Lenovo not only manufactures some of the best Windows laptops, but the company also is behind Chromebooks, too. It’s the number two Chromebook maker in the world, right after HP. That’s mainly because Lenovo offers a lot of choices when it comes to Chromebook devices. You’ll find traditional laptops, 2-in-1s, tablets, and even compact mini PCs that run ChromeOS.
All that considered, if you’re looking for a Chromebook that’s right for you, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve collected eight of our favorite Lenovo Chromebook devices, from various categories.
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Best overall: Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook
Lenovo has a lot of great Chromebooks coming in 2022, but a lot of them are not for sale just yet. That’s why at the top of our list is one that has been around for a while and is quite popular at Best Buy. It’s the Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook. This Chromebook combines a lot of what we look for in the ideal ChromeOS device, without topping out at over $1,000. It has a great display, decent performance, an excellent keyboard, and is also fully convertible.
We’ll start first by getting into the specs of this Chromebook. Coming with an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU, and 4GB of RAM, you can speed through a lot of your basic workflows with ease. This is true even with this low amount of RAM, as ChromeOS is known to be efficient. The storage might be the slower eMMC type, but on ChromeOS, a lot of files are stored in the cloud, so this should not be a big issue. Using Android apps and playing basic Android games on the Google Play Store should also go well, too since this device is powered by Intel UHD graphics.
The other thing that makes this Chromebook great is the keyboard. It’s rare to see full-size keyboards on Chromebooks under $500, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in this case. You’ll get a number pad to the side of the main keyboard, helping make crunching numbers in Excel very easy. The only downside at this price is that the keyboard is not backlit, so you’ll have to do most of your work under lights. The Abyss Blue color option and keyboard are nice though and will set you apart from gray and black laptops that people typically own.
Now, to get into the 15-inch display itself. Coming with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution display, your content will look great on the screen. You won’t be stressed about space and can stack your windows side by side and get work done. The large panel also should feel immersive when you watch movies and TV shows as this Chromebook has a 16:9 aspect ratio. When streaming, your content should not be letterboxed. It’s something you might want to do anyway, as this Chromebook can be converted into a tablet, and tent mode for multimedia consumption, with a battery rated for 10 hours. Lenovo even rounded the corners of the display and the device to make it more comfortable for holding.
As far as other specs go, this Lenovo Chromebook has a lot of great ports that are typically absent from flagship Chromebooks. You’ll find an HDMI port, 2 USB 3.1 Type-A- ports, and a USB Type-C port. This means you can ditch the dongles and carry around the device without what accessories will work with it and what won’t.
The Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook has a great display, is fully convertible, and combines a lot of what we look for in the perfect Chromebook.
Best tablet: Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5
Chromebooks don’t just come as laptops anymore, and ChromeOS-powered tablets are becoming more common. One of the most popular you can buy right now is the Chromebook Duet 5. This is priced at $500 and brings a lot to the table for the money. You get a really vibrant OLED display, support for an optional stylus, a great performing SoC, and a detachable keyboard. We recently reviewed it, too.
Powering the package is the second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c processor. This isn’t like the typical Intel or AMD chips you’d find in a regular Chromebook. Rather, it’s ARM-based. That’s why we found it quite pleasing to use during our review period. There was no lag with Android games like Asphalt 9, and day-to-day web browsing worked smoothly. This makes it great for gaming.
This chip also helps with battery life. In our tests, we pumped out an entire day’s worth of work when we used the device, despite the OLED display which usually consumes a lot of battery.
Usually, a Chromebook tablet has a flimsy and cheap keyboard as an optional purchase. But right out of the box, you actually can attach this keyboard up to your IdeaPad Duet 5 display, pull out the stand from the back, and get to work. In our review time, we were able to comfortably use the IdeaPad Duet 5 on our lap without frustration and even complete long blog posts. This device is something to get you through a full day at school or work without issue.
Based on the Chrome web browser allows you to download multimedia apps from the Google Play Store, tablets are also great for multimedia and drawing. If you buy it, the IdeaPad Duet 5 will make these tasks quite fun. Lenovo doesn’t include a USI stylus for you in the box, but when we used one, we found it really excellent for taking notes in one of our class lectures in Google’s Cursive app. Other than that drawing aspect, the IdeaPad Duet 2 comes with a 16:9 OLED panel. This ratio makes it great for viewing movies and consuming media. It’s something you might want to do, too. In our tests, the display had off-the-charts brightness, great viewing angles, and accurate color reproduction. Even the speakers were great since it’s a quad-array setup.
