See what's on sale, what's not, and what's coming soon on the Chromebook front.
It's never a bad time to get a ; they come in every price range and even older models are kept up-to-date with the latest software. But some times are better than others, especially if you're looking for a great deal or wanting to get the latest model.
What you're looking for will also affect when you should buy. Buyers looking for a good deal on a current model or a better deal on an older model can usually find something that ticks the right boxes, but certain times of the year will bring bigger sales and lower prices. Of course, if you're waiting for the latest and greatest, it makes sense to wait if it looks like a new model is going to be released soon.
That's what this is for. We keep an eye on things because we like Chromebooks and because that's what we do — follow the industry. Here's what we recommend if you're looking and don't have to buy right now.
July 2017
Here's our take on the market as of July 2017.
Current models
You'll always be able to find an older Chromebook on the cheap at places like Amazon. For the most part, there's nothing wrong with buying a Chromebook that's 2 years old. They'll keep getting updated and stay secure and easy to use, but they use older processors that will eventually feel sluggish when you're doing the things you want to do with your Chromebook.
Sometimes you'll find a fairly new Chromebook that fits your price on sale. Right now, Amazon is having a back to school sale on Chromebooks and has the priced at $250. You can find cheaper Chromebooks, but the Acer R11 is a great Chromebook and saving $50 makes it even better. There's a reason it's Amazon's best selling two-in-one laptop.
Another good buy is the , which is on sale (at the time of this writing) for $265. You get a bigger and slightly better display than the R11 and better battery life, but it's a bit heavy and won't have Android apps enabled out of the box.
At the high end, the can be had for $470, which is $30 cheaper than normal. And our choice for , the is listed at $405 and that's $50 cheaper than the normal price.
$400 or more is a lot to spend on a Chromebook, and we suggest you try something cheaper if it's your first time. But if you already love the speed and simplicity that comes with a Chromebook or want security and safe browsing in a premium model, either of these models is highly recommended.
What's coming
We usually don't recommend waiting for any rumors to pan out when it's time to buy a phone or a Chromebook. No matter what you get or how much you spend, there will always be something better in the works.
Having said that, all signs point towards Google releasing another Chromebook of its own some time in late 2017. And for a few of us, another is worth waiting for.
We expect a two-in-one specifically built to enhance the touch experience of Chrome OS and to debut the latest version of Android to offer better control over windows and multiple apps on the screen at once. Google also appears to be baking Google Assistant into Chrome and many speculate we'll see advanced new features or special hardware dedicated to Assistant.
One thing we're sure of is that any new Chromebook coming from Google will be built spectacularly and priced outrageously. If a high price doesn't scare you off, we expect to see a new Chromebook some time before the Thanksgiving holidays.
We'll revisit this before then to keep things updated so you know if right now is the time to buy.