Image: Michael Homnick / IDG
If you’re the kind of person who looks at the milk carton expiration date or squeezes the bread before you buy it, then you probably don’t want to buy these 77 Chromebooks.
That’s because after examining every single Chrome OS device listed in Google’s database, we’ve found a healthy amount of them that are about as fresh as a three-day old donut.
Google publishes expiration dates for Chromebooks on its support site here. But rather than drill down into each Chrome OS device maker’s page to find out if just one particular Chomebook was expiring, we compiled a list of every single device and then sorted it by expiration date.
We found 51 expired devices, another 35 with just one year left of support. Another 29 had two years of “life” left and another 13 with less than three years. Frankly, that’s a lot of Chromebooks you could potentially purchase that will no longer get updates very soon after you buy it. All told, not counting the already expired Chromebooks, there’s 77 we think you may want to avoid right now. We’ll list those laptops bellow.
IDGAs of Aug. 2020, here’s how many ChromeOS devices are about to expire and when.
What is a Chromebook’s lifespan?
The concept of an expired computer itself isn’t new, but Chrome OS has taken heat for years over it. Since Chromebooks are essentially low-cost hardware running a very lightweight Linux operating system as a vessel for the Chrome browser, few expected them to expire.
What’s a bit different with Chromebooks is that the hardware itself expires. With an “expired Windows 7 laptop,” for example, you can simply buy Windows 10 and keep using the laptop rather than buying a new one. With a Chromebook there is no option to buy an updated version of ChromeOS—the only answer to continue getting updates from Google is to buy a new one.
(See our article comparing Chromebooks vs. Laptops for a comprehensive discussion of the differences between the two, as well as buying recommendations.)
Google’s End of Life Policy (as it was called before the less terminal-sounding “Auto Update Policy”) first offered 5 years of OS and security updates. Google later changed it to 6.5 years, and now it’s 8 years.
Kind of.
IDGWith a Chromebook, the OS doesn’t expire—the actual Chromebook does and you no longer get updates at all.
It’s not really ‘8 years’ on new Chromebooks
Even the “8 years” the newest Chromebook is supposed to last isn’t necessarily 8 years in your actual hands. The lifeclock of every Chromebook is tied to an introduction window and, like milk on a shelf, it’s running even if no one has bought it.
For example, a Lenovo Chromebook Duet announced in May and released in June has an expiration date of June 2028. If you bought it today, you’d get about 8 years. If you bought that same Chromebook Duet in June of 2021, you’d get 7 years of updates. Buy a brand-new, never-touched Duet in 2025 and you’d get only 3 years.
We suspect the June 2028 deadline will hold for the majority of Chromebooks announced over the next 12 months. Looking at Google’s list of Chrome OS devices, they tend to also expire in June or August.
IDGNvidia’s GeForce Now streaming game service has come to Chromebooks but it requires version 77 and up of ChromeOS, which abandoned Chromebooks may not have.
What happens to an expired Chromebook
Once a Chromebook expires, you no longer get updates. Period. Ever. That’s different from Microsoft, which updated Windows 7 on its last day. Intel even recently issued a security update for PCs running Windows 7, 8 and 10, so you do get some support.
The most important reason to keep your PC, Mac or Chromebook updated today is security. All computers are under constant attack and updating it is the first line of defense. With an expired Chromebook, you lose that defense.
For people used to Windows and MacOS, that could be enough to make you think an expired Chromebook should be crossed off the list. But to be fair, Chromebooks are still one of the most secure consumer laptops around, and you could argue that an expired Chromebook might even be more secure than updated Windows or MacOS laptops. In 10 years, only 55 security exploits have been documented for ChromeOS. Apple’s OSX has 2,212 listed vulnerabilities from 1999 until today and Microsoft Windows has 6,814 since 1999.
