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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14IML05 (81WA) review

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14IML05 (81WA)

CHOICE Expert Rating

63%
What is the CHOICE Expert Rating?
Good points

Good Points

  • Full-sized HDMI port
  • Full-sized SD card slot
Bad points

Bad Points

  • Keyboard is not backlit
  • Lacks USB-C
  • Webcam shutter a bit hard to close and open
  • USB ports are present only on the left side
  • Poor audio quality
  • Narrow viewing angles
  • Short power cord

Type

Ultraportable
Ultrabook
Tablet mode
Operating system
Windows 11 Home

Recommended products

Recommended
Not recommended
Recommended for tablet use

Test results

CHOICE Expert Rating
63%
Performance score
55%
Tablet use score
N/A
Ease of use score
71%
Battery life score
66%
Display score
60%
Audio score
35%
Wi-Fi score
79%
Storage write-speed (MBps)
996
Storage read-speed (MBps)
1899
Wi-Fi speed (MBps)
42
Average battery life – heavy usage (hours)
5:19
Charging time to 80% full (h:min)
1:29
Expert tester comments
Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 has more drawbacks than it does positives, thanks mainly to a lack of modern ports (it lacks USB-C) and a poor screen (it has a low resolution and poor viewing angles). It's a very basic laptop that might be uncomfortable to use due to its screen's narrow field of view, the lack of a backlit keyboard, and the presence of ports only on one side of the laptop's chassis.

Sustainability

Shop Ethical rating
C
Warranty (years)
1
Replaceable battery
Not collected
Replace/upgrade RAM
Not collected
Slots for additional RAM
Not collected
Replace/upgrade storage
Not collected
Slot for additional storage
Not collected
Replace/upgrade Wi-Fi
Not collected
Country of origin
China

Related products

Availability
Discontinued model

Cost

Price
$999.00

Specifications

Screen size (inches)
14
Native screen resolution (pixels)
1366 x 768
Processor (CPU) type
Intel Core i5-10201U
CPU frequency (GHz)
1.6
RAM (GB)
8
Video graphics type
Intel UHD Graphics
Storage capacity (GB)
256
Available user space (GB)
194
Storage type
SSD
Wi-Fi version
5
Weight of laptop (kg)
1.4
Weight of power supply (kg)
0.18
Size (mm, H x D x W)
23 x 240 x 327

Features

Screen finish
Matte
Touchscreen
USB-C
USB 2.0 ports
1
USB 3.0 ports
2
USB 4 as USB-C port
0
USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1 or 2, not Thunderbolt 3 or 4) ports
0
Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (as USB-C) ports
0
SD card slot (full-size)
SD card slot (micro)
HDMI port
Gigabit ethernet port
Rear camera
Backlit keyboard levels of brightness
0

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