The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook is a pretty solid convertible laptop, it feels really flexible in day to day use and the battery life is honestly quite good but , we still kind of wish it had more storage choices. Still, it brings decent performance, a slick looking design, and a comfortable keyboard, for a price that seems fair enough.
The Lenovo Flex 5i is basically the convertible take on our favorite IdeaPad 5i, and it gives Chromebook fans a more affordable 2-in-1 layout to work with. In here you get a 1080p screen that can rotate a full 360 degrees, a fairly capable 11th Gen Intel chip, and a large battery, though the whole thing comes in a somewhat thin, flimsy kind of build. It goes up against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 , and other Chromebooks that sit under $500.
Honestly, this device stands out as a good all-round option, it packs several nice parts for a very reasonable cost. Along with that Intel CPU, the main thing you notice right away is the 13-inch touchscreen. You get Full HD clarity at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and an IPS panel style. And since it’s a “Flex” model, the display is supposed to sit within the IdeaPad frame thanks to a complete 360-degree hinge, so it can be used in full tablet mode too.
At this price point, something comes up, and as reviewed, the most obvious downside is the meager 64GB of storage. It shouldn’t have a big impact on performance since you’ll be running most of your tasks on browser tabs, but if you need to download a lot of files, that can be limited. In that case, you can get an external hard drive to store most of your files, but the 8GB RAM provides a good level for running most day-to-day tasks.
In previous iterations of the IdeaPad Flex 5, we had issues with average battery life and overheating, but with the Flex 5i, it seems the issues have been resolved. Now, offering long battery life and improved cooling, nothing can hold back the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook.
Specifications
Vocational College laptop class
Display 13.3-inch IPS LCD, 1,920 x 1,080
11th Gen Intel Core i3 Processor
Smash 8GB LPDDR4x
Storage 64GB
720p Webcam, Privacy Shade
Dimensions 12.2 x 8.43 x 0.67 inches
Weight 2.97 pounds
Color Abyss Blue
Design
The IdeaPad Flex 5i 13 uses the same kind of look as the previous model, with aluminum on the lid for a more solid feel. The rest of the chassis is made from a mix of polycarbonate and polymer, but it still feels solid—like, even stiffer than some high-end laptops that use magnesium alloys to keep the weight down. Compared to the affordable and fairly bendable Asus VivoBook Flip 14 which uses plastic in the chassis and aluminum alloy lining on the lid, the Lenovo Flex 5i feels more luxurious.
The Flex 5i 13’s hinge also feels good and is flexible enough to open with one hand, but then gets a bit stiff when it reaches an upright position to hold in place in a clamshell, tent, or vehicle mode. Overall, the build quality of this IdeaPad exceeds its budget price.
The 2-in-1 keeps that Abyss Blue vibe, with just a little chrome showing up in the Lenovo logo on the lid and keyboard deck, kind of catching up with the whole minimalist thing Lenovo has been using across its low to mid-range designs. The Asus VivoBook Flip 14 feels a bit more provocative in how it looks, but that doesn’t automatically make it look better than the Flex 5, or so it seems.
Like its predecessor, the IdeaPad Flex 5i 13 gives off this impression that it’s larger than it really is. Its screen bezels stay thin along the sides but they get noticeably chunky at the top and bottom. So, you end up with more visible space than it probably needs, in practice. It’s also pretty svelte at 0.67 inches, and fairly light around 2.97 pounds, while the comparable Asus VivoBook Flip 14 lands at 0.72 inches and 3.31 pounds.
The ports are excellent, honestly. You get two USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 ports that handle Power Delivery 3.0 and Display Port 1.4, one on each side, plus a USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 port on the left. The Flex 5i additionally throws in a microSD card slot, and a combined headphone/microphone jack that sits along the left edge. On the right edge you’ll find the power button, a volume switch, and a Kensington lock, all there.
Screen
On the Flex 5i, Lenovo really doesent feel like it’s trying to push any boundaries when it comes to picking the display panel. The Chromebooks in this lineup basically come with a standard screen that gets the job done, without trying to set itself apart too much from the competition. You get a 13.3 inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and yeah, both of those are pretty common in mid range Chromebooks.
Now, the screen is large enough to work on, and the overall brightness is decent for watching video. Still, I would’ve liked something a bit taller, like that 16:10 display on the MSI Creator Z16, or even the Apple MacBook Pro.
Lenovo sticks with the typical Full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, the same one you’ll see on most monitors in this category. For everyday stuff it’s more than ideal, since text looks crisp on web pages, and documents and spreadsheets stay readable, even if you’re dealing with smaller fonts.
