Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
This time of year, everyone is looking for a deal. Deals are what it is all about, especially on Black Friday morning. While others are out standing in lines and braving some not-so-great elements in the process, there’s a wonderful alternative for those of you who are more inclined to the internet’s style of deal hunting.
The best part is, you can get this deal right now. No need to wake up early, no need to stand in lines, and no need to brave the elements. This deal on the Samsung Chromebook 3 over at Walmart is likely one of the most affordable deals you’ll see on a Chromebook that is actually worth having.
A few caveats apply, and you really need to think about why you are buying this Chromebook, who its for, and what you expect to get out of the experience. Samsung’s Chromebook 3 is what I refer to as the bottom line of Chromebook builds. It is literally just good enough for me to not tell you to run away from it. There are no superlatives here except the rock-bottom price, so you need to know what you are walking into.
The processor is the Intel Celeron N3050 which is not very fast. The screen is of the TN variety, so not bright or color accurate. Its viewing angles are bad as well and it is on the smaller side at 11.6-inches. The one positive on the screen is the resolution. 1366×768 works on 11.6-inch devices pretty well, so I have no issue there.
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.
Buy the Samsung Chromebook 3 from Walmart
You also get 4GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with expansion abilities via microUSB, two USB Type A ports, a full-sized HDMI port and a headphone/mic jack. Sorry, no USB Type C here. Those internals also come along with 11 hours of battery, a spill-resistant keyboard, and a chassis that can withstand quite a bit of wear and tear.
If a Chromebook that can do all the basic things you need a Chromebook to do is what you are after, this is really the only new $99 device I can recommend. It won’t win any speed awards, but it is small and light with a decent keyboard and trackpad. Back when we reviewed it I felt said it was a great buy at $169, and I still feel the same. At this price it is easy to recommend as a simple Chromebook solution for the home, for kids, or for someone who just needs the basics.
Buy the Samsung Chromebook 3 from Walmart
One final note. You need to know that older Chromebooks like this are susceptible to hitting their end of life earlier than most want. Right now, Google has this Chromebook guaranteed for updates through June of 2022. You’ll get at least two and a half years of software updates and maybe more if Google extends that a bit, but you need to know that in a few years this Chromebook will no longer get OS updates. As long as you know what you are buying, I’d still say this is a great purchase and will make a great gift for many.