Security risks are just one problem. An unsupported browser means you get left behind by websites, too. For example, on the original $1,300 Google Chromebook Pixel (which expired in 2018), the version of Chrome it runs will no longer let you watch Netflix. For a typical consumer who isn’t going to open the laptop up, unlock the OS write protect, and install CloudReady, the only way to watch a Netflix movie is to buy a new Chromebook. Disney+ also rejected the 2013 Pixel. Eat your heart out, because you can still watch Netflix or Disney+ on a 2013-era Windows PC or MacBook. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s nifty GeForce Now game streaming service requires ChromeOS 77 and up, which was released late last year. If you’re on an older version, you can’t use GeForce Now, full stop. As time goes on, you can bet more Chromebooks on the list will also be abandoned.
NetflixThe original Google Pixel Chromebook is still a very capable laptop, but because it’s last OS update was in 2018, it can’t even watch movies on Netflix anymore.
Nearly expired Chromebooks are still being sold
The unstated mess in all this is that you can still buy many Chromebooks that are nearing the end of their lives. We did spot-checks of older models and found that generally it’s pretty hard to buy a very old (five years or older) Chromebook. What you will find, however, are a lot of used Chromebooks we’d consider to be on the “close to spoiling” list being sold. Many Chromebooks with expiration dates of June 2022 can still be found in online stores.
For example, we found the Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D selling for $300 or more. The high price is likely due to parents and even school districts rushing out to buy any Chromebook to prepare for remote learning. We know it’s hard times for Chromebook buyers, but $300 would mean just 18 months of updates before being pushed overboard by Google.
AmazonWe found many used Chromebooks for sale with less than two years of OS support left.
How to buy a fresh Chromebook
To get a Chromebook that you know will get longer term support, you should first look at our list on the second page of this article and determine just how “fresh” you want it. If, for example, $300 for a Chromebook with three years of updates left is fine with you, you can pick out one like the Asus Chromebook Flip C101PA and buy that specific Chromebook with the confidence that you have August 2023 before the OS gets visited by Valkyries (the Norse mythology kind, not the Tom Cruise kind). We wouldn’t advise buying a Chromebook with less than three years of updates left on the clock if you can help it.
You can check any Chromebook on your shopping list against Google’s official support page to see how long it will last. Our list on the next page was compiled in late August of 2020, and more will be added over time. It’s a good idea to visit the official list once once you have an idea of what Chromebook you want.
Next page: Our list of expired and expiring Chromebooks by date
Chromebook expiration list
Expired Chromebooks
Google Cr-48 Dec 2015Samsung Chromebook Series 5 Jun 2016Acer AC700 Aug 2016Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 May 2017Acer C7 Chromebook Oct 2017HP Pavilion Chromebook 14 Feb 2018Samsung Chromebox Series 3 Mar 2018Google Chromebook Pixel Jun 2018Lenovo Thinkpad X131e Chromebook Jun 2018Samsung Chromebook – XE303 Jul 2018HP Chromebook 11 G1 Oct 2018Acer Chromebook 11 (C720, C720P) Jun 2019Asus Chromebook C200 Jun 2019Dell Chromebook 11 Jun 2019HP Chromebook 11 G2 Jun 2019HP Chromebook 14 Jun 2019Lenovo N20 Chromebook Jun 