Tag: Chromebook

Engadget review recap: iPhone 17 lineup, AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11 and more
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Last week’s Apple event meant we were in for a barrage of reviews this week. We spent lots of time putting the iPhone 17 family, including the new iPhone Air, through its paces. We also tested the AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 that were unveiled just over a week ago. In non-Apple reviews, there’s in-depth analysis of a premium Chromebook and the latest Tamagotchi device. Read on to catch up on everything you might’ve missed over the last few weeks.

Apple iPhone Air
Apple/Engadget

It might not be the most affordable iPhone or the one with the most cameras, but for anyone who puts a premium on style and sleekness, the iPhone Air is without a doubt Apple’s coolest handset in years.

Pros

Exquisite design

Surprisingly good battery life

Gorgeous display

Strong titanium frame

Cons

Mono speaker

Single rear camera

No mmWave 5G support

$999 at Apple
Apple replaced the iPhone 16 Plus with the ultra-thin iPhone Air, but the new phone is more than just a gimmick. As senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford observed, the company opted for sleekness with a purpose, and it did so without sacrificing too much battery life. “While Apple might not want to say so just yet, I’m willing to bet that this device will also be the template for an upcoming foldable iPhone,” he concluded.

Apple iPhone 17
Apple/Engadget

The “regular” iPhone got a big refresh this year with the addition of a ProMotion display and Center Stage camera.

Pros

Finally, a 120Hz display

Center Stage front camera works great

Dual 48MP Fusion rear cameras take sharp photos

Cons

6.3 inches will be too small for some

Best camera performance is reserved for the 17 Pro

$799 at Apple
We’ve become bored with Apple’s tickle-down scheme for the regular iPhone over the years. The company has repeatedly opted to bring features from the Pro line down to these devices. This time, it finally gave the iPhone 17 a 120Hz display, and you won’t have to wait for the best camera updates. “Even if you’re coming from the iPhone 16, you’ll reap the benefits of the overhauled display and improved cameras,” I wrote. “I don’t say any of that lightly as I’m not a person who recommends getting a new phone every year.”

Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
Apple / Engadget

The iPhone 17 Pro is a powerful smartphone with an innovative selfie system, versatile rear cameras and a redesigned exterior that feels sturdy.

Pros

Innovative and useful Center Stage selfie camera

Versatile triple-sensor system for rear cameras

Aluminum unibody feels sturdy and scratch-resistant

Improved AI and thermal performance

$1,099 at Apple
The Pro and Pro Max versions of the iPhone have always held a camera advantage over the regular model, and that’s still true. But the main differences now also include better thermal management, an aluminum unibody case and an optional 6.9-inch display. “This year’s iPhone lineup is forcing me to re-think the idea of a Pro phone,” managing editor Cherlynn Low said. “Is it one that looks and feels expensive or is it one that’s slightly more durable and maybe doesn’t appear as stylish?”

Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple/Engadget

The most significant update to the AirPods lineup delivers a host of ANC-powered improvements, including Live Translation. Plus, the arrival of heart-rate tracking makes the AirPods Pro 3 a more capable workout partner.

Pros

Impressive ANC updates

Improved sound quality

Live Translation finally arrives

Extended battery life on a single charge

Cons

New fit takes some getting used to

Total battery life is actually less than before

Live Translation languages are limited at launch

$249 at Amazon
If Apple had only improved both the active noise cancellation (ANC) and sound performance of the AirPods Pro 3, it would’ve been a decent upgrade. However, the company went well beyond that with the additions of Live Translation and heart-rate tracking. But the best part about this model is the strong possibility that the company isn’t done with it yet. “If recent history is any indication, the company will continue to add new features to this third-generation version,” I said. “I highly doubt that Apple is finished exploiting the power of the H2 chip, so it’s just getting started with what the AirPods Pro 3 can do.”

Apple Watch Series 11
Apple

With improvements to battery life and new health metrics, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a refinement on what was already the best smartwatch for iPhone owners.

