaming is a great option for Chromebooks, as Microsoft appears to have put the legwork in to make its cloud gaming a more viable service for gamers over the years. While titles that require minimal input lag aren't a great match, more slow-paced games, even like Persona 3 Reloaded or Citizen Sleeper. Of course, though, this all depends on your internet speeds.

As a quick note: I tried to use Nvidia's cloud-gaming service GeForce Now as a free user, trying out Ghostrunner. However, not being a paying subscriber myself, I didn't get the best experience. In fact, it barely ran a few minutes before the directional inputs spun out of control (as evidenced below).

Steam on Chromebooks is a step forward

Steam for Chromebooks has been around for a while now, and even though it's still in beta, Valve's gaming client looks good on a Chromebook. It's easy to install for Chromebooks that meet the minimum requirements, and it's the full Steam package you'd expect on Windows. There are still a few issues, but overall, you can install and play games from your library as usual.

Well, the right games. There's no chance my Chromebook could run the likes of Cyberpunk 2077. I even tried playing one of my favorite titles of 2024, Anger Foot, which doesn't require demanding specs, and it didn't stand a chance of getting to the title screen before shutting down.

Instead, I stuck to more 2D indie games, such as Hotline Miami. This worked without a hitch, and gameplay was even snappy and smooth — two things required in this fast-paced top-down shooter.

Using Steam to game on a Chromebook is more trial and error, and depends entirely on the specs of a Chromebook, like any gaming PC. I can't imagine all games will work, especially ones that push the limits of having 8GB of RAM, but for those classic titles and more pixelated games, Chromebooks can pull it off.

So, this leads back to the all important question...

Is gaming on a Chromebook any good now?

Truthfully, I don't think gaming on a Chromebook is a terrible option anymore. At one point, I had no faith in what a Chromebook could offer, and couldn't fathom trying to game on one. Seeing as the main focus of these laptops is for education and workers using web-based applications, gaming hasn't been a high priority.

However, that doesn't mean games can't be played on one. Set your expectations, and you'll be happily playing popular titles that don't require an RTX 50-series GPU or equivalent. There are plenty of classic RPGs on the Play Store and Steam worth investing time into, and the latest Chromebooks should be able to handle it all.

Moreover, cloud gaming is better than ever, and if you have a decent internet connection (and a controller), you can game to your heart's content with the latest titles that come to Game Pass — and there are quite a few.

Will I continue to game on a Chromebook? Unlikely, especially when I have a proper gaming laptop and PS5 at hand. But for those interested in an affordable Chromebook and wondering if it's possible to game on it, yes, you can. You'll get a far better experience on a value gaming laptop like the Asus TUF Gaming A14, but if you're looking to keep things cheap and cheery, Chromebooks aren't the worst shout.

More from Tom's Guide

• I review Chromebooks for a living, and I install these 5 apps every time
• I just built an RTX 5090 gaming PC — here’s what I used and how to build your own
• Best Chromebook deals and prices

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 ($399) is a refreshed model with enough upgraded hardware onboard to take advantage of Google's Chromebook Plus AI features.

That means this ChromeOS workhorse can do things like generate text for you, automatically caption live video and audio or edit images with Google's AI-powered editing tools. 

Whether you find these AI features useful or not, I'm pleased to report they work as advertised and do add some value to this affordable Chromebook. In fact, after using it myself for a few weeks I think the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is one of the best Chromebooks you can buy if you just need a capable PC for writing, editing and browsing the web.  

In this Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review, I'll walk you through the high points and low moments I encountered while using this machine for work and play; I'll also show you why I think the Chromebook Plus 515 is a great deal. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 15-inch Chromebook with enough horsepower under the hood to qualify for the extra AI features offered on Chromebook Plus hardware.
• Who is it for? Anyone that needs a cheap laptop for writing and browsing the web.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is available for purchase from Acer's website for $399. 
• What's good about it? This cheap laptop doesn't feel like that cheap, with a sturdy chassis, a nice 1080p display and a comfy keyboard. Plus, you get plenty of ports and the speakers are surprisingly good.
• What's not so good? The display doesn't get terribly bright or colorful, and you "only" get about 8 hours of battery life on a full charge.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Specs

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: The ups

Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit is a capable Chromebook for not a lot of money, and that alone is a virtue. However, I wanted to call out a few more specific strengths this Chromebook offers that you should know about.

Speedy performance

The Intel Core i3-1215U CPU and 8GB of RAM powering our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit aren't much, but they're plenty to get you through a work day as fast as you can type.

While our Plus 515 review unit isn't fast enough to compete with the best MacBooks or the best Windows laptops, it's more than capable enough to handle whatever you need to do in ChromeOS. I've had no trouble using it to write this review and stay on top of my daily to-dos in Chrome, even with with 15-plus tabs open and music streaming in the background.

Our lab testing backs up my hands-on experience, and as you can see from the chart of results above our Plus 515 review unit is pretty capable.

While our review unit can't quite catch up to the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus in raw single-core CPU performance, it does speed past the Lenovo in the Geekbench 6 multi-core CPU benchmark. It also wins out in our WebXPRT 4 benchmark, which tests how well the laptop performs when processing Web frameworks like HTML 5, JavaScript and more.

So while the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 obviously doesn't have the power to handle the kinds of demanding coding tasks or video editing apps you need a beefy laptop for, it's plenty fast enough for just about anything you can do on a Chromebook.

Surprisingly good speakers

When you imagine great speakers on a laptop, Chromebooks typically aren't the first thing you picture, but that might change after you spend some time with the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

While it can't match the sound quality of the best computer speakers or even a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2023 with its six-speaker sound system, the Plus 515's pair of upward-facing speakers are surprisingly good.

Flanking the keyboard, these stereo soundmakers sport DTS Audio branding and get remarkably loud for their size. But even at maximum volume they don't get too distorted or tinny, and vocals in tracks like John Lee Hooker's "Serves Me Right To Suffer" and Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" sound warm, rich and clear alongside the music.  

These are the best speakers I've ever seen on a Chromebook, and they're a high point of using the Plus 515. Of course, it's also nice to have the headphone jack and a good pair of cans when you're streaming Spotify at the coffee shop.

Plenty of ports

Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit sports plenty of ports, which is great when you want to use a lot of peripherals at once or a wide variety of older and newer devices since you get both older USB-A and newer USB-C ports.

Specifically, you get a USB-C port on the right side alongside a 3.5mm audio jack and a lock slot for security. On the left-hand side you get another USB-C port, a USB-A port and an HDMI 1.4 out for external displays.

Since the laptop charges via USB-C you can plug it in from either side, a real boon when you're working in a cramped coffee shop or classroom without easy outlet access. In general, the broad port selection make this a versatile and useful laptop that can easily accommodate an external keyboard, mouse and more. 

Google AI features are nice to have

I'm not the biggest fan of all the "AI" features that have been cropping up in modern PCs over the last year or so, and I tend to be pretty critical of them.

That's why I hope you believe me when I say the AI features that were available in our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit during the review period not only worked as advertised but worked well.

During my time with the Chromebook I took advantage of these new AI features to caption a video in real time, edit a few photos, generate a few new wallpapers and test out the text generation tools. 

I found these tools work reliably enough and are, in select cases, pretty useful. It's nice to be able to use Google's Magic Eraser feature to quickly remove someone from a photograph, for example, and in my testing, it rarely delivered a bad photo. Live Captions also worked well, without many errors, and I can see a real use for them since the captions on services on YouTube and Vimeo are rarely great. 

I found text generation less interesting because while the grammar and copy it generated was reliably decent, the details were often wrong, forcing me to fact-check everything anyhow. Frankly, I found it easier and faster to write text myself rather than trust Google's AI. 

In general, I don't think I'd use these features very often, but that has a lot to do with my dislike of AI tools in general. If you find them useful, I think you'll be pleased with how reliably well they work on this Chromebook without being intrusive or annoying.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: The downs

While I hope this Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review shows what a useful and versatile laptop you get for the money, there's also a few weaknesses you should know about before you buy.

Not-great battery life

Acer claims the Chromebook Plus 515 can last up to 10 hours on a full charge, and that might be possible if you really dim the screen as far as it will go, turn off all extraneous features and try to be as conservative as possible when using it.

But in my hands-on experience, you should expect to get significantly less than 10 hours of battery life out of a full charge. In my time with the laptop, I could reliably count on it lasting 6-plus hours of dedicated usage or several days of occasional usage, so the battery does hold a charge pretty well.

But as you can see from the chart of results above, in our lab-based battery tests our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit lasted an average of 8 hours and 16 minutes on a full charge.

Our in-house battery tests set the laptop's screen to a pretty dim brightness (~150 nits) and set it to endlessly surf the web until it dies, so it's not far removed from what you'll be doing with this laptop on a daily basis. And while 8-plus hours of tested battery life is good enough that you probably don't need to lug the charger to school or the coffee shop with you, it's not as good as premium MacBooks or Windows laptops these days.

Middling display

The 15.6-inch 1080p display on our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit looks perfectly fine to my eyes, and it's plenty usable indoors. While I wouldn't recommend you try to use it outdoors on a sunny day, in general I had no issues making out details on the screen or watching my favorite movies and TV shows.

That said, when we got it into our testing lab our crack team of display experts found that it's not quite as bright or as colorful as some of the other Chromebooks we've recently tested.

As you can see from the test results charted below, the Plus 515's display hits an average brightness of 263.2 nits that peaked around 275 nits in the upper-left corner.

That's good enough, but it's not as bright as the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (which costs just $100 more than the Plus 515) or the slightly cheaper Acer Chromebook Spin 314. 

And if you look at the percentage of color gamuts the Plus 515 can accurately display (closer to 100% the better, DCI-P3 is wider and more demanding than sRGB), you'll see that it falls slightly behind the Flex 5i in terms of color reproduction as well.

