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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the thinnest and lightest Chromebook Plus, and comes with an AMOLED display for $699.
- It has good battery life, great port selection, and is leading the charge on the new AI-powered features in ChromeOS.
- The matte black finish attracts fingerprints, and users might experience some glitches in the new ChromeOS beta.
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Google’s Chromebook lineup continues to expand in exciting ways for consumers. Last year, it released the first Chromebook Plus devices with higher-end processors, more storage, and new AI features baked into ChromeOS, and it followed up with a handful more models this year.
The latest wow-worthy Chromebook Plus device is the new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus<!–>, the thinnest and lightest Chromebook Plus yet with a brilliant OLED display, full-sized keyboard, and new AI features. I recently went hands-on with the new Galaxy Chromebook Plus and it’s quickly become one of my favorite Chomebooks for its focused feature set and ultrathin form factor.
Also: One of the smallest Chromebooks I’ve tested is also one of the most versatile
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus comes with an Intel Core 3 100U (14th Gen, Raptor Lake-R) processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Since Chromebooks don’t need a ton of local storage, the 256GB is more than enough for your apps.
The 2.5-pound device is only 0.46 inches thick, about as thick as your phone. Its “Neptune Blue” body is understated and sophisticated and resembles the other Samsung Galaxy Book devices. The full-sized keyboard is responsive and tactile enough, and the trackpad is appropriately sized.
But it’s the 15.6-inch AMOLED full HD (1080p) screen that makes interacting with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus such an enjoyable experience. The ultra-thin bezels around the display make full-screen videos look sharp and vibrant, and its 400-nit brightness is just enough to round out the package for a premium experience, especially for a Chromebook.
Also: Google’s new Chromebook Plus AI features could give Windows Copilot a run for its money
The onboard Intel graphics card and 60Hz refresh rate provide just enough power for a premium experience for most consumers while keeping the price (and its physical weight) low.
Foregoing a touchscreen on the Galaxy Chromebook Plus was a good idea. It reduces the device’s overall thickness and weight, and simplifies its use case. Not every device needs to be able to do everything; I prefer laptops with a purity of purpose, and Samsung understood the assignment with this device.
Chromebook Plus devices also make great options for cloud gaming. With upgraded hardware but not a lot of local storage, streaming titles over Wi-Fi works surprisingly well. Even better, all Chromebooks come with three free months of GeForce Now priority tier, which lets you stream up to 60fps and 1080p resolution.
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus is no exception. I streamed a handful of titles on this laptop and although it doesn’t get beast-tier performance, it handles casual gaming with ease, looking great on the OLED display. It also barely heats up, as even with some extended gaming, I barely heard any fans running or experienced a hot device, which was surprising given how thin it is.
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As with other Chromebooks, there are occasional visual glitches in ChromeOS, particularly with window layering. For example, if you’re in full screen mode and a dialog window pops up, the cursor will often get stuck underneath, not allowing you to click on it unless you put the app in windowed mode. This also occasionally happens with certain apps.
The other thing to notice about the Galaxy Chromebook Plus are the new keys. It’s the first Chromebook to come with the new Quick Insert key (in place of the launcher key). The launcher key in turn is marked with the Google “G” logo, in a similar location to where the Windows key used to be before Copilot+ (R.I.P.).
Also: 7 reasons why a Chromebook is the best laptop for most people
If you’re not familiar with the Quick Insert key, it’s a new feature in ChromeOS that’s like a quick-access control panel with suggested actions that change based on what app you’re in. For example, in Chrome, hitting the quick insert key brings up recently-visited sites, the option to open a new tab, or AI-powered features like Help me write.
Google has been hard at work integrating its AI-powered features into the fabric of ChromeOS, and I went in depth on these new features last month, noting that they’re still being developed but offer some practical applications. Help me read, for example, uses AI to scan a webpage, article, or document and provides a summary that you can then further interact with by asking follow up questions.
Another new ChromeOS-specific feature that I find especially useful is the Welcome Recap, which lets you save your device’s status — all open windows, webpages, and apps — to bring it up next time you log in. This in particular works really well coming from a productivity angle, as you don’t have to worry about work being lost or spend time re-orienting yourself if you get pulled away from whatever you’re working on.
Also, if you have an Android phone, you can sync it with your Chromebook in the new Phone Hub feature, allowing for a host of direct connectivity like drag-and-dropping pictures, responding to messages in various apps on the Chromebook, and streaming your phone’s apps directly to your Chromebook (including games and media). You can also turn on your phone’s hotspot this way and give your Chromebook internet access when there’s no Wi-Fi.
Also: I switched to a split ergonomic keyboard for a week, and it’s spoiled every other peripheral for me
In context with all of Google’s new ChromeOS features, Chromebook Plus devices like this one shine as portable work machines for hybrid or remote workers who live off of the cloud. One of the reasons why Chromebooks feel so good is because the streamlined, lightweight operating system, and these new AI-powered features make them compelling alternatives to the MacOS/Windows dichotomy.
This lightweight operating system, combined with powerful hardware in machines like the Galaxy Chromebook Plus results in boot up times that take seconds and a device that wakes up from sleep immediately — exactly where you left off — and hits the ground running multitasking with multiple apps and browser tabs going.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus<!–> is one of the best Chromebooks I’ve had the chance to test, and I recommend it for anyone that wants an ultraportable device with a brilliant display. This is the Chromebook that’s leading the charge with all the new AI-powered features, so if you’re an AI power user, or a fan of ChromeOS for work or play, this is the device for you.
The hardware on board this device is optimized for work-related tasks, browsing, and some light creative work, and the display is just premium enough to make for an all-around enjoyable experience, while keeping the price to an agreeable $699.
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