Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Unboxing

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👉 Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Hands-on at the Chromebook Event: chromeunboxed....
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The new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is in the house and we are so excited to dive into the box to give you all a much deeper hands-on, initial look at this incredible Chromebook. Our time in New York was quite limited with it, but now that we have a review unit around, you can bet I'll be spending a ton of time working from it for the next few weeks.
And, as you all know, that all starts with an unboxing. Again, we saw this device at Google's fall Chromebook Showcase, but those initial thoughts and feelings were completely surface level. We only had a handful of minutes to really use this Chromebook, so the unboxing is a time to test a few of those initial impressions a bit more.
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[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I've been using a touch screen for a decade or longer now at this point. The few times I have to use product without one. I find myself constantly touching the screen. just can't imagine why you would make a laptop without one unless you were very purposely aiming for a budget section. super budget at that given the fact that there's plenty of budget laptops with touch functionality as it is

[@jtstevenson81]

Exactly. This is a great looking Chromebook, but what makes it a hard pass for me are the lack of touchscreen and lack of USI stylus compatibility. Those things are non-negotiable must haves for me. The Asus CX5601 has all of these things and that is why it continues to be my daily driver and best Chromebook on the market in my opinion.

[@DrDavid-PhD]

1080p at 15.6". I am sure it has great colors but the resolution isn't great for that price. For $100 more (on sale) the Galaxy Book 4 Edge has AMOLED, higher pixel density, and 120hz refresh rate. Yeah it's Windows but from a screen perspective, along with 16gb RAM and 512 SSD, it is hard to beat that.

[@svenbjorn9700]

Also OLED displays look WAY lower res compared to the equivalent RGB display, unless the OLED is using a traditional RGB layout like I think Apple did on some of their products.

[@coytus94]

Plus you could always wipe Windows and put ChromeOS Flex on it too lol

[@MrBackin5ive]

lol welcome to the hand-me-down chromebook trend, it's been going on for nearly a decade. That said, do you want it to have a 120hz refresh rateonboard, or the ability to push it externally? Do you want windows do only have 16gb ram? I haven't checked, but I'd assume the windows machine is also non-upgradable in that area.

[@imSterling]

This Galaxy Chromebook Plus laptop looks great, but a Core 3, 16x9 screen, and no fingerprint scanner are hard passes for me.

[@jtstevenson81]

Those things would be acceptable for me. What makes it a hard no for me are the lack of touchscreen and lack of USI stylus compatibility. Those things are non-negotiable must haves for me. The Asus CX5601 has all of these things and that is why it continues to be my daily driver and best Chromebook on the market in my opinion.

[@jasonpacker9607]

Would I have preferred a 2 or 2.5k display? Sure. But I’m impressed by how much this thing meets my recent needs for solid but not screaming performance with excellent bright display, comfortable keyboard and touchpad and good battery life. It’s almost like it was made for me

[@LamHoang-yd6kg]

Not to mention UFS instead of SSD.

[@LorenzoCastellana]

I still believe that most of us would have loved to have a 2nd-gen Galaxy Chromebook in the original format, minus the battery and heat issues. That laptop was close to perfection. This one, without a touchscreen, without a 360-degree hinge, and with a number pad, is a bit of a letdown.

[@Mmiller509]

No 360 degree screen? Not cool.

[@aaronrunkle]

Agreed. Loved the previous OLED too on the original. Also need to offer a version with 16G memory.

[@TheOMGPudding]

It kills me this is 1080p at 15”. If it was 13” or 1440p (or ideally both) this would be basically exactly what I want, minmaxing to get an OLED screen laptop with decent build quality for as cheap as possible.

[@Thorpeland]

I'm still rocking the original red Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. I bought it the week it was released and it's still one of the best laptops I've ever owned.

[@Netbookgeek]

I'd love it if Samsung did a 12 inch version of this Chromebook. I think that could be a real winner.

[@hsv361]

Yes!

[@mjs28s]

$700 for an i3 seems a bit steep.Even on the Best Buy page for this Chromebook the CPU is rated "Entry Level" and the graphics are "Entry Level"

[@nexxsam]

agreed but in a few weeks it'll probably be almost half price since Samsung laptops dont sell well at original price 😭

[@Seyram_yak]

We need ChromeOS update reviews

[@RegisBodnar]

This just makes me miss the Pixelbook! Like I really want a new one, but $300 is a bit steep for a laptop with a Core i7 from 2017!