Personally, I don't mind the screen on the Plus 515 at all, but I also don't think it's anything exciting to look at. If display quality is very important to you in a Chromebook, you might consider going with Lenovo's Flex 5i instead, which is a bit more expensive but has a brighter 14-inch 1200p touchscreen.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is a sturdy, reliable Chromebook that's a great deal for students, writers and anyone who needs a cheap laptop around the house.

While it doesn't excel in any area, this is an excellent all-rounder that offers a big 1080p display and a nice comfy keyboard to type on, flanked by a pair of surprisingly good speakers. I found it great for writing and browsing the web, and while it's not the lightest laptop on the market it's not a pain to carry to the coffee shop.

Of course, all the limitations of a Chromebook apply here. This machine isn't great for gaming unless you stream games over the Internet via a service like Nvidia's GeForce Now, and even then the lack of a dedicated Ethernet jack handicaps you somewhat. It also can't run any apps besides those on Android, so you'll have a hard time doing serious photo/video editing work.

But the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 excels at writing, surfing the web and streaming your favorite shows. It's a great value at $399, and if you can get it on sale for less, it almost feels like you're getting away with something.

Looking for another way to control your PC? Google is rolling out Face control, an AI-powered accessibility feature that lets people control their Chromebook with facial movements and gestures.

As part of its Google for Education announcement, the tool will allow people with motor impairment, or anyone else, to move their cursor, select options and even use text-to-speech to type out emails all without needing a mouse of keyboard.

Google recently revealed its Face control feature back in December, but it's now rolling out to more users. While its expected to be available to most Chromebooks, Google recommends having at least 8GB of RAM, which typically comes in Chromebook Plus models.

Check out the demo below to see the AI-powered feature in action on ChromeOS:

As seen in the demo, the feature uses facial expressions and head movements to navigate around ChromeOS. This includes tilting your head in different directions to move the cursor between apps or actions, adjusting your mouth to the side (similar to a smirk) to select or "click" and opening your mouth to enable speech-to-text.

"The feature uses a series of machine learning models to generate a 3D mesh of 478 specific facial points, enabling precise, real-time gesture detection for hands-free control," Google states. Currently, it can recognize up to 18 different gestures.

This isn't the first we've seen of a Face control-type tool, as the accessibility feature was inspired by Google's own Project GameFace, an open-source, hands-free gaming software that was developed in collaboration with quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr.

Google is bringing in more education features and tools powered by the Gemini app and NotebookLM, too, with the latter being able to summarize and create lesson plans and study guides. You can also expect Class tools, acting like a remote control for Chromebooks in classrooms to control students' screens, and updates to Google Vids, a video creation app.

Interestingly, Google also teased 20 new Chromebook and Chromebook Plus models set to debut in 2025, including a new Acer Chromebook 511, Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2, ASUS Chromebook CR12, Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 and more. It also detailed the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, although this already debuted last year.

It's great to see Google continuing to build new features for its Chromebook users, both for education and accessibility. Will we see more best Chromebooks arrive this year? Only time will tell.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best Chromebooks for kids in 2025: our top picks
• Chromebooks are taking on Copilot and Apple Intelligence with 5 new AI features
• I review Chromebooks for a living, and I install these 5 apps every time

When it comes to budget-friendly laptops, the best Chromebooks are among the most affordable options. Even the most expensive models are reasonably priced.

Right now you can buy the convertible HP Chromebook x360 14-inch laptop for $199 at Walmart. This is a $230 discount from the $429 it usually sells for, so it's an excellent price for a Chromebook on the higher end of the performance spectrum.

If you're on the fence about getting this Chromebook, here's a look at what it brings to the table and why it's a good deal.

This Chromebook is affordable even at its full price, but with $230 off, it's a steal. Between the respectable 4GB of RAM and Intel Processor N100, it'll efficiently run all the web apps available on Chrome OS. You aren't going to do any gaming with this laptop, but for getting work done, it'll handle whatever you need it to.

Its 2-in-1 design allows it to be used as a tablet for reading books and browsing the web or quickly flipped into a more traditional laptop that lets you get work done.

Other notable features include an HD camera for those all-important video calls and a full HD display. You also get a Wi-Fi 6 connection and Bluetooth 5.3 for fast internet and smooth connections to your wireless devices. You get 64GB of internal storage, which is a little smaller than I'd like, but with so many of the Chromebook features being cloud-based, you won't need much.

One thing that's cool about Chromebooks is how fast they boot up. It'll go from off to on in about 10 seconds, so you can get into your Google Doc or Sheet when inspiration strikes.

If you decide to buy this laptop, read our Chromebook app guide, which will help you find the software you need.

Now that Cyber Monday is over you might worry that you've missed out on the best laptop deals of the year, but never fear — you still have time to take advantage of killer savings on Chromebooks, MacBooks and Windows 11 laptops.

I know because I've been covering laptops for years here at Tom's Guide, and I've watched the quantity and length of holiday sales grow year after year. Retailers know many people wait until this time of year to make big purchases and some of us are still shopping for gifts, so there are still lots of deals to be had.

That's why I've spent the week scouring the web to find the best laptop deals still available, and gathered them all here in one easy-to-read list.

Quick Links

• Lenovo laptops: deals from $119 @ Lenovo
• Dell laptops: deals from $269 @ Dell
• Acer Chromebook 315: was $349 now $129 at Best Buy
• Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402: was $499 now $349 at Best Buy
• HP Victus 15 (RTX 4050): was $1,099 now $662 at Walmart
• Dell Inspiron 16: was $1,049 now $749 at Dell
• Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2/512GB): was $1,199 now $899 at Amazon
• Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite): was $1,299 now $1,099 at Best Buy
• Alienware x16 R2 (RTX 4070): was $2,399 now $2,099 at Dell
• Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro): was $2,499 now $2,299 at Amazon
• Razer Blade 16 (RTX 4080): was $3,599 now $2,999 at Best Buy

Chromebook deals

MacBook deals

Gaming laptop deals

Windows 11 laptop deals

Google is coming out swinging with two new Chromebooks and a slew of new AI features in a rather chunky software update that will be rolling out throughout the next month. Not only will these make the best Chromebooks even better, but they put the likes of Apple Intelligence on Mac and Copilot square in Google’s sights.

And even better? While some of the more advanced AI features are coming to Chromebook Plus laptops only, Gemini and a lot of what we really enjoyed in the updates earlier this year are coming to all Chromebook models. Let’s get into it.

Is…is that a Copilot key?

Let’s start with the new laptops. Lenovo is refreshing the impressive Chromebook Duet 11 with a new MediaTek processor, up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

On top of that, the lovely 11-inch WUXGA display is touch-enabled with a pen sold separately, and with Goodnotes now optimized for stylus-compatible systems, you’re getting a great place to jot down notes. The Duet 11 is available starting this month at $349.

But probably more interesting is the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus — a sneak peek into the hardware design standards that Google may expect for its AI features in the future. You see, beyond its 0.5-inch thin frame, that gorgeous 15.6-inch OLED panel, Intel Core 3 Raptor Lake CPU and 13 hours of battery life, there’s a new key on the keyboard.

The Mountain View crew call this the Quick Insert key, and it opens up a context-aware menu that presents the most relevant options for your next step based on wherever you are. In a Google Doc? You’ll get Help me write and emoji options. Open it while in Google Drive and you’ll get instant access to an integrated search of all your files. 

It’s kind of a supercharged Copilot key and looks set to help you work more efficiently. This eye-catching Galaxy Chromebook Plus will cost $699 and is also available this month.

Even more AI

Already got a Chromebook? Cool! Here are all the new features you can expect to see arrive over the course of this month in automatic updates.

• Live translate: One of my favorite Copilot+ PC features is coming to Chromebooks. AI-translated captions will appear in real-time over anything you see or listen to, such as a Zoom meeting, a YouTube video, or even a clip that is sent to you and saved onto the device.
• Help me read: We got a heads up that Google was expanding its “Help me” features earlier this year, and Help me read is here to summarize anything from articles, PDFs and entire websites with a right click. On top of that, you can also ask for additional clarification on any certain sections.
• Recorder app: A la Apple’s Voice Memos app, Chromebooks now come packed with an AI-powered recorder app that can create transcriptions and summarize everything talked about. But it can go one step further by labeling different speakers.
• New video call features: Using AI, Google is once again improving the video call experience with built-in appearance enhancements and a new studio-style mic feature that does better to cancel out not just background noise, but also room reverberation.
• Gemini comes to all Chromebooks: Remember when this was just a Chromebook Plus feature? Not anymore. Gemini is now on the shelf of every Chromebook model, alongside the other quality of life features for productivity like Focus mode and the Welcome recap.

And for that last one, Google is also giving standard Chromebook buyers three months free access to the Google One AI Premium Plan. If you go Chromebook Plus, you’ll get a full 12 months.

Quietly moving in the right direction

When it comes to Chromebook updates, Google has always done these small drops rather than going big with a grandiose annual update. It means they may not get the same attention as the almost-theatrical releases elsewhere, but with every upgrade, Chromebooks are becoming one of the best low-cost AI laptops you can buy.

If I was to make a recommendation myself for the future (if anyone at Google is reading this), something like a Help me see — audio description and voiced prompts to let you know where your cursor is — would be a huge step forward in AI accessibility!

More from Tom's Guide

• I review Chromebooks for a living, and I install these 5 apps every time
• Google Chrome is getting a big AI upgrade for millions — what you can do now
• M4 MacBook Pro 14 specs spilled ahead of Apple event — Update: more photos leaked

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ($499) is one of the company's first laptops to qualify for Google's Chromebook Plus tier, and it's a good productivity device for the price.

