HP Chromebook 15.6-inch Laptop Review: The US-based PC and printer major HP Inc recently launched the new Chromebook 15.6 laptop in India, which is designed to target young students in college and school. The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch screen and it is powered by an Intel Celeron N4500 processor. One of the main highlights of the HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop is its price. It is priced competitively, making it an attractive choice for young buyers.
HP Chromebook 15.6-inch Laptop: Price
The HP Chromebook 15.6 is available at a starting price of Rs 28,999 in India. The machine comes in two colours – Forest Teal and Mineral Silver. I used the Mineral Silver variant for more than a week and here’s what I think about this new Chromebook from HP. The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch screen. It is powered by an Intel Celeron N4500 processor. The laptop can deliver a battery life of up to 11.5 hours and comes with connectivity options like Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth and USB ports.
HP Chromebook 15.6-inch Laptop: Design
The build quality of the HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop is decent, but not premium. It is made of plastic materials, which may not be as durable as metal or other high-quality materials. The design is functional and simplistic, lacking any standout aesthetics. The company’s logo is displayed at the center of the back panel, while a small Chrome logo can be seen towards the top side of the rear panel. With a weight of 1.6kg, this HP laptop is a bit bulky due to its weight distribution and thick chassis. However, daily users won’t face any discomfort carrying it on regular basis.
The keyboard, on the other hand, is big and comes in a silver finish with black keys. The overall design looks simple to me. Coming to the connectivity options, the HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop comes with a variety of connectivity options, including two USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
HP Chromebook 15.6-inch Laptop: Display And Performance
The HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop features a display with an HD resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The display has micro-edge bezels, which means the bezels around the screen are thin, allowing for a larger screen-to-body ratio and a more immersive viewing experience. The display has a brightness of 250nits, which delivers decent brightness levels for indoor use but not be ideal for outdoor use, especially in bright sunlight. While watching movies and web series on Netflix, the viewing experience was above average. The screen size is good but the colours lacked sharpness and brightness.
The laptop also comes with dual speakers, which can provide stereo sound for multimedia playback or virtual calls. The dual mics are designed to capture audio with better clarity, making it suitable for online meetings or video conferencing. The Wide Vision HD camera is optimized for virtual calls, providing average video quality for video chats and streaming. Overall, the display of the HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop is satisfactory, but not exceptional. It features a standard HD resolution, which may not provide the best visual experience for tasks such as multimedia consumption or content creation. However, it is good for basic web browsing and content consumption.
Coming to the performance, powered by Intel’s Celeron N4500 Processor, the new HP laptop runs Chrome OS. It comes equipped with an HP QuickDrop for easy file transfers and Office 365 compatibility. It also provides access to services like Google Assistant, Google Classroom, and 12 months of Google One with 100GB of cloud storage, which covers all Google apps. Performance-wise, the primarily designed for light usages such as web browsing, streaming, and basic productivity tasks. I used the laptop to perform my daily tasks, which included my office work, watching videos, and juggling between WhatsApp And my mailbox.
While the laptop may not be exceptionally fast, I did not encounter any significant issues with it. ChromeOS runs seamlessly, making it a decent option for students who primarily use web apps like Google Docs for their schoolwork. Additionally, Chrome OS offers a simple and user-friendly interface with access to Google Play Store for Android apps, which can enhance the device’s functionality.
Coming to keyboard and touchpad, this HP Chromebook features a big-sized keyboard with well-spaced keys, including a separate number pad. You will love typing on this laptop. However, it lacks a backlight, which I personally consider essential in all laptops.
Furthermore, the HP Chromebook 15.6 boasts convenient shortcut keys for capturing screenshots, adjusting brightness and volume, and accessing the quick menu, making it easier to perform these actions with just a press of a key. As for the trackpad, it is large and made of plastic. The overall experience with the trackpad wasn’t disappointing.
Battery life on the HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop is decent, but not exceptional. It was able to last for six to seven hours on light usage but it requires recharging for heavier tasks. I also faced minor heating issues during heavy usage as well. Once fully charged, you can use this machine for minimum five hours without any disturbance.
HP Chromebook 15.6-inch Laptop: Verdict
The HP Chromebook 15.6-inch laptop, priced below Rs 30,000 in India, can be a suitable choice for price-conscious consumers, especially school and college students who need a basic laptop for light usage and web-based tasks. Its competitive pricing, along with decent performance and a functional design, make it a good option for those on a budget.
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