Just a few days ago, we highlighted a quiet but significant update to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook that brought the new MediaTek Kompanio 540 processor to the table. That specific configuration paired the new silicon with a healthy 8GB of RAM and 128GB of fast UFS storage, making its current … [Read more...] about The new Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook gets a super-affordable $249 configuration
Chromebooks
Chromebooks are the heart of the Chrome OS experience. At their core, Chromebooks are the purest expression of Google's operating system. Here, you'll find only articles and stories about Chromebooks, their features, and what makes them great.
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Lenovo quietly updates the IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook in some pretty big ways
In the world of Chromebooks, sometimes the most interesting hardware releases happen without a press release or a flashy launch event. If you've been around Chrome Unboxed for any amount of time, you've likely come across content we've made over the years about the affordable and surprisingly … [Read more...] about Lenovo quietly updates the IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook in some pretty big ways
Why buying a Chromebook with Googlebook looming is still a great decision
With the massive announcement of Googlebook completely dominating the news cycle over the past two weeks, a narrative is starting to brew across the internet that has me a bit concerned. I am seeing a lot of headlines suggesting that standard Chromebooks are suddenly "dead" or that buying a … [Read more...] about Why buying a Chromebook with Googlebook looming is still a great decision
Google once again confirms Chromebooks aren’t dead after Googlebook reveal
As of today, Googlebook is officially out of the bag. With Google’s massive pivot toward a premium, Gemini-first laptop running on the Android tech stack, the immediate (and very understandable) question becomes: is the Chromebook dead? We tackled this exact question back in January during an … [Read more...] about Google once again confirms Chromebooks aren’t dead after Googlebook reveal
Asus launches the new Chromebook CM14 with the Mediatek Kompanio 540
While we spend a lot of our time talking about high-end Chromebook Plus hardware and what's likely to happen with the upcoming transition to 'Aluminium OS', the backbone of the general Chromebook ecosystem has always been affordable, reliable hardware that just gets the job done. Today, Asus is … [Read more...] about Asus launches the new Chromebook CM14 with the Mediatek Kompanio 540
The Skywalker army now totals 20 new Chromebooks with the MediaTek Kompanio 540
In all our years of tracking the Chromium repositories, we have never seen a single baseboard spawn this many offshoots. To put it in perspective, a typical "prolific" baseboard might see 8 to 10 variants. 'Skywalker' just hit 20, and there is no sign that Google or its partners are slowing … [Read more...] about The Skywalker army now totals 20 new Chromebooks with the MediaTek Kompanio 540
Project Aluminium could finally kill off awful, clunky Chromebook names
Let me be brutally honest for a second: Chromebook names are absolutely terrible (for the most part). If someone asks you what the hottest $599 laptop on the market is right now, Apple fans can simply say MacBook Neo. Two words. Clean, iconic, and instantly recognizable. If someone asks me for … [Read more...] about Project Aluminium could finally kill off awful, clunky Chromebook names
ChromeOS 146 is rolling out, but Google is clearly eyeing a much bigger prize
If you’ve checked your settings menu this week and seen the prompt to restart for ChromeOS 146, you might be wondering where the "What’s New" splash screen went. In an update that follows the now-understood trend of ChromeOS updates over the past year or so, we are looking at an one that is pretty … [Read more...] about ChromeOS 146 is rolling out, but Google is clearly eyeing a much bigger prize
I was wrong about upcoming MediaTek Kompanio 540 Chromebooks and tablets
For months, I’ve been tracking a growing family of upcoming Chromebooks codenamed 'Skywalker.' We’ve seen a flood of these devices hitting the repositories with names like 'Luuke', 'Yoda', and the recently discovered 'Dooku'. But if I’m being honest, I haven't been that excited about them. Why? … [Read more...] about I was wrong about upcoming MediaTek Kompanio 540 Chromebooks and tablets
No, the new MacBook Neo isn’t a threat to Chromebooks in the classroom
As it launched earlier this week, we talked about how the MacBook Neo puts massive pressure on Google’s upcoming 'Project Aluminium' devices in the consumer space. At $599, Apple has finally built a machine that makes you look twice at mid-range Chromebooks and Windows laptops. But it's not all … [Read more...] about No, the new MacBook Neo isn’t a threat to Chromebooks in the classroom
‘Sapphire’s boot screen inclusion could hint at bigger Chromebook changes
For the better part of a decade, the experience of booting up a Chromebook has been pretty uniform. Regardless of whether you spent $200 on a plastic clamshell or $1,000 on a premium convertible, the startup screen was always the same: a white or black background with the "ChromeOS" or "Chromebook … [Read more...] about ‘Sapphire’s boot screen inclusion could hint at bigger Chromebook changes
We have our first real leak of Google’s “Aluminium” project running on a Chromebook
Back in September, we caught the first scent of a massive shift happening behind the scenes at Google. I found evidence that developers were testing a full Android desktop experience on "Brya" Chromebooks, and at the time, we weren't quite sure what to make of it. Fast forward to today, and the cat … [Read more...] about We have our first real leak of Google’s “Aluminium” project running on a Chromebook