If you're not familiar, laptops need to meet specific hardware requirements to qualify for the Chromebook Plus label, and in return they promise better than average (Chromebook) performance and guaranteed access to Google AI features.

After using and reviewing the Flex 5i I can tell you that while Google's AI toys are fun to play around with, and you can do everything from generate text or wallpapers to quickly edit images with them, they quickly lose their luster. After a few days of asking Google Gemini for recipes or pictures of cats, I got bored and forgot all about them.

What doesn't get boring is the Flex 5i itself, which delivers good performance and a nice screen in a nondescript chassis that's easy to carry and comfy to type on. I wish the battery life was better, and a packed-in stylus would really help this affordable 2-in-1 pop, but even as it stands I think this is one of the best Chromebooks for most people who just need a cheap device to surf the web and get basic work done.

I'll walk you through the reasons why in this Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review.

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an awkwardly-named 2-in-1 Chromebook with a great touchscreen that rotates 360 degrees, so you can prop it up like a tent or hold it like a big, awkward Chrome tablet.
• Who is it for? Anyone who wants a Chromebook with a 14-inch touchscreen that converts into a giant tablet. It's great for remote learning, writing emails and browsing the web.
• What does it cost? Lenovo is selling the Flex 5i for $499, though you can often find it for a bit cheaper at third-party retailers.
• What's good about it? The 14-inch touchscreen is right and responsive, plus the keyboard is comfy to type on and the option to use Google AI features is nice to have.
• What's not so good? The Flex 5i may have access to the advanced Chromebook Plus features, like Google AI, but it's still a Chromebook. That means middling battery life, mediocre performance and the compromise that you must be connected to a good Internet connection to use this laptop to full effect.

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: Specs

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: The ups

The Lenovo Flex 5i IdeaPad Chromebook Plus is a cheap Chromebook that doesn't look or feel like it. The main thing to know is that as long as you have an Internet connection it's a solid productivity device, but here are a few standout strengths:

Good performance (for a Chromebook)

The Intel Core i3-1315U CPU in our Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review unit gives it enough speed to run basically any app you can put on it, and it rarely feels slow.

That may sound like faint praise, but I don't mean it in a damning way—Chromebooks aren't typically speedy, since you don't need a lot of computing power to run ChromeOS. And while I definitely do notice the Flex 5i moving slowly or taking a few seconds to handle day-to-day tasks like launching apps, in general it just feels like a sluggish business laptop. 

And for a Chromebook this cheap, that's nice to have. You can crack this bad boy open at the coffee shop or conference room and take notes, write emails or surf the web without feeling like you'd be better off using your phone.

As you can see from the chart of results above, the Flex 5i performs pretty well against similarly-priced Chromebooks. It speeds past the weaker Acer Chromebook Spin 314 in both Geekbench 6 (which measures raw CPU performance) and WebXPRT 4 (which measures performance in HTML 5 and other web frameworks), though the more capable Acer Chromebook Plus 515 ultimately proves a bit faster.

Bright touchscreen

The 14-inch (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) IPS panel on the Flex 5i is nice and bright, and the 16:10 aspect ratio is a rarity in Chromebooks that can make it feel like you can squeeze more lines of text on the screen than a more traditional 16:9 display.

Colors also look good on this screen, and I was pleased with how snappy and responsive the touchscreen feels under my fingertips. If you invest in a USI stylus (Lenovo doesn't include one with the laptop, which is a bummer) this is a great little Chromebook for jotting down notes or doodling, especially if you pull some quality art creation Android apps from the Google Play Store.

And while the Flex 5i's screen isn't nearly as bright or colorful as the kind of luxurious OLED displays you find on premium laptops, those fancy notebooks also cost upwards of 4x as much as this pint-sized Chromebook. 

Given that, this 1200p 16:10 touchscreen is a great get at this price and it should serve you well while browsing the web or streaming your favorite shows. Just make sure to use it indoors for best results—you can get by using it outdoors on a bright day, but you'll wish you didn't have to deal with the glare.

The viewing angles on this screen are pretty good too, though brightness drops off quickly as you move further to the side of the display. 

Comfy keyboard

Writing is one of the main tasks you do on a Chromebook, so it's important to have a decent keyboard. I'm pleased to report the Flex 5i delivers, which isn't too surprising given Lenovo's penchant for comfy typing experiences.

I have big unwieldy mitts where my hands should be, so most 14-inch laptop keyboards feel a bit cramped and shallow under my hands. The Flex 5i stands apart, because there's lots of space between the keys and they each have a nice little curve to them that makes them feel satisfying under my fingers.

Plenty of ports

The Flex 5i may not be the thinnest or lightest 14-inch laptop on the market, but on the bright side it has plenty of ports so you can plug in many of your favorite accessories whenever you need them.

In addition to a pair of USB-C ports spread across either side (which is pretty basic but sometimes missing from laptops that cost twice as much) you also get a USB-A port, a microSD card slot and a headphone jack on the left side. The right side has the USB-C port, a security lock slot a power button and a volume rocker—which is great to have when you're holding the laptop folded up like a tablet and want to quickly turn down the jams.

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: The downs

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a pretty good value, but there are a few downsides you should know about before you pull the trigger.

Middling battery life

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus lasted a little under 8 hours in our in-house battery tests, which task the laptop with endlessly surfing the web via Wi-Fi until it dies.

Now 8 hours (okay, technically 7:36) is pretty good, as it's almost a full working day's worth of juice to wring out of a full battery. But Chromebooks are low-powered PCs, and one of the main reasons to get a weak, underpowered laptop is so you can count on getting 10+ hours of use out of it on a full charge.

Not only is the Flex 5i on the lower side of Chromebooks in general when it comes to battery life, but it's way behind the best MacBooks and the best Windows laptops these days because those more powerful laptops now have power-sipping chips that can reliably deliver 12-18 hours of battery life.

So with that in mind, and given the better performance of competing Chromebooks, even the 7+ hours of battery life we get out of the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus feels a bit weak and anemic. 

It's especially disappointing when you consider that a key marketing point of the Chromebook Plus program is that every Chromebook Plus will deliver at least 10 hours of battery life. The Flex 5i may do so under certain conditions, but in our testing it just can't deliver the goods.

No stylus included

The Flex 5i feels like it calls out for a nice writing implement. The 14-inch touchscreen feels good to the touch, and since you can flip the laptop over and tent it on a table like an easel, I immediately felt like I wanted to start sketching or jotting down notes during my morning meetings.

And if you're willing to buy your own stylus, you can! The Flex 5i supports USI 2.0 styli, and Lenovo itself will sell you a Lenovo USI Pen 2 for $50. It's a decent investment if you feel the urge to have a pen handy when using your Chromebook, and I appreciate that not packing a stylus in could perhaps help Lenovo keep the asking price down on the Flex 5i.

Even so, I wish the company had found a way to make the pen part of this $499 package. It's already a decent deal on a good Chromebook—having a stylus included would have hade it a great one.

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: Verdict

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a cheap Chromebook that doesn't feel like it, and that's not easy to find. While it does still feel a bit sluggish, especially when you're moving fast and multi-tasking, it's more than good enough for research, remote learning and writing or editing basic documents.

The comfy keyboard and bright, responsive 14-inch touchscreen help this cheap Chromebook feel like a nice business laptop, and the unobtrusive two-tone gray chassis will fit right in at the office or in school. 

While I wish the battery life was better and Lenovo had packed in a cheap stylus to really take this Chromebook to the next level, as it stands it's a great deal on a good Chromebook that can hang with the best of the best. 

Setting up a Chromebook for the first time? I have some suggestions about which apps you should download right away to make it a more versatile, useful and just plain fun laptop.

I know because I've been reviewing them for years, so I've gone through the process of unboxing and setting up a new Chromebook dozens of times. Heck, I've been doing it long enough to remember when you could pick and choose between Chrome and Android apps, but since Google basically eliminated Chrome apps a few years ago, the Android apps in the Google Play Store are now your best choice for customizing your Chromebook.

• JUST IN: Our Apple 'Glowtime' iPhone 16 event live blog is up and running. Check it out now. 

Over the years I've noticed there's always a few Android apps I immediately gravitate to every time I'm setting up a new machine, because they help transform any  Chromebook from a glorified web browser into a more capable laptop that you can use to edit photos, watch movies, stream games and more.

And since I occasionally get questions from readers about how to do things like watch videos on a Chromebook or play games, I thought it would be helpful to just quickly run through the top 5 apps I install on every Chromebook I review in order to make it a more functional, capable laptop. 

These apps make even the best Chromebooks significantly better, in my experience, and I hope at least a few of them make your life on ChromeOS a little easier.

Adobe Lightroom

As a working journalist I regularly need to edit and resize images for publication, so I need to have easy access to a decent image editing program. And when I'm on a Chromebook, my go-to is always Adobe Lightroom.

The reason is easy: it's free and good enough for basic tasks like cropping images and retouching photos, plus you can have some fun with silly filters. If you're willing to upgrade and pay Adobe a monthly fee you get a little more functionality out of it, like the ability to do light video editing and remove things from images using AI.

But frankly, I don't think it's a great idea to pay Adobe a monthly fee (because Adobe's all about subscriptions now) for this app—I recommend it because it's free and good enough, not because it's good enough to be worth paying for.

If you are willing to pay for a decent image editor on ChromeOS, I recommend Gimp—it's typically free to use on the web but you have to pay a nominal fee ($1.99 at time of publication) for the Android app. However, that's worth it if you think you might want to do some image editing while you're not able to access the Internet.

Discord

There are lots of communication apps available on the Google Play Store, but for my money Discord is the most useful and the first I seek out.

