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Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: A sturdy device that excels at productivity
A speedy budget laptop that will meet the majority of needs
Chromebooks have always fit a niche mold where limited specs can make you question if you should buy or skip — how does it benefit you if you already own a laptop or a handy tablet that offers all the apps you need? I've pondered the same question for some time. In the beginning, Chromebooks were rarely up to par with regular low-end laptops: they were too sluggish to perform menial tasks and couldn't handle the load of dozens of tabs opened in your browser.
Acer Chromebook 514 review: Unbeatable battery
The Kompanio 828 makes for a Chromebook with average power and awesome screen time.
The Chromebook spotlight has been gobbled up by gaming advances and premium models like the upcoming HP Dragonfly Elite Chromebook and the Lenovo Flex 5i (14”). The bulk of this market is still consumed by budget and mid-range models that might not look sexy, but they have the assets you need. Take the Acer Chromebook 514, for instance: there are two models bearing that name, but you’ve probably only heard of the more premium Acer Chromebook Spin (CB514-1W) with its 11th Gen Intel Core processor. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a sweet Chromebook, but it’s $800 and difficult to find.
HP Chromebook x2 11 review: A great grab and go Chromebook
It's a good deal if you can catch it on sale
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Two-in-ones are all the rage thanks to their portability and versatility. The HP Chromebook x2 11 is a detachable-style 2-in-1 that offers a few firsts in the field. This is the first Chromebook of its type to offer a 2K 3:2 screen, and it's also the first to offer optional LTE support and the Qualcomm 7C chipset, and it's much more polished and premium than the Lenovo Chromebook Duet.
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Although it wasn’t always the case, finding a high-end Chromebook is a breeze these days. While the market still leans towards budget devices, Google’s Pixelbook series helped establish Chrome OS as a mid-range player, with devices like Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 and Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook 2 combining flashy designs and real productivity strength.
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2021) review: The best Chromebook of 2021
Acer’s newest Spin 713 is a performance juggernaut for the price
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For the first few years, Chromebooks were merely an affordable solution for people to go online. With the ever-improving feature set of Chrome OS, manufacturers like Acer have seen more demand for premium Chromebook hardware. Last year, Acer released its successful Spin 713, which exceeded our expectations by packing speedy performance at a decent price. Now, the company offers a refreshed model that uses Intel’s latest 11th generation processor and Thunderbolt 4 to further refine the experience. The newest Spin 713 is a great follow-up to the older model who needs a powerful laptop for personal and business use, and its become one of the best Chromebooks you can buy
Acer Chromebook 317 review: Large and in charge
When a large screen is a must, Acer is the only game in town
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The Acer Chromebook 317 is gargantuan, and that's not an exaggeration. It's literally the largest Chromebook on the market, thanks to its 17.3-inch screen. It's only been a few months since the original CB317-1H was released. The newly-launched unit covered in this review is the CB317-1HT. This model is a refresh of the original that packs double the RAM at 8GB, a new power-efficient Pentium Silver N6000 processor, and an IPS 1080p touchscreen. These improvements make it a great Chromebook, but they come with a price jump: the CB317-1HT retails for $500, which is $100 more than the original 317.
Asus Chromebook CX9 Review: Too much of a good thing
Limiting software holds back Asus's pricey Chromebook
There are a ton of dependable Chromebook options, whether you’re a casual user browsing the web or a serious professional that demands the best hardware. And while Chromebooks have a reputation for being cheap, that doesn’t mean there can’t be powerhouse Chromebooks. There’s a clear case to be made for a nicer piece of hardware like the Asus Chromebook CX9. The CX9 is a power user’s dream Chromebook that crams the best specs possible, but it’s too expensive to wholeheartedly recommend it for personal use, especially when the hardware feels bottlenecked by the limited software.
Hands-on: Acer's new Chromebook 514 is a humble and practical laptop for the masses
Sporting Intel's 11th generation CPU, a fingerprint scanner, and more
Chromebooks have come a long way since the CR-48 debuted 10 years ago. You have your choice of Chrome OS hardware ranging from ultra-budget to lavishly expensive — Acer’s new Chromebook 514 lands somewhere in the middle. Paired with Intel’s 11th generation Tiger Lake CPU and ultrafast storage, the Chromebook 514 is a solid laptop for the right buyer.
CTL CBx2 review, one month later: A good Chromebox at a compelling price
CTL’s next-generation Chromebox is perfect for casual use
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It’s been over two years since CTL released the Chromebox CBx1, its first Chrome OS desktop designed for the classroom and corporate use. That Chromebox exceeded our expectations when we reviewed it, offering good performance at a low price. Now, the Oregon-based company offers the CBx2, upgrading the processor, storage, and networking performance, making the CBx2 a solid upgrade at an affordable price.
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 review, one month later: A good laptop with forgivable flaws
One of the best budget Chromebooks you can buy
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The bounty of budget Chromebooks continues to grow year by year, but most of them aren’t worth your time or money. Lenovo recently launched its C340 Chromebook, which shook up the budget segment by offering great specs at a low price. Now, Acer has a similar offering, the Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K5GD), offering decent hardware and incredible battery life for just $320. The mediocre touchpad and disappointing display keep me from whole-heartedly recommending this device for everyone, but in broad strokes, the Spin 311 is a fantastic value for students and basic personal use if you're not too picky.
