January 12, 2025

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop review: A decent budget buy

0

 

HP recently introduced the Chromebook 15.6 laptop in India. There is nothing outrageous about this laptop. It’s big and bulky, it doesn’t have one of those fancy metal alloy bodies, nor does it have one of the swanky processors that a lot of other devices boast of. But that is not a bad thing and that’s what makes all the difference.

At a price of Rs 28,999, the HP Chromebook 15.6 offers everything that you need in a laptop for your everyday needs, that is, if your needs don’t involve heavy duty work. It has a decent display, a moderately fast processor, a giant keypad, a light and zippy operating system and a bunch of ports to keep you connected. In short, it’s simple yet steady. But are these features enough to make it a winner? We will find that out in the detailed review below. So, keep reading.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Specifications

Display: 16.6-inch Micro-edge anti-glare HD LCD display with a 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, 250 nits of peak brightness, 45 percent colour gamut
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel UHD graphics
RAM: 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM
Storage: 128GB of eMMC storage with 100GB of Google Drive storage
Operating System: Chrome OS
Connectivity: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0
Multimedia: dual speakers, HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera
Battery: 47Whr battery with fast charger support
Price: Rs 28,999

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Design

The Chromebook 15.6 features a no-nonsense design with plain and simple aesthetics that we have gotten accustomed to seeing in laptops over the years. It comes with a plastic body design – nothing fancy – that is available in three colour variants – Forest Teal, Natural Silver and Pale Rose Gold. These colours are a welcoming change from the mundane black or silver coloured laptops that we see, especially in the budget segment.

Aside from the aesthetics, the laptop comes with a big and bulky body with the HP logo in the centre and the Chromebook logo stacked towards the top left corner of the lid. At 1.69kgs, the Chromebook 15.6 is not the lightest laptop in town but that does not make it difficult to use or carry around in a backpack.

On opening the lid, you will find a full-size keyboard with a separate number pad stacked towards the left. This keyboard looks a lot like the wired mechanical keyboards that we have been using with the Windows PCs barring a couple of changes here and there. For instance, you get dedicated undo and redo keys. You also get dedicated keys for switching between windows and for capturing screenshots – all of which make life a lot easier. However, one caveat of this keyboard is that it doesn’t come with a backlit design (kudos to the price), which can make things a little difficult when using the laptop in the dark. But it’s nothing that you can’t live without.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Display

Next comes the display. The HP Chromebook 15.6 comes with a decent display, nothing out of the ordinary. You get a giant screen with thin bezels, which give you more room to play with. The screen offers clarity but the colours aren’t as sharp and punchy. And the screen brightness is capped at 250 nits, which makes up for a comfortable experience indoors or in areas where the light is balanced and controlled. However, don’t expect to use it under the sun, especially under the harsh Delhi sun, as the results aren’t quite fulfilling.

Apart from this, you can watch shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, and browse through your old photos and the experience is mostly fine but not as bright and sharp as you would like it to be.

One aspect that could use some improvement, not just in the Chromebook 15.6 but also in a lot of mid-budget and even premium laptops is the webcam. This Chromebook ships with a webcam with a 720p resolution, which is enough to get things done. But it would be nice if the resolution improved just a bit so that overall clarity during video calls improves.

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Performance and Battery

Now comes the performance. At first glance, the lackluster specifications of the HP Chromebook 15.6 may leave you underwhelmed, especially in comparison to some of the Windows laptops available in the budget segment. But the Chromebook 15.6 beats those odds by offering a more reliable and stable experience.

I used the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop for almost 10 days, mostly for my day-to-day office work, which includes typing endlessly for hours, and using cloud-based photo editing tools and faced no major hiccups in using the device at all. Sure, it’s a tad bit slow, especially if you are juggling between multiple tabs, but it doesn’t get stuck, which is all you can ask for in a budget laptop.

The Chromebook 15.6 is powered by Google’s Chrome OS that has been customised to run the device. While the overall experience on the software front is smooth, the OS itself would need some getting used to, if you have been using Windows OS for a long time and haven’t had a chance to experience ChromeOS yet.

Talking about the audio, with HP’s new Chromebook, you get dual speakers or a speaker on each side. While these speakers are quite loud, especially if you are using the laptop in a small room, the sound misses out on clarity as you turn up the volume. You can also hear the speakers crackling in the background as the volume level touches 90.

Lastly, the battery. The Chromebook 15.6 offers decent battery backup. During my time with the device, it offered around five to six hours of runtime, which is good for a laptop in the price range. That said, you will need to carry the charger if you are planning to head out.

Should you buy the HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop or not?

To summarise, the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop is a decent runner, especially if you plan to use it for light usage, like responding to emails, typing and browsing the internet. It’s ideal for families who don’t have to run heavy software or shuffle between apps. Its not-so-premium design doesn’t require delicate handling making it ideal for kids who primarily need it use it for their schoolwork.

The post HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop review: A decent budget buy appeared first on Techlusive.

