Tiger Lake speed, Google I/O sessions, and Q1 Chromebook sales skyrocket

This week on The Chrome Cast, we begin the show by talking a bit in depth about the new ASUS Chromebook CX5 and, more importantly, about the difference Tiger Lake Intel processors are poised to make in the Chromebook market. This device is not only attractive and well-made, it is by far the fastest Chromebook we’ve ever had in the office and demolishes even the 10th-gen Core i7 in every benchmark across the board. What this means for the future of mid/high-range Chromebooks this year is incredibly promising.

In the second half of the show, we talk through the updated Google I/O 2021 website and how simple Google is making it this year for those who want to take in some sessions. The site is easy to distill and navigate and it makes finding just the right content very intuitive. What we’ll see at I/O still remains a bit of a mystery, but with this session layout, we at least have a bit of a look at what’s coming. With one of those sessions again being centered on Android apps on Chromebooks, we’re hopeful the consistent messaging from Google on this paired with the huge Q1 sales numbers for Chromebooks combine to get more developers on board to make Android apps run well on larger screens.

NOTABLE LINKS

• ASUS' MediaTek CM3 Flip and Detachable available in Canada
• Snapdragon 7c Chromebook tablet 'Coachz' is nearing production
• [U: Tweet pulled] Google accidentally announces its Pixel Buds A-Series a bit early
• Chromebook sales continue to surge in Q1 of 2021, up 275%
• Chrome OS 90 is still missing for a very important group of Chromebooks
• Google I/O 2021 sessions every Chromebook fan will want to watch

This episode is brought to you by Fresh Roasted Coffee, a coffee website that we have been using for a while now. We made the switch to FRC from the hand-roasting coffee method we had been doing for years and couldn't be happier. They offer great prices and they roast the coffee right before it is shipped to your doorstep! To check it out, go to https://chromeunboxed.com/coffee/ and use the discount code CHROMEUNBOXED for 15% off your initial purchase of coffee and/or tea!

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. Get a VPN that takes your privacy seriously. NordVPN is our VPN of choice and will secure your browsing on your Chromebook or on any device. Use NordVPN to keep your private data to yourself whether you are at home or on the go! CLICK HERE to try it out and get a 3-year deal for $3.49/month.

Join our Patreon community and get access to things like behind-the-scenes footage, early access to videos, private Discord server access, an ad-free experience on the mobile and desktop versions of the website, your name listed on all our YouTube videos, and monthly live stream Q&A. CLICK HERE to be a part of our community.

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chromeunboxed/support