As spotted by About Chromebooks, Lenovo seems to be updating its budget Chromebook lineup with a new model that will replace last year’s IdeaPad 3 Chromebook.
The new model swaps an Intel Celeron processor for a MediaTek chip and features a higher-resolution display. There’s no word on the official price or release date, but according to details on Lenovo’s Product Search pages, the new Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook is scheduled for an announcement checks watch today.
All versions of the new laptop feature MediaTek MT8183 processors, 14 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel displays, 4GB of LPDDR4x-1866 memory, and eMMC 5.1 storage. But Lenovo will offer a few different configurations of the laptop:
- 82KN0000US – 64GB storage and 220-nit non-touch TN display (with limited viewing angles)
- 82KN0001US – 64GB of storage and 300-nit touchscreen IPS display
- 82KN0004US – 32GB of storage and 300-nit touchscreen IPS display
Those are the US variants. There will be other options in different countries including some models with lower-resolution 1366 x 768 pixel TN displays, which is what the previous-gen model had.
Other features include a 720p webcam with a privacy shutter, stereo 2-watt speakers, support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2, and a selection of ports including:
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-C (for charging, video output, or data transfer)
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x microSD card reader
- 1 x 3.5mm mic/headphone combo jack
The laptop measures 13.3″ x 8.7″ x 0.7″ and weighs about 2.9 pounds. It will be available in blue and grey color options and has a plastic chassis and a keyboard that is not backlit.
Given the spec sheet, it’s likely that the new IdeaPad 3 Chromebook will be a budget or mid-range device priced at around $350 or less, but it’s nice to see full HD displays showing up even in more affordable Chromebooks.
Ubuntu instead of ChromeOS and please take my money!
A shame this isn’t just a “Linux-Book”, instead of Chrome. That MediaTek MT8183, is a 4 + 4 core processor(big.LITTLE), so it’d likely do pretty well.