Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus assessment: Hitting that sweetspot

I’ve used dozens of Chromebooks through the years, together with price range machines, high-end fashions, and even a gaming Chromebook. As somebody who works from dwelling, I’ve discovered there’s a lot to love about Chromebooks.

Chromebooks should not solely far more inexpensive than equally spec’d Home windows machines or MacBooks, however additionally they are typically extra secure due to the simplified nature of Chrome OS. After I heard concerning the new Chromebook Plus initiative, it piqued my curiosity. After about two weeks of utilizing Lenovo’s new Chromebook Plus, I wished to share my impressions on this quick Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus assessment.

The Flex 5i is powered by a thirteenth gen Intel Core i3-1315U with Intel UHD graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. It additionally incorporates a first rate vary of ports for a Chromebook, together with two USB-C ports, a single legacy USB port, and a microSD slot.

Moreover, it sports activities a 14-inch Full HD touchscreen IPS panel that appears nice, though it falls a bit quick on brightness for my liking. It capabilities completely indoors however would possibly battle in brighter circumstances. The 16:10 ratio additionally takes a bit to get used to, however it additionally makes you’re feeling just like the display screen is even greater.

Whereas I used the 1080p webcam just a few instances throughout my testing, I discovered it to be a big enchancment over the usual 720p cameras discovered on most Chromebooks. I additionally appreciated the presence of OS-level digicam controls for options like blur, noise discount, and extra.

Concerning the battery, Lenovo claims it may possibly present as much as 10 hours of battery life. This declare largely matched my expertise, though it drained noticeably quicker when dealing with extra demanding duties like Android and Linux gaming. Nonetheless, I constantly obtained not less than eight hours of battery life, and on someday of comparatively modest use, I managed to get a full 11 hours earlier than it ran out.

Among the best issues about Chromebooks is how shortly you will get began. Turning on the laptop computer for the primary time took simply ten seconds. As soon as I entered my Google Account, I used to be greeted with the primary desktop, and every thing was just about able to go. This not solely included lots of the Android apps I had put in on earlier Chromebooks, however it additionally carried over all my core Chrome browser settings from my important (Home windows) laptop computer. Certain, I needed to enter just a few passwords right here and there, however the level is that the setup was useless easy.

To be truthful, this has all the time been a energy of the Chrome OS platform, particularly with higher-end {hardware}. Nonetheless, I used to be impressed by how nicely the Flex 5i carried out, contemplating its $500 worth.

Whereas my ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a superb machine, it typically struggles to deal with various dozen Chrome tabs with out some noticeable stuttering when operating it in decrease energy mode off the charger. I wished to see how the Flex 5i in contrast, so I loaded up each work-related tab I might consider.

I reached over forty tabs, and but it was nonetheless comparatively easy crusing. I even hopped into Fb and some gaming apps with out an excessive amount of slowdown. That mentioned, I seen it began to warmth up a bit, however not uncomfortably. It additionally remained comparatively quiet, regardless of the workload.

After some time, I forgot I used to be on a Chromebook, as this inexpensive machine flawlessly dealt with internet searching, WordPress, Adobe Specific, and all the opposite instruments I wanted to do my job and not using a single hiccup. Total, the expertise was simply pretty much as good as any higher-end Home windows machine when it got here to web-based actions.

In case you want one thing for high-end gaming and different demanding duties like video modifying, Chromebooks nonetheless can’t sustain. Nevertheless, I discovered Adobe’s on-line instruments had been good for fundamental photograph modifying and different associated duties. It additionally dealt with fundamental Google Play video games and even some Steam video games with out a lot difficulty, which I’ll get to a bit extra later.

I used to be additionally pleasantly stunned at the way it carried out in comparison with many higher-end Chromebooks on the market. Late final yr, I had just a few weeks with the Acer Chromebook 516GE, one of many first gaming Chromebooks, and I’ve to say that the expertise right here was practically pretty much as good for non-gaming duties.