[@justinmitchell1445]

Highly recommend Chrome Unboxed Plus! Love being a part of the community!

[@matthews4159]

you would pay $700 for a laptop WITHOUT a touch screen ,,, or 2 in 1,, whats so special about THIN ????? for an i3 ,, 8GB ,, 256GB ram ,, 1080p screen ,,, and just " ok " speakers",, Chromebook plus " ..... $ 7 0 0 .... good grief . except you were GIVEN that machine free of charge to review,, I would probably wax lyrical about it too

[@nabibutterfly5385]

In May 2024 I bought my brother the previous Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2. It was in excellent condition and came with Intel 3i, 8gb, and 128 storage. Price was $190 before tax. He really likes it.

[@Shantikia]

How is the trackpad on that one?

[@peterwilson2107]

I like the blue! And I like the thin-ness of it and the build quality of it! It seems like a next level Chromebook overall, which is great! And I love your enthusiasm! I hope an I5 version comes out at some point, but if not, that's ok too. But overall, seems like an amazing product! And great unboxing and review!

[@thetexastroubadour]

Sorry Robbie, as much as you tried I think your own initial enthusiasm for this model has waned from a few weeks ago. On the whole a good presentation except that, and forgive me, there were times it seemed that "excuses" were being offered rather than the truth. Initially I thought this would be it for me here in the UK (BTW we have 3 pin plugs not European plugs) but now I am firmly settled on the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 CBE595-IT Intel Core i5-1235U (i.e. Backlit and Touchscreen) retailing at £505. Thanks for what you do for Chromebooks. 😄

[@andrehentz9948]

Looks amazing! Very similar in color & finish to my Pixel Slate!

[@saleitasmith9294]

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[@curbsidetech]

This chromebook seems fantastic, but i would like a touchscreen. Hopefully, Samsungthey will make a touchscreen version. My Duet 5 has a Samsung oled its really good to use.

[@MichaelPrieto47]

I can live without the touchscreen but no fingerprint reader ? Pass

[@justinmitchell1445]

Can't believe how thin this device is! Looks great!

[@OledBurnInKing]

I wish that all chromebooks still have a bunch of usb a ports since the usb a port is more robust than the usb c port. My windows laptop and backbone controller usb c ports no longer works and stopped working completely. The usb c port on the 2 devices that I have mentioned have already worn out since the usb c port is very loose. It's why I wish there were still usb a ports being utilized for older devices without using a dongle. I still have all my old legacy devices that use the usb a port like mouse, keyboard and game controllers and they all work. The usb c hub that I have with multiple usb a ports only works with 1 usb a device at a single time. When I plug a mouse and keyboard into 2 usb a ports, only 1 of the usb a ports will function while the other usb a port is automatically disabled. Basically I can only use 1 usb a port at a time and unplug my other usb a devices. I tested all the usb a ports on the usb c hub to make sure that there is no faulty ports and all the ports work but simultaneously but only 1 device at a time. The usb c hub is from satechi that I bought like 2 years ago from the apple store and it's usb c hub only works with 1 device at a time. I bought the satechi usb c hub from the apple store because it was cheaper than best buy and target when I found the same usb c hub from best buy and target.

[@paulikxp]

7 years ago Google presented the original Pixelbook, which is still the most beautiful and at 10.3mm I'm almost sure also the thinnest Chromebook ever made. It's got a touchscreen and a 2400x1600 resolution on a 12.3" panel, so much higher than this Samsung Chromebook. Where's the progress? Just a faster processor (which apparently needs active cooling now) and thinner bezels? The Pixelbook even managed to be a 3-in-1 device...

[@TheSimbaKing]

Looking forward to the review Robby. Keep it honest and accurate. I'm still using the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook and despite it's issues, I feel that the new Samsung Chromebook Plus feels like a downgrade. 16 inches is too big for a portable, no touch screen and pen support especially with access to the Play Store and Samsung Notes touch screens should be standard in all Chromebooks. Kind of wish that Samsung took the Galaxybook 360 13-14 inch and made it a Chromebook. I'll wait for the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus 2.

[@jtstevenson81]

This is a great looking Chromebook, but what makes it a hard pass for me are the lack of touchscreen and lack of USI stylus compatibility. Those things are non-negotiable must haves for me. The Asus CX5601 has all of these things and that is why it continues to be my daily driver and best Chromebook on the market in my opinion.

