ASUS Chromebook CM15 (CM1505)

The ASUS Chromebook CM15 (CM1505) is a 15.6-inch ChromeOS laptop for people who live in a browser and want the biggest screen they can get at the entry level. It runs the MediaTek Kompanio 540, an ARM chip that favors battery life over raw speed, behind a full HD anti-glare panel and a full keyboard with a numeric keypad. ASUS announced US availability on July 15, 2026 in two configurations, 4GB/64GB and 8GB/128GB, and Google lists its Auto Update Expiration as June 2036, so the model is still supported. The memory is soldered, so buy the 8GB build for anything past light tabs.

Pros and Cons

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ASUS Chromebook CM15 (CM1505) Comparison Chart

	ASUS Chromebook CM15 (CM1505)	ASUS Chromebook CM15 (CM1505)
Price	List Price: $269.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $309.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Model number	CM1505CM4A-AS44	CM1505CM4A-AS88
Performance Rating	1.9	3.0
Chromebook Plus	No	No
Processor	Octa-core 2.00 Ghz (max 2.60 Ghz) MediaTek Kompanio 540	Octa-core 2.00 Ghz (max 2.60 Ghz) MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
Internal Storage	64 GB eMMC	128 GB eMMC
Screen Size	15.6"	15.6"
Screen Resolution	1920x1080	1920x1080
Screen Type	IPS	IPS
Touch Screen	No	No
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	14.15 x 9.14 x 0.79 inches (359.41 x 232.16 x 20.07 mm)	14.15 x 9.14 x 0.79 inches (359.41 x 232.16 x 20.07 mm)
Weight	3.51 lbs (1.6 kg)	3.51 lbs (1.6 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No
Webcam	720p	720p
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4
Ethernet	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No
HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI
USB Ports	1 USB 3, 2 USB-C 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DP, PD), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, all on the left edge	1 USB 3, 2 USB-C 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DP, PD), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, all on the left edge
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No
Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader
Battery	3 cell, 42Wh, Li-ion	3 cell, 42Wh, Li-ion
Battery Life	12 hours	12 hours
Fanless	No	No
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2036	June, 2036

Ports, Keyboard, and Build

All of the ports sit together on the upper left edge: two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports that carry DisplayPort output and Power Delivery, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI 1.4 output, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. ASUS placed them there to keep cables out of the mouse area on the right, and the right edge holds only a Kensington Nano security slot. Having two USB-C ports means charging, an external display, and a USB-A accessory can all be connected at once without a hub. A left-handed mouse user, or anyone whose charger sits to the right, will run cables across the machine. HDMI 1.4 drives a 1080p TV or projector without trouble but is not meant for a high-refresh or 4K monitor.

ASUS lists WiFi 6 (802.11ax, dual band 2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4 for the US models. ASUS’s US product page markets WiFi 6E, and Japanese units ship with WiFi 6E, so confirm WiFi 6E on the spec sheet if you need the 6GHz band. ASUS rates the 60Hz panel at 300 nits. The 42Wh three-cell battery is rated by ASUS at up to 12 hours and charges over USB-C from the included 45W adapter.

The keyboard is a chiclet layout with a numeric keypad on the right, and it has no backlight. Fitting the keypad on a 15.6-inch deck pushes the touchpad to the left of center. The plastic chassis has a textured finish that ASUS says draws on Japanese washi paper, uses 30% recycled plastic, and is rated to the MIL-STD 810H durability standard. ASUS lists it at 14.15 by 9.14 by 0.79 inches with a starting weight of 3.51 pounds (its US announcement gave a lower 3.26 pounds), and a 180-degree hinge lets the lid lie flat for sharing the screen across a table. The webcam is 720p with a physical privacy shutter.

Performance and the Two Configurations

The MediaTek Kompanio 540 has eight ARM cores (Cortex-A78 performance cores and Cortex-A55 efficiency cores) running at 2.0 GHz with boost to 2.6 GHz, paired with ARM Mali-G57 MC2 graphics and LPDDR5X memory. Its PassMark CPU Mark sits near 5,400, about level with the Intel N150 in other entry Chromebooks and well below the chips in Chromebook Plus models. It handles web browsing, Google Docs and Sheets, video streaming, and video calls. Because it is an ARM chip, x86-only Linux binaries will not run in the ChromeOS Linux container, which matters only to people planning to use that container seriously.

