Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo has three new Chromebooks coming in October. Two of these are very traditional Chromebooks: the $280 C330 and $250 S330 are designed for affordability in highly price-sensitive markets such as education. But the third, the $600 Yoga Chromebook, is a bit different: it's a Chromebook aimed at a more discerning, upmarket buyer.

The C330 and S330 are more similar than they are different. On the inside, they have a quad-core MediaTek ARM processor, 4GB RAM, and 32 or 64GB of eMMC storage. They have the same connectivity options (802.11ac with a 2×2 antenna, Bluetooth 4.1) and the same ports—one USB 3.1 generation 1, HDMI, SD Card, a headset jack, a 720p webcam, and one USB Type-C, which supports charging and video output, as well as USB).

The difference between the two is their form factor. The C330 has an 11.6-inch 1366×768 touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge, so it can be used like a chunky 2.6lb tablet. The S330, by contrast, has a 14-inch non-touch screen (either 1366×768 or 1920×1080) and a standard hinge, making it a conventional 3.3lb laptop.

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

The Yoga Chromebook is an altogether more powerful system. It has a four-core/eight-thread 8th-generation Core i5 processor, with 8GB RAM and either 64 or 128GB of eMMC storage. The system has a 15.6-inch display, either 3840×2160 or 1920×1080; in either case, it uses IPS technology for a much superior picture compared to the TN screens in the cheaper systems. The screens are touchscreens, and the Yoga Chromebook has a 360-degree hinge. Ports and connectivity are the same as on the cheap Chromebooks, with the addition of a second Type-C port. It weighs 4.2lbs.

This system isn't just substantially more powerful than the cheaper ones; it's also much better looking, with narrow bezels and an aluminum body. Lenovo tells us that it's starting to see demand for Chromebooks from outside the high-school education markets where they've proliferated, with home users and college students expressing interest in the systems. While $600 is still a far cry from Pixelbook pricing, buyers in these markets are nonetheless willing to pay a little more for good looks and better materials—but they still appreciate the robustness and simplicity of Chrome OS.

Listing image by Lenovo