The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i has spent a few years as a flagship Chromebook, hitting a sweet spot in terms of price and performance within a versatile 2-in-1 form factor with solid usability and a decent display. It has never captivated as much as the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and 714 or Google's late and lamented Pixelbook Go. However, it's always been significantly cheaper, which counts for a lot in the value-oriented world of Chromebooks.
On first impressions, the latest version isn't a huge departure from the previous one, but it is one of two Lenovo Chromebooks to receive Google's new Chromebook Plus designation. This tells you in an instant that you're getting a high-end device with a capable core spec, but the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus goes even further to make it a tempting proposition for small businesses.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Design
Like the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 and Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip, the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 14-inch display in a squarer 16:10 aspect ratio, giving you a little more vertical space to play. at the cost of some horizontal space. Don't get too excited about the aluminum lid – it's the only part of the case that's real metal, rather than a metal-finished plastic – but the construction feels good and sturdy and there's barely any flex in the base or top. top.
In fact, the Flex in the name refers to the flexibility of the design. This allows you to use this Chromebook not only in the standard foldable laptop mode, but also with the lid folded towards the bottom of the keyboard as a sort of oversized tablet, or with the lid acting as a stand for the screen in mode. store. which works well for ad hoc presentations or just watching instead of doing.
With a desktop size of just 316 x 229mm, it's an easy laptop to pack into a case or bag, and the 1.58kg weight won't be much of a burden if you're on the go all day. And while its stablemate, the IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook, struggled with a lack of connectivity, the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has the basics covered. You get two USB 3.2 Type-C ports, one of which supports 10Gbit/s USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. You also get a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A port, plus a micro SD card reader. The only serious omission is an HDMI output; You'll need to rely on DisplayPort over USB-C if you want to connect an external display. You'll also need an external dock for any kind of Ethernet support, although the built-in Wi-Fi 6E should cover most people's networking needs.
There's a 1080p webcam at the top of the screen, with a tiny privacy slider, and it's capable of capturing detailed, natural-looking images with good exposure in most lighting conditions. Audio is also above the Chromebook norm, with better clarity, more body, and clever placement of stereo effects if you stop to watch videos or listen to music in the background. You won't have any problems understanding or being understood in video conferencing, at least none caused by the hardware here. What's more, the audio and video enhancements that come with Chromebook Plus can be used to improve quality, giving you clearer sound and better-exposed images.
Keyboards tend to be a Lenovo strong point, and the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has one of the best you'll find on an affordable Chromebook, with a fast, lightweight action and a layout that puts everything where you'd normally expect it, at least according to the reviews. Chromebook standards. The touch panel doesn't disappoint either. At 12 x 7.5cm, it's larger than your average 14-inch laptop and as smooth and responsive as you'll find outside of much more expensive high-end models.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Display
The display is arguably the area where the cheaper IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook comes out ahead. Most of us would prefer to have the higher 1920 x 1200 resolution and boxier aspect ratio of the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus; It makes the screen look larger than it is and a little sharper. However, the Slim 3i's screen gets brighter, reaching almost 330 nits, while the Flex 5i can only reach just under 300 nits. What's more, its colors are slightly richer. While the Flex 5i covers 57.7% of the sRGB color gamut, the Slim 3i can cover 61%.
These are fairly modest results and the contrast levels and color accuracy are equally disappointing. However, in practice, when streaming videos through YouTube and Netflix or spending the day running productivity apps, the screen looks fine. The text is sharp, there is a decent level of contrast and the image quality is more than visible. It's perfectly usable as long as you're not involved in color-critical design work or anything like that. Word processing? Spreadsheets? Email and business collaboration apps? You'll be fine.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Performance
While the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 we tested featured a 13th-gen Core i5-1335U CPU and the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip had the Core i5-1235U, the IdeaPad Flex 5i has to make do with a 12-gen Core i3-1215U. .th generation. . It is paired with the standard Chromebook Plus 8GB of RAM plus a 256GB SSD. In theory, the Core i3 CPU should make it significantly slower than the competition from Acer and Asus. After all, it only has 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores running at a maximum of 4.4 GHz and 3.3 GHz respectively, while the i5-1335U has two P cores, eight E cores and maximum clock speeds. higher than 3.4 GHz and 4.6 GHz.
However, the difference is not as great as one might expect. The Flex 5i scores 1809 in Geekbench's single-core benchmark and 5020 in the multi-core, putting it behind Acer's 1882 and 6568 and Asus's 1815 and 6292, but in the Basemark 3.0 web app benchmark is pretty close, with 1237.88 versus Acer's 1244.59 and Asus' 1360.24. The difference is more pronounced in the 3DMark Wild Life benchmark, with 7041 to 8826 and 7889, but that's not a big problem on Chrome OS. In actual daily use, the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus feels responsive and snappy, even when you have a dozen Chrome browser tabs open or are running Android apps. He's not a speed champion, but he's fast enough.
As for battery life, the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus managed just under ten hours in our video playback summary test; more than three hours less than the Spin 713 and almost an hour less than the Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip, but still not a bad result. You can go a workday without recharging unless you have the screen brightness at maximum, and that will be enough for most users.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: Is it worth it?
There are areas where the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus falls short of the standard set by competing Asus and Acer. The screen isn't as bright, the colors aren't as vibrant, the overall feel isn't as premium, and the performance and battery life don't match up. Lenovo sells a slightly more expensive version with a Core i5 1235U and a larger 512GB SSD, but that won't change the design, materials, battery life, or screen.
However, the key here is the price. The Core i3 version tested has an RRP of £499, but can usually be found for £399 or less. The equivalent version of the Asus Chromebook Spin 714 costs £699, and although we've seen it sell for £100 less, it's still a substantial price difference. When you're on a tight budget, £200 per laptop is worth thinking about. It also makes Lenovo a fantastic value. You still get a great business-ready Chromebook at that price.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i3 1215U or Intel Core i5 1235U |
| Show | 14-inch Full HD, 16:10 IPS |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Ports | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, micro SD card |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 316 x 229 x 19.8 |
| Weight | 1.58 kilos |
