Lenovo IdeaPad U300 in the flesh, first impressions

While wandering around Sim Lim Mall here in Singapore this afternoon, we found that almost all of the ultrabooks are already being sold in many of the computer stores here. Among them is the Lenovo IdeaPad U300.

The IdeaPad U300s actually reminds me of the U260 was saw last year, only it’s slimmer and lighter (that 12.5″ ultraportable is 0.71″ thin and weighs 3.04lbs).

The ultrabook from Lenovo was first announced back in September 2011, pitting it against the likes of the Asus Zenbook and the Acer Aspire S3.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s specs:
13.3″ LED display @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Core i5 2457M 1.6GHz (Turbo Boost to 2.1GHz)
4GB DDR3 RAM
128GB SSD
Intel GMA HD 3000 Graphics
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Gigabit LAN (10/100/1000Mbps)
Bluetooth 2.1
1 x USB 3.0 port
1 x USB 2.0 port
HDMI output
1.3MP (720p HD) webcam
Intel Wireless Display
4-cell Li-Ion battery (up to 8 hours)
Widows 7 Home Premium

There’s a variant which comes with an Intel Core i7 2667M 1.8GHz and 256GB SSD but that already puts the price in the region of $SGD1,800 (~Php63k). This Core i5 variant sells for about $SGD1,500 (~Php53k).

At 14.9mm thin, it may not seem as thin as the Macbook Air or the Asus Zenbook since the entire body is flat and does not taper towards the edges like the others. Net weight is also at an impressive 2.9lbs.

The matte finish and earth-brown color tone of the outer lid gives it an elegant appeal while the simple and clean silver finish of the interior reminds us of the Macbook Pro or the HP ProBook.

The full keyboard is a signature Lenovo design and has been that way with most of the manufacturer’s laptops since last year.

That 4-cell Li-Ion battery is suspicious though and I don’t think it can do up to 8 hours or anywhere near that. The Lenovo U300 is certainly a looker and also has the hardware to show off. We’re just not sure when it will land in the Philippines.