Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Review

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a part of a brand new breed of ChromeOS-powered gadgets that, over the last week, have received me over. The IdeaPad Flex 5i takes complete benefit of Google Chrome’s AI infusion to ship potent efficiency that gives many customers with a clean, productive revel in. 

At simply $499.99, the Flex 5i will get essentially the most out of its thirteenth Gen Intel Core i3-1315U CPU blended with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC garage. I discovered the Flex 5i keen, able, and in a position to deal with the whole thing I wished and sought after to do. From pushing paperwork to enhancing footage and movies, with some gaming on Nvidia’s GeForce Now, this IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus fortunately and speedily treated the whole thing. 

Due to ChromeOS AI bettering general efficiency, Chromebooks are getting into a brand new next-level segment and will have to be taken significantly. Leap on board and connect your seatbelts; this 2-in-1 loves to get issues finished briefly.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus pricing

The $499.99 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus comes with a 14-inch IPS (1920 x 1080) touchscreen, a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i3-1315U CPU with built-in Intel UHD graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB eMMC for garage.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus design

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is sexy, with an aluminum hurricane gray coloured lid and fit shade all through the plastic frame. The entire aesthetic has superb curb attraction, each industry informal and cool, because of its 360-degree hinge design that permits you to use it in tent mode or as a pill. 

While you open the duvet, the hinges be offering company resistance and really feel strong in all positions. Lenovo is understood for its superb keyboards, and the similar will also be mentioned in regards to the backlit Chiclet-style keyboard above the targeted touchpad. The unit has no fingerprint reader, which is abnormal, nor does this touchscreen 2-in-1 include a stylus. 

When taking a look up previous the keyboard, your eyes are met by way of the immersive 14-inch show that feels better, because of its 16:10 side ratio. The bezels are great and skinny, giving the person extra show to experience. On the best heart of the bezel, we discover the integrated webcam with a bodily safety shutter. 

Measuring 12.4 x 9.0 x 0.8 inches and weighing 3.57 kilos, the Flex 5i isn’t the lightest machine in our Chromebooks take a look at workforce. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 takes that honor, coming in at a svelte 3.02 kilos. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 was once our thick clamshell, tipping the scales at 3.7 kilos.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus safety

There’s a webcam shutter to supply safety whilst you’re finished with video calls, and even if I searched each and every inch of the unit, there’s no fingerprint scanner to talk of. There’s a nano Kensington lock at the proper aspect. 

I recommend the use of a password and PIN to lockdown, reopen your computer, and stay your recordsdata protected. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ports

The Flex 5i arrives with a tight collection of ports for a Chromebook to glue your favourite peripherals.

 You’ve gotten a USB Sort-C port and a Kensington lock at the proper.

At the left, we discover a microSD card reader, a three.5 combo audio port,  a USB Sort-A port, and any other USB Sort-C port. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus show

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 14-inch, 1080p contact show is crispy, bright, and moderately brilliant. I loved looking at movies at the unit; the display screen makes it a perfect little computer to binge-watch your favourite presentations and do a little photograph and video enhancing.

I watched the primary episode of season two of Loki on Disney Plus, and Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of the pasty-hued god of mischief is at all times a hoot. You’ll be able to see the panic in Loki’s eyes as he’s time slipping during the TVA.

Additionally, seeing my outdated good friend Eugene Cordero reprise his function as Casey is a brilliant pleasure. The Flex 5i did a very good process reproducing the episode’s sepia tone and yellow-hued imagery. Additionally, particular results had been solidly saturated. 

The show did a stupendous process with the monochrome imagery of the Meg Thee Stallion “Her” video. I discovered the contact side of the show to paintings flawlessly and simply needed they’d incorporated a stylus in order that I may take complete benefit of the function.

Whilst enhancing a video in LumaFusion, I discovered the show beautiful color-accurate, and the revel in was once very clean. I will be able to upload that camping the show and looking at content material this manner is a pleasant function.

I used to be stunned to be informed that the Flex 5i lined a disappointing 46.5% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut throughout our checking out, beneath the 64.8% Chromebook reasonable. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 led our workforce with 76%, adopted by way of the Chromebook Plus 515’s ranking of 43.4%  

Our Flex 5i produced 306 nits of brightness throughout our checking out, which put it beneath the Chromebook reasonable of 435 nits. The Spin 714 scored 389 nits, and the Chromebook Plus 515 averaged 271 nits.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus audio

No budget-friendly computer shall be a growth field, however the IdeaPad Flex 5i holds its personal, offering cast, transparent audio with hints of intensity. I may pay attention it throughout my tiny studio condominium and whilst on video calls. 

There may be now not a lot bass to talk of as I listened to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Her.” The mid-range tones ruled the monitor, however you’ll obviously discern the home music-inspired baseline. If you are a significant audiophile, I recommend the use of a couple of headphones for a greater audio revel in.

The mic array at the Flex 5i does a very good process that specialize in your voice whilst the use of Google’s AI-enhanced audio controls to stay out background noise on all sides of a dialog. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus keyboard and touchpad

The backlit Chiclet-style keyboard is a pleasure to sort on. Lenovo does keyboards proper, and the only at the Flex is clicky, tremendous responsive, with superb bounciness.