As for video, what you’ll find on the web and in streaming services is mostly good. But Full HD might not satisfy you if you’re doing heavier work, like editing photos or videos, especially when you need more detail.
Brightness is rated at 250 nits for the 13.3 inch IPS LCD, which is okay for this kind of device. It’s fine for indoor tasks and regular lighting, but outdoors it gets tougher, mainly because it’s harder to read when the sun is bright.
The colors look accurate and viewing angles are generous with a glossy finish, but it doesn’t come with annoying reflections or glare. Finally, it’s a touchscreen and supports 10-point multitouch – it responds to finger-based input and is used with the Stylus (sold separately).
Keyboard And Trackpad
The Flex 5i has a keyboard with a decent feel, and the deck is one of the best you’ll get on a Chromebook. The touchpad is also great. The keyboard is visually striking, it has black keys that complement the blue of the overall shade. The keyboard surface is concave, with the keys protruding just right against the polycarbonate surface.
The individual key sizes and shapes are exactly what you want from a laptop keyboard. More importantly, the key journey and the feedback are great. Also, the keys are backlit but the lighting underneath the keys could be brighter, which is still enough to ensure the keys are visible in any ambient light.
The trackpad has a good side too, but we’ve found it better on Chromebooks. The size is fine and it never feels like you’re moving the cursor around the screen. Lenovo uses mylar instead of glass, although it’s almost the same as glass. We love the real glass trackpad, especially at this price point. However, it still feels responsive and solid.
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook 13.3” Full HD 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop, Intel Core i3-1115G4, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel UHD Graphics, Chrome OS, Abyss Blue: Buy it now
2022 Lenovo Flex 5i 13.3″ FHD IPS Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook Laptop 11th Gen 2-Core Intel i3-1135G4 8GB DDR4 256GB NVMe SSD UHD Graphics USB-C Wi-Fi 6 Backlit Keyboard w/ RE 32GB USB Drive: Buy it now
Efficiency
For a device meant mostly for content consumption only, the Lenovo Flex 5i does what it needs to, really. With the mix of an Intel Core i3-1115G4 chip, 8GB RAM, and 64GB of storage, this Chromebook can feel smooth enough, within certain limits of course. Like, if you open a couple of browser tabs and then edit a text document, everything runs fine.
However, increase the number of tabs and run some image editing at the same time, and everything will stop in relative terms. Of course, having 8GB of RAM helps with everything, but it’s still limited to the number of complex tasks you can run on this Chromebook.
Given other metrics, performance is kind of a mixed bag, unsurprisingly, that fits the way this market is positioned. The 13.3-inch 1080p IPS display has good colors though it can be a bit brighter, if you know what i mean. The Flex 5i has speakers mounted on either side of the keyboard, they’re tuned by Waves Audio and somehow it comes across as a balanced sound. Also, the webcam is rated at 720p, and honestly that’s just not pixelated enough, but it looks fine anyway. It also includes a physical shutter that can cover the camera when you’re not using it.
Battery life
Lenovo says the Flex 5i will last more than 10 hours on a single charge. The company did not clarify whether those numbers apply to the Core i3 or i5 or the LCD or OLED variants of the machine. Either way, you don’t get those results. Flex will give you around nine hours of continuous run time and nine and a half hours in some cases. This should get most users through the work or school day, although it may not be enough if you find yourself working late into the night.
The included 47W charger plugs into one of the two USB-C ports and takes about three hours to fully charge the Flex 5i. Competing Chromebooks work much faster.
Identify
For the price, the Intel Core i3 version of the Lenovo Flex 5i (82M7000SUX) is a bargain with good performance. Competing in the sub-$500-$600 segment takes a lot and Lenovo has done its homework well. Many of the best Chromebooks dominate this space and competing properly in terms of specs, design, and day-to-day performance requires some industry experience to get things right.
To that end, I think Lenovo has done a great job and delivered a solid product in the Flex 5i. This Chromebook isn’t necessarily the best in any area, but overall, it’s a lot more than its price to deliver good performance. When it comes to memory loss, it has a display and battery life that matches most of the competition.
The keyboard, trackpad, and ports are all useful, and while the webcam would be better, the privacy shade is much appreciated, and the speakers the best possible. Perhaps one aspect that sets the Lenovo Flex 5i apart from its peers is its sleek design, with its attractive Abyss Blue color theme. The closest competitor is the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, and while this Samsung svelte can be configured with the same Full HD, Core i3, RAM, and better storage, its price tag would be too hot to deal with handle.
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.