2019Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook Jun 2019Samsung Chromebook 2 11 Jun 2019Samsung Chromebook 2 13 Jun 2019Senkatel Chromebook Jun 2019Asus Chromebook C300 Aug 2019Acer Chromebook 13 (CB5-311, C810) Sep 2019Acer Chromebox Sep 2019Asus Chromebox (CN60) Sep 2019Dell Chromebox Sep 2019HP Chromebox G1 Sep 2019HP Chromebook 14 G3 Oct 2019Asus Chromebook C201PA Jun 2020CTL J2 / J4 Chromebook Jun 2020EduGear Chromebook K Jun 2020EduGear Chromebook M Jun 2020Edxis Education Chromebook Jun 2020Haier Chromebook 11 Jun 2020Haier Chromebook 11e Jun 2020Hisense Chromebook 11 Jun 2020Lava Xolo Chromebook Jun 2020LG Chromebase (22CB25S, 22CV241) Jun 2020Medion Chromebook S2015 Jun 2020Medion Chromebook Akoya S2013 Jun 2020Mustek Mecer Chromebook Jun 2020Ncomputing Chromebook CX100 Jun 2020Ncomputing Chromebook CX110 Jun 2020Nexian Chromebook 11.6” Jun 2020PCMerge Chromebook PCM-116E/PCM-116EB Jun 2020Poin2 Chromebook 11 Jun 2020Positvo Chromebook CH1190 Jun 2020Prowise Chromebook Entryline Jun 2020Sector 5 E1 Rugged Chromebook Jun 2020Viglen Chromebook 11 Jun 2020Asus Chromebook Flip C100PA Jul 2020
Chromebooks expiring in 2020
Acer Chromebase Aug 2020Asus Chromebit CS10 Nov 2020
Chromebooks expiring in 2021
Acer Chromebook 11 (C740) Jun 2021Acer Chromebook 15 (CB5-571, C910) Jun 2021Acer Chromebox CXI2 Jun 2021Acer Chromebox for Meetings CXV2 Jun 2021Acer Chromebase 24 (CA24I) Jun 2021Acer Chromebase for Meetings (CA24V) Jun 2021Asus Chromebox 2 (CN62) Jun 2021Dell Chromebook 13 (7310) Jun 2021Google Chromebook Pixel (2015) Jun 2021Lenovo ThinkCentre Chromebox Jun 2021Senkatel Chromebook 2 (2015 Edition) Jun 2021Acer Chromebook 11 (CB3-111, C730, C730E) Sep 2021Acer Chromebook 11 (CB3-131, C735) Sep 2021Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-531) Sep 2021Aopen Chromebase Commercial Sep 2021Aopen Chromebox Commercial Sep 2021Bobicus Chromebook 11 Sep 2021CTL N6 Education Chromebook Sep 2021Dell Chromebook 11 (3120) Sep 2021EduGear Chromebook R Sep 2021Edxis Chromebook Sep 2021Edxis Education Chromebook (NL6) Sep 2021Haier Chromebook 11 G2 Sep 2021HEXA Chromebook Pi Sep 2021HP Chromebook 11 G3 Sep 2021HP Chromebook 11 G4/G4 EE Sep 2021HP Chromebook 14 G4 Sep 2021Lenovo 100S Chromebook Sep 2021Lenovo N21 Chromebook Sep 2021M&A Chromebook Sep 2021Samsung Chromebook 2 11 – XE500C12 Sep 2021Senkatel C1101 Chromebook Sep 2021Senkatel Chromebook 2 Sep 2021
Chromebooks expiring in 2022
Aopen Chromebox Mini Feb 2022Aopen Chromebase Mini Feb 2022Acer Chromebook 11 N7 (C731, C731T, CB311-7H) Jun 2022Acer Chromebook 14 (CB3-431) Jun 2022Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-532) Jun 2022Acer Chromebook R11 (CB5-132T, C738T) Jun 2022Asus Chromebook C202SA Jun 2022Asus Chromebook C300SA / C301SA Jun 2022CTL J5 Chromebook Jun 2022CTL NL61 Chromebook Jun 2022Dell Chromebook 11 (3180) Jun 2022Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 (3189) Jun 2022EduGear CMT Chromebook Jun 2022Edxis Education Chromebook (NL6D) Jun 2022Haier Chromebook 11 C Jun 2022HP Chromebook 11 G5 Jun 2022HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE Jun 2022HP Chromebook 11-v0xx Jun 2022Lenovo N22 Chromebook Jun 2022Lenovo N23 Chromebook Jun 2022Lenovo N42 Chromebook Jun 2022Lenovo ThinkPad 11e 3rd Gen Chromebook Jun 2022Multilaser Chromebook M11C Jun 2022Mustek Mecer V2 Chromebook Jun 2022PCMerge Chromebook PCM-116T-432B Jun 2022Positvo Chromebook C216B Jun 2022Prowise Chromebook Proline Jun 2022Samsung Chromebook 3 Jun 2022Viglen Chromebook 360 Jun 2022
Chromebooks expiring in 2023
