Experts Rating
Pros
- Stunning design
- Sleek and lightweight
- Fast performance
Cons
- No touchscreen display
- Expensive
- Battery life could be better
Our Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus offers powerful performance along with an ultra-thin design. However, the battery life could be better and some standout features that you would expect to see at this price point are missing from this laptop.
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When it comes to premium laptops, the new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus offers a lot of requirements. It is thin, lightweight, with fast everyday performance and a beautiful large OLED screen. It is one of the Chromebook Plus models, which feature faster processors, more RAM, and storage.
While Samsung has left a good impression with this Chromebook, there are still some flaws to be discovered. Firstly, the Chromebook is very expensive, especially for a device that does not have a touchscreen display. The other is the offset keyboard, which struggled with. Despite the nitpicks, I have to hand it to Samsung for creating one of the thinnest Chromebooks they have ever worked on. This is no small feat!
Read more: Best Chromebooks for 2024: Overall best, best battery life, and more
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Specifications and Features
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus comes in one configuration only (to my knowledge). Inside, you will find an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. You also get a 15.6-inch display with 1080p resolution, a 1080p webcam, and a 68Wh battery. It is currently available at Samsung for $699.99. For more details, see the specifications list below:
- CPU: Intel Core 3 100U
- RAM: 8GB
- Graphics: Intel Graphics
- Display: 15.6-inch AMOLED, 1920×1080, 60Hz (non-touch)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Webcam: 1080p
- Connectivity: 1 HDMI, 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A 3.2, microSD, 1 3.5mm audio jack
- Battery Capacity: 68Wh
- Dimensions: 225.8 x 355.4 x 11.8 mm
- Weight: 2.58 lbs
- MSRP: $699
The « Neptune Blue » color is beautiful and changes depending on the lighting conditions, much like Aurora’s changing dress in Sleeping Beauty.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Design and Build Quality
When I removed the Galaxy Chromebook Plus from the box it came in, I was truly surprised by its thinness. My colleague Michael Crider, who had the chance to take a look at this laptop before I got my hands on it, couldn’t help but comment on its sleekness. Weighing 2.58 pounds and measuring 0.46 inches at its thickest point on the laptop, it was never cumbersome to carry or handle. As someone who likes to work in different rooms throughout the day (I work remotely, by the way!), the laptop never weighed me down or felt cumbersome to carry. It was easy to carry with one hand, although I do not recommend doing so with any laptop.
The « Neptune Blue » color is beautiful and changes depending on the lighting conditions; it somewhat resembles Aurora’s changing dress in Sleeping Beauty. In natural lighting, specifically with sunlight streaming through my kitchen window, the structure appeared dark blue like the depths of the ocean. But when I took a picture of the laptop with the flash on, the structure looked more silvery than blue. It’s a wonderful effect. I don’t think I’ve seen this effect on other laptops, so I applaud Samsung for this device!
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Keyboard and Trackpad
The offset keyboard (including the numpad) took some time to get used to as it was larger than the keyboard I use daily (my personal laptop is 13 inches), but once I got into the swing of things, I typed well in the usual step. However, the backspace key remained a frustration for me as it is located right next to the numpad.
I do not have a numpad on my laptop keyboard, so I kept accidentally pressing the plus and minus keys every time I made a typo. Including a numpad is great if you are interested in number crunching, but not necessary for someone like me (who primarily works with words).
I felt the need to make use of the Quick Insert key (also known as the caps lock key) because I am a millennial and contractually obligated to know the art of replying to GIFs closely. Pressing the insert key will bring up a small menu. Not only can you quickly access GIFs, but you can also access Google Drive and Google AI, which can help you write a thank-you note. It’s a great feature, but I only used it for sending GIFs and solving one or two mathematical equations.
