Chromebook Plus: Google bets on AI to reinvent cheap laptops
This Monday, Google presented three new Chromebook Plus, but it is not just a trio of devices that come to feed this new category of laptops. The search giant has put artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the axes of this proposal, a discipline that is in fashion and that, in many cases, can offer interesting advantages for users.
While we have once seen devices like the Chromebook Pixel , a private label device, the Mountain View company’s strategy is to partner with third-party manufacturers to offer its ChromeOS-based portable computing concept. This time we will see products from Acer, Asus and HP whose hardware characteristics place them in a mid-range.
Chromebook Plus, a mid-range bet powered by AI
At the hardware level (see sheet for more details), the Chromebook Plus offer us devices with the following minimum specifications . 12th Gen Intel Core i3 or later or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or later processors. These will be equipped with 8 GB of RAM or more, 128 GB of SSD storage or more, 1080p cameras and Full HD IPS displays or better. Nothing below this.
|
ACER CHROMEBOOK PLUS 514 |
ASUS CHROMEBOOK PLUS CX34 |
HP CHROMEBOOK PLUS 15A |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
SCREEN |
FHD 14 inches |
FHD 14 inches |
FHD 15.6 inches |
|
PROCESSOR |
AMD Ryzen 3+ |
Intel Core i3 1215U |
Intel Core i3 N305 |
|
RAM |
8GB |
8GB |
8GB |
|
STORAGE |
128 SSD |
128 SSD |
256 SSD |
|
PRICE |
From 449 euros |
From 449 euros |
From 449 euros |
As time goes by, we will surely see new devices arrive for this category of Chromebooks, but it is important to take into account the minimum level of system requirements that Google has established. This, in addition to giving us an idea of the range they are aimed at, sheds light on the prices we could see. For now, the computers start at 449 euros.
Since we are very clear about the type of computers we have in front of us, it is a good opportunity to review the commitment that the company has made to AI . We had already seen many of these solutions, individually, and now we see them integrate a more homogeneous formula within ChromeOS (now with the Material You design line ), the heart of the Chromebook Plus.
There is no doubt that after the pandemic we are using our computers much more for video calls. In this sense, Google has updated its computers to incorporate AI that helps improve the clarity and lighting of calls. It also cancels background noise and blurs backgrounds, all of this, they promise, easily and immediately for users.
AI also comes with more power to the Google Photos application integrated into the devices. In addition to smart suggestions and capture improvement features, the firm has incorporated the Magic Eraser . This feature, exclusive to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 at the time, has been deployed on mobile phones from other manufacturers , and now we see it reaching laptops. Generative technology will also help us write emails, generate images and more.
Google wants us to use its Chromebook Plus computers for editing. Although they do not have great hardware specifications, the company says that using the web versions of Photoshop and Adobe Express Premium will offer us a good experience. They also point out that the LumaFusion editing package also works on computers (although we will have to pay 34.99 euros for it).
Price and availability of the new Chromebook Plus
The new Chromebook Plus will be available in Spain from next October 9 at a starting price of 449 euros. They can be purchased online and in stores.