Pros

Longer battery life than last model

Thin and light design

Comprehensive health monitoring

Nifty new wrist flick gesture

The best smartwatch for iPhone users

Cons

Relatively pricey

The Watch SE 3 is better for most people

$399 at Amazon
The best smartwatch for iPhone owners keeps getting better. With upgrades to design, battery life, health monitoring and more, the Series 11 is a big refresh for the wearable device. However, it might not be the best option for most people. “With the Watch SE 3, you’ll still be able to access a wide range of health and fitness features like wrist temperature monitoring, sleep score, emergency SOS, fall and crash detection and more,” Cherlynn concluded. “It’s a compelling option at an appealing price.”

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514
Acer

Between its powerful chip, great battery life and solid hardware, Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is one of the best ChromeOS laptops you can buy.

Pros

Great battery life

Excellent performance

Solid keyboard, trackpad and display

Reasonably thin and light for the price

Cons

Expensive

I wish there were USB-C ports on both sides

Speakers and webcam are just okay

$700 at Best Buy
There’s some wide variance in performance among Chromebooks, but Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 offers power, longevity and utility. The main downside is you’ll have to pay a premium for it. “At $700, we’re pushing the top of what anyone should spend on a Chromebook,” deputy editor Nathan Ingraham wrote. “While the more powerful chip and long battery life will be worth it for some people, Acer itself is providing some strong competition with its standard Chromebook Plus 514 which came out this summer.”

Tamagotchi Paradise
Bandai / Engadget

Tamagotchi Paradise feels like a wholly fresh experience for the classic virtual pet, with new characters, fun games and a reimagined approach to caretaking.

Pros

Gene-mixing is back

Plenty of built-in games

Care factors are visualized

Multiple environments to raise different Tama types

Cons

Gene-mixing is barebones

You can only care for one Tama at a time

Limited Tama customization

Lab Tama kiosks aren’t widely available

$80 at Amazon
If taking care of a virtual pet is more your speed these days, weekend editor Cheyenne McDonald spent some time tending to her digital flock. “All in all, Tamagotchi Paradise feels fuller than 2023’s Uni, especially as the latter existed at its launch before all the downloadable content started coming in,” she said. “There’s a lot of fun to be had with this one, so long as you’re open to a little (okay, a lot of) change.”
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Billy Steele

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September 21, 2025
Our Editors’ Favorite Big Screen Chromebook Is Now $159

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Back to school is always a great time to pick up a deal on a new laptop for the upcoming semester, and the Asus CX15 Chromebook is available at Walmart for $159. It may not be the fanciest option, but it has a sizable screen and a full keyboard with a numpad, all for less than the cost of a new textbook. If you’re just looking for a no-frills Chromebook for occasional web-based work and a slightly larger display, this is a great deal.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

When it comes to performance, the CX15 isn’t terribly exciting, with an Intel Celeron N4500 and 4 GB of memory. Fortunately, that should be fine for regular note-taking, email sending, and essay editing, with most of that work happening in your browser anyway. The extra-large 15-inch screen is great for putting two windows next to each other while getting some work done, or for watching a movie in the evening, even if the color accuracy isn’t the best.

The Chromebook CX15 is available in two colors, a classic and professional Pure Gray as well as a more fun and friendly Fabric Blue. Both feature the full-size keyboard, which is going to make writing out long paragraphs more comfortable, and the full numpad for you math and science nerds out there. The touchpad isn’t our favorite, with some occasional clunkiness, but you could do a lot worse for the price.

It has only 120 GB of internal storage, which is fairly common for Chromebooks, because it’s expected you’ll lean heavily on Google’s cloud storage options. To that end, the Asus Chromebook CX15 includes three months of the Google One AI Premium Plan, which includes 2 TB of cloud storage as well as a variety of AI-enhanced tools. You’ll also get three months of YouTube Premium, which gives you an ad-free experience while watching videos and listening to music.

If the Asus Chromebook CX15 isn’t speaking to you, there are several other deals currently running on some of our other favorite Chromebooks. We’ve also put together a list of our favorite back-to-school laptop deals if you’re specifically looking for a new laptop to bring to class or the library.

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Brad Bourque

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August 22, 2025
The Best Chromebooks for Every Budget

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Chromebooks can come with a lot of different hardware inside, so it can be hard to figure out exactly what you need. Fortunately, the Chromebook Plus program has made the jumble of specs easier to parse. ChromeOS is also light enough that it doesn’t require incredibly beefy specs to get a good experience. Here are some general tips on what to look out for.

