Lenovo's new education-focused Chromebooks are coming in May from $299

Google's Chromebook platform remains highly optimized for education.

What you need to know

• Lenovo today launched four new Chromebooks aimed at the education market.
• From the 11.6-inch Lenovo 100e to the 14-inch Lenovo 14e, the company offers a mix of sizes and form-factors.
• They'll ship from May, with the cheapest one setting you back $299.

Lenovo today announced new Chromebooks aimed at the education market. They range from $299 to $429, and are targeted at every band of user from students who are just starting out to educators who need to keep tab of their students, issue assignments, and review submissions. All of these Chromebooks come with WiFi6, and are extremely durable.

The leader here is the Lenovo 500e Gen 3. It's the most expensive, debuting in May for $429, but it has everything you want. From a convertible form-factor complete with a touch screen, to over 10 hours of battery life, to a thin and light design. it's also coming with an Intel Celeron N5100 processor, so expect it to be reasonably fast. Google has already done some work on building out Chromebooks for the education market, so be on the lookout for improved Google Meet support and a new screen recording tool.

You'll also find lower-powered 100e and 300e models priced at $299 and $359 respectively. The 300e is a lot like the 500e in design, so it's a touchscreen convertible but the RAM tops out at 4GB, and the display is a lot smaller at 11.6-inches. It's also 720P, but that's pretty good for that size. The 100e? Pretty much the same, but it lacks the touchscreen factor and is a regular clamshell, if you prefer that. Both have 10 or more hours of battery life.

Speaking of clamshells, the 14e Chromebook is an option for those who want clamshells in a decent body. It's got a powerful AMD processor, a clamshell form-factor, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. If you prefer a regular laptop, it's the one to look at over the more flexible 500e. It's also cheaper at $334, so that's definitely a consideration.

Jerry Paradise, vice president of Global Commercial Portfolio and Product Management in Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo, said:

We applaud educators, students and institutions for their energy and dedication in the face of unprecedented challenges. As a leader in the global education market, we remain laser-focused in our pursuit to support all involved in education. Our ongoing commitment and expertise in tailored solutions will help drive innovative educational technology as we reimagine and reinvent teaching and learning.

Chromebooks have seen a rise over 2020, buoyed to the number 2 OS by an education-driven userbase and carried even further by an increased focus in working from home. Lenovo's new laptops are good, ad we do recommend the 500e and 14e for those who want the best experiences, but we'll have to really get a hand on them to see how they'd perform in real life. In the meantime, you can check out our best Chromebooks guide for alternatives.