Discord got its start as a messaging platform for video game fans, but it's grown into a versatile and useful tool for all sorts of communication. I've come to rely on Discord as a way to stay in touch with friends around the world as well as communities I'm engaged with and work I do, so it's become one of the first apps I download on every new Chromebook, MacBook and Windows 11 laptop.

While I wasn't the biggest fan of the app when it launched, the way Discord makes it easy to chat with friends, stay on top of multiple Discord servers at once, stream games and chat in voice channels all in the same app has made it a go-to download for me. 

Personally I like to use it to chat with pals about tabletop role-playing games and movies we're watching, but you can use it for anything you and your friends care to. It's also a common way for artists, game developers and musicians to manage their communities nowadays, so there's a good chance some of your favorite creators maintain fan Discords that you can hop into for free! 

GeForce Now

I love playing video games, so you better believe one of the first apps I put on any new Chromebook is something that lets me play the best PC games available. And right now, for me, that's Nvidia's GeForce Now game streaming service.

I'm not a huge fan of game streaming services in general, but they're valuable on a Chromebook because a) no Chromebook can natively run demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and b) you're typically connected to the Internet, so it's no big sacrifice to click a button and stream a game for 30 minutes.

I like GeForce Now because it lets me play just about any game in my Steam library on a remote gaming PC, then stream the video to my Chromebook, creating the impression I'm gaming on a big rig while I've a little Chrome machine in my lap. 

Of course, the trade-off here is you're reliant on a good strong Internet connection for maximum playability. Some rare gaming-oriented Chromebooks (like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE) have dedicated Ethernet jacks you can use to plug into a wired connection for rock-solid game streaming, but even when you're relying on Wi-Fi you can generally get good performance on a strong connection.

If you're not familiar with the process, check out our quick guide to how to use GeForce Now on Chromebook to get started!

Tubi

All the best streaming services have Android apps you can use to stream TV and movies to your Chromebook, but for me the first one I always download is Tubi.

If you're not familiar, Tubi is a free (with ads) streaming service with an eclectic variety of content that's always changing. I really love it because it often has movies and TV shows I love that I haven't thought about in ages, and so every time I fire up the app and dive into the catalog I know I'm going to be surprised (and often delighted) by something new or unexpected.

Of course, another reason I love Tubi is that it's free, so I don't have to pay a streamer like Hulu or Netflix to watch some trashy TV when I'm on the road and having a hard time falling asleep. So while I recommend you download apps for whatever streaming services you like on your Chromebook, don't skip out on Tubi—it's one of my favorite streaming services (and the first I download) for a reason.

VLC

If you have an actual video file you want to watch on your Chromebook instead of relying on a streaming service, there's a good chance the VLC media player Android app can handle it.

This has been my go-to media player for decades because it's simple, easy to use and supports a variety of formats and codecs that otherwise won't play on a freshly unboxed PC. 

That makes it awfully useful on a Windows or Mac PC, and even more valuable on a Chromebook because I don't know if you've noticed, but Chromebooks aren't the most versatile devices out of the box. But with the VLC app installed and a few videos saved to your Chromebook, you can count on having plenty to watch the next time you're somewhere without an Internet connection. 

Bottom line

Everyone has different needs and interests, so I understand if not everything on this list is up your alley. Shucks, depending on the week I may sometimes download the PBS Android app instead of Tubi, or skip VLC entirely if I'm not going to be using a Chromebook away from the Internet at all.

But more often than not these five apps are the first to get installed on any new Chromebook I unbox, and they do a lot to make a fresh ChromeOS install feel like home. 

Ultimately, having a strong, secure Internet connection is the best thing you can do to get the most out of your Chromebook. But once you've got that, it's time to load it up with all the apps you need and love to make it your own. Hopefully you discovered at least one cool new app to add to your Chrome repertoire, and I'd encourage folks to leave further suggestions in the comments below.

August is flying by and the new school semester will be here before you know it. For consumers, that means now is the time to shop this season's best back to school sales.

High on many students' shopping lists is a new laptop. While buying a new laptop can be expensive, this week's back to school laptop deals are making it cheaper than ever. In fact, outside of Black Friday — back to school season is when I see the most laptop deals. And these aren't just any deals, but aggressive discounts on some of the best laptops that have graced the Tom's Guide testing lab. 

Below, I've rounded up the best back to school laptop deals you can get right now. Whether you're looking for the best laptop for engineering students or the best student computer, my roundup includes deals on Windows machines, budget Chromebooks, and the latest MacBooks. These machines are suitable for work, play and anything in between.

Quick Links

• Acer Chromebook 315: was $299 now $179 @ Best Buy
• Asus VivoBook 15: was $379 now $309 @ Amazon
• MacBook Air 13 (M2): was $1,099 now $799 @ Amazon
• MacBook Air 13 (M3): was $1,099 now $849 @ Amazon
• HP OmniBook X Copilot+ PC: was $1,199 now $999 @ HP
• Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ PC: was $1,299 now $1,099 @ Dell
• MSI Vector GP68HX 16: was $2,099 now $1,799 @ Best Buy

CoPilot+ PCs

Windows

MacBooks

Chromebooks

When Google introduced Circle to Search in January for Samsung Galaxy S24 phones and Pixel phones it immediately became one of the best features on those devices. Since then, the feature has trickled out to other devices, including older Samsung phones and Google's Pixel Tablet.

And now, Google Chrome and the ChromeOS are finally getting a version circle to search (via 9to5Google). The Search variant coming to Chrome and some of the best Chromebooks is through a big update of Google Lens. 

There were rumors that Google was working on a Google Lens update in May that would include some form of Circle to Search. At the time the feature still seemed a ways away from launching to the public.

But it's finally here and is popping up in the official Chrome 128 beta and the ChromeOS 127 beta. If you're curious you can download the Chrome beta from Google right here.

Utilizing the update, you can search for anything by circling it on your computer. Or, to be more accurate, dragging a box over content you're curious about. 

The Chrome and ChromeOS version is being renamed "Drag to Search," and can be enabled to by clicking on the new Google Lens icon that will be apart of the address bar on Chromebook. In regular Chrome for Windows or macOS you need to find the "Search with Google Lens" option in the overflow. It can immediately be pinned to the side panel for easier access, and it replaces the "Search with Google" option that is currently there.

Dragging over an area to search opens up the side panel with search results while also keeping the original tab open so you can keep scrolling if you'd like. 

The feature is described on the What's New in Chrome page:

"Google Lens in Chrome makes it easy to search anything you see on your screen. Search within a video you’re watching, a slide in a livestream, or an image on a webpage. Google Lens will give you answers right there, in your tab, and you can continue browsing with the new information you’ve found."

Circle to Search is one of the first AI features touted by tech companies that has actually made its way to their customers while also actually being useful.

If it's appearing in the official betas right now, that generally means the feature is close to dropping for everyone else. Unfortunately, we still don't know when exactly that will be. 

Perhaps Google will announce the feature during the Made by Google event on August 13 when the company reveals the new Pixel 9 lineup and the next Google smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 3.

More from Tom's Guide

• Google is giving Chrome a major upgrade to keep you safe from dangerous downloads — here's how it works
• Apple tells over a billion iPhone users to stop using Chrome — here's Google's response
• Feeling slow? These extensions may be bogging Chrome down says report

Google just announced the next iteration of the company’s Chromebook Plus lineup of laptops. Launched last year, the Chromebook Plus laptops are slightly upgraded versions of the regular Chromebook. 

OEMs like Acer and HP, which are releasing Chromebook Plus laptops, must feature these specs: 8GB+ of RAM, 128GB+ of storage, a 1080P+ IPS display and a webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction. They can also feature an Intel Core i3 and above or AMD Ryzen 7000 series and above processors

The focus, as with all things Google this year, is on the integration of Google AI into the newest Chromebooks. Last year’s models did have some AI integration that mostly focused on conferencing apps like Zoom, Skype and Google Meet. 

With the recently announced upgrades to Gemini and other AI tools, Google is leaning in on AI this summer, and Chromebooks are seeing some of that. 

We had a chance to test the new AI tools and Google has found a good way to make AI part of the OS, and not just a nice extra. 

Productivity

There are several productivity tools like ‘Help me write’ to refine text, and Google Task and Calendar gives access to to-do lists and appointments across devices.

Adaptive charging tracks your usage patterns and uses that to preserve battery health by “limiting the amount of time the devices spends at 100% charge.”

Some tools aren’t immediately available but Google says they will come this year. Chromebooks will now summarize previously opened windows. They’re also adding a “Help me Read” feature to summarize websites and PDFs.

Calls

While last year’s models did have AI integrated into the cameras it appears that conference call apps will see more new AI-enhanced features.

A feature called Screencast is supposed to make it easier to record and edit shared content. It’s also supposed to automatically translate into up to 12 languages. Google did show off some live translation features with Gemini at the I\O conference this year, though that had more touted languages. It’s unclear if this is separate from Gemini.

Simpler features include generative AI wallpapers and video call backgrounds. There’s also noise cancellation and lighting adjustments.

Gemini

Lastly, Chromebook Plus laptops are getting some form of Gemini. The AI assistant is pre-installed and is supposed to help with brainstorming, breaking down a dense document or generating images.

Though Google appears to be focusing on the Work side of Gemini, Chromebook Plus will have Gemini for Google Workspace, which ties together the Google suite, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides and the Chrome browser.

Last year’s models launched at $399, even with the upgraded specs. This year’s models are going to be less expensive at $349. There is also a new Acer 516GE that is supposed to be gaming-focused and debuts at $699, but that’s far different from the more work-focused machines mentioned here.

More from Tom's Guide

• The best Chromebooks in 2024 — our top picks
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 review
• I finally got the right stylus for my Chromebook — and its a game changer

AI-infused laptops are very much a thing — from Microsoft’s big bet on Copilot+ PCs to the many rumors surrounding what Apple will unveil for macOS at WWDC. But at the moment, the idea of an AI PC has been largely about a desktop-class OS with some artificial smarts overlaid on top.