The trackpad is huge and takes up a large space below the keyboard. It is not a touchpad, it does not vibrate, and simulate the tactile feel of physical buttons. It is just a traditional one. I have no strong opinions on traditional versus touch trackpads, so I didn’t mind it, but some people are really standing by the touch diversity. During use, the trackpad responded well to clicks and fast swipes. In fact, using the trackpad was easier than using the keyboard.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Display, Webcam, Speakers
The 1920×1080 AMOLED display measuring 15.6 inches is large in size and has very thin bezels to the point that they are barely visible. The image it produces is sharp and full of colors, but that is not surprising, as Samsung is known for making high-quality screens. When I watched Beetlejuice (yes, it’s already available for streaming), a movie full of dark scenes, I was surprised by the amount of details I could see in those scenes, especially when the camera panned over the typical Adam Maitland town at the beginning.
The image quality of this screen is excellent, but I was surprised that it is not a touchscreen display. With the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook priced at $699.99 MSRP, it is slightly expensive for a Chromebook device without a touchscreen display, which is a standout feature I would expect to see in this price range. It’s not a deal-breaker, especially if you prefer a non-touch screen, but it’s a bit disappointing in my opinion. It was marketed as a premium Chromebook device, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t Samsung pull out all the stops?
All Chromebook Plus models come with 1080p webcams, which are perfect for Zoom meetings or team meetings. When I used the 1080p webcam on a Samsung Galaxy phone, I was pleased to find that I didn’t look half-dead! My skin is very fair, so I tend to absorb light, making me look pale from the shadows. The orange part of my sweater also exploded. Overall, I was very happy with the webcam performance, although it sometimes looks darker at the frame edges.
As for the speakers, they are good but not excellent. I know this is a lukewarm response, but laptop speakers often leave a little to be desired. A lot of the sound is directed downward (including the Samsung Galaxy), losing accuracy and clarity. However, you can use the speakers when it comes to watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts. If you’re watching a movie, I recommend connecting a pair of headphones for a better audio experience.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Connectivity
The choice of ports for such a thin machine is surprisingly diverse. On the left side of the Samsung Galaxy, you will see two USB-C ports and one HDMI port. On the right side, you’ll find a USB-A port, a microSD slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Including USB-A and HDMI is particularly impressive, as their assigned slots are long and wide. You can do a lot of useful things with this laptop like connecting to a screen (via HDMI) or unloading files and images (via microSD card).
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Performance
The Intel Core 3 100U processor running on this laptop distinguishes itself with speed and efficiency. There is evidence of this in my daily use, which includes binge-watching Netflix’s Outlander, writing email messages, browsing social media, and writing in Google Docs. I did not notice any performance slowdown or lag when switching from one open tab to another. It uses the Raptor Lake-U architecture, which was first introduced in January 2024. It has six cores and eight threads. Depending on what you do, it is capable of boosting up to 4.7 GHz.
We ran our usual set of browser-based Chromebook benchmarks, and here are the results:
- CrXPRT 2: 170
- Speedometer 2.0: 318
- Basemark Web 3.0: 1335.19
- Kraken: 428.7 milliseconds
- JetStream 2: 294.324
These are great scores! Based on these numbers alone, the performance can be compared to that of the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, which features an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU. The Lenovo Flex 5i scored 177 points in the CrXPRT 2 test, which is 4.1% faster than the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus. By the way, the CrXPRT 2 benchmark assesses how well a Chromebook device handles daily tasks such as homework completion, photo editing, etc. However, the difference is marginal. I doubt you would notice the performance difference between the two devices.
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is slightly faster than the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but both offer strong daily performance alike. The Samsung Galaxy is well-equipped in terms of hardware.
Read more: How we test laptops at PCWorld
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus: Battery Life
Samsung claims you can get 13 hours of battery life from this device, but I didn’t quite reach that number in my daily use. The closest I got to was about eight hours, which is not a bad result at all. However, I not only keep the brightness up because my eyes are sensitive to it, but I also have a lot of tabs open, both of which ultimately affect battery life. When I subjected the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus to the CrXPRT 2 battery test, I got a better result.
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus lasted for about 12 hours. It’s
