Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. It’s essentially a big web browser, but with the added advantage of apps like Google Docs working offline and the ability to run Android apps on your laptop. That being said, if you use your laptop for editing photos, videos or any kind of professional creation, then you’ll probably find the limitations of the platform quite irritating. Lenovo has no responsibility for the performance or safety of unauthorised batteries, and provides no warranties for failures or damage arising out of their use.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook - Review 2020 - PCMag UK Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook - Review 2020 - PCMag UK

This plastic is also very smooth, which feels tackier on your palms than either anodised aluminium or textured plastic. To the layperson, this means that colours look washed out and lack the vibrance and accuracy of finer laptop displays. The 4GB RAM and slower eMMC storage hold this device back a bit, but I still managed to open about four tabs in Chrome at once before I felt slowdowns.

Where other ultra-budget Chromebooks stuff in dated Celeron N3350 and N4000 processors, the IdeaPad 3 has a 2019-vintage N4020 running at up to 2.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook 14 Inch Full HD Laptop Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook 14 Inch Full HD Laptop

For example, it could make a cheap, lightweight option for kids doing homework or a little sofa-based surfing. There was little point in subjecting the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 to our usual gaming tests, but I did try out Skyrim to see if it would run. Some budget Chromebooks are clearly cheap-looking, with ugly styling and questionable build quality. Just remember, keep your expectations in check, as the MediaTek SoC powering this Chromebook isn't the most powerful for tasks beyond using Android apps and simple web browsing. This is hardly the end of the world, and I didn’t find myself wishing for quicker connections during the test.It may be the case that a larger trackpad would compromise the excellent keyboard, and as I much prefer the one on the Lenovo, I think this arrangement is perfectly acceptable. If you’re looking for a no-frills, dependable, quick Chromebook for document work, social media, web-browsing and other light tasks, then this is a fine machine for a very reasonable amount of money.

LENOVO Chromebooks - Cheap LENOVO Chromebook Deals | Currys LENOVO Chromebooks - Cheap LENOVO Chromebook Deals | Currys

Its Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 720p HD display are skimpy by Windows and Mac standards, but they’re adequate for the typical Chrome OS user, and their low unit costs seem to have freed Lenovo from having to skimp on the IdeaPad 3’s engineering and manufacturing. These Chromebooks with Arm-based chips always have great battery life since the devices are fanless and thermals aren't a worry. There’s the premium tier that boasts great displays, powerful processors, and can transform into tablets at the twist of a hinge. According to PC Mark 10’s battery tests, it lasts for five hours and 28 minutes of basic office productivity work. For those who don’t want to mess around with loads of settings, install a bunch of apps, and worry about antivirus software, ChromeOS remains an oasis in the sea of confusing tech.Doing my usual day-to-day work the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is clearly much faster and smoother than the base-spec Microsoft Surface Go 2, which has an Intel Pentium CPU.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook review: Surprisingly good Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook review: Surprisingly good

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 won’t last through a full day of work but if you just need it to hang on through an afternoon working in a cafe, no problem. Trademarks: Lenovo, ThinkPad, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkStation and the Lenovo logo are trademarks of Lenovo. I would be happy doing 90% of my work on the Lenovo Ideapad 3 were it not for one thing: the low-quality screen.This is a great budget device, especially for a child, a student looking for a cheap Chromebook, or anyone dipping their toes into the world of Chromebooks for the first time. There are two 2-watt speakers on the underside of either side of the chassis which produce enough volume to fill a small room. In fact, all the tasks I needed to complete on the IdeaPad were done with no fuss and nary a crash in sight.