What you need to know
- Acer, ASUS, and HP have all announced a total of six new Chromebooks.
- These include five Chromebook Plus models and even a ChromeOS tablet.
- Pricing for the various devices starts at $299 for the ASUS Chromebook CM30 and goes up to $699 for the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714.
We've been wondering where all of the new Chromebooks have been hiding, as there haven't been many new devices hitting the store shelves. Well, the wait is now over, as Acer, ASUS, and HP are announcing six new options.
Starting off with Acer, the company is updating two of its best offerings, including the Chromebook Plus moniker. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 features the same great 2-in-1 design and build quality that we've come to know and love. However, along with a slight name change, it's also one of the first Chromebooks to be powered by Intel's Core Ultra processor.
Last year's Spin 714 has largely remained atop the list of best Chromebooks, and we're hoping that trend continues. Along with the Intel Core Ultra 5, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 sports a 14-inch touchscreen display, a 1440p QHD webcam, and plenty of port selection.
When it comes to big screen Chromebooks, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE was easily one of our favorites. Even with the gamer aesthetic, this was a powerhouse of a machine, and now, the Chromebook Plus 516 GE is here. It too continues to include many of the same design choices and features that helped make its predecessor so popular.
It's still the perfect Chromebook for cloud gaming, thanks to the beautiful 16-inch, 2560x1600, 120Hz, display. While Acer opted against using the latest Intel Core Ultra series of chips, the Chromebook Plus 516 GE is no slouch as it instead is powered by Intel's 13th Gen. Both of these Chromebooks will be available this month, with prices coming in at either $699 or $749.
ASUS is next up, and is coming in hot with two new Chromebooks of its own. The Chromebook Plus CX34 is the company's flagship option for those wanting a traditional 14-inch Chromebook. It's powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core i5, and can be configured with, or without, a touchscreen.
One could argue that the show's star is the Chromebook CM30, bringing us the first ChromeOS-powered tablet for consumers since Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 3. The CM30 is bundled with a magnetic stand cover and keyboard, making it easy to go from sending an email to playing a game in a snap. There's also a garaged USI stylus, which is great for jotting down notes or using the CM30 as a drawing tablet.
There's one more entry coming from the ASUS camp, as the ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus is finally available. This debuted at the beginning of the year, as it was the first Chromebook to be announced using Intel's Core Ultra processors. However, it still hasn't been available for purchase, but that's no longer an issue.
Currently, there's only one configuration available, which includes the Intel Core Ultra 5 SoC, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Priced at $799, the only place you can get the CX54 Chromebook Plus is from ASUS directly. We hope to not only get our hands on one, but also that it makes its way to more retailers.
Rounding out the pack are a couple of Chromebooks from HP. While we don't yet have a successor to the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, HP isn't just sitting around with nothing new to show off. The company's popular 2-in-1 is now called the HP Chromebook Plus x360, while still sporting a 14-inch touchscreen display. And while it won't blow your socks off in the performance department, the x360 makes up for it with a long-lasting battery and HP Fast Charge.
Last but certainly not least is the HP Chromebook 14, which we already expect to be one of the best student Chromebooks with its $249 price tag. As the name implies, it sports a 14-inch display, complete with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 1080p webcam "enhanced by Temporal Noise Reduction." This, too, is expected to be a battery champ as HP rates it to last for more than 12 hours on a single charge.
