The best Chromebook deals for Prime Day 2021
As millions of us continue to learn and work from home, Prime Day deals will make a great time to replace your aging desktop or add another Chromebook to your family's collection. Most of the best Chromebooks have been available for over a year now, which means that deals are much more likely this year than they were last year — when we were also in the midst of the 2020 Chromebook shortage.
Part of why Chromebooks have (almost) always had great deals on Prime Day is that mid-range Chromebooks come down to budget prices, and budget Chromebooks come down to impulse-buy prices. Considering that Chrome OS is designed to run on more affordable hardware to begin with, and that means that Prime Day is the best time to get a laptop, especially a budget laptop. Premium Chromebooks like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook are already seeing deep discounts ahead of Prime Day, so you can grab a great Chromebook and have it in time for Prime Day on Monday.
No matter your budget this Prime Day, Google has durability and usability standards for almost all Chromebooks — because most models are designed for chaotic classrooms or unforgiving businesses — that make Chromebooks ideal for younger and less tech-savvy users. All this adds up to Chromebooks being great investments for families looking for a computer that won't break the bank and won't die the second you breathe on it wrong.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook | $273 off at Amazon
Why wait for Prime Day with deals like this?
For less money than Samsung's more budget-oriented Galaxy Chromebook 2, you can get a more powerful i5 processor, double the storage, and a 4K screen. While we've seen it go lower a few times in the last year, this is already a great deal on a stunningly beautiful ultrabook.
Best Prime Day Chromebook Deals for Work
Chromebooks are excellent for getting things done — I've worked full-time from one for four years — and when you want to really get down to business on a Chromebook, you'll want some extra power and a little extra style to help your Chromebook fit in with all the Macbooks and ultrabooks. I recommend going with an Intel M3 or higher, at least 64GB of internal storage for accommodating lots of Android apps or Linux apps. While 4GB will be perfectly okay for lighter workloads, if you tend to keep dozens and dozens of tabs open at a time while video conferencing, you'll want to spring for the 8GB of RAM on something like the Pixelbook Go.
There are several higher-end Chromebooks that might see significant price cuts on Prime Day — the two-year-old Pixelbook Go, the one-year-old Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, and the just replaced Acer Chromebook 713 — but another excellent choice, especially for business is the ASUS Chromebook C434. It may be a couple of years old now, but it still offers the best blend of power and value alongside its beautiful 14-inch touchscreen, and now that its successors are starting to become available.
Best screen around
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook | $273 off at Amazon
Samsung's first Chromebook premium enough to bear the Galaxy name is an ultra-premium marvel that you can pick up for less than its less-powerful successor right now! The battery is only 6-9 hours, but the screen is stunning and it has all the storage and power you need.
Well balanced, as all things should be
ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 | $150 off at Amazon
This 14-inch 2-in-1 is a couple of years old now, but it's still quick as a whip and built well. The backlit keyboard is easy to type on late into the evening, and the screen is vibrant and perfect for split-screening work and play. You can also get the 8GB RAM version for $60 more, if you tend to hoard your tabs.
Best value
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 | $31 off at Amazon
This is the best overall Chromebook on the market and I love it for both work and play. The 13.3-inch 1080p touchscreen is easy to split-screen tabs on, the keyboard is comfortable and backlit with stereo speakers surrounding it. Battery should easily last you a full workday, and it has plenty of ports.
Premium feel for less
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 | $100 off at Best Buy
If you're someone who loves a 3:2 screen and a beefy, beefy processor to power it, this Project Athena Chromebook is for you. Acer just announced a new version, but that's just a processor bump and a swap from USB-C to Thunderbolt, so save some money and grab the current model on sale instead!
Best Compact Prime Day Chromebook Deals
As someone who fully embraces the #HaveChromebookWillTravel lifestyle, compact Chromebooks are my favorites to use on the couch and around the country. 11.6-inch Chromebooks make up a significant portion of the Chromebook market, and for good reason: they're the ideal size for students and for on-the-go users.
Unfortunately, the compact Chromebook market is fraught with older, outdated models, especially on Amazon where sellers tend to call everything the "latest" "2021" model even if the Chromebook in question is actually two years old. Ignore the marketing terms and look at the specs in order to determine how new and worthy a Chromebook deal is.
Both the Acer Spin 311 (2W) and Samsung Chromebook 4 use the same Celeron N4000 processor and 4GB of storage as my favorite compact Chromebook, the Lenovo Chromebook C340-11 that spent most of the last year sold-out amid the 2020 Chromebook crunch, but others use the MediaTek 8183 or similar versions. In particular, the 10.1-inch Lenovo Chromebook Duet uses one, and when paired with that nice 1080p screen and detachable keyboard and kickstand, it makes the Duet one of the best Chromebooks on the market, let alone one of the best compact ones, and now that the Duet's been out a year, it's time for it to get some deals.
With the Acer Spin 311, you get plenty of ports and a handy 2-in-1 form factor but only 32GB of storage. The Samsung is almost painfully light on ports and is a non-touchscreen clamshell laptop, but it comes with 64GB of storage. Both Chromebooks will get Chrome OS updates until June 2026, so they should last you a good long while.
Whatever you grab, I highly suggest a touchscreen for three reasons: it'll make interacting with Android apps easier, it really doesn't cost more, and it's just more fun!
Best Chrome OS tablet
Lenovo Chromebook Duet | $40 off at Amazon
With battery for literal days and the best experience we've seen from a Chrome OS tablet to date, the Duet finally gives us the kind of Google tablet we've wanted for a decade. The battery will absolutely never leave you hanging and the screen is great, but there will be a few itty bitty hangs and stutters every now and then.
