Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 Review

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is a powerful laptop that more than holds its own. The processing power of this $600 2-in-1 convertible laptop is superior to that of several rivals that cost more than twice as much. It boasts a good port selection, a strong, attractive chassis, and a pleasant typing experience. The Flex 5 is a fantastic mainstream laptop at a very low price, despite minor flaws (such as a dim 14-inch display and a few extra grams of weight).

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Specs

PROS

• High-Performance Computing Capability
• Unbeatable price
• Supple and sturdy chassis
• The screen is touch-enabled.
• Anonymizing a webcam
• Two USB Type-A connections

CONS

• Quite hefty for a laptop with a 14-inch screen
• 250 cd/m2 brightness

Design

Lenovo is an established brand in the laptop market, and its 2-in-1 convertibles have been popular for some time. Lenovo’s Yoga line of products is instantly recognizable for its stylish appearance. Lenovo’s Flex 5 is a cheap 2-in-1 laptop designed to extend the benefits of the Yoga series to a wider audience. First, let’s talk about the colour scheme. The only colour option for the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is graphite grey. Simply looking at this shade gives off an air of sophistication and high quality.

The front has a metallic coating and a soft touch surface; the Lenovo logo is a little metal emblem on the upper right; the remainder of the front is unadorned. When you open the laptop up, you’ll find a 14-inch display, keyboard, trackpad, and two speakers up front. The fingerprint reader is located just under the keyboard. The machine’s hinge can rotate 360 degrees and is made of robust metal. The laptop is tiny and light, with a weight of only 1.5 kilograms and a width of just 17.9 millimetres. While we agree this is a lightweight laptop, we find it cumbersome to hold and use as a tablet. Therefore, I recommend using it in tent mode.

Ports

The IdeaPad Flex 5 has an impressive array of connections for a laptop in its price range. Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and a complete SD card reader are on the right edge, both becoming rare on modern laptops. The laptop’s power port, HDMI port, USB Type-C input, and 3.5mm headphone jack are on the left side. Although there is an AC connector, the accompanying charger must be used to power the laptop. A USB-C hub is recommended if you use the laptop’s charging USB-C port for anything else.

Display

The 14-inch 1080p screen initially appeared to have good brightness and contrast. Then I tried using it outside, where not even the brightest screen settings made anything legible.

The new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer featured bright, vivid greens on the digital screens in Times Square and among the vegetation in parks, but the reds in Spider-Man’s suit showed out only when he was the only person in the frame. The Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game trailer had slightly better color coverage; the blues and purples looked vivid and alive, but the reds and oranges were still muted.

This is to be expected, as the display only covers 45% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is significantly lower than the mainstream average of 68.9% and lower yet than the Yoga C740 (79%), the Spin 3 (63%), and the Envy x360 13 (77%). Despite the low-light issues, I found the touchscreen rather pleasant on this device. The screen is so responsive and easy to use that I hardly use the trackpad when browsing the web anymore. I wish Lenovo had thought to include a pen with this computer. Before long, fingerprints and smudges had me reaching for a handkerchief.

Typewriter with Trackpad

I was prepared to have my rhythm disrupted by a shallower keyboard, as I generally use a mechanical keyboard for day-to-day tasks. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that the Flex 5 provided a very pleasant typing experience.

The keyboard was shallower than I’m used to, but I could feel a satisfying click as each key was depressed. It took more effort to adjust to the keyboard’s reduced size than anything else. This review was written in part by testing out 10fastfingers at regular intervals. My average speed on my Corsair Strafe keyboard is 50 words per minute, but I increased that to 64 words per minute while maintaining 91% accuracy. The touchpad has a plasticky texture, but it was still quite easy to navigate with my fingertips. The touchpad was just as responsive as the touchscreen, and the right and left clicks had a satisfyingly firm feel.

Performance

The Lenovo Flex 5 excels in this regard because it is designed to provide reliable performance over an extended period. It is noticeably superior to its Intel equivalents. And whether you’re using it for work or entertainment, the Lenovo Flex 5 won’t let you down. The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor inside the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 makes it one of India’s most reasonably priced laptops to feature a Ryzen 5 4000 series chipset. It’s a six-core CPU that can turbo up to 4GHz from its initial 2.3GHz.

The integrated AMD Radeon R5 graphics processing unit is adequate for low to moderate loads. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 has 8GB of Solder-down DDR4-3200Mhz RAM installed. On the other hand, it can use as much as 16GB of RAM. In addition, it has a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD with no room for expansion. Everyday use of the laptop was a pleasant experience. There was never any delay or freezing of the screen. I used at least 15 Chrome tabs simultaneously to do things like use Google Docs and Sheets and the Slack app, do light photo editing, attend a few online meetings, and watch online films. These tasks went off without a hitch on my Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5.

FAQs

Is the display a touchscreen, and can it be used in tablet mode?

Yes, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 features a touchscreen display, and it can be folded 360 degrees to use in tablet mode or various other configurations, making it a 2-in-1 laptop.

What are the available ports and connectivity options?

The laptop usually comes with a variety of ports, including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and an audio jack. It may also have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

How is the build quality and design of the laptop?

The IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is designed to be a versatile and lightweight 2-in-1 laptop with a 360-degree hinge, allowing for multiple usage modes. The build quality is typically decent but may vary between models.

What is the battery life like?

Battery life can vary depending on usage, but it’s usually in the range of 8-10 hours on a full charge. Keep in mind that actual battery life can differ based on usage patterns.

Is it good for gaming or intensive tasks?

The IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is not designed for heavy gaming or resource-intensive tasks. It’s more suitable for everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption.

Does it have a backlit keyboard?

Many models of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 come with a backlit keyboard, which is useful for typing in low-light conditions.

Is it compatible with a digital pen or stylus?

Some versions of the IdeaPad Flex 5 14 are compatible with an active pen or stylus for note-taking and drawing. However, this feature may not be available in all models, so check the specific product details.

What is the price range for the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14?

The price can vary depending on the configuration and any ongoing promotions. It typically falls within the mid-range category, offering good value for its features.

Where can I find support and drivers for this laptop?

Lenovo provides support, drivers, and manuals for their products on their official website. You can visit the Lenovo website for the most up-to-date information and support resources for your specific model.