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You can’t get the OnePlus 7 in the US, but that might not be a bad thing

Matt Adams
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OnePlus had a pretty big week. With the introduction of the OnePlus 7 Pro, the company has planted a flag in premium flagship territory to challenge the likes of Samsung, LG, and Huawei. While the company has long been the king of budget flagships, we now see a new strategy from OnePlus that asks for a little more money for a lot more phone.

But, many were disappointed because OnePlus has long asked for about half of what other device makers did. Some saw the company as the natural successor to the Nexus lineup that died when we started getting Pixel devices from Google. Getting the best phone out there is great, but getting a phone that does 90% of the things for 50% of the price is an attractive option.

But alas, OnePlus went another route. We should’ve seen this coming with the introduction of the OnePlus 6T at T-mobile. It was a clear sign that OnePlus wants to be taken seriously and be seen as a major player in the space. With those aspirations come higher prices as the company looks to bring in even more money to pad its bottom line.

Many leaks pointed to multiple devices from OnePlus this time around, but we only got details on the OnePlus 7 Pro during the presentation from New York City. Noticeably absent was the standard OnePlus 7, not the Pro variant. Leaks before the event pointed to a device that saw a slight spec bump from the OnePlus 6T but retaining the same body, waterdrop notch, and dual-camera setup. It turns out the leaks were right and the OnePlus 7 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor is indeed a thing. But, what the leaks didn’t hit on was availability.

The OnePlus 7 is not coming to the United States. The US has long been one of OnePlus’s most important markets, but it decided to skip The States this time with its new phone. So why is that? It looks like the reason is that it wants to push people to buy its more expensive phone since people tend to have higher budgets than in emerging markets like India and some Asian and European markets. That makes sense from the OnePlus point of view. For potential customers looking for a deal, it stinks.

That’s why OnePlus is keeping the OnePlus 6T around. And not only are they keeping it around, but they’re also making it even cheaper. You can get the base model that features 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage for just $549. If you want to bump the specs a bit more, you can get a model with 8 GB of storage and 128 GB of storage for $579 and 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage for $629.

Ten tips and tricks for the OnePlus 6T

All of the phones come with last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. I’ve used a few phones with this year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and to be honest, I can’t tell much of the difference. My OnePlus 6T is still my daily driver and the fastest phone I’ve ever used. Plus, it has great features like 20W fast charging, an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, and the most overlooked feature in tech, the alert slider.

Despite the really competitive market, it’s hard to find a phone with those specs at that price. While it’s disappointing that we won’t see the OnePlus 7 here in the US, OnePlus is doing the right thing by continuing to offer a really fantastic phone at an even better price.

If you want to pick up a OnePlus 6T for yourself, hit the button below. Feel free to read our full review before you do.

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Deal: Grab a 400 GB microSD card for just $56

Matt Adams
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Even though our cell phones are including more and more storage, there’s never quite enough. Between recording 4k video, saving RAW picture files, and saving music libraries, you can quickly run out of the 64 or 128 GB of space that comes standard in most phones today.

Luckily, a ton of phones still include microSD card slots that allow users to expand their storage. Phones like the Galaxy S10 can even support up to 1 TB of external storage! While those cards are just going on sale now and are prohibitively expensive, you can get a great deal on a 400 GB card right now for just $56.

Whether you want a physical backup of your media or you just want to save your files on a removable card, microSD cards are perfect. I love them because I change phones often and I don’t like to move everything through the cloud. Sure, it may be mostly secure, but you never know, and you’re relying on a data connection to get your data back. If you just save it on a microSD card, you have it as soon as you pop it into your new phone. Plus, people are using phones for longer and longer these days and it’s helpful to have a ton of storage because we all know how easy it is to fill up space as time goes on.

Just in time for new phone season, Amazon has an excellent deal on the SanDisk 400 GB class 10 microSD card. What does class 10 mean, you may be thinking? It refers to the speed at which the card can read and write data. Class 10 is the highest you can go and it supports speeds up to 100mb/s for data transfer which means you can move about 1200 pictures a second. That’s crazy fast.

If that’s not enough to convince you, SanDisk includes a 10-year limited manufacturer warranty because it stands behind its product. If you want to pick one up for yourself, hit the button below. They also have 256 GB cards for just $38 and 200 GB cards for $32.

