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Reader question: Which Pixel Slate would be comparable to the Samsung Chromebook Plus?

With the announcement of the Pixel Slate in five different configurations, some folks interested in the newest #MadeByGoogle Chrome device are wondering which to order. Take this question on Twitter, for example:

My response to Peggy and anyone else in the same situation is: If you have or are thinking of buying the original Samsung Chromebook Plus with an ARM processor, every Pixel Slate option should perform better. That’s because even the base Pixel Slate at $599 has an Intel Celeron 3965Y processor, which is more capable and newer (read: faster and more power efficient) as the OP1 chip inside the Samsung Chromebook Plus.

But what if you currently have the Samsung Chromebook Plus v2? That actually has the same Celeron chip as the base Pixel Slate, so performance would be very comparable at that point. Beyond that, every step up in CPU — the m3, i5 or i7 options — should boost Pixel Slate performance accordingly.

From a cost perspective, buying a Samsung Chromebook Plus v2 is $100 less expensive than the comparable Pixel Slate at $599 for the same performance. Most people will have to factor in the Pixel Slate Keyboard though, which adds another $200 to the final bill.

With the Pixel Slate, you’re essentially paying a premium for the form factor of a tablet and need to decide if that’s worth it to you when choosing between the two devices. That’s essentially the same decision on whether to spend $599 — an extra $100 — for the Samsung Chromebook Plus v2 with integrated LTE radio. You’ll pay a premium for the freedom of mobile broadband.

Since I currently use my Pixelbook in tablet or “tent” mode at least 50 percent of the time — the device is my main entertainment machine — I’m willing to pay the premium for the Pixel Slate. I like the idea of having a keyboard-less device for downtime and the ability to pop a keyboard in place when it’s time to get work done.

author avatar
Kevin C. Tofel

9 thoughts on “Reader question: Which Pixel Slate would be comparable to the Samsung Chromebook Plus?

  1. Display resolution strongly affects perceived performance. The Slate has a 3000 x 2000 resolution. The Plus V1 has a 2400 x 1600 resolution and uses the OP1 ARM processor. The Plus V2 has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and uses an Intel Celeron 3965Y. As a result, V2 outperforms V1. The most basic State uses an Intel 8th generation Intel Core m3 processor. Even with its much higher resolution, the perceived performance of the Slate with a Core m3 should be at least as good as that of the Plus V2.

    1. That’s a good point since the integrated GPU has to push a little harder for the higher resolution display. But the most basic Slate isn’t the 8th gen Core m3; its a Celeron. The m3 model costs $799.

    2. “Display resolution strongly affects perceived performance.”
      Would I be right in assuming that you are primarily thinking about video or animated scenarios and in particular the quality or smoothness of a video or animation, here? High resolution screens certainly can heavily burden or max out processors that are not up to the task. With a given screen capable of being driven at different resolutions we can be pretty sure that at the lesser resolution there will be some gain in frame rate and/or some increase in the rate of processing screen data and/or some reduction in processor load when processing a video or animation (assuming the screen is up to date and the data being processed is relatively complex and isn’t in a resolution independent vector format). But it is hard to make valid generalisations about how things will go between two different screens set at different resolutions without intimate knowledge of the technical specifications of those screens or without visual checks to make sure that expected behaviour holds. I think we will only get an answer to the question asked in the article by comparing visual performance of the SCBPlus v2 and the Pixel Slate directly calling upon diagnostic tools if needs be if by eye checks fail to produce indisputable results.

    1. No doubt. You’ll give up some portability in terms of weight plus you’ll have to use Bluetooth for the connectivity and charge the G-Type, but it can save you money.

  2. I have decided to hold off on the Slate, since I have the Plus v1. The 12 inch size is a little bit big for me as a tablet. I purchased a like new Asus zentan 3s 10 from the Amazon warehouse for $260. This will be my tablet….Plus v1 for typing)work needs.

  3. There are other tangible considerations – almost literally. LOL. I’m talking about the fingerprint sensor of course. This is a coveted feature for many, myself included. It’s not included on these previous devices but is on all Slate models as I understand it.
    Theoretically a lot of people might use a Chrome OS device for a couch surfer around the house and not want to constantly type their password. So they leave the device open to their account. So if anyone comes in and steals it or just uses it surreptitiously – they are directly in their account. People might know this isn’t the secure route but… A fingerprint sensor would solve the issue if it is fast and reliable.
    Anyway, I’m sure looking forward to actual reviews covering the different configurations. I assume the first reviews will be using Google supplied gear to reviewers and be full-boat devices. Will have to wait to see the real-world results across the spectrum of available trims.

  4. They keyboard choices – I assume there will be more coming – are about more than price. Also features and design. The Google keyboard looks sweet but doesn’t look like it would work well on an actual lap. Needs a table or the like. Even then the footprint is larger than perhaps a comparably sized device with a more typical hinged keyboard connection. The Brydge (sp?) seems more suitable to actual usage on a lap.
    For myself I’m almost always using a table or coffee table or hassock for my current laptop. The question for me is whether my cat would share the additional footprint I might need for Google’s own keyboard for the Slate. We are already often at odds about how much space I get for my current laptop with conventional hinged screen.

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