Does Chromebook Have a USB Port? Well, It’s Complicated!

Generally, Chromebook has at least one USB-A or USB-C port. But, it depends on the manufacturer.

Chromebook is not a hardware classification. It’s a laptop or tablet running Chrome OS as its operating system. Most manufacturers provide USB-A ports which widely more popular right now. However, some thinner Chromebooks only have USB-C since it has a smaller size compared to its older brother.

Hence, if you want to connect a standard USB-A stem to a thinner Chromebook, you may need USB-C to USB-A adapter.

How to check what USB type used in a Chromebook

First, take a look at the Chromebook from the left and the right side. Standard USB-A port has a rectangular shape, and usually, there are two or three of them. Meanwhile, USB-C is a nearly similar size to Micro USB, but it has a rounded corner (check out the comparison between USB-C and micro USB here).

Secondly, read the product description carefully to see whether the Chromebook has a USB-A or USB-C port. Some Chromebook brand with USB-C port might be giving free USB-C to USB-A adapter in the package, so you don’t need to buy it separately.

Some examples of Chromebook with USB-A port

Although USB-C is getting more and more adopted, some Chromebooks are still utilizing USB-A port on their lineups. The ones with USB-A are often less expensive than the USB-C version.

I found some Chromebooks that still equipping a USB-A port on. You can find more samples through the online marketplace. These products are just an example of a low-budget Chromebook with USB-A (I neither recommending nor promoting them).

• 2018 Acer 14″ for Student ($212)
• ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 ($223)
• Samsung Chromebook 3 ($165)
• Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ ($160)
• HP Chromebook ($190)

Generally speaking, Chromebook laptops are slightly cheaper than Windows 10 laptops even with the same hardware configuration. Microsoft licensing Windows 10 to their manufacturer partner, but Chrome OS is free so you can expect them to be more affordable.

The final verdict, whether a Chromebook has USB-A ort USB-C is depending on the manufacturer. Always read the product description carefully and observe the notebook from both sides to see what kind of USB port do they provided.