The Flex 5i was simply as speedy as Acer’s 516GE for Chrome searching and even appeared to load Android apps quicker. It’s additionally about $150 cheaper. Certain, you don’t get as excessive a decision show, and also you’re lacking the RGB lighting, however you do get a sexy machine that appears fairly high-end regardless of its plastic development and a stable keyboard, even when the keys are a bit shallow for my style.

One vital benefit of the Flex 5i is its 2-in-1 design, which was fairly helpful.

The Flex 5i boots into Chrome’s pill interface as quickly as you flip the hinge even a bit of. Whereas I nonetheless want Android tablets, the interface was straightforward to make use of and ran Google Play apps surprisingly nicely. I examined a number of video games like Name of Obligation Cellular and Minecraft, in addition to all my favourite social apps, streaming apps, and just about each app I exploit recurrently on my cellphone. Some labored a bit higher than others, however, for essentially the most half, the expertise was akin to that of an Android pill.

I need to admit that it is a massive and considerably heavy laptop computer, so it won’t be appropriate as a pill for everybody. The simplest manner to make use of it this fashion is to maintain the keyboard partially folded out, turning it right into a makeshift kickstand. I usually discovered myself watching streaming reveals or searching the net on my mattress on this method. I not often folded the machine utterly flat, although I let my children mess around with it a bit of, and that mode appeared extra pure to them.

One small gripe is the dearth of an included stylus. Whereas the Lenovo Flex 5i absolutely helps USI pen enter, it doesn’t include one. Then once more, this isn’t a function everybody will use. In case you don’t see your self utilizing it for drawing or taking notes, you in all probability received’t thoughts.

Whereas the Flex 5i isn’t an ideal pill alternative, it handles the job admirably, and I cherished having the 2-in-1 design as an choice for conditions the place I didn’t wish to use the machine in its default clamshell place.

As I mentioned, it is a nice system out of the field, however it may be even higher in case you’re a tinkerer like me. Switching to the beta channel, I was in a position to set up Steam, in addition to a number of Linux purposes. As you would possibly count on, there have been some hiccups. I examined a few dozen random Linux apps and a few simply plain refused to run correctly, however the overwhelming majority carried out as you’d count on. The identical goes for Steam.

When you received’t have the ability to deal with each Steam sport with out difficulty, I discovered many older and fewer demanding video games ran simply high quality. In whole, I examined out about twelve Steam video games, all of which had been older, and just a few formally optimized for Linux. Simply bear in mind you may have restricted cupboard space, so that you’ll should uninstall video games you aren’t utilizing to make room for extra.

Of all of the titles I examined, a few third refused to run utterly, whereas one other third ran with extraordinarily sluggish body charges. Video games like Grim Daybreak and Metropolis Skylines had been two examples of titles that performed surprisingly nicely, although the latter title did require some tweaking within the settings earlier than it could play properly. Simply bear in mind that Steam video games can take for much longer to load as they’ve to put in just a few workarounds to make them play properly with Chrome OS’s Linux core.

I definitely wouldn’t exchange my gaming laptop computer with the Flex 5i, however it’s good to know you’ll be able to play “actual” non-mobile video games with the machine.

Other than Steam video games and Linux apps, you can too get sport streaming platforms like Xbox Recreation Cross up and operating with minimal hoops to leap via. I performed Starfield and some different video games and located the expertise labored simply as you’d count on.

In case you’re on the lookout for an ideal web-based productiveness machine that may double as a makeshift Chromebook pill, you’ll be able to’t go incorrect with the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i. Sure, there are Chromebooks on the market with much more energy on paper, however the precise efficiency is so shut I sincerely suppose this would possibly simply be the candy spot for Chromebook specs.

Not solely does it run practically in addition to Chromebooks that value a whole bunch extra, however it even offers many Home windows machines a run for his or her cash — so long as you perceive that you just’ll be restricted to web-based apps and Google Play apps out of the field.