The Chromebook market has certainly grown since the debut of Chrome OS. Initially, there were only very cheaply made devices on the market that weren’t all that polished. Many of them struggled to really perform as one would expect of a desktop OS. But things have changed over the past few years, and now we have devices like the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook.
Our Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook was equipped with an Intel Core i3 and 8GB of RAM. In the early years, many of the available Chromebooks were underpowered using Atom processors or something similar. Now, Lenovo (and others) are taking advantage of Core i3 and Core i5 power to run these laptops, and it’s made them all the better. Read on for the full review of the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook.
Specifications
The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook sent to us has the following features and specifications:
- Processor: 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-8130U Processor (2.20GHz, up to 3.40GHz with Turbo Boost Technology, 4MB Cache)
- Operating System: Chrome OS
- Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS anti-glare multi-touch
- Graphics: Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics 620
- Camera: 720p HD camera with integrated microphone
- Memory: 8 GB DDR4 2400MHz (Onboard)
- Storage: 64 GB eMMC
- Audio: 2 x 2W speakers
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours (Battery life based on testing with PLT (power load test). Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.)
- Battery: 56 Whr Li-Polymer
- Connectivity: Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (2 x 2) + Bluetooth® 4.1
- Ports:
- USB-C
- USB 3.0
- MicroSD Card Reader
- Audio Jack
- Kensington lock slot
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 14.2″ x 9.8″ x 0.7″ / 361.5 x 248.5 x 17.8 (mm)
- Weight: Starting at 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg)
- Preloaded Software:
- Chrome OS
- G Suite
What’s In The Box
- Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook
- USB Type-C 45W Power Adapter
- Safety, Warranty, and Setup Guide
Design
In the early years, Chromebook design was pretty chintzy with most of them feeling more like a child’s toy rather than a computer. But the times have changed and the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook is a new breed of Chromebook.
Lenovo has chosen to model the C630 after their Yoga line of Windows PCs, and that is not a bad thing at all. While this isn’t the slimmest laptop out there, it is fairly slim and certainly clean when it comes to design. The build quality is outstanding, and the materials used for construction are very premium. The all-aluminum body feels nice to the touch as well as durable.
The top of the Lenovo Yoga C630 is fairly plain. There is some Yoga and Chromebook branding but it is very subtle and hardly noticeable at all. The bottom of the C630 is equally generic with only 1 long and 2 short rubber feet to keep the laptop from slipping. There is also a long vent and two down-firing speakers located on the bottom.
Along the left side is one of the two USB-C ports (both can be used to charge the laptop), a USB-A 3.0 port, and the headphone jack. Along the right side of the laptop is another USB-C port, MicroSD card slot, volume rocker, power button, and a lock slot.
Along the back spine of the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook, you’ll find more vents for cooling as well as the Yoga hinges that give this laptop the ability to be used as a tablet.
Opening up the C630 you’ll find a nice spacious 15.6″ FHD display with bezels that match that of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. The bottom bezel is a bit bigger, but it honestly didn’t bother me much at all.
The keyboard and trackpad are also on the inside, and if you’ve never used a Chromebook before, this is something you’ll need to get used to. The keyboard layout is a bit different from your standard Windows PC laptop keyboard. The shift, ctrl, and alt keys are all exaggerated and long, which can throw you off at first. There are no function keys, instead, there are action keys in their place which control various parts of the OS functionality. I was a bit let down that the Core i3 model does not include a backlit keyboard. If you want that, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the Core i5 models.
The trackpad is hands down the best trackpad I’ve ever used on a Chromebook. It’s silky and smooth, as well as responsive and easy to use. I’ve used some horrible trackpads on Chromebooks in the past, and this one feels a million times better.
Overall, this is a very well designed Chromebook. It is also very well made with premium materials that make you feel like you’re using a very nice Windows PC.
Display
Displays on Chromebooks can be a hit or miss proposition, fortunately for the C630, it’s a hit. Our review unit came with Lenovo’s 15.6″ FHD IPS display, but you can upgrade that to a 4K panel if you wish. Frankly, I think 4K is overkill on a Chromebook and the standard FHD display is fantastic and will save you some money as well as battery life.
The first thing I love about this display is its 15.6″ footprint. It’s nice to have so much real estate on a Chromebook, and it really gives you plenty of working space. That being said, the ample space also makes it a bit unwieldy if you want to use the laptop in tablet mode. I won’t spend much time on tablet mode because I found using the C630 as a tablet was almost impossible.
The weight and size of the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook just are not conducive to a comfortable tablet experience. On the other hand, the Yoga features are great for tent and presentation modes. Being able to prop up the display and watch movies or show a presentation to someone is great.