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Teach yourself the top project management disciplines for $5 a course

AndroidGuys
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Stuck in a rut at work, spending your days working for the man? Wouldn’t it be better if you actually were ‘the man”? As you know, many jobs and careers worth pursuing require upper management knows how to organize and run things smoothly. They need to know how to manage projects.

One way of ensuring candidates are qualified to head up projects or teams is with certification. There are many disciplines to project management and some of them are trusted more than others. Among the key methods are Six Sigma and Agile.

The AndroidGuys Deals Store has a really awesome bundle of training around project management. The Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle features eight courses and some 114 hours of instruction to you through the basics of the best approaches.

Whether it’s Agile, PMP, Scrum, or Six Sigma, this training blows the door wide open on securing certified project manager status and one of the six-figure salaries that come with it.

Features

  • Agile Scrum ($146.25 value)
  • Agile XP ($146.25 value)
  • Certified Associate In Project Management (CAPM) 6th Edition ($146.25 value)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) 6th Edition ($146.25 value)
  • Agile Project Management ($146.25 value)
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM) ($146.25 value)
  • Six Sigma Green Belt ($146.25 value)
  • Six Sigma Black Belt ($146.25 value)

Where to Buy

You can Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle kit from the AndroidGuys Deals Store for only $39. With a retail value of around $1,200, it can be yours for a massive 96 percent off. Think about it, that forty dollar bundle could change your career, and life! At five bucks a course it’s one of the cheapest ways to invest in your future.

Save even more!

In addition to the savings above, when you buy through AndroidGuys Deals, for every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your account. What’s more, should you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

If this is your first time buying, then you are also eligible for a further 10% discount when you subscribe for email updates.

How about a freebie?

Not looking to spend any money today? That’s alright, we understand. Why not visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and take something anyhow? Go ahead, grab two!

Meet the Motorola One Vision: Big screen, big storage, and 48-MP camera

AndroidGuys
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Motorola on Wednesday announced its latest smartphone, but don’t look for it on US shelves anytime soon. It’s a shame, too, because it’s got the makings of a great device and a price we can appreciate.

The Motorola One Vision is an Android One endeavor which means it will receive monthly security updates and major software releases. In fact, its partnership with Google means it will “exceed software requirements”.

Looking at the hardware, we really like what we see in the One Vision. It’s a big screen device with some of the best of what Motorola can offer.

The phone packs the industry’s first 21:9 CinemaVision 6.3-inch full HD+ (1,080 x 2,520 pixels) display, delivering a wide screen image for showing off games and video. There’s a hole-punch in the screen for a 25-megapixel front-facing camera.

Flipping the phone over we locate a dual-camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor and a secondary one (5-megapixels) for depth data. It’s worth noting that the pictures aren’t a true 48-megapixel image but Quad Pixel technology used to combine 12-megapixel photos with “four times the light sensitivity”.

By combining four pixels into one large 1.6µm pixel, the 48 MP sensor delivers four times the light sensitivity. You’ll enjoy incredibly sharp 12 MP photos with improved brightness and reduced image noise.

The One Vision employs optical image stabilization to help with blurry photos and videos. Motorola is also introducing Night Vision mode to create bright, sharp images with more detail in lower light settings.

Powering the show are a Samsung 9609 processor with 4GB RAM. Other key hardware in the phone include a 3,500mAh battery with TurboPower charging. Just 15 minutes on a charger is enough to add seven hours of power.

Internal storage is generous at 128GB but a microSD expansion card slot allows for up to 512GB of external media.

The Motorola One Vision is available immediately in Brazil and it will soon hit Mexico and other countries in Latin America. Other markets expected to see the phone include Europe, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and select countries in Asia, Middle East, and Australia.

The phone is available with a “promotional launch price” of 299 euros (approximately $335 USD). Pricing will vary by market.

Waterfield Vitesse messenger bag review: the perfect bag?

Matt Adams
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It can be really tough to find the “perfect” bag to keep your most valuable and useful technology products protected. Sure, you can just find a decent backpack, throw everything in there and be on your merry way. But what if you have a lot of things, or don’t want a backpack, or just want something different? That’s where the search begins.

For the last few years I have used my fair share of backpacks, some of which are great, and others that served as nothing more than a catch-all. I finally got fed up and decided that I wanted to try out a premium satchel or messenger bag. For some reason, more reviews of these types of bags have been cropping up, but there was one that kept catching my eye – the Vitesse Messenger Bag from Waterfield.