Nothing has felt truly integrated, but Google believes it has the answer with some significant AI updates coming to Chromebook Plus, which bring user-friendly features like Help me write and Magic Editor, alongside bringing Gemini to the party in a pre-installed app.

And after testing it for around a week, I can confidently say that when it comes to enriching a laptop experience with AI rather than overlaying it, Google is onto something here.

A note about Chromebook Plus

For a lot of what I’m about to talk about here, you’re going to need a Chromebook Plus system. Those dirt cheap Google laptops that end up being on sale for $100 during key sales events like Prime Day won’t cut the mustard.

That’s because there are some required hardware specs:

• Either an Intel Core i3 and above or AMD Ryzen 7000 series and above
• 8GB+ of RAM
• 128GB+ of storage
• 1080P+ IPS display and webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR)

As you may have predicted, while Google is setting rules, they won’t translate into expensive $1,000 laptops. In fact, over the next few weeks, you’re going to see Chromebook Plus laptops from HP and Acer that start at $379. On top of that, you’ll be able to get 12 months of Google One’s AI Premium package to unlock the full suite of features.

Matter of fact, you could just pick one up right now.

ChromeOS gets smart

Google is taking a lot of what it's been doing in the Android space with AI and bringing it to the Chromebook Plus in a way that doesn’t feel like an intrusive overlay. Everything feels logically infused and very user-friendly.

Most familiar to many of you will be Magic Editor. From applying presets that use AI to analyze the picture to give everything a more natural look under the filter (rather than turning everything into a particular hue) or repositioning/resizing the main subject while using generative AI to fill in the gap, it’s all here and easy to use. 

Just click Magic Editor in the top left corner, and draw a circle around whatever you want to erase/reposition. From here, click and hold the subject for three seconds, and then you can manipulate it however you wish (pro tip: use + and - keys to increase or reduce the size of your subject).

Next, Gemini is coming as a pre-installed app on Chromebook Plus. Alongside this, newly activated devices should be getting a prompt to get 12 months of Gemini Advanced for free. This gives you an impressive multi-modal model with some agentic abilities granted to it by being trained on tons of Google data.

Whether you have a coding query, need help brainstorming, need to break down a dense document into key points, or need to generate an image, this can do it.

But probably the AI feature I used the most is “Help me Write”. Say you’re stuck on what to write for a social media post or comment, like I was in adding my well wishes to a post from my Mom. Just right click and the Help me Write option will just be there ready to understand the context of what’s being shared along with your prompt to prepare something for you.

To me, this feels like a truly seamless way to bring AI into any workload — almost in a “why hasn’t anyone thought of doing this” kind of way. It’s making those moments where I’m not feeling the most creative after a day of typing 10,000+ words feel a lot less unnerving when thinking of the right thing to say.

Oh and this extends to certain aspects of long-form writing, too. If you’re writing a paragraph and want to figure out a way to reword it, just highlight and right-click and you’ll be presented with suggestions. For context, here’s how Google AI decided to reword this very paragraph.

“The benefits extend beyond short text editing. Even while composing long-form content, if you find yourself stuck on a particular paragraph, there's help available. Just highlight the section, right-click, and you'll see suggestions for rephrasing. As an example, here's how Google AI rewrote this very paragraph to illustrate the feature.”

What is happening elsewhere in ChromeOS?

Other neat AI integrations come in the form of personalized wallpapers, alongside this image generation also being used to create personalized video chat backgrounds. You can create a new background by right clicking on the desktop, selecting set wallpaper and style, and clicking “Create with AI.” As for the video chat background, click the up arrow at the bottom of the screen (next to the Camera Off button), choose Background and click Image, then the same “Create with AI” option will be there.

Image search is also deeply integrated into ChromeOS — in the launcher search bar, to be specific. If you have images you want to use to begin your search (like a grocery store receipt), open the launcher search bar and your downloaded images will be there, and Optical Character Recognition will analyze the text and quickly give you contextual results based on what is detected.

Elsewhere, Google has been busy with small but important tweaks, such as system-level live captioning that works across the web and Android apps; integrating Google Task into the calendar pop-up of the task bar, the option to record GIFs of your interactions in ChromeOS and a new Game Dashboard.

The latter of those is a big one for vastly increasing the value of your Chromebook. Outside of what you’d expect when I say the words “Game Dashboard”, like the ability to capture gameplay footage with a streamer overlay of your face, there is also the option to customize game controls from within this overlay, too. It’s made using GeForce Now a simpler experience, as everything is controlled on the system level of the laptop, rather than going game-by-game.

Coming soon to ChromeOS…

But Google isn’t stopping there, as we got a quick glimpse of what else is coming in future regarding Chromebook Plus updates over the next few months. They vary in spectacle, but each are pretty important — both in streamlining key workflows and baking in more of that AI usability.

• Picking up where you left off: Cross-device saves of previously opened tabs on your iPhone or Android slab, alongside what you had open previously on your Chromebook will be ready for you to open up and pick up where you left off.
• Time to focus: Got a task to get done? Select it in Google Task and find a YouTube Music playlist to focus on. Once you’ve selected a time period for wiring in, your Chromebook will turn on a “Do Not Disturb” mode and countdown your progress.
• Help me read with Gemini: Currently, you can get Gemini to summarize documents by uploading them to the Gemini app. Soon, this will be available in the right-click menu (just like Help me Write), and you’ll be able to do this across websites or PDFs.
• Hands-free control: This is a big one for accessibility. Google is taking its Project Gameface work and building it into ChromeOS — allowing you to navigate and interact with your Chromebook entirely through moving your head and gesturing to the camera (like pursing your lips).

Outlook

When it comes to the next generation of laptops infused with AI, everything has felt like more of an overlay. For all the talk of Copilot+ PCs, Copilot itself is something that is just beginning to become more than just a slide-in window from the right. 

In fact, the only thing that has come close in my experience to AI being this deep in the system has been the spotlight search-esque element of ChatGPT’s macOS app. Well, that is until now, as adding elements like Help me Write into the right-click menu, optical character recognition into the launcher, and Magic Editor to a laptop makes ChromeOS quite the formidable low cost AI-centric laptop experience.

Of course, these AI features are exclusive to Chromebook Plus, so not all users will see them. On top of that, the relatively restricted specs of these laptops (no NPU required) mean that you won’t see much on-device AI trickery — leading to some potential latency depending on internet connectivity.

But during my time with it, I can see Google’s vision of making AI just a part of the OS rather than a nice-to-have extra. This is a damn good way to do it.

More from Tom's Guide

• Google dropped new Veo videos — OpenAI should be worried
• Meta quietly building a new AI model — here's what to expect
• Bring back Google’s old-school search results with this one simple hack

If you’ve been thinking about picking up one of the best MacBooks, you may want to wait until next year, especially if the MacBook Pro is out of your price range and the MacBook Air just doesn’t have enough ports.

Even though Apple discontinued its MacBook line back in 2019, rumors have begun circulating that the company could add several new low-cost MacBooks to its offerings in 2024.

While DigiTimes was the first to report on this last month, a new blog post on South Korea’s Naver claims that the iPhone maker is currently developing both a new 12-inch and 13-inch MacBook. Besides providing a cheaper entry point for potential Mac users, these new MacBooks could directly compete with the best Chromebooks in the education market.

One of the ways that Apple became the tech giant it is today is by getting Macs into schools when it was starting out. Now that Gen Z prefers the iPhone over Android though, giving students a Mac instead of a Chromebook or even a Windows laptop would make a lot more sense.

Even if you’re not a student, these new low-cost MacBooks could be the best laptop for you and your budget as they’re rumored to sell for $700 or less. As Apple has yet to announce them or even confirm their existence at this point, like with all rumors, you’d be best to take this one with a grain of salt. Still though, if a new MacBook is sitting on your wish list, you might be better off waiting instead of trying to pick one up on the cheap during Black Friday.

Outlook: Apple never should have killed the MacBook

The MacBook Pro is an excellent machine for getting things done while the MacBook Air offers a lot of power in an extremely portable package. These two laptops have professionals and business users covered but what about everyone else?

This is where the MacBook fit into Apple’s lineup before it was discontinued a few years ago. Not everyone needs all of the additional power that MacBook Pro offers and some people would rather have more ports instead of the portability of the MacBook Air.

At the same time, not everyone wants to bring a $1000+ laptop with them when working out in public. Sometimes, a cheaper, less powerful laptop is perfect for the task at hand like answering emails or doing coursework for university. Plus, if your MacBook gets stolen or damaged, it’s a lot cheaper and easier to replace than a much pricier MacBook Pro.

We’ve heard rumors of Apple launching a cheaper MacBook for years now but with the sudden downturn in MacBook sales, now seems like the perfect time to bring this discontinued laptop back from the past. It could also be a way to win over Windows users that are used to spending quite a lot less on a budget laptop.

With Apple’s ‘scary fast’ event scheduled for next week, we could see this low-cost MacBooks revealed sooner rather than later. However, with its new M3 chips being the focus of the event, that seems unlikely but you can’t blame us for hoping.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple October event — here’s how ‘scary fast' MacBook Pro M3 could be
• MacBook Air vs Pro: Which should you buy?
• New iLeakage attack can steal your emails and passwords on iPhone and Mac

Lenovo is entering into a new venture that could end up leaving the future of Chromebooks looking about as bleak as that of the dodo’s. 

The company, which currently makes some of the very best business laptops on the market, is set to launch a new lineup of services powered by a custom Android OS known as ‘Esper Foundation’. 

