Google's New Standard For ChromeOS: 'Chromebook X'

Google is launching the "Chromebook X" program, aiming to differentiate high-quality laptops and tablets from standard Chromebooks by improving hardware specifications and adding exclusive features such as enhanced video conferencing capabilities and unique wallpapers. Chromebook X devices, expected to be priced between $350 and $500, will provide users with an elevated experience beyond the basic functionality of traditional Chromebooks. The devices are anticipated to be available in stores by the end of the year, coinciding with the release of ChromeOS version 115 or newer. 9to5Google reports: For the past few months, Google has been preparing new branding for above average devices from various Chromebook makers. Notably, we haven't yet seen any signs of Google making a Chromebook X device of its own, which is honestly a shame considering how long it's been since a Pixelbook has been released. The Chromebook X brand, which could change before launch, will appear somewhere on a laptop/tablet's chassis, with a mark that could be as simple as an "X" next to the usual "Chromebook" logo. There should also be a special boot screen instead of the standard "chromeOS" logo that's shown on all machines today.

Aside from the added "X," what actually sets a Chromebook X apart from other devices is the hardware inside. Specifically, Google appears to require a certain amount of RAM, a good-quality camera for video conferencing, and a (presumably) higher-end display. Beyond that, Google has so far made specific preparations for Chromebook X models to be built on four types of processors from Intel and AMD (though newer generations will likely also be included): AMD Zen 2+ (Skyrim), AMD Zen 3 (Guybrush), and Intel Core 12th Gen (Brya & Nissa).

To further differentiate Chromebook X models from low-end Chromebooks, Google is also preparing an exclusive set of features. As mentioned, one of the key focuses of Chromebook X is video conferencing, with Google requiring an up-to-spec camera. Complementing that hardware, Google is bringing unique features like Live Caption (adding generated captions to video calls), a built-in portrait blur effect, and "voice isolation." Earlier this year, we reported that ChromeOS was readying a set of "Time Of Day" wallpapers and screen savers that would change in appearance throughout the day, particularly to match the sunrise and sunset. We now know that these are going to be exclusive to Chromebook X devices. To ensure that those wallpapers only appear on Chromebook X and can't be forcibly enabled, Google is preparing a system it calls "feature management." At the moment, feature management is only used to check whether to enable Chromebook X exclusives. Based on that, some other exclusive features of Chromebook X include: Support for up to 16 virtual desks; "Pinned" (available offline) files from Google Drive; and A revamped retail demo mode.

Just like a regular laptop

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

but for a high-performance privacy violation experience.

$350? For a Chromebook?

[atomyiik]

You've gotta be kidding me.

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[DrMrLordX]

Yeah kinda defeats the purpose of a Chromebook.

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[Anubis IV]

Exactly this.

Any given demographic wants the cheapest device that meets their needs. The current Chromebook is the cheapest possible device that meets the needs for much of the education and student market. The cheapest "real" laptops are the cheapest possible devices that meet the needs for "real" work. The reason there's a gap in between is because there's a wide gulf between the performance expected at those two levels, but there really aren't any use cases in that void.

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[ChunderDownunder]

Gaming - buy the expensive Chromebook and your kid can use the Steam client.

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[Anubis IV]

Gaming - buy the expensive Chromebook and your kid can use the Steam client.

I mean, they technically already can: https://www.chromium.org/chrom... [chromium.org]

But given the state of that page and the lack of buzz surrounding it since the feature’s beta launch early last year, I suspect the only thing that’s missing is a notice that the feature has been sunset.

Besides, if gaming performance is a concern, by the time you’re at that price point you’d be far better off buying a Steam Deck or NUC or Mac Mini, and even those would only questionably suffice for the use case yo

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[omnichad]

The purpose of a Chromebook is to be usable. If you haven't seen the junk hardware being shoveled out, you should take another look. The makers are aiming for cheap and they're hitting that target, but at speeds that make a mainline Intel Celeron look blazing fast.