Who is Waterfield?

Waterfield is a company based out of San Francisco that provides a stunning array of storage options for your various devices. There are messenger bags, traditional backpacks, sleeves, wallets, gaming cases, briefcases, and so much more. But what is even more awesome is that Waterfield also offers bags/sleeves/cases for specific devices such as the Nintendo Switch or iPad Pro.

Since Waterfield is based in San Francisco, the company actually manufactures its products here in the good ole’ US of A, which can help you feel good, if that’s your thing. Plus, these aren’t just mass-produced like something you would see from other popular bag makers. With some products, there is some stock available, but for the most part, these are made to order so that you know your case has an extra-special touch to it compared to others.

Waterfield Vitesse

To put some context into the things that I carry with me on a daily basis, here’s a list for you:

Now that you see everything that I have to carry, let’s talk about the bag itself. The Vitesse is made from waxed canvas with a leather handle strap at the top, and two leather straps to close and secure the bag. Once you have un-done those aforementioned straps, you are presented with a large opening at the top and a zipper pocket on the front.

This is a single pocket that stretches across the entirety of the front of the Vitesse bag. On the right side, Waterfield has included an “ultra suede” phone pocket which has been a convenient place to house my earbuds and whatever extra phone I’m carrying with me. The rest of this front pocket holds both of my notebooks and the pen that I carry with me on a daily basis.

Now for the main event. The large pocket of the Vitesse has several additional pockets that can be found around the inside. There is a primary laptop pocket that easily holds my laptop, with some room to spare. Waterfield thought of everything and included a Velcro strap to help keep your laptop in place, and this has been rather pleasant.

Around the outer edge of the notebook, there are three smaller pockets that are great to throw your headphone case into or an extra portable charger. The convenience of this cannot be understated as there are times I just need to throw something in my bag and go and don’t have time to fiddle with everything.

This brings us to the main “pocket” compartment. This compartment holds my Nintendo Switch, cable bag, 12.9″ iPad Pro with its Waterfield Sleevecase, and laptop charger. Being able to get everything into this bag has been a life-saver as I can just reach in, grab what I need, and keep it moving. There’s no need to search for extra pockets, and even a lesser chance of something going missing.

Vitesse Comfort

Admittedly, I probably have too much stuff in my Vitesse Messenger bag, and that does weigh me down from time to time. But the wonderful thing about the bag is that I can just reach in and take something out if it needs to stay behind, or if I want to grab my iPad Pro and leave the bag behind.

The Vitesse looks good and is still functional, regardless of whether you are left-handed or right-handed. The leather strap at the top makes it easy to take just pick the bag up and go if you don’t really want to throw it over your shoulder.

This brings me to the biggest and truthfully, only, gripe that I have with the Vitesse Messenger bag. I wish there was some type of padding that was included on the shoulder strap that could help relieve some of the pressure. But that’s nothing that can’t be adjusted or overcome in other ways, in fact, Waterfield offers shoulder pads that can be purchased and then added so that all of the pressure is not on your collar-bone or shoulder.

Waterfield iPad Pro Sleevecase

You may ask yourself why I carry both the laptop and an iPad Pro 12.9. The answer is both complicated and simple. I use my laptop on a daily basis for my day job and I refuse to leave it behind in case something were to happen to it. As for the iPad, this is my device of choice, other than my smartphone. I try to get as much work as possible completed with the iPad Pro and then switch to the laptop if something needs a bit more attention.

When you pick up the iPad Pro, you will quickly realize that the true experience can’t be had without a keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2. This Sleevecase comes in two sizes, so that you can get one regardless of whether you have the 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro. On the inside, there is a shock-absorbent neoprene which not only will protect your iPad Pro from scratches, but will also help in the case that you accidentally drop the Sleevecase itself.

Unlike the Vitesse, opening and closing this is done with a Velcro strap, which is actually much stronger than I expected. I’ve tried turning the case upside down with the iPad Pro inside and it has remained secure, which is extremely relieving, but we don’t recommend doing this yourself.

On the inside of the flap, you’ll notice a little protrusion that looks like a sleeve for a pencil, and that’s exactly what it is! Simply slide your Apple Pencil 2 into the slot and it will also stay secure, without needing to keep it attached to the top of your iPad. Just another way that Waterfield makes life more convenient for everyone.

