What we enjoy
- a large screen
- Keyboard that feels solid
- It has a low-key appearance and a fantastic feel about it.
- There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C port.
What we dislike
- Colors and viewing angles are poor.
- Battery life is below average.
- Inadequate webcam
- Performance is restricted to simple tasks.
Chromebook 4 Plus from Samsung
The Chromebook 4 Plus is a good laptop for individuals who need to perform basic work on a shoestring budget, but you get what you pay for. It's a good first tablet for young kids, but the poor screen viewing angles and short battery life may be a deal breaker for people with more money to spend.
What you need to know about the Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus
- Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus (4GB RAM/32GB eMMC): $299.99
- Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus (6GB RAM/64GB eMMC): $349.99
- Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus (4GB RAM/128GB SSD): $379.99
- The Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus, which features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, is a bigger version of the 11.6-inch Chromebook 4. As previously stated, there are three storage/memory combinations available. It's a low-end Chromebook geared at those who require a simple computer and is a low-cost choice for students.
- It was introduced in 2019 and has remained a viable alternative in the budget Chromebook category, with recurrent reductions bringing the retail price close to the $200 level. The Chromebook 4 Plus comes in only one colour: Platinum Titan.
What’s good?
- The Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus sports a stylish appearance. While it is a low-cost gadget, it does not appear or feel that way. The body is polycarbonate, but the lid is metal, giving the laptop a more premium feel. All of the touchpoints appear to be strong, and the trackpad is large enough.We tried the 4GB/32GB version, and when you consider what you're working with, the performance isn't bad. This one has an Intel Celeron N4000 CPU. It's a low-tier CPU that's less powerful than the Core i3 and i5 processors found in many Chromebooks nowadays, but it's more than enough, especially given the price of this Chromebook. The port selection isn't awful, especially since it has a USB-A 3.0 connector.
- Fortunately, Chrome OS performs online surfing in Google Chrome better than a comparable Windows laptop. During my testing, the Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus functioned admirably as a web surfing device. My job was light, and I needed approximately 10-12 tabs open on Google Chrome, including Gmail, YouTube, WordPress, Google Docs, and a few other websites. The performance was adequate to get me through the day without major annoyances.The keyboard is also rather great. The keys have a tactile feel and an angled depression that makes typing more comfortable. Affordable laptops sometimes skimp on keyboards, but the Chromebook 4 Plus shines in this regard, especially given its low price.
What’s not so good?
Many of the advantages of this Chromebook that I've stated above are justified by its low price, particularly its performance. It's adequate for an inexpensive Chromebook like this, which is likely to be used as a web browsing device at home or at school, but you can't expect to get much work done with it.
I tried pushing the Chromebook 4 Plus to its limits by running numerous YouTube videos at the same time, but it began choking and missing frames. The whole experience slowed, and the limited RAM and processor reached its limits. This machine's limits were revealed when it was subjected to more than basic multitasking.
The battery life of the Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus is likewise below average. During my tests, I received around eight to nine hours of sleep. That's hardly the worst battery life on a laptop, but it's a notch or two below the 12-hour battery life we've observed from several Chromebooks.
Furthermore, the Chromebook 4 Plus economises on a crucial component – the webcam. The image quality is grainy, and the colours appear faded out. Even for the price, the webcam should have been a little better, especially since this gadget is aimed at people who require video conferencing. Wireless communication is restricted to the older 802.11ac (now known as Wi-Fi 5) and Bluetooth 4.0 standards. There's also no HDMI port, which is a noteworthy loss from an otherwise impressive port lineup.
Finally, we get to the most serious flaw with this Chromebook: the screen. While the resolution is adequate, the display is a low-cost TN panel, and it shows. The viewing angles are so terrible that visibility of roughly half the screen is impacted at lower brightness levels.
Samsung Chromebook 4 Plus specs
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