Amazon Prime Day is meh: Here are some Chromebooks deals

In the early days of Chrome Unboxed, I would sit in front of my Chromebook for hours on end waiting for Amazon’s “Lightning Deals” to arrive so that I could share the best Chromebook discounts with our readers. Unfortunately, Amazon has become a very poor place to go shopping for a new ChromeOS device. Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of Chromebooks to choose from on Amazon and you can occasionally find a really good deal.

My main issue with Amazon is the plethora of garbage listings from third-party sellers that inflate prices and list Chromebooks with deceptive descriptions. I’m sure you’ve seen them. “Latest 2022 model” “Newest Blah, blah, blah Chromebook” Many of these devices have been on the market for two or three years, if not more. That’s not to say that these aren’t brand new, never-opened Chromebooks. simply that the listings mislead unassuming shoppers to think they’re getting the latest and greatest device. In reality, there are newer, more-powerful devices out there at comparable or better prices. Anyway. That’s my two cents.

Amazon Prime Day 2022 is officially here and I thought it would be a good idea to scour some listings to see if there was anything worth talking about. Thankfully, other retailers have jumped on the bandwagon and in recent years, have started offering deals of their own to cash in on what used to be one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. Chromebook deals are relatively sparse for this Prime Day but I did find a handful of laptops that I think you’d be happy buying at their current sale price. So, without further ado, here’s a short list of Chromebook deals from Amazon and others to get you through Prime Day.

11th Gen Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i

If you’re in the market for a new Chromebook that offers ample power and a fair assortment of premium features, Lenovo’s 2021 Chromebook Flex 5i is a very solid option. The 13.3″ convertible comes bearing a beefy 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of NVMe storage. Like previous versions of the Flex 5, this model comes in at a price point well below most flagship models, and right now, you can pick it up as a Prime Day deal for only $359.99. That’s a whole lot of Chromebook for very little money and a value that will last well into 2029 thanks to Google’s automatic update policy. You can find all the buying options over at The Chrome Shop via the link below.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5

Arguably the best ChromeOS tablet you can buy, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 features a larger, 13.3″ OLED display, Snapdragon SoC, and a very usable detachable keyboard that actually makes it feel like a laptop. The Best Buy model is our top pick due to its 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. However, it comes with a $499 price tag and many shoppers aren’t looking to drop that kind of cash on a tablet. Thankfully, it goes on sale occasionally. If you don’t want to wait for another sale at Best Buy, you can pick up the 4GB/64GB version of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 from Amazon for only $299. That’s a savings of nearly $130 and a very decent price for this Chromebook. Find it and all the configurations on The Chrome Shop.

Acer Chromebook 514

Another ARM-powered Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 514 is a 180-degree clamshell that’s equipped with the MediaTek Kompanio 828 SoC. MediaTek’s mid-range SoC, this device can power through the average workload and do so with battery to spare. This particular model features a FullHD touch display, 8GB of RAM, and a backlit keyboard. Normally $460, you can pick up the Acer Chromebook 514 on Prime Day for only $349.99.

ASUS Chromebook CX5400

Rounding out the list is one of our favorite premium Chromebooks but you won’t find this deal on Amazon. The fanless 14″ ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5400 was a sleeper when it first launched alongside other premium 11th Gen Intel Chromebooks. Equipped with a formidable Core i5, the Costco-exclusive version of the CX5400 gets 16GB of RAM and a whopping 256GB SSD. Of course, you’ll get a backlit keyboard and the Flip CX5400 is equipped with a garaged, rechargeable stylus.

This Chromebook is MIL-Spec rated for durability and has a respectable 300 nit display that has great color and viewing angles. This Chromebook is fanless but you’d never know based on its raw power. I worked from the CX5400 for months and it chewed through everything I threw at it. Light. thin. Better-than-average battery life. Awesome build quality. What else could you want? How about a $150 discount. The ASUS Chromebook CX5400 retails for $899 at Costco but you can pick it up for only $750 at the moment and you don’t even have to be a member of Costco’s buying club to purchase it. Win, win.

That’s it for Day 1 of Amazon Prime Day Deals. I’m sure that there are or will be some more deals that come from Prime Day and we’ll round up whatever we find as they come. Meanwhile, you can sign up for our Deals Newsletter below and you’ll never miss out on a big sale again. More and more retailers are expanding Chromebook inventories and that’s great news for you because that means more competition and more discounts. See you next time.