Chromebook Plus: A Budget-Friendly Laptop or a Hard Sell?
Source: XDA
Content
Introduction
What is the Chromebook Plus? Google has just announced the next version of the Chromebook brand titled Chromebook Plus. The goal of this initiative is to improve quality by getting all OEMs on the same page by establishing a hardware standard and suggested pricing for the equipment they produce. Rather than focusing on innovation, Google focused its efforts on budget. The entry level Chromebook Plus is priced at $399.
To entice potential buyers Google is adding its software suite, a free trial of Adobe products and a trial of LumaFusion pro video editing software at no additional charge. But the giveaways likely won't sway savvy shoppers.
In order to measure the likelihood of market success, I decided to evaluate the Chromebook Plus against the current leading product.
What is the top selling laptop in the US?
To answer this question I decided to ask Bard.
“The top selling laptop in the US in 2023 is the Apple MacBook Air M2. It is a popular choice for students, professionals, and casual users alike due to its thin and light design, long battery life, and powerful performance.
The MacBook Air M2 features a 13.3-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. It is powered by the Apple M2 chip, which is a significant improvement over the previous generation M1 chip. The MacBook Air M2 also features 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of SSD storage by default.
The MacBook Air M2 is a great all-around laptop that is perfect for a variety of tasks. It can handle basic tasks such as web browsing, email, and document editing with ease. It can also be used for more demanding tasks such as photo and video editing, programming, and gaming.
The MacBook Air M2 is available for purchase from the Apple website and from select retailers. It starts at $899 for the base model.
Here are some of the reasons why the MacBook Air M2 is the top selling laptop in the US:
- It is a well-rounded laptop that is perfect for a variety of tasks.
- It has a thin and light design, making it easy to carry around.
- It has a long battery life, so you can use it all day without having to worry about running out of power.
- It has a powerful performance, so you can handle even the most demanding tasks.
- It is backed by Apple’s excellent customer support.
If you are looking for a new laptop, the MacBook Air M2 is a great option to consider. It is one of the best laptops on the market, and it is sure to meet your needs.”
Bard also states according to Amazon's best sellers list, the MacBook Air is consistently ranked at the top of the list. It is the most popular laptop among US consumers with a market share of over 20%.
At the time of this writing, the MacBook Air M2 can be purchased from the Apple store for $1,099 and discounted by many retailers to $899.
Will the Chromebook Plus be enough to entice potential buyers away from Apple? Let's see.
Processor (SOC)
At the top of the list for many would be laptop buyers is the processor. The popular Macbook comes with Apple's M2 processor. The Chromebook Plus spec states at a minimum an Intel 12th (14th is the current revision) generation i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. At the time of this writing some manufacturers are offering units with the Intel 12th generation i5. Google claims these processors are twice as fast as popular Chromebooks sold from July through December of 2022, but I'm not sure this will mean anything to a potential new buyer.
Google also claims Chromebooks don't require powerful processors since the cloud does the heavy lifting. But this rationale has flaws.
The cloud's inner workings are opaque. Users can't gauge the cloud resources assigned to perform their work and the processing expected to be performed locally.
Dictating users' needs risks alienating them. Consumers want devices suited to their unique workloads, not generic prescriptions.
The only way to mitigate the risks of the cloud is to purchase the most performance your budget will allow.
Memory (RAM)
Modern processors integrate the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) onto the same silicon, which means they utilize shared memory. This makes RAM even more vital for smooth system performance.
While integrated architectures enable impressive power and efficiency, they also mandate extra RAM which is why technical experts caution 8GB is the minimum needed to maintain fluid operation. Graphics may be the cloud's future, but snappy local performance is the imperative today. Adequate memory is critical, even for cloud-centric devices.
The Chromebook Plus is currently offered in 8 and 16GB configurations. The Macbook Air also offers a 24GB option.
Storage (SSD)
The cloud's rise initially made local storage seem obsolete. But experience proves otherwise - ample local storage is essential.