Finally, there is a pouch on the back-side of the Sleevecase which can hold a portable charger and a cable, an extra phone, a microfiber cloth, or any other smaller accessories. Unfortunately, this is not secured by anything, so we don’t recommend putting anything of much value in here in the case that you get up and walk away from your table at Starbucks or something.

Conclusion

Waterfield has been in the business of making high-quality and useful products since 1998, and you really see the care they put into each product once it arrives. The Waterfield Vitesse will continue to be my messenger/shoulder bag of choice for the foreseeable future, and you can grab one for yourself from the Waterfield website for $159.

For those who want a phenomenal sleeve for their iPad Pro or other tablet, this Sleevecase starts at $69, regardless of whether you want the 11″ or 12.9″ version. Plus, you can choose which orientation you want for the sleeve, coming in horizontal or vertical, and you can even get a strap for it, if you think it will come in handy.

Waterfield knocks both of these products out of the park, and I’ll be definitely turning to them for my tech storage needs. Just like the newly launched Tech Rolltop Backpack that is launching later this month. Let us know what you think about these and if you’ll be looking to get one for yourself.

Google gives away almost 20,000 Home Minis

Matt Adams
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At last night’s Western Conference Finals game between the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers, Google made a ton of fans very happy. They gave one lucky fan a chance to sink a half-court shot to send all of the 19,000+ fans in attendance home with a Google Home Mini, but what fans didn’t expect is that if he missed, they’d still get their assistant-enabled speaker too. And that they did.

The giveaway was the largest and most expensive sports giveaway in Google’s history. It was designed to draw attention to the search giant’s new Nest branding for its smart home products and to highlight just how powerful the speakers can be. Performing everything from simple tasks like telling you how to spell words to setting timers, casting media to cast-enable TVs and playing music, the Google Home Mini has become a go-to for people looking for cheap smart home speakers. At just a touch under $50, it’s really a steal.

Google Home review: After nearly two years, is it still worth it?

But, there was a second surprise in store for fans as well. When they activated their free speakers, they were also entered into a drawing for free Warriors tickets. The Warriors are currently in the middle of a dynasty phase and come as one of the hottest tickets in the NBA. Next year, they’ll be moving into their new stadium where ticket prices promise to be even higher than the current Oracle arena. It’s a helluva giveaway.

So, why did Google do this? The company says it wants to thank fans for being awesome. It obviously also wants to show off what a little speaker can do to change the lives of all those who interact with it. If you want to see just what Google Assistant and Google Home speakers can do, check out these articles next:

If you want to pick up your own Google Home Mini, hit the button below.

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Kew Labs K1 bluetooth speaker review

AndroidGuys
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Bluetooth speakers are commonplace products in 2019. If you’ve got a smartphone, you’ve probably got a favorite little speaker of your own. Or, you might have a big one that you use for parties and barbecues. Either way, there’s plenty of options on the market with prices and features to suit all needs.

The Kew Labs K1 is budget-friendly affair that’s shaped like a capsule and comes in a variety of colors. Coated in a smooth rubber finish, it’s waterproof and provides around ten hours of playback on a charge.

With two 5-watt drivers inside and a rear passive bass radiator, the portable speaker offers 360-degree audio. Meant to travel, it’s the sort of speaker that you’d toss in a backpack and take to the beach or backyard gathering.

Despite its relatively small stature, we found this speaker was able to produce a louder sound than expected. Perhaps more importantly, it was more balanced than anticipated, too.

The Kew Labs K1 isn’t the most innovative speaker we’ve seen but that’s largely a result of the price point. When you’re dealing with those which run $25-$40 you’ll typically get the same experience. In other words, it’s often a few buttons on top, auxiliary input, and maybe a splash-proof coating. You can’t get too fancy with build materials or design language and keep the cost low.

Featuring Bluetooth 4.2, the speaker can operate from about ten meters away from its audio source. An LED light shows when the speaker is completely charged; the K1 automatically powers down after a period of inactivity.

The Kew Labs also doubles as a speaker phone for taking calls and it houses a built-in microphone. Moreover, it also works for Google Assistant and Apple Siri.

If you’ve got a teen who can’t seem to take a shower without music, this is a good speaker to consider. This also makes a decent option for people who like a study companion or who might want something for lounging poolside. It’s also the sort of device you’d throw in your luggage for overnight.

