As portable as 15.4-inches can get

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the company’s first foray into the new Chromebook Plus branding. With that new branding, this Chromebook brings powerful hardware, long battery life, and access to the necessary apps to get work done, like Microsoft and Adobe software. While this $700 laptop fills the premium Chromebook void in the market this year, what really drew me to this review is how thin the device is, along with its slick blue/purple anodizing.

In short, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus looked like a stunner when it was revealed, and I had to get my hands on one. Thankfully, after some rigorous testing, I can confirm that looks and slimness aren’t the only awesome things about this laptop. It is, in fact, my new favorite Chromebook of the year.

Price, availability, and specs

You can buy the new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus directly from Samsung and Best Buy for $700. There is only one configuration, keeping things simple, and the only color available is Neptune Blue. That’s cool in my book when the incredible anodizing comes across as blue, purple, and gray, depending on your viewing angle. Since there is only one color, there is also only one choice for your storage and RAM at 256GB and 8GB, respectively.

It’s a single model, a breath of fresh air in a world where most Chromebooks offer a handful of specifications across poorly named models (like trying to decipher all the different models and specs Acer sells). So Samsung is keeping things easy to parse, with one Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus model sold for $700 across storefronts.

What’s great about the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Looks, feel, size, weight, and plenty more

You really have to see the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus in person to appreciate it, but boy, this laptop is thin. It’s only a little thicker than the Tab S10 Ultra I just reviewed, which is pretty significant for a regular clamshell laptop. Better yet, the keyboard doesn’t suffer from short strokes or a lack of tactility due to the Chromebook’s thin design.

Beyond being thin, this is a wide device; yet, even though it offers a large 15.4-inch screen, it doesn’t feel too big to carry around. Not only do you get very thin bezels surrounding the 1080p OLED screen, but the 16:9 ratio ensures this is a wide device without being too big to tote around. That ratio just so happens to be perfect for consuming media and playing games, something the silly 16:10 ratio that ships on gaming Chromebooks can’t claim.

Beyond the portable slim design and low weight (of two and a half pounds), what truly matters is whether the Intel Core 3 100U can perform at an acceptable battery life. I had my doubts about whether an Intel chip that requires active cooling with an internal fan could offer the killer battery life Arm Chromebooks are known for.

Yet I’m seeing the advertised 13 hours of battery life on a single charge, and that’s with Android and Linux apps in the mix. So, if you require a Chromebook that can last an entire workday and then some but also don’t want to skimp on the performance that Intel brings, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus straddles the line between low power consumption and optimal performance. This device is perfect for a mix of work and play, a central theme of this device we already saw with the screen ratio choice.

One thing is for sure: 2024 is the year of AI, and since this is a Chromebook Plus model, AI is included, and some of it is pretty useful. Sure, most new software like Help Me Read is available for any Plus model and not specific to the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. However, it’s still handy for summarizing text and digging deeper into a subject. Sure, the Gemini app exists, and you could use it for the same, but having access to reading help from the right-click menu is much more accessible.

There are also generative AI wallpapers, but they are limited to set words. At the very least, Magic Editor is available for your photos. If you’re looking for unique AI features for the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, this is the first Chromebook to offer the Quick Insert key. It sits where the Search key was previously located (Caps Lock on other keyboards), which makes it easy to call up AI writing support, add GIFs, and dip into your Clipboard.

Even better, if you don’t wish to use the Quick Insert key, you can easily revert it to the older Search key functionality, a welcome move by the dev team, leaving users a choice.

After using the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus for the last few weeks, I can say this is the first time I’ve felt like ChromeOS offers a complete experience from nuts to bolts. While we’ve had Android and Linux app access for some time now (and even Steam has been working great in beta for a bit), everything finally feels congealed, where Linux and Android apps don’t stand out as non-native.

Google has finally done the work to add polish to the piecemeal experience that is ChromeOS, which is no small feat. I can jump from the Linux app GIMP to the native file explorer to then open an Android app like Slack to communicate, and little looks out of place. Everything the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus offers adds up to my ideal ChromeOS experience, and I have a feeling I won’t be the only one who feels this way.

