New Chromebooks from Lenovo: IdeaPad 5i and IdeaPad Flex 5i

Chinese computer and smartphone manufacturer Lenovo has unveiled new monitors and notebooks as well as two new Chromebooks, which come with Intel’s latest CPU and have an optional Full HD display.

Chromebook all-rounders

According to the manufacturer, the new Chromebooks are supposed to be real all-rounders, they are “affordable devices for the modern home office and the home classroom”. Lenovo has relied on modern technology for the components. Thus, there are potent Intel processors of the eleventh generation and bright Full HD panels. However, the latest wireless standards are only available in the higher configuration variants of the Chromebooks.

The processors start with an Intel Pentium Gold 7505, which works with two cores, four threads and a maximum of 3.5 GHz at 15 watts. If you want more cores and higher clock rates, there’s the Intel Core i3-1115G4 with 28 watts and four cores or Intel’s Core i5-1135G7 with 28 watts and a maximum of 4.1 GHz or 4.2 GHz. The Core i5 uses Intel Xe as the graphics card, while only “UHD Graphics” is mentioned for the Pentium and Core i3.

Depending on the individual configuration of the Chromebook, LPDDR4 is used for the working memory, which can be either 4 GB or 8 GB. In terms of memory, only SSDs are used in the new Chromebooks, which have volumes of 128 GB, 256 GB over 512 GB.

IPS or OLED panel

There is also some choice when it comes to the display, at least for selected markets there should then also be an OLED variant for the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i. In the basic configuration, the Chromebooks have a display that is not specified in more detail, which resolves in HD and displays 1,024 x 768 pixels. Those who want to spend a bit more can also opt for an IPS panel. This resolves in Full HD with 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, reaches a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m² and has a touch function.

Other features

On the connectivity side, the Chromebooks have three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, with a throughput of 5 Gbit/s. Two of these ports have a Type-C connector. Wireless connectivity is provided by a wireless module that supports the Wi-Fi 6 standard and Bluetooth 5.1 in the higher configuration. In addition, there is a microSD card reader and a combination port for microphones and audio. The integrated camera has a manual shutter to protect the user’s privacy.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i measures 310 × 214 × 17 mm (W × D × H), and the 13-inch display can be folded by 360 degrees. The weight starts at 1.35 kg, which can be a bit more depending on the configuration. The IdeaPad 5i measures 324 × 221 × 16.6 mm (W × D × H) with its 14 inches and weighs at least 1.42 kg.

Availabilities and prices

The two new Chromebooks are expected to be available in stores from October 2021. The IdeaPad 5i will be priced at 499 Euros and the IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook at 529 Euros. Apart from the many individual configuration options, both Chromebooks are available in the colors “Sand” and “Strom Grey” .