They've made their product junk by letting vendors make the claims whether the device is fast enough for real work.

But truthfully, have you seen the fire sale that is laptops lately? I see Core i5's with 8GB of RAM going new for under $400. Te

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[Can'tNot]

You think that's too much? You're clearly not familiar with Google's Pixelbook line. They're cheaper now than they used to be, at only $650, but I think the first one started at $1000 and they've gotten up to $1200 or so.

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[VeryFluffyBunny]

Yeah, I've got a Chromebook tablet with a physical keyboard. Suits me much better than an Android tablet. I've also used a 15" Intel laptop Chromebook. Decent enough for a consumer machine but I wouldn't use one for work where I need to be efficient & productive.

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[AmiMoJo]

Have you seen the price of mid range tablets and keyboard accessories these days? $350 is cheap for decent performance and a keyboard.

offline files needs an hardware exclusive?

[Joe_Dragon]

offline files needs an hardware exclusive?

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[omnichad]

32GB eMMC isn't going to cut it.

Other than schools, what use is a Chromebook?

[splitstem]

The cheap Chromebooks have some sort of niche, as they are kid-proof devices that schools can use, and allow third party companies to amass enough telemetry on the kids to sell off for a good price, but other than devices to ensure kids grow up learning to deal with the weight of handcuffs and other chains from an early age, there are not many other markets for a Chromebook, other than perhaps a glorified Web terminal because they are relatively hard to compromise, which is useful for a machine to travel w

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[DrXym]

I don't see much reason to buy an expensive Chromebook but if you want an idiot proof, secure and cheap laptop they're great. I have a Lenovo Duet which is a 2-1 device and it's fantastic for weekend use. It's super compact, works as a tablet or a laptop and has a long battery. It runs a desktop with some apps like a full-fat Chrome and also Android & Linux software. I wouldn't want one as my main device though and if I were spending a lot of money it would be madness not to buy a Windows compatible dev

Merge Android and ChromeOS FFS

[DrXym]

The amount of wasted effort, overlap and customer confusion that Google causes by these being separate but semi-related things is unreal. Just rename ChromeOS as Android Desktop and start providing facilities in the Android SDK to produce apps which scale to make use of a desktop environment.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[DrXym]

I know it has a subsystem but it's not as well integrated as it would be if it were actually Android. Everything seems thunked and shimmed which is probably why it only supports Android 11. Running Android apps on my duet is sluggish and some apps don't even run at all. I have some apps which install but break when calling background services for example.

If it were the same code base, duplicate functionality could be stripped out and it would be a continuum of devices - phones, tablets, laptops. You could p

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[DrXym]

Android is containerized to work in ChromeOS which means it's slower and uses more memory. Everything is kludged or through shims - input, display, multitasking, background services, rendering, application switching, notifications, clipboard, audio, controllers, sign-in / sign-out, Google services etc. It's not "just a different API", it's virtualized and hacked in. It feels sluggish and not native. It's likely why it's an older Android 11, because they forked it to make it work at all. I'd add that ChromeO

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[DrXym]

It is a container [chromeos.dev]. End of story.

X Terminals... but worse?

[posixively_true]

Like most users on this submission, I'm quite confused about the usefulness of a "premium" Chromebook. Even if a "regular" Chromebook is not suitable for my daily tasks, I kinda get its appeal for people using computers as a mostly bare-bones text processor. However, these expensive laptops are the equivalent of an over-priced X Terminal thin client in a walled garden. I guess we are too nerdy for this kind of product.

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[posixively_true]

You are right, I forgot about this. However, it seems that these applications are sandboxed and have limitations - a Chromebook help page [google.com] specify that cameras and hardware acceleration are not supported among others. I'm not sure that the target audience is very interested in running a Linux environment by enabling it through the settings menu and anyone who is will probably be annoyed by the limitations - hence my comment.