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Google has brought a raft of AI features to Chromebook Plus systems, including Gemini — and there are several new computers to match.
The higher-end Chromebooks offer the generative AI on the home screen through the app shelf. As on the web, you can use it to answer questions, aid writing, and otherwise make some tasks easier.
Multiple AI features are also coming to Chromebook Plus laptops, some of which may be familiar if you’re a Pixel phone owner. “Help me write” can either generate new text from a prompt or rework existing text to change the tone, length, or phrasing. Generative AI can also produce new wallpaper and video call backdrops.
Google Photos’ Magic Editor, meanwhile, is coming to Chromebook Plus models as a laptop exclusive. As on Pixels, it lets you move objects, change lighting, and rethink backgrounds. If you don’t mind altering the “truth” of an image, it can rescue shots that might otherwise be unusable.
All Chromebooks, not just Plus models, are getting a handful of useful improvements at the same time. You can use your Android phone to set up Wi-Fi access and your Google account just by scanning a QR code. There’s now a built-in Google Tasks view from the home screen corner, and you can save screen recordings as GIFs. A Game Dashboard helps map phone games’ controls to your keyboard.
New Chromebook Plus Models
Accordingly, multiple manufacturers have launched new Chromebook Plus models to take advantage of Gemini and other upgrades.
Acer is leading the group with three new machines. The $699 Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (shown at top) is one of the first Chromebooks with a Core Ultra chip that gives it some extra computational power for AI. A $349 Chromebook Plus 514 is an entry-level conventional 14-inch model with a Core i3. The $649 Chromebook Plus 516 GE, in turn, is a cloud gaming laptop with a 13th-generation Core i7 chip, a 1,600p 120Hz display, and RGB keyboard lighting.
HP’s lone entry is the $429 Chromebook Plus x360, a 14-inch convertible with a Core i3 inside. ASUS has refreshed its $499 Chromebook Plus CX34 with a 13th-generation Core i5.
If you don’t need a Plus model, the $299 Chromebook CM30 is a 10.5-inch detachable tablet with a MediaTek 8186 chip. HP has also refreshed the Chromebook 14 inch with a Pentium processor and a $249 price.
The combination of Gemini and new Chromebook Plus computers helps illustrate Google’s latest Chrome OS strategy. It’s hoping that new hardware with exclusive features will draw people away from comparable Windows systems. As before, though, these may not appeal to serious gamers or others who want high-performance local apps or software that simply isn’t available on Chromebooks.