[@davejohn255]

First time I have seriously considered upgrading from my Pixelbook. The 7 year old thing just refuses to die...

[@Fred-zk3wv]

As soon as I heard no touch screen I was out.

[@Character-j1r]

Damn thank you Samsung at least they came out with a New Chromebook... i just wish they gave us the artic white like the Dell XPS used to be im sick these Silvers and Golds and Dark colors

[@daveromanyshyn1170]

For the first 8 minutes I was in love. Then you mentioned there was no touch screen and I was done. If I didn't want to touch screen I would buy a Mac

[@NELSONG12]

No Core i5, only 60hz refresh rate and only 8g RAM. I had high hopes this would be the one. Acer spin 714 CB plus is still better all-round. Imo.

[@jovanqqq]

Just get the original Galaxy Chromebook

[@sirracer2005]

I'm still using last year's 714 and it has been my go to over everything else. This Samsung Chromebook is just a waste. At $700 it should have at least been an i5

[@rocksrock4292]

I bought an og Galaxy Chromebook on ebay for 250 dollars. i5, 4k amoled, s pen, TOUCHSCREEN. Honestly this doesn't even compare, I wish they did a proper sequel to it

[@funkijote]

Agree! This is so confounding to me. The original Galaxy Chromebook was plenty performant for Chromebook use-cases, only missing battery life. This is a really mediocre offering today at $700, or even $500. For $400 (used) or $600 (refurbished w/ warranty) you could get a Galaxy Book2 Pro ( i5 12th gen, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd) and run ChromeOS Flex (or FydeOS if you need Android apps support) with power-saver settings for similar performance and battery life but better everything else.

[@RobotPorter]

They made a lot of sacrifices for that look, feel, and battery life. And, at the MSRP, you have many other choices. This needs to have really good sales from the jump to be an attractive option. But it does look beautiful, though they should have made a white SKU as well

[@EyasAlabdoli]

My mom bought one kislux and she loves it. It had been there for over 10 years when she went out with it.

[@davidjondoh8671]

Anxiously awaiting for someone to bring a higher spec 14 inch Chromebook Plus to market, my Pixelbook needs replacing!

[@Rob-.]

I don't want to stand in the way of opening this box... But I am going to ramble for awhile...

[@NelsonGuirado]

I hate that.

[@jovanqqq]

The only upgrade compared to the original Galaxy Chromebook is the trackpad. Really disappointed. The original is lighter, slimmer, has a touchscreen, 4K, better quality build and 360° hinge. The battery might be better, but I get plenty with the original, so it doesn't matter. If they could have just refreshed the original with a 12gen i5 and 16GB RAM it would've been a better choice. It would be $200-300 more expensive than this new one, but people spending $700 on a Chromebook would spend $900-1000 - especially when you factor in it would be discounted $150-300 at some point - just like the original... So sad I am stuck without an option to upgrade to something new that's better. The original Galaxy Chromebook is still working for my current workflow and I am really enjoying using it everyday. The battery situation is much better than on the release, I get through a whole day on a singles charge even after 850 cycles. But I know at one point the 10gen i5 is not going to be able to deliver enough performance, especially combined with 8GB of ram and... Has anyone got a suggestion what should I upgrade to eventually?

[@jovanqqq]

And yeah, no fingerprint scanner is diabolical

[@matthews4159]

@@jovanqqq at those prices, buy a cheep PC and log into the chrome browser,,

[@observantnomad]

For me, downward firing speakers is a big deal breaker. Using MBA M1 currently and that's the benchmark for me for good quality speakers. I have chrome OS flex on one of my older laptop and I absolutely love it. ❤

[@thiostory]

What series is this laptop ? Is it Samsung ChromeBook plus 5 ? Or the first gen of Samsung ChromeBook Plus ?

[@alleskarlo]

I don't know if an X86 SOC is the right choice....

[@raffitchakmakjian]

Core 3 100U? Pretty impressive Passmark scores on it. The speakers sounds like they suck, but everything else is so good. Going to pick this up in January hopefully.

