Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Review: pretty great in a vacuum

When the clamshell Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 arrived last year, I confidently called it the best Chromebook I had ever used. When the newer 2-in-1 version arrived at Best Buy a bit out of the blue a few months back, I was pretty eager to see if Lenovo was capable of building a cheaper, convertible version of the Chromebook I absolutely love that still possessed some of the good stuff from the more expensive, clamshell only version.

After spending some real-world time with it, there’s a lot to love about this device for sure, but there’s also a lot of uncertainty I still have about recommending it above a few other specific devices it is clearly competing with. Let’s get into it.

Build quality

On the outside, Lenovo once again nailed the aesthetic. The “Cosmic Blue” color is gorgeous, and the build quality feels every bit as rigid as the clamshell Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 and they even managed to snag a MIL-STD-810H military-grade certification for this chassis, meaning it is officially tough enough to handle drops, bumps, and the daily rigors of being tossed in a backpack.

It’s a bit heavier than its sibling at 3.3 pounds, and because it houses an Intel processor, it requires cooling fans (which means you’ll see fan vents you won’t find on the ARM-powered clamshell). Overall, though, the build quality on this rivals anything in the entire Chromebook market, and that both impressed and surprised me.

Impressive port selection

If there is one area where this 2-in-1 absolutely dunks on the the clamshell, ARM-powered model – it’s the I/O. If you hate carrying dongles, you’re going to love this port selection. Lenovo packed in a massive array of ports:

• 2x USB 3.2 Type-C ports
• 2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports
• A full-size HDMI 1.4b port
• MicroSD card slot and Kensington lock
• Headphone/mic jack

Simply put, you won’t need to carry any extra accessories to get connected to whatever you want.

Display, keyboard and trackpad

Opening the lid, you’re greeted with a 14-inch, 16:10 FHD+ IPS touchscreen. Rated at 300 nits, it has been plenty bright and punchy enough for any indoor situation I’ve been in: near a window or in harsh light.

The very subtle rounded corners of the display look a bit more modern than a plain, squared-off panel, and the touch and pen input are super responsive – clearly good things to have for a device that leans into the 360-degree convertible form factor. Right above that screen is a solid 5MP webcam that will serve you well for video calls, selfies and document scanning when called on.

Additionally, Lenovo’s keyboard DNA shines very brightly here. The keys are solid, the backlighting is excellent in all lighting conditions, and the trackpad is perfectly smooth and clicky. They even included a fingerprint scanner that works flawlessly and is an addition we normally see on higher-priced devices.

The audio, unfortunately, is the first major letdown. The upward-firing speakers use Waves MaxxAudio, and they are completely mediocre. They don’t have the richness or the Dolby Atmos-tuned punch of the clamshell model, and I was honestly a bit let down on that front. With the build quality of this device being so close to the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, I was really hoping for some solid audio. Not the case.

Performance

One of the biggest differences comes under the hood, where we have the Intel Core 3-N355 paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. In a vacuum, it’s fine. It handles standard multitasking and the built-in Google AI features without much fuss, and I’ve only seen a small performance hiccup here and there. It really has been quite solid from a performance standpoint.

But compared to the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra found in the clamshell version AND in the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, it feels like a pretty big downgrade. First, you lose the fanless, dead-silent operation, and second, the battery life takes a noticeable hit. I was able to squeeze about 7 hours of real-world use out of it, but nowhere near the multi-day battery life we see on modern ARM Chromebooks.

The Pricing Problem

And all of that leads me to the main rub of this device. At an MSRP of $579, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 finds itself in a really tough spot in the midst of current competition. Its main competitors Lenovo’s own Chromebook Plus 14 I’ve referenced many times already along with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714. In a vacuum, this device is pretty stellar across the board. But we can’t ignore the very direct competition it faces.

When the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 goes on sale for $599, you’re choosing between a really solid convertible and what is arguably the best Chromebook ever made at almost the exact same price. In that situation, unless you absolutely must have a convertible, the purchase decision is an absolute no-brainer.

In the case that you do need the flexibility of a convertible, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 offers superior MediaTek Kompanio Ultra and gets you a 120Hz screen for even less money on a lot of days. It’s MSRP is $699, but it’s available for $429 as I am preparing this review.

As you can tell, the price makes all the difference here. When this newer Lenovo 2-in-1 has dropped to $429 a few times now since launch, the logic changes a bit. At that sort of price, you’d be saving $170 over the clamshell Lenovo and even $70 over the Acer’s lowest sale price.

When this happens, I can easily recommend this device all day long. For a bit over $400, you are getting a high-end build quality, great screen, 5MP camera, fantastic keyboard/trackpad, fingerprint scanner, huge port selection and a convertible form factor. That’s a lot to like for $429, and I’ll happily tell you to consider it at that price. At MSRP, I’d definitely take a look around at the current deals available.