 

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop review: A decent budget buy

 

HP recently introduced the Chromebook 15.6 laptop in India. There is nothing outrageous about this laptop. It’s big and bulky, it doesn’t have one of those fancy metal alloy bodies, nor does it have one of the swanky processors that a lot of other devices boast of. But that is not a bad thing and that’s what makes all the difference.

At a price of Rs 28,999, the HP Chromebook 15.6 offers everything that you need in a laptop for your everyday needs, that is, if your needs don’t involve heavy duty work. It has a decent display, a moderately fast processor, a giant keypad, a light and zippy operating system and a bunch of ports to keep you connected. In short, it’s simple yet steady. But are these features enough to make it a winner? We will find that out in the detailed review below. So, keep reading.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Specifications

Display: 16.6-inch Micro-edge anti-glare HD LCD display with a 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, 250 nits of peak brightness, 45 percent colour gamut
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel UHD graphics
RAM: 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM
Storage: 128GB of eMMC storage with 100GB of Google Drive storage
Operating System: Chrome OS
Connectivity: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0
Multimedia: dual speakers, HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera
Battery: 47Whr battery with fast charger support
Price: Rs 28,999

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Design

The Chromebook 15.6 features a no-nonsense design with plain and simple aesthetics that we have gotten accustomed to seeing in laptops over the years. It comes with a plastic body design – nothing fancy – that is available in three colour variants – Forest Teal, Natural Silver and Pale Rose Gold. These colours are a welcoming change from the mundane black or silver coloured laptops that we see, especially in the budget segment.

Aside from the aesthetics, the laptop comes with a big and bulky body with the HP logo in the centre and the Chromebook logo stacked towards the top left corner of the lid. At 1.69kgs, the Chromebook 15.6 is not the lightest laptop in town but that does not make it difficult to use or carry around in a backpack.

On opening the lid, you will find a full-size keyboard with a separate number pad stacked towards the left. This keyboard looks a lot like the wired mechanical keyboards that we have been using with the Windows PCs barring a couple of changes here and there. For instance, you get dedicated undo and redo keys. You also get dedicated keys for switching between windows and for capturing screenshots – all of which make life a lot easier. However, one caveat of this keyboard is that it doesn’t come with a backlit design (kudos to the price), which can make things a little difficult when using the laptop in the dark. But it’s nothing that you can’t live without.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Display

Next comes the display. The HP Chromebook 15.6 comes with a decent display, nothing out of the ordinary. You get a giant screen with thin bezels, which give you more room to play with. The screen offers clarity but the colours aren’t as sharp and punchy. And the screen brightness is capped at 250 nits, which makes up for a comfortable experience indoors or in areas where the light is balanced and controlled. However, don’t expect to use it under the sun, especially under the harsh Delhi sun, as the results aren’t quite fulfilling.

Apart from this, you can watch shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, and browse through your old photos and the experience is mostly fine but not as bright and sharp as you would like it to be.

One aspect that could use some improvement, not just in the Chromebook 15.6 but also in a lot of mid-budget and even premium laptops is the webcam. This Chromebook ships with a webcam with a 720p resolution, which is enough to get things done. But it would be nice if the resolution improved just a bit so that overall clarity during video calls improves.

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Performance and Battery

Now comes the performance. At first glance, the lackluster specifications of the HP Chromebook 15.6 may leave you underwhelmed, especially in comparison to some of the Windows laptops available in the budget segment. But the Chromebook 15.6 beats those odds by offering a more reliable and stable experience.

I used the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop for almost 10 days, mostly for my day-to-day office work, which includes typing endlessly for hours, and using cloud-based photo editing tools and faced no major hiccups in using the device at all. Sure, it’s a tad bit slow, especially if you are juggling between multiple tabs, but it doesn’t get stuck, which is all you can ask for in a budget laptop.

The Chromebook 15.6 is powered by Google’s Chrome OS that has been customised to run the device. While the overall experience on the software front is smooth, the OS itself would need some getting used to, if you have been using Windows OS for a long time and haven’t had a chance to experience ChromeOS yet.

Talking about the audio, with HP’s new Chromebook, you get dual speakers or a speaker on each side. While these speakers are quite loud, especially if you are using the laptop in a small room, the sound misses out on clarity as you turn up the volume. You can also hear the speakers crackling in the background as the volume level touches 90.

Lastly, the battery. The Chromebook 15.6 offers decent battery backup. During my time with the device, it offered around five to six hours of runtime, which is good for a laptop in the price range. That said, you will need to carry the charger if you are planning to head out.

Should you buy the HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop or not?

To summarise, the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop is a decent runner, especially if you plan to use it for light usage, like responding to emails, typing and browsing the internet. It’s ideal for families who don’t have to run heavy software or shuffle between apps. Its not-so-premium design doesn’t require delicate handling making it ideal for kids who primarily need it use it for their schoolwork.

The post HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop review: A decent budget buy appeared first on Techlusive.

