Today, Google is pushing the boundaries of what its Chromebook Plus series can achieve with the unveiling of several AI-driven features, marking a significant leap forward for the versatile laptops. This move isn’t just about enhancing functionality but is a part of Google’s broader strategy to integrate more deeply with their Gemini AI platform across various applications and services.
The Chromebook Plus, known for its robust productivity capabilities, now includes a few more tricks up its sleeve. Google has introduced a comprehensive writing assistant, a dynamic wallpaper creator, and streamlined access to the Gemini chatbot—enhancements that promise to elevate the user experience significantly.
During the recent Google I/O developer conference, the company demonstrated its commitment to AI with the integration of Gemini-powered features in Google Maps and enhanced spam detection capabilities in calls. This integration is now extended to the Chromebooks, with the Gemini icon conveniently placed on the app shelf for quick access.
For users who decide to purchase a new Chromebook Plus, Google is offering a sweet deal—an entire year of Google One AI Premium. This subscription not only gives users access to advanced Gemini features but also a generous 2TB of storage, and Gemini’s capabilities extended across Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail.
Earlier initiatives this year saw Google integrating a writing tool within Chrome itself, designed to assist users in reformatting text across any application. This feature has now been expanded to operate system-wide on Chromebook Plus devices, allowing users to tweak the tone and length of text in PDFs, websites, and even web apps.
In addition to text manipulation tools, Google is enabling users to create their own wallpapers and video conferencing backgrounds through AI-driven guided prompts. This builds on the generative AI wallpaper tool introduced in Android 14 last year. Chromebook Plus devices are also getting a ‘magic editor’ in Google Photos, where AI assists in altering images by managing object resizing and background adjustments seamlessly.
But the innovations aren’t limited to the Chromebook Plus. Google is democratizing access to new features across its entire range of Chromebooks. New setups will be simplified via QR code scans from Android devices that share Wi-Fi and Google account details instantly. There’s also a new integration of tasks directly in the calendar view, a GIF format option for screen recordings, and a novel Game dashboard that adapts mobile controls to keyboard mappings.
Looking ahead, Google has teased even more intriguing features. They are enhancing navigational controls with gesture-based inputs through Project Gameface, originally developed to support accessible gaming. They’re also introducing AI-powered summaries for quick comprehension of websites and documents, coupled with interactive querying capabilities.
Furthermore, Google is exploring a ‘continuity’ feature that will allow users to pick up right where they left off on other devices, displaying recently used apps and documents upon opening their Chromebook.
The new Chromebook lineup includes six fresh models from HP, Acer, and Asus, ranging in price from $299 to $699. These new devices promise to offer options for every budget, without skimping on the innovative features that define the Chromebook experience.
With these updates, Google continues to redefine what their laptops can do, making the Chromebook an even more compelling choice for those who need a powerful, versatile device that keeps pace with the demands of modern digital life.