Fun and functional
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-2H-C679) | $237 off at Amazon
This compact Chromebook also has a Celeron N4000-series processor, and if you can get by on 32GB of storage, it's a nice little Chromebook for kids and for light computing on the go. It has more ports than its successor, and expandable storage is still an option here.
Grab and go beauty
Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6") | $30 off at Amazon
The sequel to Lenovo's popular C330 Chromebook packs double the ports and double the style in a compact Chromebook that can work hard all day and into the night. The Sand Pink one almost never pops up anymore, but if it does, grab it and cherish that pretty shade!
Good for kids
HP Chromebook 11a | $38 off at Amazon
It may lack a touchscreen, but this Chromebook has the essentials you or your kid need to browse the web, play some Android games, and get homework done, too. It features the same MediaTek 8183 processor many top compact Chromebooks use, and I'm digging the finish around the keyboard and trackpad.
Brand new
ASUS Chromebook CX1 | $230 at Amazon
There are a lot of older Chromebooks that will be "on sale" for around $230, so why not just buy a brand new model like the CX1? The Celeron 3350 is an older processor, but it's perfect for kids just needing to do some homework.
Extra storage
Samsung Chromebook 4 | $241 at Amazon
Most compact Chromebooks only come with 32GB of storage, but if you're intending to download lots of apps or download music and movies for offline playback, you'll want one with 64GB or higher. The Samsung Chromebook 4 fits that bill nicely.
Best Prime Day Chromebook Deals for Students
While price and performance are always important on a Chromebook, when buying one for a kid durability is equally important. After all, it doesn't matter how cheap a Chromebook is if your kid breaks it less than a month later. Unfortunately, the Best Chromebook for Students — the ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 — can be hard to find these days, so I recommend grabbing the Acer Spin 311 instead, which is still a hearty little Chromebook even when not covered in rubberized plastic. If your kid wants a bigger screen for gaming and YouTube — I mean homework! — the HP Chromebook X360 14b is also a great pick for a nice, big touchscreen 2-in-1.
All of the current student Chromebook models are now two years old, but none of the new models announced in January are available outside B2B channels yet. This means that you can pick up these older models at a deeper discount rather than waiting for new models that aren't any more powerful than the C214.
Fun and functional
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-2H-C679) | 47% off at Amazon
This compact Chromebook also has a Celeron N4000-series processor, and if you can get by on 32GB of storage, it's a nice little Chromebook for kids and for light computing on the go.
Best Chromebook for Students
ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 | $45 off at Amazon
ASUS's education Chromebook offers consistent performance even under strenuous conditions and tolerates drops and drips better than most. It's sold at or above $400 for most of the last year, so grab this sale while it lasts.
Stylus included
Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 | $180 off at Amazon
This Chromebook has a slightly larger screen and a built-in stylus so your child can doodle when they're done with class. A touchscreen 2-in-1 allows for the best Chromebook experience, especially for younger users that are used to iPads and touchscreen apps. Just keep in mind that while durable, this isn't as hardy a machine as the C214.
Big screen beauty
HP Chromebook x360 14b | $100 off at Amazon
This 2-in-1 Chromebook gives you a 14-inch 1080p touchscreen for easier split-screening notes and Google Meet, and of course for weekend-long YouTube binges once you finish all your homework.
Good for kids
HP Chromebook 11a | $38 off at Amazon
It may lack a touchscreen, but this Chromebook has the essentials you or your kid need to browse the web, play some Android games, and get homework done, too. It features the same MediaTek 8183 processor many top compact Chromebooks use, and I'm digging the finish around the keyboard and trackpad.
Just the basics
ASUS Chromebook C223 | $50 off at Amazon
This model is a little bit older, but for younger kids with lighter workloads, it has everything you need to get started and see if you can trust them to take care of a laptop. Just keep in mind it's only getting Chrome OS updates for another three years before you'll need to buy another machine or switch it over to CloudReady.
What you need to look for when buying a Prime Day Chromebook deals
There's always a ton of specs and features you typically need to juggle when shopping for a laptop, but for Chromebooks, the buyer's guide can be summed up pretty well into four points:
- Get a touchscreen. — Unless you're anti-fun, there's no reason not to get a touchscreen model; they do not cost that much more and it's always worth it. Touchscreens make it easier to interact with Android apps as well as making it easier to do things like sign documents or zoom in precisely.
- Pick your screen size first. Decide right now if you want something compact (11.6-inches), mid-size (12.5-13.5-inches) or large (14-15.6-inches). Processors and storage are pretty standard across each size category, so size is one of the defining features you'll want to sort out early.
- 4GB of RAM is good, 8GB is better. — Most Chromebooks sold today come with 4GB of RAM, and 4GB is perfectly fine for running a video call plus a dozen or so tabs in Chrome. More RAM is always better, but 4GB is fine. If it says it has 2GB of RAM — or 16GB of internal storage — close the tab and walk away.
- Check the expiration date!!! — Yes, Chromebooks come with expiration dates, after which they are no longer guaranteed to receive Chrome OS updates. It's called the AUE date, and they're listed for every single Chromebook model on Google's support page, so before you move that Lightning Deal Chromebook from your cart to the checkout, take ten seconds and look it up on this page. The shorter a time before a Chromebook's AUE date, the less time you have to enjoy the full benefits of your Chromebook — and it also means your Chromebook is a couple years old, as most Chromebooks launched in 2019 have 6 years of support and most 2020/2021 models have 8 years of support ahead of them.
Check out the best Prime Day coverage
Android Central is the best place for every Prime Day tech deals. We're working overtime to provide the latest and best deals on Chromebooks, unlocked Android phones, wireless earbuds, smartwatches and Amazon devices like the Echo Show, Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick.
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