[@jeevamohan856]

Very Sophisticated Laptop. Like Fujitsu and MacBook Air M2

[@DRUNKGOOGLER]

so happy to get a great chromebook from samsung after a long time!! its not availble in norway unfortunately.. the one thing that was taking my eyes from this chromebook was the how good the pixel watch 3 (45mm?) looks awwww 😍

[@DRUNKGOOGLER]

if galaxy book 4 pro specs + chromeos then take my money

[@hasnibrahiti]

You gotta love a good Samsung hardware! ❤ Hopefully this Chromebook comes to the EU market with the AZERTY layout.

[@asan1050]

Thanks for posting this video

[@jdkgcp]

Do people not use Octane 2.0 anymore for Chromebooks/boxes? I know it hasn't been updated in forever but I always found it to be a solid test. Is there a reason I shouldn't be benchmarking with it? Also as much as I love AMOLED...after 2 years or so you're going to have burn in even to this day. And Chromebooks (or even laptops in general) may as well get rid of the speakers period....but downward firing? C'mon. There's not a single person buying this Chromebook who doesn't have a better audio solution....not even one.

[@slapnut892]

I'll never go near another Chromebook again unless it has a capable mid-range SoC, nothing less than a SSD and 16 gigabytes of RAM.

[@cocomarsh1]

I'm waiting on a snapdragon or whatever they are using in the new windows laptops. I want a balls out Chromebook- good camera including, touch screen included, 16gb of ram

[@BohdanTrotsenko]

I own Samsung Chromebook Pro from circa 2017 It's awesome: ≈1kg QHD(!!!) 13" IPS - the i3 processor it has is a bit dated, so I'm looking for a replacement and sadly, no, there's apparently no QHD chromebooks anymore

[@Pixelkris-g8i]

I think ill stick with my original Chromebook 516 ge thanks

[@karunakaranrajathurai-vg3gk]

It's not a touch screen but is good and the best. I love Samsung

[@PatricSjoeoe]

Unfortunately Samsung doesnt deliver this in Sweden :(

[@thomasraukamp]

It will start shipping in Europe in January.

[@jorgenmansson4269]

Dustin might sell it in Sweden next year, expect to pay around 12 000 Sek for it

[@karunakaranrajathurai-vg3gk]

It's a real winner

[@vin.k.k]

Does Google mandate Chromebook Plus branding?

[@imSterling]

@@vin.k.k Chromebooks have to meet Google specs for the Plus label.

[@josephglover4546]

My Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has a touchscreen, 512 GB storage, intel core i3, a year of free Gemini AI, and it was only $350..I wouldn't exactly call it "heavy" either.

[@malcontent_1]

uhh oh -- that relocated "Everything" key is going to be a problem (eventually)

[@HomiebeaR_]

Man the screen seems so wobbly

Wrong screen format and too low resolution 😢

[@ardinugraha_]

i hope you make teardown for chromebook laptop

[@aka7kak8]

Hp dragonfly chromebook was a pearl , with macbook like hardware feeling plus touchscreen, but this thin case and low res screen is a miss

[@franciscopina5881]

i dont know, i mean is basically the same price than 516GE but i3, i mean it looks good but i3 for USD 700 sounds like i dont think so.

[@itsbiju]

Maybe the Samsung Chromebook 2 is a better buy?

[@RazerCreditRazercredit]

My Acer Spin 714, kicks that device B×tt...Very Hard Pass!

[@Ankcientgamer]

699? No touchscreen so obviously, no pen. No fingerprint scanner. No thank you. At that price, I would expect both of those things to be included.

[@andyH_England]

This is being sold for the display as OLED technology currently excites buyers. However, a 1080p IPS panel with a different pixel arrangement will provide crisper images compared to a 1080p OLED. The rest is take it or leave it spec-wise and disappointing for £750, the UK launch price. We see the flex that Apple gets for 8GB/256GB models, and although I disagree, as it is fine for most, Apple at least offers higher configs for those that need 16GB or more, whereas Samsung doesn't. A bit nitpicky but no secure login other than a password is really cheap! And dumping last-gen chips in is getting a bit old, literally. At least we get the Core Ultra 5, the U variant though. But for the upgrading crowd, RAM and storage (eUFS) are soldered, so 256GB max will have to be enough for its life. Not worried about no pen support and no touchscreen, though Samsung fans are accustomed to those benefits. Overall an easy pass at the current price. Buy a last-gen Windows for around this price with better specs and more features.

[@pixelbat]

Video starts at 3:10. How does he turn a 5 min video into 25 min? Lol, ramblin harder than Trump.

