Examining the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: An Assessment

Assessing the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: An In-depth Analysis

At $700, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is among the most luxurious Chromebooks you can purchase this year. However, despite its high-quality screen, casing, and feeling, it falls short in certain aspects. I've enjoyed many of the innovative features introduced to Chromebooks in the past two years. Yet, do these devices now serve as true AI laptops due to Google's Gemini? Absolutely not.

I'm a big fan of Chromebooks, and the "Plus" models have generally proven to be a substantial upgrade for budget-friendly laptops. You can find a "Plus" laptop for basic browsing, streaming, and possibly more demanding cloud-based tasks for around $350, like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11. Yet, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus costs as much as the Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus in terms of enterprise-grade casing. The Samsung device is also the first Chromebook to utilize the new Quick Access Key, located where you'd typically find the Caps Lock button. Regrettably, quick access to Gemini AI does not justify the increased cost.

What sets the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus apart is its exceptional build quality, from its casing to its generous input/output port selection and spacious keyboard. Remarkably thin, one PR representative for Google even showed how the new Galaxy Chromebook Plus was as thick as two graded Pokémon cards. At 11.8 mm thin, it fits seamlessly into even the smallest bags or crevices.

It boasts an impressive battery life that lasts over 10 hours with periodic usage. The Samsung-branded Chromebook also features a high-quality near-16-inch AMOLED display that feels delightfully expansive. With its full number pad and comprehensive input/output selection, it excels as an all-around performer. Moreover, it provides 256GB of storage for your offline content, a considerable upgrade to what is typically offered elsewhere. Its Intel Core i3 performance is just right, considering its common Chromebook CPU. Moreover, it meets the minimum 8GB of RAM required to qualify as a Chromebook Plus.

Despite its features, including the thin casing, there is little about this Chromebook that makes me enthusiastic about recommending it at $700. If you're focused solely on obtaining a solid Chromebook without concern for cost, you won't find much better.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: Build Quality and Usability

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus rests within a .47-inch tall frame and weighs 2.58 pounds. It's notably light, but what sets it apart is its solid construction. Although the chassis exhibits a slight bend near the center (less severe than the Acer Swift 16 AI), the laptop feels premium overall, with a beautifully deep blue cover that adds an extra touch of class. However, the device's glossy finish may attract fingerprints and require frequent cleaning. The generous array of input/output ports, including two USB-C, a USB-A, HDMI, and a micro-SD card slot, adds to its practicality.

The keyboard and trackpad feel well-balanced. The slim keys have a satisfying click, although not excessively so. The clickpad-style trackpad features a smooth texture, even if not quite as seamless as a glass surface. Rarely did I encounter palm rejection issues, which did not pose a significant concern during prolonged use. Overall, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus delivers an excellent standard experience, especially considering the absence of a touchscreen.

Upon installing the latest updates, I was particularly impressed by the Welcome Recap feature. It loads upon restarting your Chromebook, allowing you to see your recent activities and widgets for your calendar, weather, and documents. However, I found the Quick Access Key to be less useful, as I primarily used it to insert emojis or quickly access GIFs for work-related Slack messaging.

After a week of use, I enjoyed the new Focus features. You can set it to time out your focus tasks, reducing distractions. YouTube Music integration is also available, as well as a small selection of "Focus Sounds" to help you concentrate. These include soothing tracks like a rainstorm or classical music, although I wished for more customizable options. Google has also integrated Google Tasks into the taskbar, making it convenient to manage to-do lists.

The sound quality is impressive, especially with headphones, although the slim design may limit its use as a complete entertainment device. The display is excellent, with crisp colors and sharp text.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: Display and Sound

One of the Galaxy Chromebook Plus's standout features is its impressive 15.6-inch AMOLED display. Its size and 1080p resolution make it perfect for streaming YouTube or Netflix. The screen also boasts excellent brightness, allowing it to function well even in well-lit settings. The vibrant colors and sharp text make for an excellent viewing experience. Despite its slim design, the display competes with full-fledged entertainment devices, delivering a truly enjoyable experience.

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Indeed, it looks appealing, yet its screen has a refresh rate limited to 60Hz. This is acceptable for streaming videos, but what if you wanted to play games or use streaming services like Game Pass or Geforce Now on this compelling device? Given the price point, a 120Hz panel like the one featured in the Acer Chromebook 516 GE would have been more suitable.

Regrettably, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus does not live up to its looks. It gets quite loud, but the sound quality is poor, which is certainly not ideal for watching movies or listening to music.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: Performance and Battery Life

This laptop utilizes an Intel Core i3 100U Raptor Lake processor, which was launched before the buzz surrounding the Qualcomm Snapdragon, AMD Strix Point, and Intel Lunar Lake processors designed for thin PCs. Although it's an entry-level processor, it performs well within its category. However, it falls short when it comes to battery life, especially compared to more recent $1,000-plus laptops.

The fan is not excessively loud, but I was surprised to hear it operating as the device managed three Chrome windows and an external display. Additionally, the laptop operates at a relatively high temperature under stress, although this would only be noticed if the laptop is touched from the bottom. I never observed any instances where the heat affected the performance.

The Galaxy Chromebook Plus is equipped with 8GB of RAM, which is more than typical for Chromebook Plus models. As a result, the Chromebook performed well for most tasks. However, running it with several windows and numerous tabs opened caused some cursor lag and intermittent hiccups.

Once a strong point of Chromebooks, battery life has since been surpassed by several thin Windows PCs. Samsung claims the Chromebook Plus can last up to 13 hours, although this is based on the Chromebook power load test. In real-world use, I was able to get between 6 and 7 hours before needing to recharge. While this is not poor, it won't provide the multi-day battery life some users may be expecting.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: AI Enhancements

The latest Chromebook Plus models have a new Quick Access key on the Caps Lock space where the previous “G” key used to be (the Launcher button now has extra space to its left). The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the first to get this upgrade. This feature allows quick access to recently used files, potential URLs, and AI writing capabilities.

However, I have reservations about using this for anything beyond brainstorming or outlining. I asked Google’s Gemini to write a paragraph explaining the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus specs to prove a point. Gemini produced several inaccurate options regarding the display, CPU, size, and more. It is confident in providing inaccurate information and should be used with caution.

The proofread function is also less helpful than it should be. It does not indicate which parts of a highlighted paragraph will change. This is with a Gemini Advanced subscription, which is Google’s most advanced LLM available to Chromebook users.

And, of course, there's Gemini Advanced. This feature is free for all new Chromebook Plus buyers for 12 months, as well as offering 2TB of cloud storage. Gemini Advanced offers a few benefits, such as coding partners, depending on the user. However, I found the "Brainstormer" Gem to be less than helpful when asked to suggest gift ideas for a friend who enjoys Baldur's Gate III.

Do not buy a new Chromebook based solely on its AI capabilities. That being said, the ChromeOS Recorder App's AI-generated transcriptions and summaries are useful if you frequently use on-device voice recorders.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Review: Conclusion

The more time I spent with the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, the more I grew to appreciate it. It's the Chromebook I could see someone using as their primary laptop. It has enough ports and a promising display, but without additional features, such as a higher refresh rate and better audio, I would feel that I am missing something. If you're looking for a Chromebook without compromise, you should consider paying a higher price.

Despite its premium build quality, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus falls short in terms of future-proofing its technology. Its 60Hz screen, for instance, is not ideal for gamers or regular users who enjoy using streaming services with high refresh rates. Additionally, while the device's Quick Access Key offers convenience, the AI writing capabilities provided by Gemini sometimes produce inaccurate information, requiring caution when using this feature.