Operating System (OS) memory caching, app data buffering, and offline work all occur locally. Cloud integration is beneficial, but doesn't negate local storage needs and skimping on space risks hampering performance and productivity. Google boosted the base for the Chromebook Plus to 128GB and it is available with up to 512GB of local storage.
Apple offers up to 2TB of local storage.
Display (1080p)
To me, the display is the cornerstone of any computing experience. Its quality shapes every interaction, making it a top priority component. Unless the target market is education, adopting an outdated 1080p screen that first emerged in 2009 makes no sense.
Modern displays not only offer exponentially more pixels, but better color depth, accuracy and brightness. Their vivid images and sharp text sets the tone of the computing experience. An outstanding display immediately elevates immersion and enjoyment.
For gaming, the display requirements go up another level. Gamers need screens with high dynamic refresh rates, ideally 120Hz or more. This allows the screen to refresh up to 120 times per second, synced to the GPU's gaming output.
Standard screens max out at 60Hz, which leads to lag and tearing artifacts in rapid action games.
It is important to realize many customers will not only compare the Chromebook Plus screen to other laptops, but also other mobile devices like tablets and cell phones.
Keyboard / Trackpad
In many situations the buyer assumes every laptop has a great keyboard and trackpad. But Apple demonstrated how wrong this assumption can be with their 2015 MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard.
In their quest for ever-thinner MacBooks, Apple adopted an imprudent keyboard design prone to failure. Yet despite surging defect rates and customer backlash, Apple stubbornly persisted for four years before finally reverting back in 2019.
This serves as a warning to never neglect keyboard and trackpad quality, no matter the suggested retail price.
Early reviewers of Chromebook Plus laptops have stated the keyboard and trackpad are adequate.
Conclusion
The Chromebook Plus is the most attractive to the new buyer with a limited budget or a buyer who wants to limit their liability if the laptop is stolen or damaged. It may also have some appeal to the education market. According to a 2022 study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), approximately 30% of laptop buyers are expected to be first time owners.
Current IDC data also shows a 7.6% drop in Q3 2023 computer shipments industry-wide which is supported by Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He predicts in the absence of new products, sales of Macbooks will be around 30% lower this year as compared to 2022.
Hoping to reverse its sales slump, Apple is rumored to be prepping major holiday updates for its iMac and MacBook Pro. Bloomberg reports both models will finally see new versions unveiled later this month.
While this is good news for Apple, the upcoming product launches could apply additional pressure to Chromebook Plus sales. These refreshes will divert attention away from Chromebooks Plus models at a time when they are trying to gain traction in the market.
Additionally, Apple is expected to offer deep discounts on outgoing M1 and selected M2 models to clear inventory. The combination of new excitement and bargain pricing on Macs makes the economy Chromebook Plus a hard sell.
Update
New developments have emerged since this article was written. Despite respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously stating no further Apple launches would occur in 2023, he has just reversed course.
Kuo now states Apple will host its second major event this fall on October 30th, just one month after the iPhone 15 reveal. He believes the focus will be the unveiling M3-powered MacBook Pro models.
Apple itself fueled the speculation by scheduling a mysterious October 30th keynote. The invite hints at "scary fast" new products, likely referring to the anticipated M3 chips inside the next generation of Macs.
Specifically, rumors point to long-awaited updates to the iMac lineup, receiving the new high-performance M3 silicon. This could significantly boost Mac sales, which have declined this year.
Despite just launching, Google's Chromebook Plus models are already seeing discounts even before peak holiday sales. WIRED reports that retailer Best Buy has slashed prices on several configurations.
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus for $379 ($121 off)
Acer Chromebook Plus 515 15-Inch Laptop for $269 ($130 off)
Asus 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus 14-Inch Laptop for $399 ($100 off)
HP 14-Inch 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus Laptop for $499 ($200 off)