[@scottgordon6740]

Where are the small and light weight Chromebooks? Why isn't anyone making a clamshell design with a 10-12" screen that weighs around 2lbs or less. I understand there is a place for larger Chromebooks but we also need some smaller ones as well. Chrome OS is ideally suited for a smaller laptop as a second device for web browsing, watching videos, and light office tasks.

[@scottgordon6740]

@@pmf822 Currently using a 10.9" Aliexpress N100 Windows laptop with FydeOS. Wanted to use Chrome OS Flex but it didn't support the touch pad. It works great and only weighs around 2 lbs. I just don't know why we can't get a good quality small Chromebook in this current generation of Chromebooks.

[@GaryGiffin49]

So far not sold in Canada

[@karunakaranrajathurai-vg3gk]

I want this

[@biasedthoughts]

I'm going to hold off my opinion til it goes on sale. Like all Chromebooks it should never be purchased at full price. At 499 the compromises are forgivable. Right now it's competing with too many great Windows laptops on sale.

[@NovusSky]

1080p at 15.6" with 16:9 ratio, Asus expertbook better than this

[@sjucompany]

the only bad from chromebooks are you can not use premier pro or photoshop. - George.

[@funkijote]

ChromeOS is great, but this is a quite mediocre offering at $700. For better hardware with same form-factor, get the 2022 Galaxy Book2 Pro for $600 refurbished or $400 used, and put ChromeOS Flex/FydeOS on it. You can get so much computer these days, and in really compelling packaging, used for $400, refurbished for $500 or new for $700, that this is just not competitive. The $650 new/$450 used Macbook Air M1 is the standard in this segment and if you're not beating it on total package value (performance, software, battery-life & ecosystem/support), what are you even doing?

[@mannkeithc]

Who wants a Chromebook without a touch display? I would rather have a touch display than the thinnest and lightest Chromebook. Lenovo Duet 11 wins easily for me.

[@cyberbillp]

$699!???? Bwahahahahaha! That's INSANE!!!! Good lord. An Asus Vivobook Flip 2 in 1, TP470 is only $330.... And Linux Mint recognizes every feature including pen support when you upgrade to Linux.

[@itsbiju]

The went backwards on the resolution.

[@The_7thdeity]

Use the TouchPad guy

[@ADF-fe7fv]

Me want!

[@phanhuang]

no touchscreen bummer

[@louiev222]

No touch screen NOT GOOD👎👎👎👎☹️☹️

[@mjdh515]

lol

[@PatricSjoeoe]

Touch screen is definitely not a mandatory thing

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

yeah that's a deal breaker for me. I've been using a touch screen for so long that it's just now part of my muscle memory. at least a decade. especially for a Samsung device where they happen to own one of the more effective styluses. That's disappointing

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

​@@PatricSjoeoeIt is for me. I've been using one for over a decade and it would be crazy to stop now.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

​@@PatricSjoeoeIt's almost like some people might have different use cases than other people.

[@bradavon]

Just use a European to US adapter

[@ROBALHC]

$700 for Chromebook 😂

[@DanHallBaywatch]

I actually was waiting to buy this Chromebook UNTIL the words... NO touch screen... that is a 1000% NO, NO, NO for me!!!

[@karunakaranrajathurai-vg3gk]

It's not a touch screen

[@OreoDave]

Samsung has the worst customer support. I will never buy another Samsung product after I bought the red Galaxy Chromebook. 🤬🤬🤬

[@roadrunner_86]

Intel cpu? No, thanks

[@adolfdyversiti6517]

15"6? I don't care and i don't buy.

[@karunakaranrajathurai-vg3gk]

Samsung is more better than Apple

[@dickcaplis4208]

Gee where did you go to school, more better?

[@dblue004]

No touchscreen, no thank you.

[@Frankenwookie]

I am new to the Chromebook world, but this just seems like a beautiful overpriced middle of the road laptop.

[@DeadPiixxel]

$700 for a Chromebook lol

[@ArthropodSpidey]

One finger lift at the cost of a super wobbly screen. No thanks.

[@jeremiah.martell]

Me still using my HP Chromebook x360 11 G2 🥲

[@The_7thdeity]

Use the TouchPad guy

[@The_7thdeity]

Use the TouchPad guy

[@The_7thdeity]

Use the TouchPad guy