Said Foundation is built around Android 11 tech, and will support quarterly security updates to maximize online safety, hopefully robust compatibility for peripherals and customizable branding. 

The latter seems to be focused on the fact that some of these new Esper machines will be primarily designed for hospitality sectors. This was confirmed in an interview by Lenovo’s Johanny Payero, director of global advanced solutions for marketing and strategy (thanks, TechRadar). “Specific market segments we are targeting include retail and hospitality, as well as the digital signage appliances for these industries,” Payero told our sister site. 

Lenovo’s first device that will run on the new Esper Foundation operating system is a PC called the ThinkCentre M70a — a machine that will feature a solid 12th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, 512GB of SSD storage and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. 

This will then be followed by further desktops, including the ThinkCentre M70q, ThinkCentre M90-1 IoT and Se30 v2 PCs, all of which should launch before the end of the year.

A potential ChromeOS slayer 

With Lenovo seemingly betting at least part of the farm on these new Android-powered PCs, what does this mean for the company’s future in terms of Chromebook production? Currently, the firm is deeply embedded in that market, making some of the best Chromebooks around — including the excellent Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3. 

In that same interview with TechRadar, Payero was keen to state his hope that Esper Foundation and its Android architecture would help Lenovo achieve increased success across different industries. “Dedicated devices are proliferating across several key industries, and our new joint solution with Esper allows us to deliver the best of Android with the consistency and predictability of Lenovo’s x86 devices.”

That doesn’t exactly sound great for the company’s continued support for traditional Chromebook hardware that often spans some of its best 2-in-1 laptops you can currently buy. 

As someone who has never gotten along with ChromeOS, I won’t exactly be donning funeral gear if and when support for the platform starts to decline. I recently bought my technophobe mom the aforementioned Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3, and the setup process wasn't exactly smooth. 

As a hardcore Windows 11 user, I’ve always found ChromeOS to be somewhat baffling as an operating system. So if Lenovo has decided to focus more on new Android-based PCs and laptops going forward thanks to Esper Foundation, I won’t be shedding any tears. 

More from Tom's Guide

• The best Chromebooks for students
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 review
• Google unveils Chromebook Plus laptops with world-beating webcams

Here at Tom's Guide we put every laptop we review through our testing lab, where trained experts poke, prod and otherwise put these portable PCs through the wringer to see how well they perform.

That's one reason why you can trust our laptop reviews — because we not only use them all ourselves, we test them to see how well they live up to the hype. And since that we're smack dab in the middle of Amazon's Prime Day event, now is a great time to get one of the best laptops on the market at a great discount. 

With that in mind, I've been combing through deals on Amazon and other retailers to find the cream of the crop.

Best Prime Day laptop deals — Quick links

• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3: was $379 now $269 @ Best Buy
• Acer Aspire 5: was $379 now $299 @ Amazon
• Acer Nitro 5: was $839 now $705 @ Amazon
• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: was $1,399 now $909 @ Best Buy
• MacBook Air (M2/256GB): was $1,099 now $899 @ Best Buy
• MacBook Air 15 (M2/256GB): was $1,299 now $1,049 @ Amazon
• Razer Blade 15: was $3,299 now $2,299 @ Amazon

Best October Prime Day laptop deals

Chromebooks

Windows

MacBooks

Gaming laptops

Google has just announced a brand new line of laptops that are launching this week. The portable PCs will be called Chromebook Plus.

The big takeaways from The Big G’s new series of laptops? Eight initial Chromebook Plus models will launch on October 8 in the US, while they’ll launch a day later in Canada and Europe. These Chromebooks span different manufacturers (including Acer, Asus and HP), but all contain the same starting specs. Said specs include an Intel Core i3 12th Gen CPU or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

These starting components can obviously be upgraded for more expensive configurations, yet all of these new Chromebooks will ship with 1080p IPS displays. What? You were expecting an OLED screen for devices that start at $399?

Chromebook Plus: Raising the bar for video calls 

These innards are topped off by a 1080p+ webcam that features ‘Temporal Noise Reduction’. And this feature actually sounds pretty exciting… well, at least as exciting as webcam features can. 

In its press release for the Chromebook Plus lineup, the company promises “these powerful new Chromebooks have built-in AI to help enhance your call’s clarity and lighting, cancel background noise and blur backgrounds with just a couple of taps.”

According to Google, these features work regardless of what video conferencing app you’re using, be it Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Skype. To use the lighting and blur features mentioned above, Chromebook Plus owners will be able to access them from their laptop’s app shelf. The latest series of Chromebooks sound like they could have some of the best webcams around.

Chromebook Plus key new features

The new Chromebook Plus devices also benefit from additional OS and software features, such as Google Photos Magic Eraser for the built-in Google Photos app and Offline File Sync — the latter means you’ll be able to access and edit your Google Docs files, even if your connection is down.

These features will only expand post-launch, as Chromebook Plus models will eventually benefit from an AI-assisted writing assistant (accessed with a right click) and custom generated wallpapers that are built from templatized text prompts. The example Google provided us? ‘Cats in the style of van Gogh’. So if you’re a fan of tabbies and one-eared artists combining, Google has you covered.

Chromebook Plus freebies 

If you need to edit images to a professional level for work, you’ll also be pleased to hear the Chromebook Plus lineup gives users a free 3-month subscription to Adobe Photoshop.

And the news is similarly good for games, as they’ll be treated to a 3-month subscription to GeForce Now’s Priority tier. That’s obviously nowhere near as impressive as the Nvidia GeForce cloud-powered RTX 4080 you get with GeForce Now Ultimate. Yet it should still let you stream some of the best Steam games and best titles on Xbox Game Pass at a decent level.

So if you’re in the market for one of the best Chromebooks that sounds like it could potentially feature one of the best webcams in a budget-friendly laptop, the Chromebook Plus might be about to become your new best friend.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to set up a Chromebook
• Best Chromebook deals and prices in October 2023
• The best student Chromebooks you can buy

The final days of August are here and retailers are offering some of their most aggressive back to school sales of the season. If you're looking for fast Internet and a new laptop, Verizon is offering the perfect deal. 

For a limited time, you can get Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet for $35/month. Plus, you'll get to choose between a new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go for free (value $349) or NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube TV for free (value $449). That's one of the best Verizon 5G Home Plus offers we've seen. 

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go is perfect for young students or anyone looking for a basic laptop. Other than its 14-inch 1366 x 768 display and Celeron N4500 CPU, Verizon doesn't offer full hardware details. But the base laptop comes with 4GB of RAM and a 64GB eMMC. It won't break any speed records, but it's perfect for young students who just need to get online. 

Your other freebie option is NFL Sunday Ticket, which lets you watch every regular season Sunday afternoon NFL live stream on your TV and supported devices. As part of this Verizon deal, you'll get season 2023-2024 for free. NFL Sunday Ticket traditionally costs $349 for YouTube TV subscribers or $449 for non-subscribers. 

Paired with one of the best cable TV alternatives, this is an excellent way to save money while cutting the cord. If you're not familiar with Verizon's 5G Home Plus Internet, the service is powered by Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network. (5G Ultra Wideband is Verizon's highest performing 5G network using high band mmWave and mid-band C-band spectrum to deliver the best and fastest 5G experience). 

5G Home Plus Internet comes with no contracts or equipment charges. Additionally, your price is guaranteed for two to three years based on the plan you choose. Verizon will even help cover switching/early termination fees (up to $500). 

Naturally, there are some eligibility requirements you need to meet first. First, you need to live in an eligible area and you must be signed up to one of Verizon's unlimited 5G data plans with Auto Pay enabled. Eligible plans include 5G Do More, 5G Play More, 5G Get More, or One Unlimited for iPhone.

Verizon offers a slightly less expensive 5G Home Plan for $25 per month. However, this plan doesn't include the freebies. For more ways to save at Verizon, make sure to check out our Verizon phone deals and Verizon promo codes pages.

Google is currently testing a new feature in ChromeOS that could make managing your tasks easier on the best Chromebooks.

As discovered by C2 Production on Twitter, a new Google Tasks widget is being tested in the Canary build (an experimental version of Chrome for developers) of ChromeOS 118. 

As the tweet explains, this isn’t a widget in the traditional sense but a Google Tasks integration with the Calendar Widget in the Shelf. The Google Task widget appears on top of the Calendar widget and is divided into different tasks, such as schoolwork or personal tasks.

What’s useful about this new feature is that you can tick off tasks as you finish them. Not only will you know what you need to complete, but you’ll also see what you’ve finished. You can also set up different lists with their respective tasks, which can help you organize even further. If you have a lot on your plate at work or in your personal life, this new feature should ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

As TechRadar notes, you’re currently not able to add new tasks through the widget. Instead, you’ll have to go through the Google Tasks homepage to add a new task. Said task will then automatically show up in the widget on your desktop.

C2 Productions’ tweet also shows off a new Material You redesign in ChromeOS’ Settings menu (via 9to5Google). The redesign itself seems to take cues from Android’s interface. That’s not too surprising given how ChromeOS and Android have shared similar design elements. If you’re an Android user, this could make navigating ChromeOS easier.

Outlook 

As with all features tested in Google ChromeOS Canary builds, it’s not guaranteed we’ll see this Google Tasks feature arrive for all Chrome users.

Hopefully, this feature will eventually manifest on Chrome. If you’re like me, you’re likely swamped with a bunch of tasks not only at work but even at home. Sure, there are apps to help you keep on top of tasks, but having this new feature in Chrome should help out big time.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to reset a Chromebook
• Acer Chromebook Spin 714 review
• The best Chromebooks in 2023

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE ($649 for the lone model available) is billed as a gaming Chromebook that can compete with the best Chromebooks while also entering into the budget gaming laptop conversation. And while it is reliant on cloud gaming — sorry, no downloading the best PC games onto this machine —  it largely gets the job done.

