Connectivity is important when using a Chromebook. The majority of your daily workflow lives in the cloud. If you use a Chromebook full-time, you probably also use a cloud-based storage solution like Google Drive. While Wi-Fi access is fairly ubiquitous in populated areas, you might need 4G LTE or 5G connectivity for remote travel.

Finding a Chromebook with 4G LTE is actually a bit challenging. There aren't that many consumer Chromebooks out there with 4G LTE as an option, even fewer of those also have reasonable specs for daily use. If you're a business user, a few more options exist, but they can be pricey. In this article, we'll take a look at the best 5G and 4G LTE-connected Chromebooks available from a variety of brands.

Our top picks for the best Chromebooks with 4G LTE or 5G in 2023

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HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Best 5G Chromebook

Powerful and efficient

The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is the best 5G Chromebook that you can buy. It features 12th-generation Intel CPUs and has a unique haptic touchpad which makes clicking through the web fun. There's also many display options making sure you can take your office work on the go.

Pros
  • 12th-generation Intel CPUs
  • Haptic touchpad
  • Great port selection
Cons
  • Sightly expensive
  • Pen is a separate purchase

The best 5G Chromebook you can buy right now is the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. This Chromebook is really up to the specs you'd get with Windows laptops. It has 12th-generation Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i7 CPUs. You also can configure this Chromebook with either 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, with storage options coming in at 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. All of these specifications make this Chromebook great for tasks that go beyond web browsing, like downloading and using Android apps or even installing Linux apps for video and photo editing.

A note on the specifications, though. If you're looking to add 5G or 4G LTE, you'll need to pick a CPU that's compatible with it. There are just three models that have the option. It's one with Core i3/8GB RAM, another with Core i5/8GB of RAM, or a third with Core i5/8GB of RAM. The higher-end units with 16GB and 32GB of RAM aren't LTE or 5G enabled.

Picking the LTE option is also cheaper than adding 5G. 4G LTE is provided by the Intel XMM LTE Advanced Gat 9 Broadband Wireless card, and 5G is provided by the Intel 500 5G WWAN Broadband Wireless card. Both options aren't included in the base price and cost extra. The 5G or 4G LTE option you pick might depend on the availability of these cellular connectivity speeds in your area.

Anyway, this Chromebook has a haptic touchpad which will make scrolling super smooth and interactive. It also has a great FHD 1920x1080 resolution display with super slim bezels and a hinge that enables a convertible 2-in-1 form factor. Even the ports are great, as it features Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-Type A port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. HDMI and USB-A.

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Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go
Best with LTE

The best Samsung Chromebook with LTE

If it's an affordable Chromebook with LTE that you need, then look no further than the Galaxy Chromebook Go. This Chromebook is unlocked and available on all the major carrier's networks. It has low-end specifications but is still a great device to use when on the go.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Durable design
  • Works with all the major carriers
Cons
  • Low-end CPU
  • Screen resolution isn't high

Our top Chromebook comes in at $1,000+ and sometimes $900 when on sale. So, if you need a Samsung Chromebook with LTE connectivity, but don't have that kind of money to spend, then the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go is a good option. It's usually priced under $500, and cellular connectivity on this Chromebook works with all the major carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Of course, for this low price, there are many sacrifices that you'll have to deal with. The first ones are the CPU, RAM, and storage. This Chromebook is powered by the Intel Celeron N4500, which is a much lower-end CPU from Intel. This CPU jas a 2.80Ghz turbo boost, and is paired up with 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage.

Yes, you read that right. Unlike more premium Chromebooks, this one only has 4GB of RAM, and it has slower eMMC storage instead of a solid-state drive. It's what comes with the price, but with ChromeOS being very optimized for low-end systems like this one, there shouldn't be too many performance issues with this unit. For quick tasks where you just need to open a webpage when on the go and away from Wi-Fi, this Chromebook excels.

The other thing about this Chromebook's low price is the display. It's not FHD or high resolution as you'd expect. The panel only hits 1366 x 768 resolution total, and it's a 16:9 aspect ratio panel. So, for long-term multitasking, this won't be ideal. Those low-end specs do help with one thing, though, and it's battery life. Since this Chromebook doesn't need a lot of power for the CPU, it can punch out up to 12 hours on a single charge. You can worry less about the charger, which is important when you're out and about on the go.

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Acer Chromebook 511
Best for Education

Great for the kids

The Acer Chromebook 511 is an education-first Chromebook that has a SIM card slot and LTE connectivity. It's great for kids who don't have Wi-Fi at home since this device can be taken out and about. The device is also durable and has long battery life thanks to the Arm-based SoC under the hood.

Pros
  • Great battery life
  • Arm-based chip is good for running Android apps
  • Great port selection
Cons
  • Low screen resolution
  • Becoming harder to find

LTE Chromebooks can be very useful for education. A kid can take one home from school, and connect to the internet even if their home isn't equipped with Internet services. There aren't many LTE Chromebooks specifically designed for this, but one that we did find was the Acer Chromebook 511, which also has a SIM Card Slot.

This Chromebook has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c chip paired with 4GB of RAM. For schools that use Android apps, this is great, as this is an Arm-based chip. Even web browsing works great on this machine. In particular, with LTE speeds, Acer quotes that you'll be able to get download speeds of up to 600Mbps and upload speeds of up to 150Mbps, so webpages will load in an instant. And, with LTE support, IT admins can remotely configure and enroll these Chromebooks to fit the needs of teachers.

Of course, since this Chromebook will be used in schools, it'll have to be tough. This device is military standard MIL-STF 810H tested. It has a shock-absorbent bumper, and reinforced design, so it can be dropped from desk height without worries. And, the ports are also reinforced, and the keyboard deck has a drainage area, so the device won't get too damaged if it comes into contact with water. Acer also says that the Chromebook has an anchored key design. This means that the keycaps can't easily be removed.