What’s bad about the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

There is more good than bad, but a few issues are worth noting

My biggest issue with this laptop has nothing to do with its hardware and everything to do with Google’s war on adblockers. This is a Chromebook and it only offers one browser: Chrome. Thanks to Google recently switching to Manifest V3 forcing all extension devs to capitulate to new rules, things like adblocking are now worse than on all competing web browsers. This forced me to use a Lite version of my preferred adblocker, which lets ads through since Manifest V3 doesn’t allow the same access V2 did.

Now, I feel less safe as I browse the internet, which is ironic given Google’s claim that the switch to Manifest V3 is supposedly for user safety (a familiar tune from Google as it continually removes user control in the name of security).

More or less, I consider the core of the ChromeOS experience now worse for wear and a little less secure, which ultimately affects all hardware it ships on, including the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. If I were a partner making ChromeOS hardware, I would not be pleased with Google’s allergy to adblockers affecting my potential sales.

I also don’t like that this expensive Chromebook Plus laptop doesn’t offer a high-refresh rate screen. While 60Hz is smooth enough, making it much easier to play Steam games without buckling performance, I’d still prefer to see all Chromebook Plus models ship with faster refresh rates.

The more Chromebook Plus models we see with completely different specs, the more the branding is muddied, ensuring nobody knows what Chromebook Plus gets you. If I have to dip into the specs just to know what’s included, what good is the branding to begin with? Sure, it’s supposed to mean high-end, and yet this $700 laptop lacks a high refresh rate, which is what I would expect from a high-end laptop.

Another complaint I have that may not bother most people is the keyboard. I don’t enjoy laptop keyboards that include number pads; this shifts the primary alpha keys to the left, which means you have to type off-center from the screen. The full-size keyboard looks slick and smartly utilizes the extra width needed for the 16:9 screen.

But I don’t need a number pad; there are already numbers on the keyboard above the alphas, so I prefer a centered keyboard that leaves room for speakers flanking each side. Instead, we are stuck with speakers under the device and an extra, unnecessary set of numbers unless you do a lot of accounting, that is.

Last but not least, the included camera stinks. Straight up, all the shots are pretty pixelated, and I checked the settings. The camera app says I’m shooting in FHD, so I’m unsure what the issue is here. Video calls work fine, but selfies look awful. Just look at my ugly mug as a perfect example.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus?

Chromebooks aren’t for everyone, but for those looking for the OS’s simpleness or its expansive support for Linux and Android, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus feels like the first Chromebook to nail the experience. Sure, this laptop is still running ChromeOS, so you’ll have to deal with Manifest V3 and its limitations in Chrome (since there is no way to change the browser), but the overall polish is hard to deny.

Despite the large screen, the hardware is slick and plenty portable, offering the build quality everyone expects from Samsung. The software finally feels focused, where even Android and Linux apps don’t look especially out of place. At the same time, the lack of a high-refresh rate feels like an odd choice at this price point. Luckily, the experience isn’t any less smooth.

And yes, this Plus model comes with a plethora of new AI functions, from Help Me Read to Magic Editor. It also includes 12 months of free access to Gemini through Google One AI Premium, though it is your call whether you feel any of it is worthy of the price point. For me, the excellent hardware was enough to convince me.

But hey, at the very least, the software finally feels congealed across functions and features, so it is no longer the underdeveloped experience it was, which means your choice of hardware boils down to exactly that. Samsung has indeed knocked the design out of the park with the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus. The two previous models in this line were stunners, and the latest is easily the best of the bunch now that Intel has tamed its chips.

This all adds up to my favorite Chromebook yet. While it may not be perfect, Samsung is easily offering one of the best-looking and performing Chromebooks this year with the new Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and I definitely recommend it if you are in the market for a new and fancy laptop that runs ChromeOS. From gaming to work, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus hasn’t left my side in weeks.