The Best Chromebooks Available Right Now (April 2025)

ChromeOS machines have grown up. Google’s Chromebook Plus program now forces makers to hit real‑laptop specs (Core i3/Ryzen 3, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 1080p IPS panel and webcam) and pledges ten years of automatic updates – double the old promise – for any model released 2021‑onward.

That wipes out most of the junky, under‑powered clamshells that used to drag the category down.

How We Picked

1. Must be Chromebook Plus‑certified or convincingly outperform that baseline while still receiving 10‑year updates.

2. Performance per dollar based on recent Geekbench / Octane tests and hands‑on experience.

3. Display and build quality (nits, color, hinge rigidity).

4. Battery life — lab results > 8 hours or anecdotal real‑world confirmation.

5. Current street pricing in North America as of April 2025.

Quick‑Pick Cheat Sheet

(Street = typical sale price at Best Buy/Amazon this month — expect fluctuations.)

How Each Model Stacks Up

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 — Best Overall

Plastic chassis? Sure. But the CX34 benches on‑par with pricier Core i5 Windows ultrabooks and still squeezes ten hours off a 50 Wh cell. The keyboard backlight and dual USB‑C + dual USB‑A layout make it friendly for students and road‑warriors alike. (pcmag.com) The only miss is a so‑so 250‑nit panel — fine indoors, not on a patio.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 — Best 2‑in‑1 Power Play

Intel’s new Core Ultra chips unlock on‑device Gemini AI tools in ChromeOS, and the Spin 714 is the cheapest way to get them. Reviewers praise its rigid aluminum shell, 2 K display, and 1440p cam — minor gripes: tinny speakers and pen sold separately. (pcworld.com)

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus — Best Budget Convertible

At under $450 on sale, the Flex 5i offers the best typing experience in the class, a 300‑nit 16:10 touch panel, and microSD expansion. Battery life is merely average (~8 h), and it’s a tad chunky, but nothing else matches its polish at this price. (pcmag.com)

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 — Best Big‑Screen Bargain

You want a desktop‑replacement Chromebook? The 515 throws a 15.6‑inch panel, Core i5 horsepower, num‑pad keyboard and shockingly good front‑firing speakers into a $400 box. The trade‑offs are weight and only eight hours of juice. (tomsguide.com)

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook — Best Premium Experience

A blistering 1,200‑nit 2.5 K display, glass haptic track‑pad and 24/7 concierge support justify the luxury price tag. Ports are sparse (three USB‑C, that’s it) and battery life is barely nine hours, but nothing feels this refined in Chrome‑land. (pcmag.com)

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus — Best Display & Battery Life

Samsung’s 15.6‑inch AMOLED panel delivers inky blacks, and reviewers consistently clock 14–15 hours of mixed use. It tops Lenovo and Acer in Geekbench single‑core scores despite the modest Core 3 chip. Speakers are meh, and there’s no touch, but if screen and endurance matter, this is it. (tomsguide.com)

Models to Skip (For Now)

• Anything still shipping with Intel N100/N200 or 4 GB RAM — they choke on 20+ Chrome tabs.

• Sub‑FHD (1366×768) panels — blurry in 2025.

• Chromebooks with Auto‑Update Expiration (AUE) dates before 2032 — you’ll lose security patches too soon. (support.google.com)

Future‑Proofing Tips

• Snapdragon X Elite Chromebooks land later this year promising Macbook‑level on‑device AI; worth waiting if you need heavy local workloads.

• Google’s Lacros project will decouple Chrome browser updates from OS support, extending life of older models even further.

• Watch seasonal sales: Asus CX34 regularly dips below $370, and Samsung’s Galaxy Plus was $599 last week. (chromeunboxed.com)

Final Verdict

For most people, the Asus CX34 nails the price‑to‑performance sweet spot. Creatives or power users should spend up for the Acer Spin 714 or HP Dragonfly Pro. Big‑screen movie‑watchers on a budget should grab the Acer 515, while road‑warriors hungry for battery life will love Samsung’s Galaxy Plus.

Exploring Tech together,

Paul