Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review
Introduction
For roughly ₹41,500, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is among the flagships from Lenovo in the Chromebook Plus series, pricing well and offering good value for money. This slim, modern Chromebook has been designed with strict hardware requirements by Google for the Chromebook Plus tier, promising enhanced performances and access to Google's AI-powered features.
Whether put to use with casual browsing, remote work, or educational purposes, the Flex 5i has a lot it can offer for its price.
Flipping the screen 360 degrees provides you with a versatile machine that can jump from a laptop to a tablet, and this 2-in-1 Chromebook makes sure to do that. Boasting a 14-inch touchscreen, known as an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, and an integration with Google AI features, the Flex 5i should give you a good working experience, according to Lenovo. But like all machines, it comes with pros and cons, of which we are going to see throughout this review.
In this review, we are going to discuss the general performance, display quality, and battery life, together with keyboard comfort. Let's also highlight some of the standouts and not-so-good points so that you will be able to decide whether or not this Chromebook is worth every penny of your investment.
Performance and Speed
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, powered by an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, gives rather decent performance for such a Chromebook within its respective price bracket. Although Chromebooks are never associated with high-speed computing, the Flex 5i does offer above-average performances, especially with everyday mundane tasks like browsing, video conference calls, and light cloud-based applications. It outperforms similarly priced Chromebooks, making it well-positioned in the middle of the market.
It beats most of its competitors in CPU-intensive tasks, as proven by benchmarking tests. For instance, in running the Geekbench 6, it posted a single-core score of 1845 and a multi-core of 5310, outpacing other Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Spin 314. With such sound performance, one is guaranteed to effortlessly handle multitasking, particularly when jumping between apps or juggling large browser sessions.
But let me remind you, for more serious applications or heavy multitasking, the Flex 5i will struggle a bit, though it easily managed all basic productivity with ease. It works best for users with light to moderate usage needs: students, remote workers, and casual users.
Display Quality
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus features a very bright and responsive 14-inch touchscreen display. The 1920x1200 resolution IPS panel gives crisp visuals with good color values, making it suitable for consuming media, creative work, and web browsing. For one thing, a 16:10 aspect ratio provides more screen real estate in the vertical direction. This is quite useful while going through or editing documents since much more content can be fitted without excessive scrolling.
Color accuracy and brightness are decent for this price range, considering it's a Chromebook. In display tests, the Flex 5i averaged 309.4 nits of brightness, which outpaces similar models such as the Acer Chromebook Spin 314. The sRGB color gamut coverage came in at 64.2% which is fairly good color reproduction, but probably not good enough if you're a professional working with photo editing or graphic design.
This display is very responsive to touch; add to that the capability of buying a stalus, and it's a great tool for taking notes, doodling, or even just moving applications around. One thing to note, though, is that a stylus does not come with the Lenovo Flex 5i, which is a bit of a drawback. If someone intends to use a Chromebook somewhat creatively, they may want to spend a little more money to invest in a separate USI stylus.
Keyboard and Usability
Lenovo isn't known for anything but comfortable keyboards, and the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus isn't an outlier. This Chromebook has a typing experience that's pretty easy and fluid with its spacious and responsive keys. The keyboard is designed so comfortably that students or professionals who spend hours drafting emails, writing reports, or taking notes will never feel discomfort.
The trackpad responds similarly well, offering a slick user experience. It's decently sized, making navigation through this laptop manageable, and the clicks feel solid and reassuringly reliable. As a whole, this makes typing and navigation comfortable for those who primarily use Google apps or write loads of documents.
Another great aspect to discuss about this gadget is its flexibility. It has a 360-degree hinge, making mode switching quite convenient: laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. Because of such flexibility, it could be a convenient device for users who prefer positioin varieties.
Ports and Connectivity
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is pretty well-equipped with regards to ports and connectivity-finding a balance between modern and legacy.
On either side, there is one functional USB-C port. These offer support for quick data transfer, charging, and external display connectivity, hence making them the future-proof solution for a large array of tasks. Be it connecting to a second monitor or charging your device, these USB-C ports provide flexibility and convenience.
In addition to the USB-C ports, the Flex 5i Chromebook features a USB-A port to ensure backward compatibility with older peripherals like keyboards, mice, or external hard drives-a welcome addition to users that may still need such accessories. This microSD card slot enables further expandability for such users who would want to increase their storage capacity effortlessly or transfer files from external cameras and smartphones.
Another good addition is a 3.5mm headphone jack for those users who love their wired headphones. In all, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus nails a good balance between choices of modern and traditional, with its selection of ports that make the device manageable for most use cases. While the selection is good, some may miss an HDMI port to easily connect the device to an external display.
Battery Life
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus runs averagely in terms of battery life-no spectacular stores. In real-world testing, the device lasted just under 8 hours on one full charge-a good result for the majority of casual users. On the other hand, it does feel a tad limiting for the heavy users-the ones who use their device the whole day, either working remotely or for hours of study in a row.
