Lenovo - Chromebook Flex 3 11 Mtk 2-in-1 116 Touch Screen Chromebook Review

With first-class build quality and a 360-degree swivel, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook ($339) is proof that capable, well-designed two-in-1 Chromebooks don't have to be expensive (looking at you, $999 Google Pixelbook). The Flex iii has a handsome almond-colored metal exterior, reasonably long bombardment life, and fifty-fifty an SD carte reader to let you easily supplement its 64GB of internal storage. The just affair holding it dorsum from excellence is the lack of a high-quality display—buyers on extreme budgets tin't have everything.

A Touch Screen on Tap

As a 2-in-ane convertible, the Flex 3 can be used equally a conventional laptop, and it tin can also be propped up on a desk similar an easel or tent. It tin even be used every bit a tablet PC of sorts, with its keyboard folded completely underneath the screen. Google has made meaning changes in the by few years to brand the Chrome operating arrangement work better with bear upon screens in tablets and 2-in-1s, making the added versatility of the Flex 3 well worth it for some buyers.

Our Experts Have Tested 131 Products in the Laptops Category in the By Year

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you brand meliorate buying decisions. (See how we exam.)

Lenovo pioneered the two-in-1 concept, and some of the excellent pattern from its more expensive models is apparent on the Flex three. The hinge is sturdy, with very little bouncing when y'all tap the screen. The laptop'due south chassis is also sturdy, with no flex anywhere on the base of operations and a display hat that feels eminently sturdy. Sub-$350 laptops are rarely this pleasing to hold in your paw.

Neither are most this good-looking. Lenovo painted the metal finish with an almond colour, which helps the Flex 3 stand up out in a ocean of plastic and occasional greyness-aluminum chassis that typically make up the budget-laptop set.

Similar Products

Not just is the Flex 3 sturdy and good-looking, merely it's too without unnecessary heft and size. The unabridged laptop measures 0.7 by 11.four by 8.two inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.64 pounds, dimensions which make information technology competitive with 13-inch ultraportable laptops that toll $one,000 or more. The Pixelbook, for instance, is 0.iv by eleven.4 by 8.7 inches and weighs 2.4 pounds.

But...a Cramped, Dim Screen

Alas, if you recall that Lenovo has stumbled upon some hidden exception to the rules of physics and economic science to fit such high-end features into a tiny enclosure at a palatable asking price, think once again. The Flex 3'south near significant compromise is its cramped, dim 11.6-inch Hard disk display. Yes, y'all tin touch it, but with a brightness of merely 250 nits and a resolution below the 1080p (full HD) that we consider adequate for budget laptops, information technology'southward not all that pleasing a panel to look at.

The Flex iii's screen is besides flanked past enormous blackness borders or bezels. They give the laptop a incomparably early-2000s aesthetic when it'southward open, since most modern laptops take extremely thin bezels that are sometimes difficult to encounter at all. Still, the large borders and the rather unimpressive display that they frame are really the but truly disappointing parts of this otherwise excellent Chromebook. In the elevation border, there's a 720p webcam that offers reasonably crisp quality in good lighting atmospheric condition, since it matches the resolution of the display.

The Flex three'southward edges are further evidence of its clever design. Information technology includes a power push on the correct edge in lieu of one in the keyboard, which is handy for waking up the laptop when its keyboard is lying face-down on the desk. In that location's even a book rocker on the right border, and Lenovo has replaced the traditional Chromebook power button in the upper correct with a key that locks the screen.

The Flex 3 also has enough of input and output ports. You become ii USB-C ports and 2 USB iii.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, handy for connecting thumb drives and external keyboards. There's fifty-fifty a microSD card reader, a fundamental feature for Chromebook users who need actress local storage. Nigh Chromebooks have cramped internal drives, and the 64GB of eMMC flash storage in the Flex 3 is no exception. A headphone jack and a receptacle for a physical lock to prevent someone from stealing the laptop circular out the port selection.