The display is vibrant and full of color, the blacks are good and inky while the whites remain clean and crisp. Text is easy to read and scrolling had zero lag as did pinch to zoom and other gestures.
Overall, this is a top-notch display, especially for a Chromebook. You have the option of the 4K display as well, but I really think the 1080p display is all most people will need.
Software/Ecosystem
When Chrome OS initially came on the scene it was pretty rough. The diehard Google fanboys would have you believe otherwise as they paraded the new OS around like a trophy in their cheap plastic chassis. Heck, even I was initially excited for Chrome OS. But after the first few weeks of use, it became very clear that there was a lot of work to do.
Thankfully, Google has put the work into Chrome OS and has improved the operating system year after year. So here we are in 2019, and I can finally say that Chrome OS can seriously be considered as an option for many in need of a computer.
The beauty of this operating system is:
- It’s lightweight so it takes very little system resources to run
- It’s not nearly as susceptible to malware and viruses (of course anything could happen)
- It’s easy to maintain and update with ease and very little effort
- It works with your Google account so all your data is basically there when you log in.
Chrome OS is dead simple to use. Once you power up the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook, you simply log in to your Google account and you’re ready to go. Of course, if you don’t have a Google account, you’ll need to set one up.
Many schools are utilizing Chrome OS because of its link to Google Docs and G Suite. This gives you the ability to have all of your documents, photos, and files at the tip of your fingers from any Chrome OS device. As long as you log in to your Google account, everything is just there. No matter what Chrome OS device you use.
There are still some downsides to Chrome OS though. Power users that rely on programs like Adobe Creative Cloud and other PC-based software, will most likely not be able to use Chrome OS. Yes, there are a few alternatives out there but as an Adobe Creative Cloud user myself, I just don’t feel they’re up to the same standards. But there is good news. Adobe and others are looking to bring their software and functionality to Chrome OS, so there is hope for the future.
Overall, Chrome OS is probably the easiest operating system out there to use but it’s probably still not going to work 100% for power users who rely on heavy PC-based programs.
Performance
The beauty of Chrome OS is that it’s not heavy and loaded with the software and protocols other operating systems are. This makes it generally snappy and quick. There are some exceptions and those exceptions come down to the processor that is running the OS. The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook we have on hand is running the Intel Core i3 processor but can be configured with a Core i5.
These are fantastic processors for this operating system, offering plenty of power to run everything you’ll need on this laptop. Combine that with the included 8GB of RAM and performance is pretty solid on the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook.
That all being said, this Chromebook’s storage option is where some may take issue. Lenovo opted for an eMMC storage option instead of an SSD. I have found that eMMC is adequate for Chrome OS, and it runs just fine. But I do understand the argument that an SSD would further improve the performance of the machine if it were included. That being said, I don’t think the 64GB eMMC was a poor choice by Lenovo but I do think, for the price of this laptop, perhaps a 256GB SSD would have been better.
Overall, the performance of the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook is pretty solid. The only improvement I would make is replacing the eMMC with an SSD.
Speakers/Sound
The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook speakers aren’t what I’d call spectacular. They are your basic laptop speakers with very little to no bass response. They are thin sounding and good enough for basic use. They aren’t super great for multimedia such as movie watching, but they will do in a pinch.
Camera
The 720HD camera is your basic webcam, there’s nothing special here to speak of. It does what it needs to do with video conferencing and webchats.
Battery Life
Lenovo claims up to 10 hours of battery life with normal use. My experience was mixed with some days hitting 8.5 hours and others around 7.5 hours.
Battery life is going to wildly vary from user to user depending on how you actually use the device. Media consumption is going to drain your battery much faster. Screen brightness and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth signals also impact battery life. As I mentioned before, if you order this laptop with the 4K display, I’d expect battery life to be even lower.
Overall, I was satisfied with the battery life on the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook. It could probably be improved, but so can every other device that uses a battery.
Price/Value
The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook starts at US$529.99 and goes up from there, depending on how you configure it. Chromebooks used to be a very cheap proposition so this price tag may not sit well with some.
But the value is here. Lenovo is using Intel processors, 8GB of RAM and the design and build quality is second to none. The only place I think Lenovo could have improved is by adding an SSD.
Overall, this is a higher-priced Chromebook, but it also has a ton of great features that back up that price, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook to anyone.
Wrap Up
Chromebooks aren’t for everyone as there are still a few things that Chrome OS can’t do that Windows and Mac can. But for the majority of users, Chrome OS is perfect. Add in the fact that it’s easy to use and maintain and you have a device most people should be satisfied with. The price tag on this particular Chromebook is a little high, but what you get with it makes it well worth it. The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook is a rock-solid choice if you’re searching for a Chromebook that will last.
*We received a review unit of the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook for the purposes of this review.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