Processor: For the best experience, you should avoid older Chromebooks with Intel Celeron processors. The Chromebook Plus specifications offer a good baseline to guarantee speedy performance, and I’d recommend going with at least an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. Just watch out for overspending on configurations with Intel Core i7 processors unless you need the extra horsepower for multitasking Android games, Linux apps, and dozens of Chrome tabs. While Intel and AMD dominate the processor scene, you’ll occasionally find Chromebooks using ARM processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 in the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 above. These can be fine for very basic tasks, but they won’t fare as well under sustained, intense loads (at least until something newer comes along).

RAM: Always opt for at least 8 GB of RAM if you can afford it. You won’t find 4 GB of RAM in anything other than basic, super-budget Chromebooks, but it severely limits your ability to multitask. If you want to avoid slowdowns, 8 GB of RAM is the standard you should aim for.

Storage: Unlike a Mac or Windows PC, a lot of your Chromebook work will live on the web. This means you can typically get away with less storage, but I wouldn’t recommend going below 128 GB. If you can afford it, you’ll be much more comfortable with at least 256 GB. You’ll get the best speed out of an NVMe solid state drive, so look out for that on the spec sheet when you’re comparing models.

Screen: The vast majority of Chromebook displays you’ll find will be IPS LCD panels, and that’s just fine. Until OLED displays make more of a dent in the Chromebook space, IPS LCD screens offer the best contrast and color accuracy. If you’re shopping in the extreme budget range, watch out for TN LCD panels, as they’re generally lower quality and offer worse viewing angles. For resolution, a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution should be your standard. You’ll get crisp visuals at 13- and 14-inch screen sizes and it’s passable at 15 inches. Higher resolutions will look even better, but be wary of the battery life tradeoff you’ll see from pushing power to more pixels.

Ports: USB-C ports have become commonplace on the newest Chromebooks, so there’s no longer any excuse to buy one without them. Try to get one that charges over USB-C so you can recharge with a portable power bank when you’re on the go. A microSD card slot can also be beneficial if you want an easy way to expand your storage on the fly. You’ll find that some Chromebooks support Thunderbolt 4 over their USB-C ports as well. While that’s an excellent option to have if you plan to plug your Chromebook into some high-end monitors, it isn’t necessary for most people. Instead, you can get similar external monitor support (and spend a lot less) with an HDMI port or DisplayPort over USB-C support.

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Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

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June 24, 2024
ASUS Chromebook Plus: AI-Powered Productivity & Creativity

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ASUS has introduced its new line of Chromebook Plus laptops, and there’s a lot to unpack. With the integration of the Google One AI Premium Plan, these laptops promise to bring a blend of efficiency, creativity, and advanced technology to users. Let’s take a closer look at what these new laptops offer.

Integrated AI Capabilities

One of the standout features of the ASUS Chromebook Plus laptops is their integration with Google’s advanced AI models through the Gemini Advanced plan. This allows users to leverage powerful AI tools directly within their everyday applications. For instance, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail now come with AI-powered writing and proofreading tools. This means drafting emails, resumes, and other documents becomes quicker and easier. The AI can even help create visuals for presentations, making these laptops a versatile tool for both professionals and students.

Enhanced Photo and Video Editing

The AI capabilities don’t stop at writing and productivity tools. The ASUS Chromebook Plus laptops also offer enhanced photo and video editing features. With Google Photos’ Magic Editor, users can easily reimagine their photos. This tool allows you to tap or circle objects to edit, reposition, or resize them, providing a level of control typically found in more advanced photo editing software. Additionally, the AI can suggest improvements to lighting and backgrounds, ensuring your photos look their best. For videos, the AI can reduce noise, increase sharpness, and fix lighting issues, making video content creation smoother and more professional.

Creativity Unleashed

Creativity gets a significant boost with these new Chromebooks. The Help Me Write feature assists users in generating content for various needs, from professional blog posts to social media captions. This feature can be a game-changer for content creators who often struggle with writer’s block. Furthermore, the integration of generative AI allows users to create custom wallpapers and video call backgrounds effortlessly. Whether you need a unique background for a Zoom call or a personalized wallpaper for your desktop, the AI can generate it for you with ease.

