Unboxing and first hands-on with the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook [VIDEO]

Here in the early stages of 2021, we know we’re on the cusp of a massive wave of new Chromebook hardware, and it seems that our first unboxing of the year is the very-unique Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook. Aside from the ridiculous naming of this device, the spec sheet really speaks for itself. With the new AMD Ryzen processors, plenty of RAM and storage options, a stowable USI pen, backlit keyboard, bright screen, metal build, fingerprint scanner, and convertible form factor, this Chromebook has a lot to offer.

While expensive (the Athlon with a measly 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage starts at $899), this Chromebook really does bring a ton to the table for the working-class user. With tons of I/O, a sturdy build, military-grade toughness, multiple input methods, a fantastic keyboard, a great screen, and a killer paint job, this Chromebook is easily impressing me from the get go.

We need time to review it and see how things hold up with the processor, but it is safe to say I’m a favorably surprised by this Chromebook. Generally, ThinkPads are utilitarian, a bit ugly, and kind of clunky. They exist to get a job done and not bother with looking great while doing it. This one feels a bit different, though, and just holding the device and using it for a short time is already incredibly satisfying. It feels every bit the premium Chromebook part and that’s a very good thing for a device that ranges this high in price. For what it’s worth, this Chromebook has already seen a massive discount at least once. It will probably happen again, too.

If you think about it, though, as long as the processor holds up (we’re testing the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C model), there’s little else this Chromebook is missing. It already feels like the jack of all trades and does so without also feeling like a Frankenstein device. That’s a tough feat to pull off, and it feels like Lenovo might have done it, here. Time will tell and we’ll have a full review of it out soon enough, but color me impressed so far with the Lenovo ThinkPad C13.