Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Mainstream Laptop (₹40K to ₹50K)

In the 2023 budget laptop arena, the Digit Zero1 Awards cast a spotlight on three standout models, each heralding a unique blend of innovation and value. The Infinix Inbook X3 Slim leads with its svelte 1.24 kg aluminum frame, boasting a 14-inch FHD display and a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, balanced by a 50Wh battery, although it features non-upgradable 16GB RAM.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Mainstream Laptop (₹50K to ₹70K)

In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers unmatched versatility with its 360° hinge, seamlessly transforming from a laptop to a tablet. Its 14” WUXGA IPS touchscreen and Intel Core i3 N-Series Processors, complemented by 8GB RAM, cater to everyday tasks with ease, enhanced by stylus compatibility. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i excels in performance with its 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor and 15.6-inch FHD IPS display, making it a strong candidate for both work and leisure use. Amidst these impressive contenders, choosing the winner is a testament to the thriving innovation in the budget laptop segment.

Zero1 Award and Best Buy Winner: Infinix Inbook X3 Slim (Buy now)

Price: ₹38,990

The Infinix Inbook X3 Slim, clinching the Digit Zero1 Award and Best Buy accolade in the mainstream budget laptop category, sets new benchmarks for value and performance. With a build quality rivaling more expensive counterparts, a crisp display, and powered by an Intel 12th Gen processor, it adeptly handles a range of tasks, bolstered by 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD – a rare find in its price range. While its speakers and 720p webcam are average, these minor drawbacks don’t detract from its overall appeal, particularly to students and professionals. 

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Creator Laptop

And the fact that it offers all these capabilities in a chassis that weighs just 1.24kg is astonishing. For reference, it is the weight class in which the much premium thin and light laptop usually plays. On top of that, Infinix spared no expense at making it a durable laptop too. Its hinge, solid, keyboard deck area and almost everything else feels very solidly built. Although the Infinix INBook X3 Slim is using the latest Intel 12th Gen Core i5 “U” series chip, it is surprisingly capable even in 2023. Apart from editing a 4k timeline in Adobe After Effects or similar apps, the laptop is pretty capable of handling everything else, as evident by its single and multicore scores in our benchmarks. 

Its win in the Zero1 and Best Buy categories underscores its status as not just a disruptive device but one from a brand, a new market leader, which doesn’t think twice about offering performance and quality in a single package.

Runner up: Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3i (Buy now)

Price: ₹40,990

Equipped with a 13th Generation Intel Core i3-1305U Processor and Windows 11 Home Single Language 64, this laptop delivers efficient multitasking and a user-friendly experience. Its 8 GB LPDDR5-4800MHz memory and 512 GB SSD ensure quick response times and ample storage. The 15.6-inch FHD IPS display offers clear, vibrant visuals, complemented by features like a 1080P FHD camera, a Li-Polymer 47 Wh battery, and a backlit keyboard. Although it lacks a fingerprint reader, it excels with high-speed Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, a sleek design, and essential preloaded software, including Office Home and Student 2021. 

I personally like that Lenovo hasn’t changed its approach to mainstream budget laptops. For instance, this machine doesn’t come with a substandard display or a bogus keyboard. No. Instead it feels price appropriate, in some cases even more value for the money it asks. Features like a 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6 are a blessing for someone who’s always in online meetings. And its battery won’t give up on you either, stretching more than 6 hours, if need be. All these qualities, and quirks, make the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3i the runner up in Digit Zero1 Awards 2023 Mainstream Budget laptop category.

For more information on Digit Zero1 Award winners across various categories of products, please visit: https://www.digit.in/zero1-awards

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Yetnesh Dubey

Yetnesh works as a reviewer with Digit and likes to write about stuff related to hardware. He is also an auto nut and in an alternate reality works as a trucker delivering large boiling equipment across Europe. View Full Profile