Lenovo Chromebook Premium 15.6" Review

So, the Lenovo Chromebook Premium 15.6" is a $259 laptop that comes with a 5-in-1 bundle. That's the headline. For that price, you're getting a big 15.6-inch screen and a full Chrome OS experience, which is a solid deal on paper. It's light at 1.58kg and has Wi-Fi 6, which is a nice modern touch you don't always see at this price point.

But you have to look at the numbers. Its 4GB of RAM sits in the 2nd percentile, and its 192GB of eMMC storage is in the 9th percentile. That means almost every other laptop we track has more. This isn't a powerhouse. It's a machine built for one thing at a time: checking email, browsing the web, and maybe streaming a video.

Performance is exactly what you'd expect from a dual-core Intel Celeron N4500 and 4GB of RAM. The CPU lands in the 35th percentile, so it's below average but not the absolute slowest. It'll handle basic Chrome OS tasks without much fuss. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics, at the 42nd percentile, is fine for the display but nothing more. Gaming is its weakest area at a 4.6 out of 100, so don't even think about it.

The real story is in the memory and storage. With only 4GB of RAM, you'll feel the pinch if you try to run more than a handful of browser tabs. And that 192GB eMMC storage is slow and small. It boots fast thanks to Chrome OS, but opening apps and files won't feel snappy.

At $259, the value proposition is clear: it's cheap. You're trading performance and future-proofing for a low entry price and a bundle of accessories you might need anyway. For a student or someone who just needs a dedicated machine for web-based work, it's a viable option. Just know that 'viable' here means 'it works,' not 'it excels.' Any more money in your budget should probably go toward a model with at least 8GB of RAM.

Compared to its listed 'competitors' like a MacBook Pro or a Legion gaming laptop, this isn't a comparison. Those are in a different universe. A more realistic comparison is against other budget Chromebooks. Here, its 4GB RAM is a glaring weakness. Many similarly priced options now start with 8GB, which is a massive quality-of-life upgrade. The included bundle is a unique perk, but if you already have a mouse and headphones, you might be better off spending that $259 on a Chromebook with better core specs, even if it means skipping the freebies.

This Chromebook is for one person: the buyer on an absolute rock-bottom budget who needs a big screen for web browsing and nothing else. The 4GB RAM is a deal-breaker for anyone wanting to do real work. If you can stretch your budget by even $50-$100, you'll find Chromebooks with 8GB of RAM that will feel faster and last you years longer. This one gets the job done, but just barely.