What you want to know
- A previously-unannounced Chromebook from Lenovo has appeared in Google’s “Omaha” servers.
- The machine seems because the “Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus,” and is utilizing the identical “brya” board as the present Flex 5i.
- There’s hypothesis that this upcoming machine may debut alongside Google’s rumored “Chromebook Plus” initiative.
Whereas there’s been a bunch of concentrate on Google’s upcoming Pixel 8 occasion, the corporate may have a couple of extra thrilling bulletins up its sleeve. Over the previous couple of months, we have continued to see mentions of “Chromebook Plus” or “Chromebook X” units. And now, plainly Lenovo goes to be getting in on the enjoyable with a brand new Chromebook Plus machine of its personal.
Robby Payne, over at Chrome Unboxed, first seen a brand new machine seem on cros.tech, which is an internet site that means that you can see a bunch of knowledge for various ChromeOS units. This consists of the presently supported software program launch, together with the board and “codename.”
The machine in query seems because the “IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (14”, 7)” and reveals up alongside the Flex 5i Chromebook. From this, Payne surmises that it “will doubtless be the prevailing Flex 5i Chromebook with a couple of beauty adjustments.” So, sadly, we aren’t anticipating a lot of the identical fanfare as we noticed with the brand new gaming Chromebooks from final yr.
Even nonetheless, Lenovo makes a number of the finest Chromebooks available on the market at the moment, and that pattern will doubtless proceed with this new “Chromebook Plus” mannequin. There are nonetheless so many questions that must be answered, corresponding to some concrete reasoning behind what makes a “Flex 5i Chromebook Plus” completely different from the present Flex 5i.
If earlier leaks and commit references are something to go off of, units falling underneath the Chromebook Plus moniker should adhere to a listing of requirements put forth by Google. It is nonetheless unclear what this checklist will seem like, however we doubt that you will discover a variety of low-cost Chromebooks making the checklist.
Along with the brand new branding, it is also attainable that Google limits sure options to the Chromebook Plus fashions. This might embody issues corresponding to Stay Caption, expanded assist for digital desks, and extra.
With an increasing number of particulars showing on a weekly foundation, we may see an announcement from Google made any day now. Or this may very well be only a “silent launch,” and we simply begin seeing new Chromebooks and perhaps a brand new touchdown web page seem for these Chromebook Plus fashions.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook
For those who’re in search of a stable Chromebook that may deal with a good workload, then the Flex 3i Chromebook from Lenovo is price contemplating. It may not be probably the most highly effective choice on the market, however with the convertible design and full-size keyboard, that is nice for each work and play.