Under Google’s new initiative, Acer is one of the first to debut a line of Chromebook Plus laptops, namely the Chromebook Plus 514 and 515. This series of Chromebooks packs more power under the hood and comes with an arsenal of AI features from Google.
The Chromebook Plus 515 sports a large 15.6-inch 1080p display. It can be configured with up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Meanwhile, the 514 has a smaller 14-inch display with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio and runs on an AMD Ryzen 7520 C-Series processor.
For battery life, the 515 promises up to 10 hours of usage while its smaller sibling offers a longer 12-hour period. Both laptops support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, with a single HDMI port, a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A port, and two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C ports. They are equipped with a 1080p webcam and DTS Audio stereo speakers.
The software side is presumably where you get the most bang for your buck, with Google providing all Chromebook Plus laptops with built-in AI features such as video call lighting enhancements, background noise removal, and background blurring across all video conferencing apps. The Google Photos app also gets the Magic Eraser function found on the Pixel phones.
While those are the only features shipping with the laptops, for now, Google is promising to add more in upcoming updates in 2024. This includes built-in generative AI that helps you write any text as well as generate images.
Both the Chromebook Plus 514 and 515 will be available in the US for US$399.99 (~RM1,880). As of writing, the company has not announced the pricing or availability for the Malaysian market.
(Source: Acer Press Release)