Pick up a Kew Labs K1 speaker for less than $30 at Amazon where it’s offered in four color combinations. Choose from silver/black, grey/black, red/black, and black/yellow.

OnePlus 7 Pro arrives at T-Mobile

AndroidGuys
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One of the most anticipated phones of 2019 is now official. Indeed, the OnePlus 7 Pro has been announced, and T-Mobile has started to offer the new device.

The OnePlus 7 Pro is among the most powerful phones on the market and features a massive 6.67-inch display. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, the handset packs 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage.

The OnePlus 7 Pro houses three cameras, including a 48-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization and f/1.6 aperture. Additionally, it has a 16-megapixel wide camera and 8-megapixel telephoto camera. The camera can capture slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second, RAW photos, and other modes. The front-facing 16-megapixel camera pops up from inside the phone and has an f/2.0 aperture.

The fingerprint reader is embedded into the gigantic fluid AMOLED screen. Speaking of which, the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display has a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution with HDR10/10+ video, and a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s essentially all screen for the front side of the phone.

A 4,000mAh battery can be fast charged with 50% power in just 20 minutes. Rounding out some of the hardware are USB Type-C, NFC, Cat. 18 LTE, and stereo speakers.

The OnePlus 7 Pro is available in Mirror Grey and Nebula Blue for $700 or $29.17 per month for two years. T-Mobile will offer it online and in stores starting on Friday, May 17. In the few days beforehand, however, you can get your hands on it at the T-Mobile store in Times Square.

Consumers can also find the phone with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for $670 and a 12GB/256GB model for just $750 through the OnePlus website. All versions will be sold starting on May 17.

Rebble.io has renewed my love for the Pebble watch

Andrew Allen
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I have a particular set of skills. I’ve had a knack over the years of investing in doomed technology. First it was webOS. Then BlackBerry 10. One of the more recent ones would be Pebble. Its demise hit me almost as hard as the webOS dumpster fire ending.

I loved my Pebble. The software team (many former webOS devs) developed a super solid OS and paired with great battery life. It truly gave users a smartwatch experience that, in my opinion, hasn’t been matched. Pebble OS is fast, simple, and effective at providing notifications without the need of a phone.

Further, it had a huge advantage of not being touch screen. You could easily manage the entire device with buttons. From selections to navigating menus you just needed to tap a button. No fumbling with swipes or screen smudges.

Then, my historical trend continued. Pebble was eaten up by Fitbit and my favorite smartwatch was set to fade into oblivion. And it kinda did… for a minute.

The company shut down its servers in June 2018. This killed the app and all the fringe features like Weather from working on the watches.

Fortunately, my heartbreak was short-lived. The emergence of some former Pebble devs got a movement started back in February 2018 with the creation of Rebble. This is an open source initiative to revive the Pebble back end processes.

I didn’t come away impressed when I first tried it in July, but after trying it again last week, I’ve returned to my Pebble full-time.

I was having issues with the alternative platform I’d been using and decided to give Rebble another shot. Previously I had Bluetooth connection problems and the old Timeline feature with Weather and Calendar was broken. Thankfully, these all now seemed to be solved if you opt into the company’s $3 monthly plan.

I gladly sent them $3 to return this great watch into my life. It still gets what I want done right. I have 4-5 day battery life. Always on display. Great notifications. Step counts. And a touch free interface that just works.

Is Pebble any better with the new Rebble services running behind it? No, but I see that as a positive. I also understand it doesn’t have some of the latest bells and whistles of Apple, Fitbit, and Android. I’m not looking to shout commands at my watch. Nor am I interested in using it for mobile payments.

As a pure extension of notification triage and fitness tracking, the Pebble still wins the spot on my wrist again. Will I shun all other platforms? No. I actually intend to revisit the new Fitbit Versa in the coming weeks. However, for now I’m happy with my Rebble watch.

Lenovo Chromebook S330 review

AndroidGuys
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From the first day they came into existence, Chromebooks were a low-cost alternative to traditional laptops. Why spend $500 on a netbook, or $1,200 on a Windows device when you could go the Google route and keep a few hundred in your pocket?

A Chromebook was all we needed to get online and live in the browser; this is where we spend most of our day. For many, a Chromebook is still often all we need even in 2019.

Over time we’ve watched manufacturers design increasingly more powerful and beautiful products. Moreover, they’ve become more versatile, too. Today’s Chromebook devices are capable of running Android apps and many of them can open on a (2-in-1) hinge that turns the unit into a tablet of sorts.

