Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review | Chic but Cheap

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review: I suggest grabbing the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i when there’s a sale, as it’s quite reasonably priced and comes with a decent amount of power for the cost. There are a few premium
features like a touchscreen, privacy shutter and fingerprint reader. Of course, being a budget
computer, there are some compromises like mediocre sound quality and weak color coverage.

Pros Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review:

Very reasonable, especially during one of the many sales + Good, accurate touchscreen+
Nice features like privacy shutter and fingerprint reader

Cons: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

• Trackpad placement is divisive
• Color coverage is weak
• Sound quality is mediocre

LENOVO IDEAPAD SLIM 3I review: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

When reviewing a laptop like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, it can be a bit tough deciding what
kind of standard to set it against. Despite its somewhat chic look, this is not an Ultrabook. And,
you’re not going to run any high-end gaming or editing programs on it, either.

Instead, it fits the criteria for the best laptop for those on a budget. In fact, my focus here is on
whether it truly is among the best cheap laptops available right now, as its price to
performance ratio is the barometer of whether it’s successful for what it’s supposed to do. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

Since this is a budget model from Lenovo, you can be sure to see it on sale regularly – it’s
discounted by about $200 at the time of writing – and that will probably affect how good of a
purchase this laptop is. It does have a few features I don’t often see on budget laptops, namely
a privacy shutter and fingerprint reader, not to mention Wi-Fi 6 support. For better or worse
though, this is essentially the Honda Civic of laptops with an Abyss Blue sheen.

LENOVO IDEAPAD SLIM 3I ReVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

1. How much does it cost? Starting at £400 (about $550 / AU$746)
2. When is it available? Available now
3. Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The review configuration of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, the only Intel-equipped model in the
states goes for a relatively inexpensive $659.99 / £518 (about AU$970). However, this is the
kind of laptop that I would like to see at a slightly lower price tag, considering its compromises
(discussed below). Of course, being a Lenovo, you should see it regularly on sale – it’s currently
discounted to $464.99 in the US for example.

For comparison’s sake, the base configuration of the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) goes for
$749.99 / AU$1,399 (about £600). For that small increase in price, you get a bit more power, an
hour more of battery life, and a lighter weight. Of course, its screen, despite the higher
resolution, is also middling. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

If you’re in the UK or Australia, there are cheaper configurations, but they’re also weaker. For
£400 (about $550 / AU$745), you’ll end up with an Intel U300 CPU and only 128GB flash
storage. In Australia, you’ll get an even weaker CPU in the Intel Processor N100, just 4GB RAM,
but more storage with a 256GB SSD. That will all cost AU$799.00 (about $545 / £430.

Comparing the different configurations can be a bit difficult since the US, UK, and Australia all
have different models available to them.

The United States just has the review configuration available, while the UK has it as well along
with some weaker and stronger versions available. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

Those UK configurations range from an Intel U300 CPU to a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 and a range
of 4GB –16GB of RAM and 256GB – 1TB SSD. You’ll pay accordingly, but you have choice. And,
those in Australia can only choose between an Intel N100, N200, or N305 CPU and 4 or 8GB of
RAM. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

Some of the premium features that I appreciated Lenovo including are not available in the base
configurations – no privacy shutter, no fingerprint reader, and no touchscreen functionality. Of
course, you don’t have to worry about that in the US as you only have the one configuration
available. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review

LENOVO IDEAPAD SLIM 3I : DESIGN

❖ Has a sleek look hiding budget level components
❖ Privacy shutter on webcam and fingerprint reader appreciated
❖ Trackpad is too far left

I don’t mean to stick too much to comparing the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i to cars, but it reminds
me of when I drove a Toyota Celica. It looked snazzy and for a split second made me feel like I
could keep up with anyone. But, after that split second, I would come back to the reality that I
was driving what is essentially an economy car.

And, it feels like an appropriate comparison here as it has a certain sleek look, especially in its
Abyss Blue colorway, that harkens to the elegant, status-symbol design of Ultrabooks like the
Dell XPS’ of the world. It even has an aluminum lid and top plate.

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