Thanks to reasonably sturdy keycaps, keyboard quality is also to a higher place average for a budget laptop. Other than the same lock key, the Flex 3 sports the usual Chromebook layout, which is a bit different from that found on Windows PCs and Macs. In that location are extra-large Ctrl and Alt keys to make up for the lack of Windows or Control keys, and the elevation function row contains dedicated buttons for navigating dorsum and forth between pages in the Chrome web browser.

The Flex 3's touchpad surprised me with its roominess and sturdiness. Clicks are precise, and there's little unwanted flex in the corners.

Meanwhile, wireless connections include 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth four.2. There'due south no support for the latest Wi-Fi half dozen (802.11ax) wireless standard.

Lenovo supports the Flex iii Chromebook with its standard one-yr consumer-laptop warranty for parts and labor.

Testing the Flex iii: Average Chromebook Operation

Within, the Flex 3 is available with simply one set of computing components, and they're pretty much exactly what we await from a Chromebook at this price point. In addition to the 64GB of flash storage, they include an Intel Celeron N4020 processor with integrated UHD Graphics 600 and 4GB of system memory.

Chromebooks don't demand a ton of computing horsepower, since there are very few resource-intensive apps available for Chrome OS. The system also boots up quickly, in 10 seconds or less. Actually, the only deviation I experienced in casual testing between the Flex 3 and the Core i7-powered Pixelbook was occasional sluggishness from the Flex iii with more than a dozen browser tabs open. I don't see this being a drawback unless yous plan to connect an external display, since the Flex three's screen isn't really large plenty to accommodate that many tabs comfortably in any case. (Come across how nosotros exam laptops and Chromebooks.)

On our theoretical benchmarks, the Flex 3 performs virtually as expected for an entry to midrange Chromebook. In the charts below, I've included some alternative models at different toll points. The non-Flex version of the IdeaPad iii Chromebook is priced similarly, while the Lenovo Chromebook iii and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet are cheaper. At the other paw of the spectrum is the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, an Editors' Choice winner in the $600-plus price range.

The charts evidence results on two categories of tests. JetStream and WebXPRT are browser-based benchmarks that testify how well the Chromebook handles the types of spider web-based calculating tasks that are the bread and butter of Chrome users. Meanwhile, PCMark for Android Work and CrXPRT perform the same types of tasks but in an application downloaded from the Google Play store.

In all of these benchmarks, the Flex three came in significantly backside the more expensive and more powerful Acer, roughly equal with its non-Flex cousin, and comfortably ahead of the Chromebook Duet (which has an particularly pokey Mediatek ARM processor).

The Flex 3's battery life is adequate. It lasted for a flake more than 10 hours in our video rundown exam, which involves playing a locally stored video file with Wi-Fi turned off. That should become you lot through a twenty-four hours of occasional browsing, but it's on the low cease for a modern Chromebook.

A Slate of Strengths...and Ane Cardinal Weakness

The Flex iii'due south main strengths are its to a higher place-boilerplate build quality, attractive styling, and wallet-friendly price. With a generous range of ports, it should besides appeal to people who plan to supplement their Chromebook's internal storage and peradventure connect an external keyboard and mouse. And a 360-degree swivel increases its versatility without adding extra bulk.

The Flex 3'southward main drawback is its cramped, dim, low-resolution display, which keeps it from an excellent rating. If you can overlook this—perhaps you lot plan to keep your Flex three connected to an external monitor most of the time—it's worth a close await. Otherwise, you'll have to increment your budget to consider 2-in-1 Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 or the Google Pixelbook Go.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook

Cons

The Bottom Line

Lenovo'south IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook proves that as long as you're willing to overlook a small, dim display, yous tin take an otherwise excellent ii-in-1 convertible Chromebook for less than $350.

Like What You're Reading?

Sign upwardly for Lab Report to go the latest reviews and height production communication delivered right to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at whatever time.

longhancy1939.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/lenovo-ideapad-flex-3-chromebook

Share this post