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Lenovo’s colorful new Chromebooks make the jump to Intel processors

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Ahead of the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, Lenovo took the wraps off of its stylish new Chromebook lineup, which includes the traditional clamshell notebook form factor, as well as a convertible design. Unlike Lenovo’s previous Chromebooks, these new models sport a more colorful design, and also come with Intel processors, rather than the ARM processors found on most consumer Chromebooks.

A Chromebook for laptop lovers

If you’re a fan of simplicity and want a traditional notebook design, Lenovo’s new Chromebook S340 aims to deliver with optional Intel processor upgrades, built-in virus protection, and a battery that lasts for up to 10 hours on a charge. This model sports a spacious 14-inch FHD IPS touchscreen that features wide viewing angles and narrow bezels. Starting at just3 pounds, this Chromebook is light enough to take with you when you’re traveling.

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The Chromebook S340 will begin shipping in September with a starting price of $250. The notebook features up to an Intel Celeron N4000 processor alongside up to 8GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 64GB of eMMC storage. This laptop has plenty of ports for you to connect all your peripherals, including two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and a microSD card reader. It also has a combo audio jack. This laptop will be available in either Onyx Black or a plum-colored Dark Orchid.

For convertible fans

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If you want the versatility of having both a laptop and a tablet in one device, Lenovo’s convertible Chromebooks come with a 360-degree hinge that allows you to fully rotate the screen, similar to the premium IdeaPad Yoga series. For those who value portabability above all else, the Chromebook C340 in the 11.6-inch form factor is, as Lenovo described, smaller than a piece of A4 printed paper. This model is available in Sand Pink or Platinum Grey hues, and features similar specs to the Chromebook S340 laptop. You’ll get plenty of ports, including two USB-A, two USB-C, and a microSD card slot along with a combo audio jack. At around 2.6 pounds, the C340 11.6-inch model measures 11.4 x 8.18 x 0.7 inches.

If bigger is better is your mantra, then the Chromebook C340 with a 15.6-inch display will be more your speed. This model comes with upgraded specs, and given the larger footprint, Lenovo is able to fit in a numeric keypad and optional backlit keyboard. It tops out with an Intel Core i3-8130U processor and up to 128GB of eMMC storage and up to 4GB of DDR4 memory. It comes with one USB-A port, two USB-C ports, microSD card slot, and a combo audio jack. It’s available solely in Mineral Gray and measures 14.23 x 9.8 x 0.75 inches.

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The Chromebook C340 11-inch will begin shipping in September for $290, while the 15-inch model will be available a month later with a starting price of $430.

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
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