Storage and Security

A major highlight of the Google One AI Premium Plan is the inclusion of 2 TB of secure cloud storage. This extensive storage space ensures that users can keep all their important files, photos, and videos in one place without worrying about running out of space. The cloud storage is not only vast but also secure, providing peace of mind that your data is protected. This integration makes the ASUS Chromebook Plus laptops a practical choice for anyone who needs ample storage combined with advanced features.

Conclusion

The new ASUS Chromebook Plus laptops, including models like the ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus, Chromebook Plus CX34, and Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip, bring a host of advanced features through the Google One AI Premium Plan. These laptops are designed to enhance productivity and creativity with integrated AI tools, advanced photo and video editing capabilities, and substantial cloud storage. Available for purchase from May 28, 2024, these Chromebooks are poised to make everyday tasks simpler and more efficient, without compromising on security or storage space.

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Al Hilal

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May 30, 2024
Google adds AI-powered features to Chromebook | TechCrunch

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Google announced new AI-powered features today for its Chromebook Plus line of devices, such as a writing assistant, a wallpaper creator and easy access to Google’s Gemini chatbot. As a reminder, Chromebook Plus laptops are productivity-focused devices with minimum spec requirements. The company also unveiled new Chromebook Plus models from HP, Acer and Asus.

The search giant added plenty of Gemini-powered features to Maps and calls for spam detection during its Google I/O developer conference earlier this month. Google is now placing the Gemini icon on the app shelf of Chromebooks for easy access.

What’s more, users buying a new Chromebook Plus will get the Google One AI Premium plan for 12 months. This plan allows them to access Gemini Advanced, 2TB of storage and Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail.

Earlier this year, Google introduced a writing tool within Chrome to help people write or reformat text anywhere. The company is now adding this ability to rewrite text systemwide on Chromebook Plus devices. Users can select text on PDFs, websites or web apps to help them reshape tone and length.

Image Credits: Google

Google is also adding a tool to Chromebook Plus for folks to generate wallpapers and video conferencing backgrounds through guided prompts. Last year, the company also added a generative AI-powered wallpaper tool to Android 14.

Chromebook Plus devices are also getting a generative AI-powered magic editor in Google Photos. This feature lets you shift or resize selected objects, and AI takes care of background regeneration based on the changes.

Features for all Chromebooks

New budget Chromebook customers and existing Chromebook users will also receive new features. First, Google is making it easy for you to set up a new Chromebook device. Now, you can scan a QR code from your Android phone while setting up, and your phone will share essential details like Wi-Fi credentials and Google account information.

Image Credits: Google

Chromebooks are also getting a handy Tasks integration in the calendar view. You can tap on the calendar view from the bottom right and look at all your to-do items from all Google Workspace apps.

Image Credits: Google

The company is also adding support for saving screen recordings in GIF format and a new Game dashboard with the ability to map mobile controls to keys.

Upcoming features

Finally, Google is teasing some of the upcoming features coming to Chromebooks soon. Last year, the company introduced an accessible gaming mouse through Project Gameface, which allows players to control the device through face and head movement. Now, it is working on integrating this feature into ChromeOS to let users navigate the interface through gestures.

Image Credits: under a Google license.

Chromebooks are also getting Gemini-powered reading summaries of websites and documents. The feature will allow users to ask questions about the documents or the articles, too.

Google will be adding a new feature for continuity to let you resume tasks like reading an article that you left off on Chrome on your phone. When this feature rolls out, every time you open your laptop, a screen will show you suggested windows, apps and tabs that you left open on other devices.

Image Credits: Google

The company is also working on a focus-related feature. The system will let you pick a task, a timeframe to complete it and a YouTube Music playlist to listen to. During this time, it will turn on the “Do not disturb” mode to block out all notifications.

New devices

Along with the feature announcements, Google also unveiled six new Chromebooks — four Chromebook Plus and two budget Chromebooks — from HP, Acer and Asus. These Chromebooks range from a pocket-friendly price of $299 to $699.

