What you have 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 may be hypothesis that this upcoming machine might debut alongside Google’s rumored “Chromebook Plus” initiative.
Whereas there’s been a bunch of give attention to Google’s upcoming Pixel 8 occasion, the corporate might have a number 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” gadgets. And now, it appears that evidently 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 observed a brand new machine seem on cros.tech, which is an internet site that lets you see a bunch of knowledge for various ChromeOS gadgets. 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 exhibits up alongside the Flex 5i Chromebook. From this, Payne surmises that it “will probably be the present Flex 5i Chromebook with a number of beauty modifications.” So, sadly, we aren’t anticipating a lot of the identical fanfare as we noticed with the brand new gaming Chromebooks from final 12 months.
Even nonetheless, Lenovo makes a few of the best Chromebooks available on the market in the present day, and that pattern will probably proceed with this new “Chromebook Plus” mannequin. There are nonetheless so many questions that have to be answered, reminiscent of some concrete reasoning behind what makes a “Flex 5i Chromebook Plus” totally different from the present Flex 5i.
If earlier leaks and commit references are something to go off of, gadgets falling underneath the Chromebook Plus moniker should adhere to a listing of requirements put forth by Google. It is nonetheless unclear what this listing will seem like, however we doubt that you will discover loads of low-cost Chromebooks making the listing.
Along with the brand new branding, it is also doable that Google limits sure options to the Chromebook Plus fashions. This might embody issues reminiscent of Live Caption, expanded assist for virtual desks, and extra.
With increasingly more particulars showing on a weekly foundation, we might see an announcement from Google made any day now. Or this might be only a “silent launch,” and we simply begin seeing new Chromebooks and possibly a brand new touchdown web page seem for these Chromebook Plus fashions.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook
In the event you’re searching for a stable Chromebook that may deal with an honest workload, then the Flex 3i Chromebook from Lenovo is price contemplating. It won’t be probably the most highly effective possibility on the market, however with the convertible design and full-size keyboard, that is nice for each work and play.