2022 was secretly the year of Chromebooks. Here’s why

The first knock at Chromebooks from opponents of the product category usually goes something like “Yeah, but Chromebooks can't handle [insert task here].” Usually, that task is something traditionally considered more intense, like photo or video editing. Chromebooks have actually been able to handle the former for quite some time thanks to web-based photo editors, with even Adobe now offering a web-based version of Photoshop. However, it wasn't until 2022 that the latter task, editing videos, was cracked too.

Also: How to install Android apps on your Chromebook 

This famously demanding job is now available on Chromebooks via an update to the native Google Photos app. It supports everything from editing your existing videos to creating entirely new video files by splicing together your uploaded videos, photos, and audio. It may not be able to match something like DaVinci Resolve, but it's more than the vast majority of users will ever need.

Ask any Apple fan why they like the company's products and there's a fair chance they'll tell you it's because they “just work.” A big part of this is Apple's tightly integrated ecosystem that allows for things like ultra-fast device pairing, one-touch screen sharing, or dead simple password/passkey management. This left users wondering why Google, a company with a similarly diverse ecosystem of devices, hadn't implemented something similar. 

In 2022, they did. Now, Android users and Google peripheral owners can enjoy just about all of the device interactivity that their Apple counterparts can, as well as a few tricks even Cupertino hasn't thought of yet. 

2022 was a big year for cloud-based gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia's GeForce Now. Ironically, it was also the year that Google pulled the plug on its own cloud gaming effort, Stadia. Google's return to the drawing board did little to slow the massive growth the category saw this year, with device makers like Logitech diving in with its imperfect G Cloud gaming handheld, and Razer prepping its Edge 5G-enabled, cloud-based gaming console for a 2023 release. But, what about those who prefer to game with a mouse and keyboard? 

For these gamers, Google came together with Lenovo, Acer, and Asus to create the first-ever line of dedicated gaming Chromebooks. This trio of devices took a product that was notoriously un-equipped to handle locally installed games and provided it with enough local horsepower to optimize cloud-based titles like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Deathloop. 

Read the reviews: Lenovo's IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook | Acer Chromebook 516 GE

Suddenly, for around $500-$600, you could have an impressive on-the-go gaming experience with a device that could still double as a homework laptop or streaming media device for binging from the couch. 

One of the biggest issues facing the tech industry is the growing amount of e-waste. Even companies like Apple continue to struggle with how to handle the mountains of toxic trash created by its constant upgrade cycles. 

This year, Google came along with a big shot in the arm to the first of the Three Rs: Reuse. Now, instead of tossing out that dusty old Windows laptop or MacBook you can give it a new life as a Chromebook with ChromeOS Flex, a Linux-based distribution that can be installed on a staggeringly wide array of older devices. ChromeOS's ability to run on the modest hardware found on most Chromebook makes it ideal for shining on older systems that can't handle the latest MacOS update or Windows revision. 

More: How I revived three ancient laptops with ChromeOS Flex

But, what if we could integrate sustainability into the product lifecycle from the start. Rather than rescuing older devices, we could create long-lived, modular laptops that, much like desktop PCs, could be upgraded instead of discarded. It's a notion that's been tried before, but the concept may have reached its pinnacle this year with the Framework Chromebook, a fully modular Chromebook that lets you swap out just about every part with no more difficulty than you'd have snapping a Lego model together. The modular design, combined with ChromeOS to run on just about anything, makes for a machine that's very hard to justify ever throwing away.