But for all the good things we’ve said about the IdeaPad Duet 5, it is limited in some areas. There is no headphone jack on board, so Bluetooth headphones or a USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone adapter will be your option. There are also only 2 USB-C ports, so you’ll need to invest in a dongle for connecting to displays, and USB drives.
With a vibrant OLED display, spacious keyboard, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a road warrior of a ChromeOS tablet
Best convertible: Flex 5i 13 Chromebook
Just like Windows laptops, Chromebooks come in the 2-in-1 convertible form factor. Right now, one of the best of these that you can buy is the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i. This Chromebook is a lot like our top pick but is much better, which is why we reserved it in this spot. It’s also much faster with an Intel Core i3 CPU option. All of this for the price of $550.
What’s great about the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i is the processing option. It includes 10th generation Intel Core i3 processors, as well as options for 4GB of RAM. Storage, meanwhile, comes in at 64GB. This is great for everyday workflows, as well as streaming and multimedia. Generally speaking, Intel Core i3 processors are much faster than the basic Celeron processors you’ll find in typical budget Chromebooks. If you can find it at other retailers, this Chromebook also comes with options for an Intel Core i5 processor, too, which will give you even more of a performance boost.
Other than the CPU inside, this Chromebook is built tough. It’s designed out of aluminum and can stand up to the test of time. Part of that design also includes the keyboard, which is backlit. That helps with using the Chromebook Flex 5i at night during late study sessions. The keyboard is rated for 1.4 mm key travel distance which is fairly good for a Chromebook of this size.
Looking at the display now, there’s a lot to like. While most cheap Chromebooks come with obscure resolutions, this one is full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. You’ll be able to enjoy watching movies and other content on this device, as things should be crisp and clear. The added touch and pen support are pluses, as you can annotate PDF files, or bring out your inner artist and draw in apps that you can download from the Google Play Store. Just keep in mind, then the pen is sold separately. The standard resolution display will help with battery life, too, as this Chromebook is rated at 10 hours.
The other great part of the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i has a lot to do with ports. The selection on this device will help keep you in your workflow. The mix includes two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C ports, a USB 3.1 Type-A port, and an audio jack. You can recharge this Chromebook with USB-C when needed, which is a benefit since you’ll be able to use a PD Powerbank to charge on the go.
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook is one of the best 2-in-1s with balanced processing power, a great keyboard and display
Best cheap Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook C340
Not all Chromebooks have to be $500, and if you’re after one that’s within a budget, then the Lenovo 300e Gen 2 Laptop is great. It might not be the fanciest Chromebook, but priced at $157.93, it will help you get your computing done right. All of this without going over the budget, while still enjoying a great form factor of a traditional 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook.
Looking at what is under the hood of this Chromebook, you’ll be getting an Intel Celeron N4000 processor. That comes paired with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. Again, as we’ve mentioned with similar budget Chromebooks, you might not be able to do more demanding tasks on this device, but for basic web browsing, as well as multimedia consumption, you’ll be fine. ChromeOS typically handles low-powered CPUs like this one very well.
In terms of design, this device can be striking. You’ll find it in either a Platnimum Grey or a Sand Pink. The Sand Pink option will help you stand out from the crowd of boring-colored black laptops. And in terms of weight and dimensions, this is quite a compact device. It measures in at a mere 11 x 8 x 0.7 inches and is 2.65 pounds. That’s less space than a piece of paper.
Going to the display, thanks to the HD, wide-viewing angle IPS display, you can enjoy—and share—all your favorite movies and videos with crystal clarity. The touchscreen lets you click or drag files right on the screen for easy, intuitive interactions. Not to forget, the Google Play Store is your gateway to productivity and entertainment. With millions of apps at your fingertips from the moment you log in, you’ll enjoy a rich library of games, music, movies, TV, books, and more.
Elsewhere, the Chromebook C340 makes it easy to connect to other devices, thanks to its two ultrafast USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 ports, two USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, and an audio jack. Built-in 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 makes connecting wirelessly a breeze.
Overall, this is a fantastic cheap Chromebook if you need something ultra-portable for children, or to take along on short trips yourself. The machine is stylish, fast enough for basic tasks, and can handle all of your media consumption needs with no issues whatsoever. Lenovo definitely knows how to build a Chromebook with solid build quality, and impressive performance.