I took the 10fastfingers typing take a look at and scored 88 phrases according to minute with an accuracy ranking of 93%, which is healthier than my conventional 85 wpm and 88% accuracy. 

The two.8 x 4.8-inch touchpad is spacious, responsive, and correct when navigating internet sites or paperwork. It carried out smartly once I used two-finger gestures.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus efficiency

With a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB eMMC, and built-in Intel UHD Graphics operating the light-weight, AI-infused Chrome OS, the Lenovo Flex 5i’s efficiency is spunky with near-instant boot occasions. The Flex 5 confronted no factor once I had 35 Google Chrome tabs opened with 5 1080p movies taking part in. I labored on paperwork in Google Doctors with none lag or sputtering efficiency.

The IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus additionally advantages from the AI infusion in content material advent and enhancing. I may speedily edit footage in Adobe PhotoShop and move them alongside to the Adobe Ingenious on-line suite, the place I enhanced them additional the use of Adobe’s FireFly AI. It was once an relaxing revel in. I will be able to discover extra at some point.

I additionally edited a brief 4K video the use of LumaFusion, and it was once shockingly rapid and simple to make use of. Despite the fact that it would possibly not but have the entire gear of Davini Unravel, and I’ve but to discover it absolutely, I used to be in a position to briefly lower up and edit the pictures after which reserve it to my Google Force. After that, I performed Famous person Struggle on GeForce Now, and it was once a substantial amount of a laugh as I loved flawless, lag-free gameplay.

All the way through Geekbench 6, a man-made general efficiency take a look at, the Flex 5i registered 5,384, scoring above the 5,259 Chromebook reasonable. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 led our workforce (Core i5-1335U), scoring 6,335, adopted by way of the 515 (Intel Core i3-1215U), which tallied 5,052. 

The IdeaPad Flex 5i examined smartly throughout our Jetstream 2.0 benchmark, hitting 272.91, above the Chromebook reasonable of 231.1. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 led our workforce, scoring 275.37, adopted by way of the Spin 714, which scored a cast 250.18 on this benchmark. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus battery lifestyles

Chromebooks are identified for battery lifestyles, and our Flex 5i fell a tad wanting the Chromebook reasonable of 9 hours and 50 mins, lasting 9 hours and 43 mins throughout our checking out, which is composed of continuing internet browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits. I skilled between 11 and 12 hours of battery lifestyles throughout intermittent use this previous week, however take that with a grain of salt.  

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 led our workforce at 12:43, adopted by way of the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 at 8:21.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus warmth

The Flex 5i stayed cool all through my utilization and our checking out. All the way through our warmth take a look at, which is composed of operating a fullscreen HD video for quarter-hour, the touchpad measured 75.5 levels Fahrenheit, whilst the distance between the G and H keys measured 82 levels. The computer’s backside reached 89.5 levels, beneath the 95-degree convenience threshold. I by no means heard the lovers come on throughout my time with the Flex 5i.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus webcam

The IdeaPad Flex 5i has an FHD 1080p webcam, which produces superb footage and movies, absolutely using Google’s AI. Whilst the use of Google Meet, I seemed flawless, and in truth, it is one of the crucial higher integrated webcam studies, with the webcam generating very best pores and skin tones and shade accuracy. You’ll be able to now get entry to Google’s AI gear for video and footage, like Magic Eraser. You’re going to in finding that you’ll fine-tune your video and improve the lights briefly.

My daughter commented that I seemed transparent, incredible, and nearly 3-dimensional. Alternatively, I think she was once buttering me up sooner than she requested me to Venmo her some cash. This being my 2d webcam revel in with a Chromebook Plus, I firmly consider superb cam efficiency shall be conventional and liked. 

However, if you wish to bump issues as much as 4k, I might imagine looking at our highest exterior webcams web page.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus tool and guaranty

Chrome OS has received recognition and will also be discovered within the industry international with endeavor make stronger. Chrome OS and Google Workspace are claiming marketplace proportion within the industry and schooling sectors. Due to Google’s clever use of AI, ChromeOS is changing into a viable choice for content material creators. I by no means concept I might write that, however right here we’re, which is incredible. 

Chrome OS has been a cast choice for customers on the cheap, scholars, or mild productiveness customers. With the addition of AI, you’ll now briefly and easily edit footage and movies. It’s game-changing when you find yourself a tender writer on a good price range to have get entry to to an inexpensive device. 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus comes with a 1-year guaranty. You’ll be able to see how Lenovo fared on our annual particular experiences: Tech Strengthen Showdown and Very best and Worst Manufacturers. 

Base line

Google and its OEM companions like Lenovo are replacing the inexpensive computer panorama with gadgets just like the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus and leveraging the efficiency of Google’s AI-enhanced ChromeOS to pack a substantial amount of efficiency right into a sub-$ $500 instrument. All the way through my couple of minutes with the IdeaPad Flex 5i, I driven paperwork, edited blended media, and gamed until I wished a snooze. 

If you are a tender content material writer on the cheap or a small industry proprietor, you need to succeed in so much with a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus and get monetary savings to buy different issues you wish to have to additional yourselves. Sure, it is at its highest when hooked up to the web, however how incessantly are you now not? We’re getting a small peek into the way forward for Chromebooks, and the longer term appears to be like terrific, and so do the financial savings. This Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an inexpensive choice shoppers will have to take significantly.