Acer Chromebook 11 (C771, C771T) Jun 2023Acer Chromebook 14 for Work (CP5-471) Jun 2023Asus Chromebook Flip C302 Jun 2023Dell Chromebook 13 (3380) Jun 2023HP Chromebook 13 G1 Jun 2023Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Jun 2023Samsung Chromebook Pro Jun 2023Acer Chromebook Tab 10 Aug 2023Aopen Chromebook Commercial Tab Aug 2023Asus Chromebook Tablet CT100 Aug 2023Asus Chromebook Flip C101PA Aug 2023CTL Chromebook Tablet Tx1 for Education Aug 2023Samsung Chromebook Plus Aug 2023
Chromebooks expiring in 2024
Acer Chromebook 11 (CB311-8H, CB311-8HT) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook 11 (C732, C732T, C732L, C732LT) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook 514 Jun 2024Acer Chromebook 15 (CB315-1H, CB315-1HT) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook 15 (CB515-1H, CB515-1HT) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook R13 (CB5-312T) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook Spin 15 (CP315) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T) Jun 2024Acer Chromebook Spin 11 (CP311-1H, CP311-1HN) Jun 2024Asus Chromebook C223 Jun 2024Asus Chromebook C403 Jun 2024Asus Chromebook C423 Jun 2024Asus Chromebook C523 Jun 2024Asus Chromebook Flip C213 Jun 2024CTL Chromebook J41 / J41T Jun 2024CTL Chromebook NL7 Jun 2024CTL Chromebook NL7T-360 / NL7TW-360 Jun 2024Dell Chromebook 11 (5190) Jun 2024Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 (5190) Jun 2024Edxis Chromebook 11 Jun 2024Edxis Chromebook x11 Jun 2024Google Pixelbook Jun 2024HP Chromebook 11 G6 EE Jun 2024HP Chromebook 11-ae0xx Jun 2024HP Chromebook 11-ae1xx Jun 2024HP Chromebook 12-f0xx Jun 2024HP Chromebook 14 G5 Jun 2024HP Chromebook 14-ca0xx Jun 2024HP Chromebook 14-ca1xx Jun 2024HP Chromebook x2 Jun 2024HP Chromebook x360 11 G1 EE Jun 2024Lenovo 100e Chromebook Jun 2024Lenovo 500e Chromebook Jun 2024Lenovo ThinkPad 11e 4th Gen Chromebook Jun 2024Multilaser M11C Chromebook PC912 Jun 2024Multilaser M11HC Chromebook PC911 Jun 2024PCMerge Chromebook AL116 Jun 2024Positvo Chromebook N2110 Jun 2024Positvo Chromebook N2112 Jun 2024Prowise Chromebook Eduline Jun 2024Samsung Chromebook Plus (V2) Jun 2024Samsung Chromebook Plus (LTE) Jun 2024Sector 5 E3 Chromebook Jun 2024Viglen Chromebook 11C Jun 2024Viglen Chromebook 360C Jun 2024
Chromebooks expiring in 2025
Acer Chromebook 13 (CB713-1W) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook Enterprise 13 (CB713-1W) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook 714 (CB714-1W / CB714-1WT) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook Enterprise 714 (CB714-1WT) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook 715 (CB715-1W / CB715-1WT) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook Enterprise 715 (CB715-1WT) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook Spin 13 (CP713-1WN) Jun 2025Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 13 (CP713-1WN) Jun 2025Acer Chromebox CXI3, Chromebox Enterprise CXI3 Jun 2025Acer Chromebase 24I2 (CA24I2), Chromebase Enterprise 24I2 Jun 2025Acer Chromebase for Meetings 24V2 (CA24V2) Jun 2025Aopen Chromebox Commercial 2 Jun 2025Asus Chromebook C202XA Jun 2025Asus Chromebook C203XA Jun 2025Asus Chromebox 3 (CN65) Jun 2025CTL Chromebox CBx1 Jun 2025Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (7486) Jun 2025HP Chromebook 14-da0xxx Jun 2025HP Chromebook 15-de0xxx Jun 2025HP Chromebook 15 G1 Jun 2025HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 Jun 2025HP Chromebook Enterprise x360 14E G1 Jun 2025HP Chromebox G2 Jun 2025HP Chromebox Enterprise G2 Jun 2025Lenovo C340-15 Jun 2025Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook Jun 2025Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen MTK Jun 2025Lenovo N23 Yoga Chromebook Jun 2025Lenovo 300e Chromebook Jun 2025Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen MTK Jun 2025Lenovo Ideapad C330 Chromebook Jun 2025Lenovo Ideapad S330 Chromebook Jun 2025Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook Jun 2025Poin2 Chromebook 14 Jun 2025Poin2 Chromebook 11C Jun 2025Promethean Chromebox Jun 2025Prowise Chromebook Eduline (MTK) Jun 2025Prowise Chromebook Eduline360 Jun 2025Viewsonic NMP660 Chromebox Jun 2025