Acer Chromebook Spin 713, two months later: The best premium Chromebook
A 10th Gen Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and so much more for $629
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For the first few years, Chromebooks were only worth buying if they were cheap as dirt. As Chrome OS has improved, so has the hardware. While Chrome OS is still more limited than Windows or macOS, there's an argument to be made for a nicer piece of hardware running Google's software. Not too nice, though. Chromebooks like the Pixelbook or Galaxy Chromebook are too expensive to be genuinely competitive. The Spin 713, on the other hand, is priced just right.
Lenovo C340 review: The best cheap Chromebook of 2020
If you want a $300-ish Chromebook, this is the one to buy
There are a lot of "cheap" Chromebooks out there, but if you want a good cheap Chromebook, you'll really have to dig. In fact, they're few and far between, and between old models, soon-to-be unsupported chipsets, and "gotchas" like legitimately terrible display panels, it's legitimately difficult to separate the genuine competitors from laptops deserve to be in the proverbial trash heap. But Lenovo's C340 is a great follow-up to the success of the previous C330, and it's Android Police's Most Wanted budget Chromebook pick.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 review: So close to the perfect 13-inch Chromebook
Lenovo's new budget 13-inch Chromebook comes in three models, but the highest-end option is a tough sell
Lenovo might not have the greatest track record with its Windows-based laptops, but the company's Chromebooks have usually been excellent. The Lenovo C330 from 2018 was our top pick for a budget Chromebook, and more recently, we gave the Lenovo Chromebook Duet an 8/10.This time around, we're taking a look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5, a budget 13-inch Chromebook that ranges in price from $360-410. There's a lot to like about the Flex 5, but one or two flaws keep me from whole-hardheartedly recommending it to everyone.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook review: Cheap for a reason
A bad screen mars this otherwise capable ultra-budget Chromebook
The first Chromebooks were budget laptops, which made sense for a stripped-down OS. Over time, Chrome OS has gotten (somewhat) more capable, and OEMs have paired it with premium hardware. The Pixelbooks and Galaxy Chromebooks of the world have their fans, but most Chromebooks are much more modest. However, few are as modest as Lenovo's $250 Ideapad 3 14-inch Chromebook. It sports a Celeron CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 14-inch 1366 x 768 LCD. This Chromebook gets the job done—the performance is acceptable though not impressive, and it has a passable keyboard. The fuzzy, dim screen is the biggest problem, but even that I can partially forgive at this price point.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 review: Premium hardware, poor value
The price on this Chromebook is too damn high
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Chromebooks have gone through a rapid evolution over the past two years or so. High-end models like the Galaxy Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Spin 13, and Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 are bumping up against Windows ultrabooks in both hardware and price. At the same time, Chrome OS has expanded in functionality with features like Linux app support, better native printing, and improvements to tablet mode.Asus revealed the Chromebook Flip C436 earlier this year, and while it's a great laptop (if you like Chrome OS) with fantastic performance, the incredibly high price makes it a tough recommendation.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet review: The first Chrome OS tablet that (mostly) makes sense
You get a lot here for $280, and Chrome OS is much better on a tablet now — though it still feels incomplete
Lenovo's Chromebook Duet sounded like a winner the moment we first heard about it. It's a 2-in-1 detachable tablet running Chrome OS, and though it might not pack the fastest chipset, the rest of its hardware impresses — especially given that it starts at just $280 and comes with a keyboard cover. While the Surface-style form factor has its issues when it comes to usability, this the first Chrome OS-powered tablet that's actually made sense.
Google introduced the idea of a premium Chromebook (and a matching premium price tag) with the original Chromebook Pixel. Other companies have followed suit with devices like the Yoga C630 from Lenovo and some HP X360. In this competitive landscape, Acer has a compelling solution of its own: the Acer Chromebook 715. Acer's new high-end Chromebook sports an all-metal construction with MIL-STD 810G compliance, optional quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with up to 16GB of RAM, a full-size keyboard with a number pad, and an optional fingerprint reader. Currently, there is no other large Chromebook on the market that has those last two features.
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For a few years, the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 has been one of the best Chrome OS devices around. Its MacBook-like design, great keyboard, Android app support (though that came a few months after release), good screen, and sub-$500 price point made it a great computer for many. I should know — it was my main laptop for over a year.The C302 has been due for an upgrade for some time, and Asus has finally given it a sucessor. The Chromebook Flip C434 is Asus' new flagship Chromebook, with an updated design and a larger screen. It's also more expensive; while the C302 started at $500 for a Core M3 CPU and 4GB RAM (and now goes for ~$470), the entry-level C434 with an m3 CPU and 4GB RAM is $569.99. The model with 8GB RAM will set you back $600.The C434 is a worthy successor to the C302, but it has different tradeoffs compared to the previous model — along with a higher starting price.
Premium Chromebooks are a niche product category; most Chromebooks in any price range can do pretty much all the same things. The difference comes in how well a particular device handles those tasks — and while HP's Chromebook x360 14 G1 is unlikely to convert anyone already against high-end Chrome OS devices on principle, it's an extremely competent laptop that's worth a look for anybody interested in a quality Chrome machine.