The other benefit of this Chromebook for education is definitely the battery life. Acer rates it for up to 20 hours. That's thanks to the low-powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 7C chip, as well as the small 11.6-inch display, which has a low 1366x768 resolution. The low-resolution screen means this Chromebook consumes less power.

As far as ports go, we do like the mix onboard here. For use on the go or at home, there's enough to avoid using a dongle. This Chromebook comes with two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and microSD card expansion.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 513
Best unlocked

Free of worrying about carriers

If you want an unlocked Chromebook that works with any carrier, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is your option. You still get a bright and vivid HD display, along with excellent battery life. If you need to work on the go, the Spin 513 has optional 4G LTE capability. Performance isn't the best, but if you're not a power user this is a nice Chromebook.

Pros
  • Great battery life
  • Great display
  • Good performance for Android apps
Cons
  • Webcam still 720p
  • Slower eMMC storage

An unlocked Chromebook with cellular connectivity that you might want to consider is the Acer Chromebook Spin 513. We recently reviewed a variant of this laptop (the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 Mediatek) and think this is a much higher-end Chromebook, from the screen to the keyboard, and the chips powering it under the hood.

This specific version is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Compute platform. This is an Arm-based chip with an octa-core CPU that can hit a turbo boost of 2.4 GHz. It's also paired up with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. While the eMMC storage might be too slow for demanding tasks, the Snapdragon 7c Compute is still a great chip for this Chromebook. Since it's Arm-based, you get a long battery life of up to 13.5 hours, and solid performance with Android apps, which are usually coded for Arm-based chips.

This Chromebook is also sleek looking and made of aluminum for extra durability. Coming in at 2.65 pounds, this Chromebook is pretty manageable for a convertible, so you'll have no issues switching the screen into tablet or tent mode. The keyboard is backlit for typing at night, which is another great design choice.

Acer also included a Full HD display for the Chromebook 511. The 1920x1080 resolution means you can easily stack windows side by side, multitask on a single screen and enjoy movies in great quality. The bezels at the bottom of the screen might be thick, but this is expected as this is a convertible, and it'll help you use the device as a tablet and avoid accidental screen touches.

One unfortunate thing to note is the webcam. Though the display is high resolution, the webcam is still 720p. You might want to consider an external webcam and plug it into one of the ports on the device. The mix includes two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, and a headphone jack.

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HP Elite C640 G3
LTE Chromebook for business

For the professional users

The HP Elite c640 G3 is a great Chromebook for enterprise situations. It is compatible with Parallels for ChromeOS so it can run Windows. It also packs options for 12th-generation Intel CPUs, has options for a great FHD screen, and packs in plenty of ports.

Pros
  • 12th-generation Intel CPUs
  • Can run Windows apps with Parallels Desktop for ChromeOS
  • Great port selection
Cons
  • Expensive to upgrade
  • Base model specs aren't that good

Even though our top pick is a Chromebook that's already great for business use, we do want to provide an alternative: the HP Elite C640 G3. This Chromebook packs options for a 12th-generation Intel CPU, 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage. Combined with the premium metal finish, this makes it quite powerful for use on the go, and even for running business apps.

As we mentioned, you can configure it with up to 12th-generation Intel Core i7 CPUs. Combine that with up to 16GB of RAM, and it's good enough to even run Windows apps through the Parallels Desktop for ChromeOS program, including full versions of Microsoft Office (provided you pay for the subscription fees).

As for the display, this Chromebook comes with a base 1366x768 resolution, but you can upgrade to a 1920 x 1080 resolution. That display panel gets as high as 1,000 nits of brightness, so you can always see what's on your screen with plenty of quality, even outdoors. And speaking of quality, this Chromebook has a 5MP webcam, which is great for high-quality video conferencing, above the 1080p webcams on most of the other Chromebooks on our list.

Under that display is a great keyboard that's backlit and spill-resistant, so it can withstand accidents. An optional fingerprint sensor also makes logins into ChromeOS easy and secure. On the sides of the keyboard is a nice collection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack, and HDMI. This is more than enough to avoid dongles and docking stations.

However, just note that upgrading the configuration will really increase the price. It might be worth it, though, especially if you don't prefer the convertible aspect of the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook.

A look back at our picks for the best Chromebooks with 4G LTE / 5G in 2023

These are our choices for the best 5G and 4G LTE Chromebooks you can buy today. No doubt, the best 5G Chromebook is the one that's topped many of our lists, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. But we understand that not everyone has over $1,000 to spend on a Chromebook, so a value device like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go is just as good for enjoying LTE on the go.

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HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Best 5G Chromebook

Powerful and efficient

The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is the best 5G Chromebook that you can buy. It features 12th-generation Intel CPUs and has a unique haptic touchpad which makes clicking through the web fun. There are also many display options making sure you can take your office work on the go.

Even durable and versatile Chromebooks, like the Acer Chromebook 511, feature LTE these days, even though they might not be the most powerful. And, if you're a business user in need of a Chromebook with LTE, there's the HP Elite C640 G3.

No doubt, whatever your needs might be for a 5G or 4G LTE Chromebook, there is one for you. ChromeOS is constantly evolving and since it's an incredibly versatile platform, we expect to see more 5G Chromebooks in the near future. You might consider bookmarking this page, as we'll update this list fully as new products are released.

And if you're not satisfied with any of these Chromebooks, don't worry. You always can tether your iPhone or your Android to your Chromebook as a hotspot. Just enable the hotspot on your smartphone in the settings. Then, select your phone as a Wi-Fi network in ChromeOS by clicking on the time on the lower right of the screen, selecting the Wi-Fi icon, and choosing the network.