Unlike most compact Chromebooks, the C340 Chromebook comes in a refined silver finish that offers a premium feel. In addition to working in the classroom, it’s also a great work from home pick, with a 720p webcam and two 2W speakers.
Best for education: 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen
Chromebooks are popular in education scenarios, and if you want one for this, the Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen is the best to choose for students or for use at home. It is designed specially for the education market, is built tough, and is portable and compact, all for the price of less than $300.
The design of the 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen is what makes it the ideal education device. It’s built tough with rubber bumpers, reinforced ports and hinges, and mechanically anchored keys. This means it can stand the shock and awe that students might put it through. Lenovo is even rating it to be drop-resistant up to 29.5 inches, which is the height of a school desk. Oh, and the keyboard is spill-resistant, so it can stand up against water, and other liquids.
Other than the design, this Chromebook has specs that are great for getting school work done, without distraction. It comes with AMD A-series processors, and 4GB of RAM as well as 32GB of eMMC storage. Students will be able to pull up Google Chrome, and Google Gsuite apps like Sheets, or Pages without issue thanks to these specs. Not to forget the front-facing 720p webcam, and 2 by 2-watt speakers which are decent enough for chatting in Google Hangouts and paying attention to recorded lectures.
As a convertible, this is also a versatile education device. It can be used in laptop, tablet, tent, or stand modes to make collaboration simple. A student can take notes in laptop mode, use the touch screen in tablet mode, or put the device in tent mode to watch instructional videos. All of this can be done with confidence, too, as the device is rated for up to 10 hours of battery and has a low-power 1366 x 768 resolution display. There is no pen support, however, which is a miss for this device.
Students will often connect lots of accessories to their Chromebooks, too, and for this, the 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen is pretty good. It has a wide range of ports in addition to a volume slider on the side of the device. The list includes USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD-card reader. It’s rare to see full-size SD card readers on Chromebooks, and this will help in storage expansion, or with storing and moving files.
IT admins who manage Chromebooks in School can take care of this Chromebook with ease. It’s certified for the Google Play store, as well as the Chrome Web Store. Education apps like Tinkercad, GeGebra, LucidChart, Jamboard, WeVideo, and more, are all optimized for this device.
The Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen is great for use in education thanks to it's built-tough design
Best for business: ThinkPad C14 Chromebook Enterprise
Recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of businesses have been moving people over to Chromebooks. Chromebooks are easier to manage for IT admins and have other benefits when used in sales operations, or for an employee who might be working from home. Lenovo designed a new ThinkPad Chromebook just for that, and it’s the ThinkPad C14 Chromebook Enterprise.
This is one of Lenovo’s most powerful Chromebooks, with specs you’d usually find on a Windows laptop. It comes with the 12th Generation Intel Core i5-1245U VPro processor. That’s paired up with 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe SSD. For demanding workflows and heavy multitasking, these specs ensure that you’ll be able to get a lot done. These CPUs come with 10 cores, and 12 threads, which is more than what’s found in the typical Intel Core i3-based Chromebooks. The VPro processors also mean that you’ll get security options, too, and IT admins will be able to deploy and remotely manage devices.
This ThinkPad even has the Titan-C Google-designed security chip inside, which can help protect the end-user identity and ensure system integrity. That’s on top of the webcam privacy shutter, and the optional fingerprint reader.
With the design, this Chromebook rembles a traditional Windows-based ThinkPad. It has a durable chassis, and the traditional ThinkPad Trackpad, as well as ThinkPoint nub in the middle. Of course, you can’t forget the traditional ThinkPad keyboard, either, which is backlit with white LEDs.
In terms of weight, this Chromebook is fairly portable at 8.54 x 12.81 x 0.88 inches, and 3.5 pounds. Like most products with the ThinkPad branding, this one meets the MIL-STD 810H standard, too. It will last the tests of time.
With the display on the ThinkPad C14 Chromebook Enterprise, you’re getting a 14-inch Full HD resolution. Lenovo mentions the panel has a wide viewing angle, too, so your content will look bright. And at the top of that display? It’s a 1080p webcam, ensuring that you’ll look your best on all your calls. Even the user-facing speakers, should help you feel immersed in your meetings.
