We’ve got more AI computer news, as the flavor of the year is now rippling out to Chromebooks. For everyone who saw Microsoft’s news about AI-packed Windows 11 laptops, Google’s basically shouting back, “in this economy?” Yes, Copilot+ PCs like the new Surface Laptop look neat, but what about the people who can’t spend more than $1,000 on a computer with bleeding-edge tricks, and need wallet-friendly budget laptops?
For those people, 2024 marks a new era for the Chromebook Plus laptops, which now feature a dedicated Gemini AI app that brings the assistant to the dock, as well as other AI features. This year’s crop of Chromebook Plus laptops starts as low as $400 with the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, a 14-inch Intel Core i3-based model that sits at the bottom of a range that tops out at a $699 metallic option. Release dates are varied, but expect these laptops to ship soon.
Meet the new Chromebook Plus laptops
This 14-inch Chromebook Plus offers all the new Gemini tricks, and it's rated for up to 11 hours of battery life.
Upgrade to a Core i5 CPU with this elegant all-white Asus Chromebook Plus.
What the Google AI Gemini adds to Chromebook Plus
Arguably the most utilitarian AI feature coming to the Chromebook Plus laptops is Live Caption, which will provide subtitles for other languages during Zoom and Google Meet video calls and could cut down language barriers. That said, how often do you see yourself using such a function? More likely usage could come for when you’re watching something on Netflix, as the streaming service’s own subtitles are often subject to debate.
The nicer AI-driven features in Chromebook Plus laptops are image-based, as the system has a Mad-Libs-style tool for generating desktop wallpaper and virtual backgrounds for video conferencing calls. Under the Wallpaper settings, you’ll see a Create with AI section, which currently presents users with eight themes, from characters (where I made wallpapers with red koalas on a gold background) to glowscapes, where I dropped a glowing walkway on a pond. Some users may find this fill-in-the-blanks interface fun, while I’m sure others will see it as limiting. I’m sure many of you are already happy with the desktop wallpaper options you already have, though.
Then, we’ve got the desktop debut of Google’s Magic Editor for photos, which has been in phones such as the Pixel 8 for a little bit now. When I opened up the Google Photos app on the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE I’ve been testing, I found a photo of a delicious-looking breakfast sandwich that barely took up any space at all on its plate. Then, with Magic Editor, I was able to select the sandwich by circling it with the touchpad cursor, and then enlarge it by hitting the Shift and + keys at the same time.
The result is a slightly convincing but comically huge sandwich that made me wish today was a cheat day. Magic Editor is pitched more as a way to “fix” images, for those moments when things aren’t properly lined up or that ex you wish you could forget is in a group photo. I’m not exactly interested in that, as it feels a little too close to the memory rewriting tech from the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but to each their own. Some people might just want to erase strangers in the backgrounds of their photos for an image that’s more pleasing, whereas I just see that as a weird way to obsess over your image composition.
This Chromebook feels like a solid option for affordable cloud gaming, with its 120Hz display and RGB keyboard.
This Chromebook feels like a solid option for affordable cloud gaming, with its 120Hz display and RGB keyboard.
Since the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE I have my hands on is meant for gaming — you can tell because of the RGB lighting in its keys — I’m curious to test one feature coming to all Chromebooks: the Game Dashboard. This new menu allows you to show or hide controls for games to make them easier to use on laptops, and easily take a screenshot. Chromebook Plus laptops will also gain a Game Capture feature that records both the game and the gamer playing it.
However, Gemini AI in the Chromebook Plus still has all the rough edges you’ve come to expect from any generative AI output tech. The “Help me read” tool on a Chromebook told a presenter at Google’s event “No, you should not be scared of a solar eclipse,” but when the user asked why, it replied, “Looking directly at the sun can lead to permanent eye damage.” Which, you know, is kinda scary. I hope that users see the big “Experiment” and “Quality may vary when using generative Al” labels.
When a presenter tasked Gemini with creating a blog post about the solar eclipse and a headline to match, the bot regurgitated very basic concepts in a poor manner. One heading read “Why You Shouldn’t Look at the Sun” and was followed by another section titled “Safe Ways to Watch.” All under an emoji-encrusted Gemini-generated headline “The Moon, Sun, and Earth for Kids: An Exciting Adventure in the Solar System.” Almost makes me feel like my job as a writer on the internet is safe for now.
Those who find themselves wanting to push Gemini further will want to try out the Gemini Advanced toolkit in the new Google One AI Premium Plan, which comes free for the first 12 months on a new Chromebook Plus (and costs $20 per month thereafter). You’ll be able to query Gemini about your own documents, use the new Gemini 1.5 Pro model and even perform in-line code execution. This plan also ratchets your storage cap up to 2TB.
What kinds of specs do these Chromebooks pack?
Speaking of higher specs, these Chromebooks don’t pack a Neural Processing Unit like those Copilot+ PCs. Historically, Chromebook Plus laptops pack an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 CPU or above; a 1080p or higher webcam; at least 8GB of memory; and a 128GB SSD. Copilot+ PCs pack at least twice the memory and storage, and so far run on more-advanced chips such as the Snapdragon X Elite.
But since the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE I’m testing will start at $650 when it goes on sale, it’s a bit above the norm, with an Intel Core 5 CPU, a 256GB SSD and a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) display that supports 120Hz refresh rates for smoother scrolling and gaming. Its port selection is pleasingly complete, with dual USB-C, one USB-A, HDMI 2.1 out, a headphone jack and even an Ethernet port for stable web connections. We wish the pricier MacBook Air and XPS 14 could match them. Acer rates this laptop for up to 10 hours of battery life, which is based on a test involving various activities including web browsing and email.
The takeaway
I get the sense that regular folks — the kind that Google is chasing with these prices — might not want to invest in technology that still seems half-baked at best. Still, people might get a kick out of Magic Editor, especially if it’s not on the phone they already own. Right now, the Gemini app and integrations seem like the biggest reason to get a Chromebook Plus, unless you (like me) are a massive tab hoarder and want higher specs, such as more memory, by default.
Anyone looking to dip their toes in the AI wading pool has good reason to be curious about the Chromebook Plus as an entry-level device to this weird world. And I totally understand that my skepticism over generative AI may not be reflective of the wider population. Stay tuned for my review of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE and our full coverage of tech in 2024, because you don’t need to have a large language model of data to know that the deluge of AI-infused electronics isn’t ending anytime soon.