ChromeOS with a dozen tabs and an Android app or two will fill the 4GB of memory in the 4GB/64GB model (CM1505CM4A-AS44), and neither the memory nor the eMMC storage can be replaced later; there is no microSD slot to add storage either. The 8GB/128GB model (CM1505CM4A-AS88) costs more but gives the machine room to stay usable across its update window. Both share the same screen, ports, battery, and weight.

Chromebook Plus certification requires a faster CPU class, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 1080p webcam, so even the 8GB model misses the tier on both the Kompanio 540 and the 720p camera. Buyers who want the on-device AI features of that tier should read what Chromebook Plus means before choosing.

Reviewer Insights

HelenTech

HelenTech published a hands-on review, written in Japanese by Masahide Omura and based on a Japanese-market unit with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. That unit uses a Japanese keyboard and lists WiFi 6E and a 2-megapixel webcam, so its keyboard and webcam findings do not carry over to US units; the chassis, chip, screen, and ports are the same. With about ten tabs open across Gmail, Gemini, Slides, Docs, Sheets, and search, the review found work ran smoothly, and it slowed somewhat when many tabs opened at once or on heavy Sheets and Looker Studio pages. It also described the Kompanio 540 as unsuited to heavy multitasking, running several Android apps, or Linux-centered work.

The review measured CPU load during Google Meet with eight active tabs open: around 35 to 40% without effects, rising to 50 to 75% with a virtual background or blur. Battery life in the reviewer’s normal use came to about 6 to 7 hours, roughly half the Japanese rating of 12.6 hours, which the reviewer said matches how their own use usually compares with rated figures. The reviewer added that MediaTek machines typically run 1 to 2 hours longer than Intel chips in the same class. Benchmarks on the unit included Geekbench scores of 996 single-core and 1,917 multi-core and a PCMark 10 score of 10,288.

On the hardware, the review found the build solid with little flex, the matte screen easy on the eyes over long sessions, and color and brightness passable for documents, spreadsheets, and video. Omura saw the left-side-only port layout as a matter of taste, though one USB-C port on the right would have helped, and found the touchpad somewhat small and offset by the keypad but fine for an entry machine. The verdict described the CM15 as plain but well balanced between performance and battery, a sound entry Chromebook, while noting it is not a large step up from ASUS’s Intel N50 CX15 and that an Intel N150 or N250 model or a Chromebook Plus is worth choosing if one is available at the same price.

Chrome Unboxed

Chrome Unboxed saw the CM15 at the ASUS booth at CES 2026, months before US availability, in a short clip with no testing. He noted that it shares a chassis design with the earlier CX15, with new textured materials that are “just kind of grippy,” and that it uses the same Kompanio 540 as the CM32 Detachable. Of the screen he said “It’s an anti-glare screen. It looks pretty bright” and “Looks nice and sharp. The colors are pretty decent.” His summary was that it is an “entry-level model for sure, but a decent looking device,” one he expected to be “great for schools, great for educators.”

Where It Fits in the ASUS Lineup

The CM15 shares its Kompanio 540 with two other 2026 ASUS Chromebooks. The ASUS Chromebook CM14 (CM1405) is the 14-inch sibling with a similar port set and an education focus, and at 2.98 pounds it is lighter to carry. The ASUS Chromebook CM32 Detachable puts the same chip in a 12.1-inch 120Hz tablet with a much brighter screen, but it has a single USB-C port and no HDMI. The CM15 is the one to choose when screen size, HDMI, and the numeric keypad matter more than weight.

A Chromebook Plus is the better fit if Linux apps, heavy Android use, or dozens of tabs are part of the plan. Starry Hope’s Chromebook Comparison Chart lines it up against other models spec by spec.

Frequently Asked Questions