It’s not uncommon for OEMs to offer a full product line of Chromebooks with something at different price points and use cases. The Lenovo Chromebook S330 finds itself somewhere along the lower end of the spectrum with a price tag that starts below $200. Here’s our review.

About

The Chromebook S330 weighs a shade over three pounds (3.3 lbs) and features a 14-inch display. Clad in a plastic shell it travels extremely well and stands up to moderate physical wear. Given its cost, size, and build, this makes an excellent option for consumers who are looking to outfit a student or two with something for the school year.

Design

The Chromebook S330 won’t win any beauty awards but that likely matters little to its target demographic. This is the sort of experience where you just want to get online and do your thing. That thing can be social media, school work, email, blogging, and consuming content.

There’s a fair amount of bezel around the sides of the display and even more so at the top and bottom. Lenovo could have gotten away with a slightly smaller frame but it’s not unsightly stuff.

The Chromebook S330 comes in “Business Black” which is a shade or two lighter than we expected. It’s more of a slate color but skews toward black as opposed to gray. There’s a dimpled, or pattern, texture on both the top and bottom of the laptop which makes it easy to grip.

On the right side edge we locate an audio jack and Kensington lock while the left has a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, USB-C (Power Delivery & DisplayPort), and a card reader. Sound comes from the bottom-firing stereo speakers and a 720 pixel camera sits above the display.

The screen will be tilted at 180 degrees but this is not a 2-in-1 device. Feel free to adjust it to whatever reading angle you want but you won’t be able to flip it completely over. This is also not a touch screen experience. If you want or need that 2-in-1 and/or touch display, you might consider the Chromebook 300e.

Specifications

  • 14-inch Full HD display
  • MediaTek MT8173C processor (1.7GHz)
  • 4GB LPDDR3 RAM
  • 64GB storage
  • SD card slot for up to 64GB storage
  • 720p HD camera with integrated microphone
  • 10 hours battery life
  • 802.11 AC (2 X 2)
  • Bluetooth 4.1
  • USB 3.0, USB C, HDMI

Performance

This Chromebook doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. By all outward appearances we expected something that’s good enough to get the job done – if the job means reading and writing, watching the occasional video, and taking in some social media.

We found that we were able to open plenty of tabs with a range of different websites on the Chromebook S330. In fact, in order for us to really notice any sort of sluggishness or lag we had to get creative in what was open and how many tabs and windows were running. Suffice it to say, you’d likely not run into any issues with school and light business usage.


While we appreciate that the screen is anti-glare and offers a sharp HD image, the viewing angles from the side leave some to be desired. We’ve certainly seen worse in other models, but we would have liked a bit wider field to work with.

Audio here is similar to that of the Yoga Chromebook C630 in that it’s clear and crisp but not very powerful. To that end, we’re often happy to throw in headphones or pair to Bluetooth if we’re interested in extended bouts of music. We were content with audiobooks, podcasts, and short bursts of video, but anything longer requires a better solution.

We were pleased with the number of ports and layout of the laptop. The keyboard was responsive enough, and the overall weight and design were in line with expectations of a Chromebook in this price.

Conclusion

It’s difficult to ever really say that a Chromebook is not worth the money. That is, of course, provided you buy the one that suits your needs. It’s not a simple case of “any old one will do” but if you shop within range of whats suitable, most Chromebooks will fit the bill.

The Chromebook S330 isn’t exactly a stunning piece of artwork or a sleek piece of machinery, but that’s not why we buy these types of devices. This has a utilitarian design and somewhat uninspired aesthetic but it gets the job done.

When it comes to throwing your Chromebook into a bag, toting it to and from work or school, and pulling it out on the couch, this is what you want. Not something that’s prone to breaking your heart over a scratch or scuff.

We’ve had Chromebooks last us years – even those from the first generation. While they don’t necessarily get better with each update of the OS, they certainly don’t get worse. Along those lines, we found the Chromebook S330 to be snappy enough for daily usage in both office and work scenarios.

Availability

The Chromebook S330 is available at Lenovo’s website for as low as $250. For that money you get the 32GB storage capacity and 1366 x 768 resolution display. For an additional thirty bucks ($280) you double storage to 64GB and up the screen to 1920 x 1080 pixels. Amazon, for its part, has the higher-end model for just $220 right now.

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