That’s not to say it’s perfect. The 16-inch WQXGA IPS display is a bit underwhelming and the speakers aren’t great. But the performance from the 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1240P processor is impressive, and the Acer Chromebook is so light you’d never guess you’re lugging around a 16-inch gaming laptop. What is really impressive though, is the battery life, which allows you to game unplugged for hours.

There are some other key details you need to know about to decide whether this is the Chromebook for you. In this Acer Chromebook 516 GE review, I'll walk you through them and show how well our review unit held up in both expert testing and my own day-to-day use, all of which convinced me it's a gaming Chromebook that is worth serious consideration.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Price and availability

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is currently available from the Acer online store, as well as third party retailers such as Best Buy. The lone configuration features a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1240P CPU, 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. 

At $649 the value for the performance isn’t too bad, though you can find laptops and Chromebooks with similar specs for less. Currently, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is only available in the U.S.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Design

At first glance this does not appear to be an ultra-portable laptop, unlike most Chromebooks. And it is definitely not the smallest — the 16-inch screen pushes the dimensions to 14 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches and makes it take up more real estate on a desk than most Chromebooks.

But what this Chromebook is, is surprisingly light. While the tale of the tape lists the Chromebook 516 GE as 3.9 pounds, you could have convinced me that it weighed much less. Maybe it’s because I’m used to my heavier gaming laptop, but the 516 GE is very easy to carry around.

Otherwise, the design is fine, though it leaves something to be desired. The chassis is a relatively muted Titanium Gray that looks decent, though it definitely picked up some fingerprints. The RGB-backlit keyboard is solid though, for a 16-inch laptop, the lack of a number pad was slightly disappointing.

The reason there’s no number pad? The twin speakers that flank either side of the keyboard. While Acer touts the Chromebook 516 GE as having “unparalleled audio” I found that it lacked any depth and was a bit on the tinny side. You’ll want to use headphones or one of the best gaming headsets to get truly immersive audio.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Display

With a 16-inch WQXGA 120Hz IPS display featuring a 2560 x 1600 resolution, Acer definitely had gamers in mind when building this machine. Unfortunately, the actual display quality is a bit underwhelming. 

The biggest reason that it underwhelms is the brightness — or more accurately, the lack thereof. At an average brightness of 346 nits in our testing, it lags behind a lot of the best Chromebooks. It also falls short in terms of color range as well. Our Klein 10-A colorimeter found that the Chromebook 516 GE displays 107% of the sRGB color spectrum and just 75.8% of the DCI-P3 spectrum (100% is most accurate) and has a Delta-E score of 0.31 (the closer to 0, the better). The lone bright spot in our testing was that peak brightness was in the center of the display, topping out at 392 nits.

That’s not to say that there were no positives. The 120Hz refresh rate is a real bonus and is billed as a major selling point for the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. I tested it while playing Destiny 2 at max resolution (which for this Chromebook is QHD) and it looked noticeably better at default settings.

You definitely need a stable high-speed internet connection to make sure that you maintain that 120Hz frame rate though, and even then I found it a struggle to keep that 120Hz refresh rate stable. You’re likely better off locking in at 60fps. But, still, I came away impressed, which is more than I can say about the brightness. Even with the settings tuned to max resolution and a high frame rate, it is still a bit underwhelming and prevents this from being an excellent display.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Ports and connectivity

In terms of ports, the 516 GE does well. It features one HDMI port, an Ethernet port, two USB 3.2 Type-C ports, and a USB 3.2 Type-A port. You also get a 3.5mm audio jack to plug in your headphones. Not necessarily fully loaded, but definitely enough to get the job done.

The one feature I really liked — and frankly this is subjective — was the power button in the upper right corner of the keyboard. My Acer Chromebook Spin 713 features a side power button that I cannot stand (rationally or not), so I really appreciated this touch.

Connectivity is definitely not an issue for the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. The RJ-45 Ethernet port is rated up to 2.5Gbps and the wireless card supports Wi-Fi 6E. This is good because you’ll definitely need fast connections to use this as a cloud gaming machine. The Chromebook 516 GE also gets Bluetooth 5.2 support.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Performance

While not as powerful as what you get in the best gaming PCs, the 12th Gen i5-1240P CPU on the Chromebook 516 GE is a definite step up from your average Chromebook.

This combination unlocks impressive performance for a Chromebook. Our Geekbench testing for single-core performance was in line with Acer’s expectations, producing a score of 1427. But the multi-core performance was a shocking 8,077, which blows many Chromebooks out of the water. That's better performance than the (admittedly aging) Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, one of our top recommendations for a great Chromebook. However, it's not quite as impressive as the performance of the Framework Chromebook we recently tested, despite the two sporting the same Intel Core i5-1240P CPU. 

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE's performance in the Jetstream 2 web browsing performance testing was also impressive, earning a solid aggregate score of 256.18 in our testing.

But, of course, the real question is can it handle cloud gaming? The good news is that it definitely can. 

Temper your expectations a bit. Graphically, the performance on the Chromebook is not going to measure up to a gaming PC with a discrete GPU running a game installed on the machine at max settings, but nobody is expecting it to. However, after testing a handful of games from Star Wars: Squadrons to Rocket League, I very rarely found myself taken out of the gaming experience due to performance issues. 

There were probably two moments where I found myself raising an eyebrow. I tested these on my home network (the Ookla speed test showed download speeds over 200Mbps). While testing Star Wars: Squadrons via Xbox Game Pass on a web browser, there was a brief moment of screen tearing in the hangar of a Star Destroyer, but the rest of the gaming experience went off without a hitch.

The other moment was using NVIDIA GeForce Now to play Rocket League through my Steam account — same network as before. I hit a bit of input lag and the rumble feedback on my controller would occasionally drop out, but this could have been a cloud gaming issue rather than the fault of the Chromebook itself.

Still, there were times when the Chromebook 516GE really impressed me. When playing Destiny 2 at 120fps at QHD resolution — which is max settings for this Chromebook — I had no problem playing a multiplayer game with essentially no lag. The frame rate dropped as low as 90fps at one point, but I still was able to hold my own no problem.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the performance, even if the visuals and audio didn’t blow me away.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Audio

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE features four speakers: two upward-firing speakers flanking the keyboard and two downward-firing speakers on the underside of the chassis. Acer also uses DTS (Digital Theater Sound) to eliminate distortion.

Despite all this, these are still speakers on a laptop, which are rarely impressive. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is no exception, and while distortion isn’t an issue, the sound is still slightly tinny and lacks any depth whatsoever. If you’re not worried about immersive sound, the speakers will produce enough volume for you to hear comfortably, but we still recommend grabbing one of our best gaming headsets for an optimal experience.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Keyboard and touchpad

I had one persistent issue with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, though my suspicion is that it’s an issue relatively unique to me. I repeatedly hit the Launcher button (it’s the one with a circle icon) instead of the “A” key on the keyboard. I think this is simply a case of me being used to a different keyboard, but it was interesting to note given that it happened constantly.

Aside from that, the keyboard is fine. Gamers will appreciate the RGB backlighting that can be personalized through the operating system settings. There are seven colors that you can choose from, as well as the ability to have the color match your background or become a rainbow of color spread across four zones. It was disappointing that you can't customize the lighting on a per-key basis, but aesthetically it's a nice touch.

The keyboard also features anti-ghosting technology to ensure that keystrokes are registered properly. Personally, I used an Xbox controller for most of my gaming on the machine but had no issues with keyboard ghosting in my testing.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Battery life

To me, this may have been the biggest selling point of the Chromebook 516 GE. The battery life is seriously impressive for a gaming machine.

Acer claims the 65Wh 3-cell battery in the Chromebook 516 GE can last up to 9 hours, though this is based on video rundown testing. In Wi-Fi browsing testing, which is most similar to our testing of mixed web browsing workloads (conducted by tasking the laptop with endlessly browsing the web via Wi-Fi until it dies), Acer promises a slightly lower range of 6:49 to 7:45.

And our testing showed that Acer didn’t make any false promises here. Our mixed web browsing battery life test produced a result of 7:40, right on the higher end of Acer's claim. That’s not great for a business ultraportable, but for a gaming laptop it’s great. Personally, I was able to game for hours without worrying about my battery life, something that had me giving side eye to my Windows gaming laptop that can’t last for more than a few hours.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Webcam

Acer lists the Chromebook 516 GE’s webcam as a full HD camera with 1920 x 1080 resolution, capable of full HD 1080p video at 60fps. In my experience, though, it delivers  relatively fuzzy image quality that is nothing to write home about. 

There are definitely worse integrated laptop webcams out there, but for anything beyond video chats and meetings, you’ll want to get a separate webcam.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Heat

Anyone who has a gaming PC or gaming laptop will tell you that they can get hot — and fast. Luckily, the Chromebook 516 GE stays relatively cool despite this, likely in no small part due to the fact that it's limited to cloud gaming. Streaming games via the cloud requires your PC to do significantly less than if it had to do all the work itself, which is what causes gaming rigs to get hotter than a sidewalk on a hot day.

But even compared to other Chromebooks, the 516 GE runs relatively cool. Our heat testing (which involves playing an HD video on the laptop for 15 minutes, then scanning it with a heat gun) found that even at the laptop’s hottest point, in the center of the underside of the chassis between the vents, it was only a balmy 92.1 degrees. This is still several degrees cooler than the 97.9-degree peak that the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 hit in our testing, and we described that as a “relatively cool” laptop.

One thing to keep in mind is that since this is a gaming machine, most likely you’ll be setting the laptop on something other than your lap for ergonomic purposes. But it’s nice to know that if you chose to rest it on your lap it won’t burn your skin.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Verdict

Despite my initial “meh” response to the first gaming Chromebook from Acer — in fact, it’s one of the first gaming Chromebooks ever — I found myself growing more and more enamored with the machine as I wrote this Acer Chromebook 516 GE review. In particular, the prospect of gaming on a laptop for hours became more and more appealing as I compared it to my Windows gaming laptop.