Ending with ports, there’s a lot to help avoid being tied up in dongles. You’ll get USB-C Gen 1, Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB Type-A ports, a MicroSD card reader, HDMI 2.0, and a headphone/mic combo. You even can add a SIM card for 4G LTE cellular data, which isn’t always possible on Chromebooks.
The ThinkPad C14 Chromebook Enterprise has everything that a business will need from vPro CPUs, a security chip, and more
Best upcoming Chromebook: IdeaPad 5i
Our list has focused so far on Chromebooks you can buy. But, there’s an upcoming Chromebook we want to mention. It’s the IdeaPad 5i. This is Lenovo’s first big-screen 16-inch Chromebook. It’s also the first Lenovo Chromebook with a 16-inch 120Hz display. Again, this isn’t available right now, but it should be in stock at Lenovo.com very soon.
The reason we’re anticipating this Chromebook a lot has to do with the display. Usually, 120Hz displays are found on Windows gaming laptops, but Lenovo has ported one over to a Chromebook with the IdeaPad 5i. This brings content on the screen to life and makes web browsing smoother than that of what you’ll find on a typical 60Hz display on most Chromebooks. The 16-inch 2.5K resolution panel is also vibrant and will give you lots of room to stack windows side by side and multitask. If you’re
What else is there to like about the IdeaPad 5i? It’s what’s under the hood. It’s the Intel Core i3-1215U or Intel Pentium 8505 CPUs and either 4GB or 8GB of RAM. For storage, you can choose between an eMMC or an SSD. The eMMC options include 64GB or 128GB, and traditional SSDs will come in 256GB or 512GB. This is a lot of choice for a Chromebook, as typically, you’ll only find devices come in one configuration.
As a new 2022 Chromebook, Lenovo did also boost the webcam on this device. It’s 1080p, and there are two user-facing speakers for added immersive feeling. Other ports include 2 USB-A Type-C ports, 2 USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and a MicroSD card slot.
A big Chromebook like this comes at one cost, though, and its weight. The IdeaPad 5i is one big device. It measures about 0.8 inches thick and weighs 4 pounds. That’s almost as much as a traditional gaming laptop. But if you really want to be productive on the go, and live free of monitors, then it might be worth the sacrifice.
Again, this Chromebook isn’t for sale just yet but a product page is live. Lenovo did not announce a launch date or price. This is pretty typical with new products in 2022, where the pandemic has forced companies to deal with parts shortages and other issues.
The Lenovo 5i Chromebook has a massive 16-inch display tuned to 120Hz, making it quite a unique device
Best portable Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook Duet
Our guide comes to an end with the best portable Chromebook. We’ve touched on a lot of great devices so far, but most of them are big. If you want a Chromebook that’s compact, then that’s what the IdeaPad Duet is for.
This is a very small Chromebook with a 10-inch IPS touchscreen. The overall dimensions come in at 9.44 x 6.29 x 0.29 inches, and the weight is a little over 1 pound. If you compare that to some of the other Chromebooks on our list, which are over 3 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, you’ll really see the difference.
The other part of portability comes down to the keyboard. If you like, you also can attach the included keyboard case magnetically, and pull out a kickstand for typing. That’s all when you’re not using the device as a stand-alone tablet in your hands for gaming, or multimedia. The keyboard case gives room to type up documents, scroll webpages, and use the Duet Chromebook as a laptop. And, that’s all with it fitting easily in a bag.
While you might not be multitasking a lot on this device, the MediaTek Helio P60T processor inside this tablet is great for a first Chromebook. Android apps have been known to run perfectly on the Duet, mainly since the SoC being used is ARM-based, just like your Android phone. Even Chrome should run smoothly, as the device has 4 GB or RAM.
One of the best parts of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet that make it portable is the long battery life. Lenovo rates it for up to 10 hours. Of course, that’s rated on mixed usage with the display at very low brightness. Rated at 400 nits, you’ll want to bump the brightness as high as you can to make the most out of this tablet and make webpages and media come to life.
There are some other negatives for the overall productivity though. There’s only a single USB-C port on board, and there’s no headphone jack, either. So, you’ll need to ensure you use either Bluetooth headsets or a dongle for movie watching and other multimedia. Secondly. serious multitasking might slow down this device a lot. You can always upgrade later on to the bigger sibling, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook for these, which we mentioned above.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a great first Chromebook, sampling features like a detachable keyboard, a touch screen, pen support, and decent Android app performance
The post Best Lenovo Chromebooks in 2022 appeared first on XDA.
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