 "Primebook 2 Neo")
Expanding its Android-based laptop lineup, Delhi-based Floydwiz Technologies recently launched the Primebook 2 Neo. Among the laptop’s notable features is an option to access Windows and Linux-based operating systems through its cloud PC platform, however, Windows’ cloud access is being tested under beta. While reviewing the Primebook 2 Neo over the course of two weeks, I tried to assess whether this Android-based laptop ticked the right boxes for a laptop targeted at beginners. Here’s what I found.
Primebook 2 Neo: Build
The Primebook 2 Neo sports a silver matte finish all around with a plastic body, which is prone to scratches. When I kept the laptop in my bag along with its charger for a few hours, I noticed a few scratch marks caused by the C-type pin.
As for the weight, this compact laptop seems like a slightly enlarged palmtop, weighing 1.1 kg, which can be used singlehandedly, too. The laptop sports an 11.6-inch display, flanked by thick bezels on all sides. Additionally, the full-spread keyboard, a small trackpad resting at the lower half of the laptop, and the Primebook branding at the front give it a modern look.
Probably one of the most prominent things that consumers look at when they get a laptop is how sturdy or dependable its hinge is. The hinge of Primebook 2 Neo’s lid is not stable; one small jerk and the lid starts moving in that direction. It left me wondering whether the build will last or will it break right at the hinge point within a few days? If teenagers use this, it is possible that they might not be careful with it, which can result in the hinge getting broken.
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Primebook 2 Neo: Display and Audio
The Primebook 2 Neo sports an 11.6-inch HD IPS display. The laptop is well-suited for indoor environments. However, if you step out in the sun with this laptop, then you will have a real tough time figuring out what’s on the screen. Despite cranking up the brightness through the built-in booster mode, it was still not enough to be used under bright outdoor conditions. However, the viewing angles did not disappoint me as I did not notice much of black glaze or shadow, even while viewing my screens from different angles.
The colour reproduction on screen was not that good. While watching videos on YouTube, the output was not good at all. The laptop failed to reproduce true black colours and struggled with normal blacks, too. If someone wishes to engage in multimedia viewing on this device, then they might not get as good output as they would on a Tablet like Redmi Pad 2 (priced at Rs 15,999), or on select budget smartphones under the price segment of Rs 15,000.
The animation, while scrolling, is something that really caught me off guard. When we use a laptop, we expect the scrolling animation to work perfectly at a normal speed. With Primebook 2 Neo, it felt as if the laptop was lagging constantly while scrolling. We might be used to the same speed and animation of scrolling on our smartphones, but laptops are supposed to be different.
Another strange thing that I noticed was that YouTube videos appeared hazy despite the quality being cranked up to 1080p. It felt as if someone was using a projector to project the video from behind the screen, and the output was flickering constantly.
For example, when I played a song titled “Ek Raat” by Vilen on YouTube, I noticed the male lead’s eyebrows looking weird, his finger-ring shaking in a funny way, which does not happen when you play the same video on your phone. Also, the video playback feature does not work as expected. If you use YouTube in Browser, then as soon as you switch tabs to multitask, the video will pause in the background and will not play unless you return to that tab.
As for the YouTube app, it will bring a mini window (picture-in-picture) on your screen even if you switch apps. Further, the display only supports resolution up to HD, which limits the user from getting a good viewing experience of videos with quality beyond 1080pixels.
As for audio, Primebook 2 Neo’s dual downward-firing speakers fail to deliver a decent output. Firstly, the positioning of the speakers results in the audio getting muffled a bit, and then the output level is not that loud either. I found that smartphones like the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (released in 2023) and the Google Pixel 9a (released this year) were delivering louder output.
Primebook 2 Neo: Performance and multitasking
The Primebook 2 Neo is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, paired with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. It runs on Android 15-based PrimeOS 3.0. I encountered a few lags here and there while using the laptop, and especially when I switched to Windows Cloud PC, the lags were frequent. The device did heat up a bit too when I multitasked heavily on it (switching between Browser, YouTube, Google Docs, App Store, File Explorer, and more), which I guess is somewhat acceptable because tablets and smartphones in the price range of Rs 15,000 also tend to heat up. In terms of pace, the laptop does its job, but expect to encounter a second or two of lag always.
When I used Windows Cloud PC on it, the performance dropped significantly. The phenomenon of frame drop became a regular part of the experience. When I used the video editing app CapCut in Windows Cloud mode, I noticed that the screen was getting frozen occasionally for a few seconds and then resuming like normal. This could potentially be because of internet connection, also.
The Primebook 2 Neo comes with on-device Google’s Gemini AI. In simple words, it means that when you press and hold the alt button, then Gemini gets activated. You will be able to share your screen with Gemini and ask questions about it to the AI-bot.
Primebook 2 Neo: Cloud PC
Primebook’s cloud access to Windows is still under development and going through beta testing, which is why it has not yet disclosed the pricing for that. However, as for Linux, the cloud subscription starts at Rs 12 per day and goes up to Rs 299 per month. The company confirmed to Business Standard that the subscription cost of Linux for a day will be hiked to Rs 19, but the monthly price will remain the same.
Primebook 2 Neo: Keyboard, trackpad, and camera
The full-spread keyboard on the device makes things a bit complicated. The keys appear a bit too big, which makes the laptop suitable for short periods of usage if someone is engaging in typing. If someone’s planning to do a whole report or a long essay on this laptop, then the typing experience won’t be that good. They will often mistype letters and might need to constantly press backspace to fix the errors. Additionally, some of the keys felt a bit hard to press.
There is one thing that I missed on the keyboard, though. There are hotkeys to increase or decrease brightness, but there isn’t any hotkey to activate the brightness booster, which means that one needs to do it manually by opening Settings. This shortcut should have been easily accessible. On a personal level, I like the clacking sound of the keyboard, so if someone likes that, then they would find the click and clack sound on this device to be amusing.
As for the trackpad, given the screen size, it is okay. However, youngsters might find it a bit too small. If someone has used a standard laptop and then thinks of shifting to a Primebook, then this can be a problematic factor for them.
Coming to the camera, it does the job. I used it during video calls and online meetings, and the output was okay. It was not able to capture many details like the texture of the skin or hair strands, but the output was not too blurry or hazy, which is a good thing.
Primebook 2 Neo: Battery
The Primebook 2 Neo is powered by a 29.6Wh battery, which lasts for around three to four hours on a full charge. I was not engaging in extensive gaming sessions during this; mostly, it was typing in Google Docs, playing YouTube, using Windows Cloud, and around half an hour of gaming. In terms of charging, it would take you around two hours to fully charge the laptop.
Primebook 2 Neo: Verdict
Primebook 2 Neo stands as an in-between platform of a smartphone and a laptop. It does try to punch above its weight, but fails to bring finesse to it. The ability for Windows Cloud access and having on-device Gemini are a few things to be appreciated, but then the downsides include – poor display, fragile design, subpar audio, lags, and average battery. It has got the basics right, meaning it is bringing a lot of offerings however, it does not do justice to them.
It is important to note that Primebook is not competing with other Intel or Ryzen-based laptops. It appears that it is trying to make a space for itself in this market by positioning itself more towards students and professionals who do not have to engage in a lot of computing work.
If someone is considering buying the Primebook 2 Neo, then I would suggest they wait for a minute and think about what their priorities are. If the priority is pricing, doing a little school work, and getting the taste of AI, then this laptop will be the right fit. However, if anyone is looking for performance, a good display, or audio, and can spend more, then this is not the right choice. It might be a better idea to go for a standard laptop instead, which starts at around Rs 30,000.
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