It would be alright for a regular day at work, provided one has breaks in between, but it may not last all day on one charge, especially if one did some power-consuming tasks such as streaming or multitasking with several apps running. In comparison, other Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 raise the upper limit as high as an extra 10 hours of battery life. This added juice could make all the difference to a user needing extreme longevity for travel or working in an environment where charging opportunities may be limited.
While that's good enough for light to moderate use, if you're a heavy user, you may find yourself having to keep a charger nearby if you want to keep working without interruption. All told, the battery life of the Flex 5i is serviceable but a bit brief for anyone seeking an all-day Chromebook experience.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a great choice for anyone who's shopping for a sturdy, yet affordable Chromebook. It is one of the better performance values out there, and its bright, responsive touchscreen ups the experience. Adding some versatility thanks to that 360-degree hinge, it is perfect for students, remote workers, and those who want a flexible, portable Chromebook in general.
With no bundled stylus and somewhat mediocre battery life, it's not the best option for some people. Still, it is a strong player in the Chromebook market, let's see. What's most interesting with regards to the Flex 5i is its value-for-money quotient, which is most definitely good to go with the people with the need for only moderate usage. With good all-round performance, excellent display, and comfortable keyboard, this is one heck of a productivity device.
FAQs
1. What is the price of Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus in India?
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is priced at around ₹41,500 in India. But since this is an estimated price, do note that the actual price could vary depending on which retailer you buy it from or any deals running at the time of purchase.
Some online retailers may offer competitive pricing compared to brick-and-mortar stores, while festive season sales or back-to-school promotions may be the best time to get even more value. Other retailers also offer bundle deals for things like external storage or extended warranties that can increase the overall cost.
While an estimated price for it would be ₹41,500, it is always a great idea to look for the deal that best suits one's needs, taking into consideration things such as shipping cost, delivery time, additional perks offered by the seller, such as extended support or a plan for payment.
2. Is the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus for Students?
In a nutshell, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is quite suitable for students-mostly those that need portability and efficiency in performing everyday tasks. Simultaneously, its light weight comes with robust construction and allows one to comfortably move around the campus or from class to class with it.
Moreover, the responsiveness of the touchscreen enhances productivity significantly-a lot of notes can be taken by students in no time, switching between web pages can be smooth, and working with some educational apps can be really easy.
It also runs on Chrome OS, which means quick and smooth going, especially when dealing with Google Workspace tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and Drive, which are huge in academic circles also. In addition, the battery life, being up to a maximum of 7 to 8 hours, will surely ensure that students can survive with the device through the day in class or in the library without having to look around for an AC power outlet. Price is appealing, and student-friendly features make the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus both decent and a serviceable choice for academics.
3. Does Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus have a pen?
Although there is no stylus in the box by default, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is USI 2.0-compatible, meaning that owners can purchase one separately to further extend the device's touchscreen functionality with ease. Moreover, this kind of flexibility allows users to adapt this device according to their needs if they require more precise writing or drawing tools for their applications, which may vary from note-taking to sketching and creative tasks.
USI 2.0 support in the Chromebook means extensive compatibility with third-party styluses for a wider variety of options to pass on to users for sale. There might be a rationale behind not including a stylus inside the box, and that could just be one of cost-cutting measures to keep the base price friendlier to the budget-conscious buyer. The addition of a stylus later is easy, and allows it to transform the Chromebook Plus into a more serious tool for professions, artists, or students who need real precision.
4. How long does the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus' battery last?
Depending on the kind of task that is being performed, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus runs a battery life that averages from 7 to 8 hours on a single charge. Generally used for simpler tasks, like web browsing and editing of documents for streaming, the common work or school day can get through on a single full charge without needing a recharge.
However, with more power-consuming activities, such as several apps running in the background, videoconferencing, or streaming high-definition content, battery life stands to decrease to the lower end of the range. Although that is fairly enough for most of the users, people on the go-for instance, travelers, or schoolchildren whose days stretch-are very likely to get somewhat limited with its battery life.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to always have a charger with you or acquire a portable power bank that will enable you to keep the gadget working throughout the day in case long use is expected.
5. Does Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus keep on multitasking?
Yes, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is amply fit for multitasking, more so with that Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, yielding enough juice to plow through daily tasks sans swagger-predictably, web browsing, streaming, and multiple Chrome tabs open simultaneously.
Switching between open apps like Google Doc or Sheets-to say, a video conferencing app-does not show any great slowdowns. While it's good to go with moderate multitasking, one can indeed expect that the Flex 5i runs into limitations when pushed to extreme tasks with more resource-intensive usage, resource-heavy apps, or tabs open at once, such as editing large media files or high-performance software.
For the average student, professional, or user, however, the Chromebook's capabilities are more than enough to execute daily tasks. If heavy multitasking is necessary, then users may look at a higher-or-different arrangement, or maybe even something more powerful.