The brightness is definitely underwhelming — it can’t compete with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022), which is currently our top recommendation for best gaming laptop. But the Chromebook 516 GE still provides a QHD display at just $649, which is significantly cheaper than the Asus or any gaming laptop.

And that’s the biggest reason to recommend the Acer Chromebook 516GE. For the price, you cannot find a laptop that plays games this well. The combination of QHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and excellent battery life is excellent, even if admittedly it has to rely on cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now.

So if you need the ultimate gaming laptop, this Chromebook still probably won’t be for you. You’ll want the Asus for that so you can run games natively off your laptop at peak settings, or maybe the Alienware x14 or Razer Blade 14. But if you want to be able to game on the go and have performance you can rely on, the Acer Chromebook 516GE is an excellent option at a much cheaper price.

So you need to know how to set up a Chromebook because you just bought one of our best Chromebooks. That's great! Chromebooks are a great choice because they're relatively inexpensive but can still handle a ton of tasks from email to streaming the latest shows and movies and even some basic mobile gaming. It's what makes them a great choice for students or anyone on a budget.

They are also incredibly easy to set up. In just a few minutes you can go from pulling your Chromebook out of the box to using it to watch new Netflix movies or browsing the internet. All you need is to set up a Google account — or log into an existing one — and confirm a few settings. There's no need to be a tech expert.

And if you already have a Chromebook and are setting up a second one, you don't have to worry about getting everything just right. Your Google account can sync with your new device and have everything looking just the way you like it. So without further ado, here are all the steps you need to know on how to set up your Chromebook.

How to set up a Chromebook

1. Turn on your Chromebook and click Get started
2. Connect to your Wi-Fi network
3. Set up your profile
4. Log in to your Google account
5. Accept the Terms and conditions
6. Sync your Chromebook settings
7. Create a login PIN
8. Set up Google Assistant
9. Personalize your display theme

Read on to see detailed instructions for each step.

Congrats! Your Chromebook is now set up and ready to use. The only thing you may have left to do is review your sync settings — if you clicked the box to "Review sync options following setup" in step six. This is really easy to do, as your Chromebook will automatically have a Chrome browser window pop up if you checked the box in step six. Simply look over your settings and close the Chrome window.

Quick resets and setups are truly underrated features of Chromebooks as both can be done in minutes. So if you need to reset your Chromebook make sure to check out our guide on how to reset a Chromebook before you get started. And for more Chromebook tips and tricks, check out our guide on how to screenshot on Chromebook. Make sure to also check out how to play Steam games on a Chromebook and how ChromeOS Flex can turn your old laptop into a Chromebook.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best Chromebook deals and prices
• Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review
• Laptop vs. Chromebook: What’s best for you?

It helps to know how to reset a Chromebook before you sell it or give it to a friend or family member. Chromebooks are a great choice if you don't need one of the best laptops. They're relatively inexpensive but can still handle a ton of tasks from email to streaming the latest shows and movies and even some basic mobile gaming. It's what makes them a great choice for students or people looking for their first laptop.

But another benefit of Chromebooks is their connection to the cloud. By connecting everything to your Google account, your Chromebook syncs a lot of your settings, data and apps to the cloud rather than keeping things on your device only. This means you can set up a new Chromebook with ease — and that if you have to reset an old one, you don't have to worry about losing your things.

If you have an older Chromebook and are trading it in or selling it so you can upgrade, or just need to give your device a refresh, resetting your Chromebook is a great move. So here are all the steps you need to know on how to reset your Chromebook through the Powerwash feature.

How to reset a Chromebook

1. Open Launcher
2. Search for Reset in Launcher
3. Use Powerwash to reset your Chromebook

Read on to see detailed instructions for each step.

And that's all you need to do! Once you click that restart button, the Chromebook will begin the Powerwash process and wipe your device clean. When your device powers back on, simply press the power button and click Shut Down and it will be ready to be set up the next time you power it on.

Quick resets and setups are truly underrated features of Chromebooks. The process to reset takes maybe a minute and only a few steps. For more Chromebook tips and tricks, check out our guide on how to screenshot on Chromebook. Make sure to also check out how to play Steam games on a Chromebook and how ChromeOS Flex can turn your old laptop into a Chromebook.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best Chromebook deals and prices
• Netflix just got a huge upgrade that makes streaming easier — how to use it
• How to use the new Bing with ChatGPT — and what you can do with it

Deciding between a traditional laptop and one of the best 2-in-1 laptops really comes down to how you plan on using your new device. Even though I a generally prefer desktops over laptops, last summer I picked up the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3.

I chose it instead of an Android tablet as I knew it would get years of Chrome OS and security updates instead of being stuck on an outdated version of Android. Besides its larger 2K display, thinner bezels, Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 CPU and other improvements over the original Lenovo Chromebook Duet, I was really excited to use it with a stylus.

I’ll admit this wasn’t my first 2-in-1 laptop as I bought a Surface Pro 4 along with a 3rd generation Surface Pen back in 2016. While I liked the customizability of the ‘magic button’ on the top of the Surface Pen, the pen itself worked exclusively with Microsoft’s Surface devices.

One of the things that really intrigued me about the Chromebook Duet 3 was USI stylus support. USI or the Universal Stylus Initiative is a set of industry-wide standards for active styluses. Unlike with my old Surface Pen, a USI stylus will work on any device that supports the standard including many of the best Chromebooks. Unfortunately for me though, I still ended up buying the wrong USI stylus back when I first got my Chromebook Duet 3. 

Unavailable at launch

I’ve now had the Chromebook Duet 3 for almost a year and while it served me well hooked up to one of the best monitors alongside a mechanical keyboard, I haven’t actually used it the way I initially intended to — as a replacement for an Android tablet. 

Back in June of last year when I had the Chromebook Duet 3 sitting in my shopping cart, at the last minute I decided to also add the Lenovo USI Pen to my order. Since USI is a universal standard after all, I figured it would work out of the box with my new Chromebook but boy was I wrong.

In the two years between the release of the original Chromebook Duet and the Duet 3, the Universal Stylus Initiative released version 2.0 of their specification. While I had thoroughly researched every other aspect of my new 2-in-1, I hadn’t considered that the only USI pen with a “works with chromebook” endorsement on Lenovo’s site wouldn’t work with my Chromebook.

That’s right, Lenovo had updated its USI pen to support the new standard. However, this new USI 2.0 pen didn’t even have a listing page on its site when I placed my order. The Lenovo USI Pen 2 did eventually go on sale but it didn’t start shipping until September — five months after the Chromebook Due 3 was released.

Without a working USI stylus in hand, it was really easy to fall back into my old ways. While I’ve owned several of the best laptops over the years, they always seem to end up connected to a monitor with an external keyboard and a mouse. Sure, I bring them with me when I travel but when I’m at home, I really tend to prefer the desktop experience. Maybe it’s because I grew up at a time when personal computers — or PCs as we now know them today — were actually family computers used by an entire household, not just one person.

After moving a mini PC into my office last week, I realized I no longer needed to use my Chromebook Duet 3 like a desktop. I could finally use it the way I originally planned but there was one thing missing — my USI stylus. Although the Lenovo Pen 2 was sold out on Lenovo’s site (as it often is), I decided to pick one up from Amazon instead. However, while writing this piece, I noticed that it’s now back in stock with a 20% discount. Still, I finally got my coveted Lenovo Pen 2 and was ready to put it to the test. 

Chrome OS stylus tools

Unlike with my Surface Pen, I didn’t even have to pair the Lenovo Pen 2 with the Chromebook Duet 3, it just worked. Although I’m not much of an artist despite recently testing out a drawing tablet and I’ve almost forgotten how to write by hand after years of typing on a keyboard, I really prefer a stylus for scrolling. It just feels natural and there’s something about having a pen in hand that always makes me feel more productive.

To make full use of the Lenovo Pen 2 though, I first had to enable quick access to the stylus tools built into my Chromebook which was easy enough to do. I just opened the Chromebook Duet 3’s Settings menu, taped on Device and then Stylus before toggling on the option to show stylus tools in the shelf which is essentially Chrome OS’ version of the Taskbar in Windows.

Tapping on the stylus icon in the shelf brings up the operating system’s stylus tools which include Screen capture, Create note, Laser pointer and Magnifying glass. Screen capture is useful for taking screenshots which you can then highlight and draw on. but I really like Google’s Cursive note-taking app. It’s similar to Microsoft OneNote but instead of looking like graph paper, there are lightly colored dots across the entire page to make it easier to draw straight lines and get the right proportions for your sketches. Even though I’ve yet to give a presentation using my Chromebook, those who do might appreciate the Laser pointer feature.

Using my Chromebook Duet 3 how I originally intended

I’ve now spent the better part of a week using my Chromebook Duet 3 like a large Chrome OS tablet. It’s not my main device as you’d have to pry my desktop from my cold, dead hands but it’s great for taking a break from using a mouse and keyboard. As I’m frequently moving computers and monitors around when reviewing the best standing desks, I plan on sketching out new setups on my Chromebook Duet 3 first before I actually start unplugging devices and working on my cable management.

I really wonder though if my experience with the Chromebook Duet 3 would have been different and closer to what I originally imagined if the first stylus I picked up for it had actually worked. All in all though, I’m happy that I’m finally following through with my original plan. Now, let’s just see if it lasts.

More from Tom's Guide

• ChromeOS Flex can turn your old laptop into a Chromebook
• How to play Steam games on a Chromebook
• These are the best student Chromebooks you can get right now