Amazon has discounted a Lenovo IdeaPad for 73% off, and it's actually worth considering

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This Lenovo IdeaPad 1i model has hit its lowest price ever at Amazon ahead of Prime Day, dropping down to $300 from $1,100 -- that's 73% off.

This is, far and away, the best deal that I have seen for a laptop in the lead-up to Prime Day next week. I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to be the best. A 73% discount is insane to me. I don't think I've seen something like this before. If you're in the market for an affordable Windows machine for work or school, I highly recommend taking advantage of this deal while it lasts. This is a great laptop.

Also: 15 of the best Prime Day laptop deals (I'd actually buy myself)

What makes the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i so appealing is the great balance of performance and portability. It is a sleek machine, measuring 15.5 x 7.7 x 19.7 inches and weighing about three pounds. The laptop houses an Intel Celeron N4500 processor alongside 8GB of RAM. Granted, this is not the most powerful hardware set out there, but it packs enough power for daily workloads, web browsing, and video streaming. It comes with 256GB of storage as the default. If you need extra storage, you can equip the IdeaPad 1i with an additional PCIe SSD.

Battery life is solid, as the product listing states the IdeaPad can last a good 11 hours on a single charge. One user review praises the model for its quiet and cool operation. This is not a machine you'll have to worry about overheating in any significant way. Other notable features include an SD card reader, Wi-Fi 6 support, and an HD LED screen.

Also: The best early Amazon Prime Day deals: I found editor-approved tech already on sale

How I rated this deal

This is a no-brainer. As per ZDNET's rating system, I grant this deal a perfect score of 5. While this isn't a high-end gaming or creative workstation, it offers more than enough performance for the average user. The IdeaPad delivers excellent value for shoppers on a budget. It's a very practical laptop and one that I recommend to all office workers and students. It's something I wish I'd had when I was in college.

Amazon Prime Day 2026 officially runs from Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26. However, you don't need to wait for the event to start saving. That's because early deals are already appearing, as Samsung is rolling out discounts well ahead of the main sale. In fact, some of the strongest price cuts typically show up in the weeks leading up to Prime Day, so expect to see a lot more in the coming weeks.

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Deals are subject to sell out or expire anytime, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. It is unlikely that the monitor will sell out before Amazon Prime Day kicks off. If anything, I think it'll extend beyond the event. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.

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