It's been a few years since Samsung took a crack at making a premium Chromebook. In 2020, the company released the first Galaxy Chromebook, a 999 laptop with a gorgeous 4K OLED screen that barely lasted five hours away from a charger. The company fixed some issues with its 2021 model, which had a more pedestrian screen and a thicker design while costing 300 less -- a fair compromise given that battery life was significantly better. Since then, Google has also launched the Chromebook Plus initiative, which aims to standardize Chromebook specs to give people a more consistent experience. And now, Samsung has released its first entry to that lineup: the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. It reminds me a little bit of the 15-inch MacBook Air, though its appearance is unmistakably Samsung.

It's been about a year since Google first announced its Chromebook Plus initiative, a higher spec of hardware that also comes with software features you won't find on more basic Chromebooks. Probably the most interesting update we're hearing about today is new hardware from Samsung: the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. I've liked some of Samsung's attempts at making high-end Chromebooks in the past, so I'm curious to see how this one performs. Google says its the thinnest and lightest Chromebook Plus, at 2.58 pounds and less than a half-inch thick. Despite that small size, it includes a 15.6-inch OLED screen, making it sound like this laptop will be similar to the 15-inch MacBook Air in feel.