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Ivan Mehta

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May 28, 2024
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: A New Era of Cloud Gaming

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The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is a game-changer in the realm of cloud gaming, combining robust performance with the convenience of a Chromebook. With its state-of-the-art hardware and seamless AI integration, this laptop is designed to meet the needs of gamers and professionals alike. Here’s a detailed look at what the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has to offer.

Powerful Performance for Seamless Gaming

At the heart of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is the 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor, which ensures fast and efficient performance. This processor, paired with a high-resolution WQXGA (2560×1600) display and a 120 Hz refresh rate, provides smooth and immersive visuals. Whether you’re streaming the latest AAA games via NVIDIA GeForce NOW or using other cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Boosteroid, and Amazon Luna, the Chromebook delivers exceptional graphics and responsiveness. The 100% sRGB color gamut further enhances the visual experience, making colors vibrant and true-to-life.

Designed for Gamers

The Chromebook Plus 516 GE is tailored for gaming with features that enhance both playability and convenience. The laptop includes a gaming keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlighting and anti-ghosting technology, ensuring that every key press is registered accurately, even during fast-paced gaming sessions. Additionally, the device’s audio setup, featuring DTS® Audio with upward-firing and downward-firing speakers, provides clear and immersive sound, eliminating unwanted vibrations through force-canceling woofers.

Advanced Connectivity and Storage

Reliable connectivity is crucial for cloud gaming, and the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE does not disappoint. It is equipped with a 2.5G Gigabit Ethernet LAN port and Wi-Fi 6E, ensuring stable and fast internet connections for uninterrupted gaming sessions. The Chromebook also offers up to 2 TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage and up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory, providing ample space and speed for all your gaming and productivity needs. The AI-powered video call tools enhance clarity and sound, making it a great device for both gaming and virtual meetings.

AI Features for Productivity and Creativity

Beyond gaming, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE integrates several AI-powered tools to boost productivity and creativity. Google’s AI features, such as the “help me write” function and the Magic Editor in Google Photos, simplify tasks and enhance creative projects. These tools allow users to generate notes, personalize emails, and edit photos with ease. The Chromebook also supports Adobe apps like Photoshop and LumaFusion, making it a versatile device for content creators.

Conclusion

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE stands out as a versatile and powerful device, ideal for both gamers and professionals. Its robust performance, advanced gaming features, and AI-powered tools make it a valuable addition to any tech arsenal. With pricing starting at USD 699.99 in North America, this Chromebook offers a compelling package for those looking to elevate their gaming and productivity experience. For more details on specifications, pricing, and availability in specific regions, visit Acer’s official website.

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Al Hilal

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May 28, 2024
A Laptop for Less — This Chromebook Is Just $80 for Black Friday | Entrepreneur

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Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

Working with a computer and the internet used to be a financially exclusive type of thing. As we get deeper into the future, the marvel of refurbished devices is making high-level computing available to more and more people. During this Black Friday price drop, for example, you could get this grey refurbished Lenovo 300E 11.6″ 2-in-1 Touchscreen Chromebook 32GB for just $79.97 (reg. $284).

This refurbished 300E is a two-in-one touchscreen notebook that comes powered by an Intel N3450 Quad-Core processor, which is designed to ensure smooth performance. Its 4GB of RAM promises the ability to run multiple programs at the same time with smoothness and reliability. This alone empowers the user to do most of the internet browsing, content creation, and academic or professional work your average person does on the computer, and for a far lower rate than other laptops and desktops on the market.

Users can expect a crisp image as the display supports a 1366×768 resolution, and this 2018 model comes with both WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. It’s important to note that it has a grade B refurbished rating, which just means it might come with some light scuffing or scratching on the outside. It should still be totally functional and reliable.

For an affordable and ultimately valuable gift for anyone this holiday season, you can jump on this Black Friday price drop on this Chromebook. It’s rated 5/5 stars by verified purchasers, with one describing it as an “excellent buy.”

Get this refurbished Lenovo 300E 11.6″ 2-in-1 Touchscreen Chromebook 32GB for just $79.97 (reg. $284) when you order through December 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Prices subject to change.

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Entrepreneur Store

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November 26, 2023