I’m ready for the first Chromebook Plus tablet

A lot of talk has been going around recently regarding the upcoming Lenovo Chromebook Duet. I know this because we’ve been in the middle of most of that chatter. And as excited as I am for the new Duet, I can’t help but feel a bit sad that it didn’t show up in the leaks with a Chromebook Plus logo on the outside.

After all, the specs we’ve found and every other part of this device make it feel like it should meet that Chromebook Plus requirement (even though we know it isn’t). I can’t yet speak for the processor, but it does look like the MediaTek Kompanio 838 inside this tablet should be fairly capable, too. And let’s also not forget the AI/ML capabilities of this SoC that MediaTek clearly touted.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s going to be an awesome tablet and be a great fit for tons of people. And I also recognize that a device not being a Chromebook Plus isn’t the end of the world at all. For now, at least, the AI extras that Chromebook Plus devices get are nice additions, not necessary features. Operating a ChromeOS device without them isn’t some terrible experience, and I still have very high hopes for the experience the new Duet will deliver.

The real reason I want a Chromebook Plus tablet

I suppose, for me at least, it just comes down to peak hardware. Chromebook Plus devices represent the best of the best when it comes to ChromeOS. While the self-imposed $699 price cap that Google has made part of the Chromebook Plus story surely limits just how “top shelf” these devices can be, we’ve already seen some pretty impressive examples of what Chromebook Plus is capable of in the past year.

Devices like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and ASUS ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus are shining examples of the fantastic hardware we can get at these price points, and there are others that have pretty incredible hardware additions while staying south of that $699 price tag.

Some of that hardware prowess includes 500 nit screens, QHD resolutions, 120Hz refresh rates, backlit keyboards, all-metal chassis, glass trackpads, fast internals and great build quality. Nevermind the AI inclusions; I like Chromebook Plus models for their hardware.

And that’s what I’m waiting to see in a tablet form. The last big swing in this form factor was the Pixel Slate, and that poor thing was simply way ahead of its time. While the Duets have been fantastic in their lanes over the years, no Chromebook manufacturer has “gone for it” with a tablet since the Pixel Slate.

And that’s a bummer, really. With the hardware Lenovo is capable of producing, I absolutely see a market for a $699 Chromebook Plus detachable with a chip like the unreleased MediaTek MT8196 on-board. I can imagine a large OLED screen, thin build, 8GB/16GB of RAM, plenty of storage, and the latest MediaTek SoC inside powering it all. It would be something to behold.

But for now, it’s simply a dream of mine. The tablet market needs a device like this, though, and it’s clear. Between Apple continuing to try and make iPadOS more desktop-like and Samsung continuing to develop DeX, it is clear that users would like a hybrid device that is good at both.

And with a bit of cleanup on the tablet UI side of things, ChromeOS could deliver that experience so well with the right hardware. We got close with the Duet 5, but the slightly-sluggish Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 wasn’t quite enough to get the job done. With a chip as beefy as the upcoming MT8196, however, that wouldn’t be an issue. Now, we just need someone to go make it.