Chromebooks expiring in 2026
Acer Chromebook 311 (C721) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook 311 (C733, C733U, C733T, CB311-9H, CB311-9HT) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook 314 (C933, C933T, CB314-1H, CB314-1HT) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook 315 (CB315-2H, CB315-3H, CB315-3HT) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook 512 (C851, C851T) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-2H, CP311-2HN, R721T) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook Spin 511 (R752T, R752TN) Jun 2026Acer Chromebook Spin 512 (R851TN) Jun 2026Asus Chromebook C204 Jun 2026Asus Chromebook C425 Jun 2026Asus Chromebook Flip C214 Jun 2026Asus Chromebook Flip C433 Jun 2026Asus Chromebook Flip C434 Jun 2026CTL Chromebook NL71/CT/LTE Jun 2026Dell Chromebook 3100 Jun 2026Dell Chromebook 3100 2-in-1 Jun 2026Dell Chromebook 3400 Jun 2026Edxis Chromebook 11 (S20-C) Jun 2026Google Pixel Slate Jun 2026Google Pixelbook Go Jun 2026Google Pixelbook Go Enterprise Jun 2026HP Chromebook 11A G6 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook 11 G7 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook 11 G8 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook 11A G8 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook 11-bd0xxx Jun 2026HP Chromebook 14 G6 Jun 2026HP Chromebook 14a Jun 2026HP Chromebook 14A G5 Jun 2026HP Chromebook Enterprise 14A G5 Jun 2026HP Chromebook 14-db0xxx Jun 2026HP Chromebook x360 11 G2 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook x360 11 G3 EE Jun 2026HP Chromebook x360 12b-ca0xxx Jun 2026HP Chromebook x360 14b-ca0xxx Jun 2026Lenovo C340-11 Jun 2026Lenovo S340-14 Jun 2026Lenovo S345-14 Jun 2026Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen Jun 2026Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen AST Jun 2026Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen Jun 2026Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen AST Jun 2026Lenovo 500e Chromebook 2nd Gen Jun 2026Lenovo 14e Chromebook Jun 2026Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook Jun 2026NEC Chromebook Y1 Jun 2026NEC Chromebook Y2 Jun 2026Samsung Chromebook 4 Jun 2026Samsung Chromebook 4+ Jun 2026Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise Aug 2026Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook Enterprise Aug 2026
Chromebooks expiring in 2027
Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise Aug 2027Dell Latitude 7410 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise Aug 2027
Chromebooks expiring in 2028
Acer Chromebook 712 (C871) Jun 2028Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H) Jun 2028Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-2W) Jun 2028Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 713 (CP713-2W) Jun 2028Asus Chromebook Flip C436 Jun 2028HP Chromebook x360 14c Jun 2028Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet Jun 2028Lenovo Duet Chromebook Jun 2028Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook Jun 2028Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Jun 2028
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