Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook Review

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook Review

Buy it at Amazon: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Lightweight, can be used as a laptop or notebook, decent speed and performance.

You’ll receive the Chromebook, two-piece 45W adapter and power cord, and a quickstart guide. The device measures 11” wide, 8” long, and ¾” thick and weigh just over 2.5 lbs. The shell is a lightweight plastic, and there are two long rubber feet running the length of it underneath. On the right-hand-side you’ll find the power button, volume adjustment, and Kensington lock slot. On its left are the USB-C charging port with status LED, USB 2.0 port, combo microphone/headphone jack, and microSD card slot. When plugged in and charging the status LED will be orange and turns green fully charged. To turn it on, open the lid and press the power button on the right hand side and the LED on it will be white. When you start up the machine for the first time you will need to go through a brief setup, and you’ll select whether it’ll be used by an adult or child, the latter allows you set rules around its use.

This hybrid device has a touchscreen and while it looks like a laptop, feels more like a tablet with an attached keyboard. It’ll need to be connected to the internet via WiFi since most of a Chromebook’s applications operate on the cloud. The device will update itself automatically if an update is available. In the bottom left of the screen is the a soft button for shut off and in the bottom right corner are the time, battery status, WiFi connection meter, and keyboard layout. Speaking of, the keyboard is a full-size 10-keyless QWERTY that is not backlit and there is a generously large mouse pad below it. Along the top row you have some quick function keys for forward, back, and refresh, full screen, desktop toggle, brightness controls, mute, volume, and device lock. If you want to search the device or web, just press the “everything button” on the keyboard to bring up the search bar.

At the top of the screen is a built-in 720p 1 MP webcam under this sticker. There is a red cover that you can use to block the camera lens by sliding the tab about it. It also has dual stereo mics to its left and right. While image and video quality aren’t the best, it works fine for video chat and virtual meetings.

If you choose not to login in with a Google account, you can use the device as a guest, by tapping or clicking the button in the bottom left-corner. Your activity on this device won’t be saved when you log out, however, you will be restricted to using the internet browser and file explorer to access an SD card. You will also only have access to basic settings like WiFi and Bluetooth. To Exit guest mode, click the system tray in the bottom-right, then tap “Exit Guest.” When signed in with a Google Account, you can sync your Chromebook’s setting with other device logged in using that account so that your experience is the same across devices.

The Chromebook operates like any typical Android mobile device. You can install apps from the Google Play store, enable voice AI assistants, and even enable smart device unlocking with a connected smartphone. The unit runs Chrome OS, and apps are found in the swipe up “shelf” along the bottom of the screen. The on-screen keyboard also supports swipe typing with predictive word completion, so you don’t need to tap each individual letter.

The hinge rotates 360 degrees so you can use it without the keyboard and even place it in tent orientation so that acts as its own stand. The 11.6” glossy IPS screen has 10-point multi-touch support enabling you to interact with it with taps and swipes just like a tablet. The color and contrast won’t “wow” you with only 1366 x 768 resolution at 160dpi and it dims quickly at off viewing angles. Color accuracy is so-so with just 45% NTSC color gamut, so it isn’t a great option for creative work or photography. However, watching streaming video content like Netflix and YouTube is fine up to 720p quality. Plus, the built-in speakers aren’t that bad and can get pretty loud, though I’d still recommend headphones for a better listening experience.

Spec-wise this model has a 64-bit ARM Cortex A73 processor, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of drive storage, though about 12 GB is used by the OS and pre-installed apps. Since the internal storage space is not upgradeable, the only way to get more space is to use a microSD card. It likely won’t be able to run resource heavy applications like 3D design and digital studios, however, casual mobile games run on it just fine. The battery life is long at up to 10 hours, depending on usage. As for connectivity, this device supports WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2, so not the latest and greatest but still decent in terms of speed and performance. Both USB ports can be used for connecting peripherals and powering external devices.

Many of Google’s services are simply launched within the Chrome web-browser for email, word processing, and spreadsheets. However, this means that without an internet connection, you won’t be able to use any of those apps.

Overall, the Ideapad Flex 3 is decent lightweight alternative to a full laptop. It can be used as a tablet, is its own stand, and has built-in anti-virus protection through automatic OS updates. While it doesn’t have the highest quality screen or fastest processor, it boots up quickly and can handle most productivity tasks and internet browsing with ease.

Buy it at Amazon: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook [Affiliate Link]