Mysterious Chromebook X might actually be Chromebook Plus… and you probably already have one

(Image credit: Future)

Chromebook X rumours have been swirling around for a little while, teasing a new, premium Chromebook lineup. But, while physical laptops haven’t hit the shelves, you may already have one.

According to 9to5Google, the Chromebook X initiative was designed to help users understand the differences between low-end student devices and more premium high-end business laptops.

Since then, speculation has been circulating that Google may change the name to ‘Chromebook Plus’, and that the moniker would be applied to higher-end ChromeOS devices, with the ‘Plus’ signifying better performance and higher storage capacities.

As we’ve previously reported, Google will be enforcing strict hardware specifications for a device to qualify as a ‘Chromebook Plus’ laptop, including the stipulation that a device runs on a 12 Gen Intel or AMD Zen 2+ processor. Aside from hardware specifications, Google will likely put out a suite of exclusive features for the Chromebook Plus line, like adaptive wallpapers – think of the landscape wallpapers you get on the very best MacBooks and Macs – and ‘Help me write’ AI.

How do we know?

Google hasn’t officially announced the program yet, but for eager ChromeOS fans 9to5Google might have seen some signs of a potential upgrade.

A code change – which has since been deleted – apparently detailed a list of devices that could be upgraded to Chromebook X (or Plus) status. 9to5Google has curated a list of potential devices that could get that big Plus boost, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook (14-inch) and Lenovo Slim 3i Chromebook 14.

Looking at the price range of the listed laptops, it looks like Google could be targeting devices in the $350-$800 range which encompasses quite a diverse assortment of Chromebooks currently on the market.

If Google does implement Chromebook X/Plus, this could be great news for existing Chromebook owners, or potential buyers who are on the fence about jumping to ChromeOS. Seeing as the program could span across a plethora of different devices, existing users would get a nice upgrade to their devices, and potential Chromebook users could be swayed by the suite of new features.

Muskaan is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing writer. She has always been a passionate writer and has had her creative work published in several literary journals and magazines. Her debut into the writing world was a poem published in The Times of Zambia, on the subject of sunflowers and the insignificance of human existence in comparison. Growing up in Zambia, Muskaan was fascinated with technology, especially computers, and she's joined TechRadar to write about the latest GPUs, laptops and recently anything AI related. If you've got questions, moral concerns or just an interest in anything ChatGPT or general AI, you're in the right place. Muskaan also somehow managed to install a game on her work MacBook's Touch Bar, without the IT department finding out (yet).