Is a New High-End HP Chromebook Plus on the Horizon?

It seems we might be on the verge of seeing a fresh high-end HP Chromebook Plus, and honestly, it’s about time. It’s been over a year since HP rolled out its last update to the premium x360 line of Chromebooks. But if we’re being real, it’s actually been even longer. The HP Chromebook Plus was unveiled during Google’s inaugural Chromebook Showcase a year ago, but the “new” HP x360 14c they showed off was more of a facelift for a device that had already been around for more than six months.

So, technically, we’ve been waiting for a brand-new HP flagship Chromebook for about 18 months now. Given HP’s usual release schedule, it feels like we’re overdue. I’ve already shared my thoughts on what would make an ideal x360 14c refresh, but it’s worth revisiting.

With a few smart upgrades, HP could easily deliver an HP Chromebook that dominates the market. All they’d need to do is keep the current x360 14c design mostly the same but add a more robust chassis like what we see in other HP devices, upgrade the screen to something with 350+ nits brightness, and refresh the internal components. If they can pull that off, they’d have an absolute winner on their hands.

Why now seems like the right time

Now, I don’t have any direct leads from the Chromium Repositories pointing to a new HP model, but Best Buy has given us a bit of a clue. The current HP Chromebook Plus x360 14c is now labeled “Clearance” on Best Buy’s website, which is a strong hint that this model may soon be retired. Even though we’re seeing a new x360 14b Chromebook Plus pop up at Best Buy, don’t get them mixed up. The 14b is a mid-range option running the Intel i3-N305 chip. It’s probably a solid device, but it’s not intended to replace the x360 14c. That clearance tag on the 14c means it’s likely being phased out.

Unless HP is shifting gears and focusing solely on the 14a and 14b models, it seems likely that a new 14c is on the horizon. If it’s coming soon, we could see it featuring Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) or the 13th-gen Raptor Lake-R processors. It seems like Intel’s next-gen Core Ultra V2 chips (Lunar Lake) aren’t ready yet, based on what’s happening in the Chromium Repositories.

Since the outgoing model sports a 12th-gen Core i3, moving up to Intel’s 14th-gen chips makes perfect sense. We’re keeping tabs on several ‘Rex’ (Intel Meteor Lake) boards alongside the ones already out there—like Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (‘Karis’) and ASUS’s CX54 Chromebook Plus (‘Screebo’). There’s a good chance one of these could be HP’s next big thing.

With all this in motion, I’m keeping a close eye on those ‘Rex’ development boards to see if one is linked to HP. I’ve got my fingers crossed that HP is making the necessary improvements to ensure their next x360 14c earns its rightful spot at the top of the Chromebook lineup.