Google may be adding new hardware requirements for Chromebook Plus

I’m going to connect a few dots in this post, but by the end of it (there’s not too many dots, so hang with me) I think you’ll agree that there’s a very good chance we’ll see a few new hardware requirements for Chromebook Plus from Google in the very near future. This is by no means official or direct from Google; I just have a hunch.

The hardware requirement conundrum

This subject has always been a head-scratcher for me since the introduction of Chromebook Plus as a brand and idea. Hardware requirements – while great – will always need to be updated over time. With Chromebooks now having a 10 year lifespan, there’s a very good chance that Google was always going to have to add or change hardware requirements for Chromebook Plus before devices with the outdated hardware would be retired.

Let’s take something like the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6″ as an example. That device comes with a very-capable Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. At this point, the 15.6″ HP is still quite capable and fits all the Chromebook Plus requirements.

But what happens another 5 years from now? We’re already seeing better processors from Intel and MediaTek poised to make a splash in Chromebook hardware later this year, and we’re only 17 months out from the debut of Chromebook Plus as an initiative from Google. Technology advances forward every year, so what does the landscape look like in, say, 2030?

If the requirements don’t change, the software sitting on top of it will have to always be held back by the inclusion of chips like the i3-N305 for years. So, when seen from that vantage point, it only makes sense for the hardware requirements to change over time and likely every few years. But how do you do that from a branding and consumer expectation point of view when supported devices stay relevant for a decade?

If, for instance, the i3-N305 is no longer enough to meet the demands of the Chromebook Plus feature set, what do you do? Consumers who bought a device with Chromebook Plus on the lid are going to expect Chromebook Plus features until their device no longer gets updates. So what’s the answer?

That’s what I’ve been wondering for quite some time now, and I don’t have a solution. We’ve not heard anything definitive from Google on how to tackle this issue, either, so I have no idea what that roadmap looks like. But I think we’re all getting ready to find out what their plan is and how they will position hardware requirement updates moving forward; and it’s all because of one new Chromebook that just hit the market recently.

Why isn’t the new Acer Chromebook Spin 312 Plus-worthy?

We recently reached out to Acer to find out why the new Chromebook Spin 312 isn’t labeled as a Plus model and why it doesn’t have the Plus updates. The response we got back was telling, and I think it can give us a hint that the overall Chromebook Plus spec requirement is about to change.

We designed the product to meet the needs of customers that want a small screen with premium performance. While it does meet the earlier requirements laid out, it’s still up to Google’s discretion to brand a specific product as a Chromebook Plus.

via Acer

You see, the Spin 312 has all it needs to qualify for Chromebook Plus: a 1080p screen, 1080p camera, Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. As a matter of fact, it actually matches up quite well with the Lenovo Slim 3i Chromebook Plus from a spec standpoint, save one thing: screen brightness.

The Spin 312 is only 250 nits, and perhaps that is the underlying issue. Maybe Google is set to say future Chromebook Plus models must have a 300 nit screen. But it could be something else, too. There’s a chance the N305 isn’t Plus-worthy moving forward, or that 128GB of storage isn’t enough for future models. There’s no real clue as to what the hold up is, but it is very clear that Google chose not to include the Spin 312 as a Plus device.

While I might be able to understand it being launched as a standard Chromebook, I can’t get my head around why it wouldn’t at least get the Chromebook Plus software updates since it 100% meets the spec requirements. It’s the first time since Chromebook Plus launched that we’ve seen this happen, and there’s simply no clear answer right now.

Maybe it is time to fully update the Chromebook Plus spec in 2025 and the 312 simply doesn’t meet that new spec that will be unveiled later this year. That’s the only thing that makes any sense, here, and it is why I believe we’ll catch wind of a new set of requirements at some point here in 2025 for sure. How does that affect prior Chromebook Plus models and what precedent does it set moving forward? I have no idea how to answer those questions, but hopefully Google does.