 

 

HP recently introduced the Chromebook 15.6 laptop in India. There is nothing outrageous about this laptop. It’s big and bulky, it doesn’t have one of those fancy metal alloy bodies, nor does it have one of the swanky processors that a lot of other devices boast of. But that is not a bad thing and that’s what makes all the difference.

At a price of Rs 28,999, the HP Chromebook 15.6 offers everything that you need in a laptop for your everyday needs, that is, if your needs don’t involve heavy duty work. It has a decent display, a moderately fast processor, a giant keypad, a light and zippy operating system and a bunch of ports to keep you connected. In short, it’s simple yet steady. But are these features enough to make it a winner? We will find that out in the detailed review below. So, keep reading.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Specifications

Display: 16.6-inch Micro-edge anti-glare HD LCD display with a 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, 250 nits of peak brightness, 45 percent colour gamut
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel UHD graphics
RAM: 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM
Storage: 128GB of eMMC storage with 100GB of Google Drive storage
Operating System: Chrome OS
Connectivity: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0
Multimedia: dual speakers, HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera
Battery: 47Whr battery with fast charger support
Price: Rs 28,999

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Design

The Chromebook 15.6 features a no-nonsense design with plain and simple aesthetics that we have gotten accustomed to seeing in laptops over the years. It comes with a plastic body design – nothing fancy – that is available in three colour variants – Forest Teal, Natural Silver and Pale Rose Gold. These colours are a welcoming change from the mundane black or silver coloured laptops that we see, especially in the budget segment.

Aside from the aesthetics, the laptop comes with a big and bulky body with the HP logo in the centre and the Chromebook logo stacked towards the top left corner of the lid. At 1.69kgs, the Chromebook 15.6 is not the lightest laptop in town but that does not make it difficult to use or carry around in a backpack.

On opening the lid, you will find a full-size keyboard with a separate number pad stacked towards the left. This keyboard looks a lot like the wired mechanical keyboards that we have been using with the Windows PCs barring a couple of changes here and there. For instance, you get dedicated undo and redo keys. You also get dedicated keys for switching between windows and for capturing screenshots – all of which make life a lot easier. However, one caveat of this keyboard is that it doesn’t come with a backlit design (kudos to the price), which can make things a little difficult when using the laptop in the dark. But it’s nothing that you can’t live without.

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Display

Next comes the display. The HP Chromebook 15.6 comes with a decent display, nothing out of the ordinary. You get a giant screen with thin bezels, which give you more room to play with. The screen offers clarity but the colours aren’t as sharp and punchy. And the screen brightness is capped at 250 nits, which makes up for a comfortable experience indoors or in areas where the light is balanced and controlled. However, don’t expect to use it under the sun, especially under the harsh Delhi sun, as the results aren’t quite fulfilling.

Apart from this, you can watch shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, and browse through your old photos and the experience is mostly fine but not as bright and sharp as you would like it to be.

One aspect that could use some improvement, not just in the Chromebook 15.6 but also in a lot of mid-budget and even premium laptops is the webcam. This Chromebook ships with a webcam with a 720p resolution, which is enough to get things done. But it would be nice if the resolution improved just a bit so that overall clarity during video calls improves.

Image: Techlusive/Shweta Ganjoo

HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023): Performance and Battery

Now comes the performance. At first glance, the lackluster specifications of the HP Chromebook 15.6 may leave you underwhelmed, especially in comparison to some of the Windows laptops available in the budget segment. But the Chromebook 15.6 beats those odds by offering a more reliable and stable experience.

I used the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop for almost 10 days, mostly for my day-to-day office work, which includes typing endlessly for hours, and using cloud-based photo editing tools and faced no major hiccups in using the device at all. Sure, it’s a tad bit slow, especially if you are juggling between multiple tabs, but it doesn’t get stuck, which is all you can ask for in a budget laptop.

The Chromebook 15.6 is powered by Google’s Chrome OS that has been customised to run the device. While the overall experience on the software front is smooth, the OS itself would need some getting used to, if you have been using Windows OS for a long time and haven’t had a chance to experience ChromeOS yet.

Talking about the audio, with HP’s new Chromebook, you get dual speakers or a speaker on each side. While these speakers are quite loud, especially if you are using the laptop in a small room, the sound misses out on clarity as you turn up the volume. You can also hear the speakers crackling in the background as the volume level touches 90.

Lastly, the battery. The Chromebook 15.6 offers decent battery backup. During my time with the device, it offered around five to six hours of runtime, which is good for a laptop in the price range. That said, you will need to carry the charger if you are planning to head out.

Should you buy the HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop or not?

To summarise, the HP Chromebook 15.6 laptop is a decent runner, especially if you plan to use it for light usage, like responding to emails, typing and browsing the internet. It’s ideal for families who don’t have to run heavy software or shuffle between apps. Its not-so-premium design doesn’t require delicate handling making it ideal for kids who primarily need it use it for their schoolwork.

The post HP Chromebook 15.6 (2023) laptop review: A decent budget buy appeared first on Techlusive.