The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ($499) is one of the company's first laptops to qualify for Google's Chromebook Plus tier, and it's a good productivity device for the price. If you're not familiar, laptops need to meet specific hardware requirements to qualify for the Chromebook Plus label, and in return they promise better than average (Chromebook) performance and guaranteed access to Google AI features. After using and reviewing the Flex 5i I can tell you that while Google's AI toys are fun to play around with, and you can do everything from generate text or wallpapers to quickly edit images with them, they quickly lose their luster.
After a few days of asking Google Gemini for recipes or pictures of cats, I got bored and forgot all about them. What doesn't get boring is the Flex 5i itself, which delivers good performance and a nice screen in a nondescript chassis that's easy to carry and comfy to type on. I wish the battery life was better, and a packed-in stylus would really help this affordable 2-in-1 pop, but even as it stands I think this is one of the best Chromebooks for most people who just need a cheap device to surf the web and get basic work done.
I'll walk you through the reasons why in this Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review. Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: Cheat sheet Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: Specs Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review: The ups The Lenovo Flex 5i IdeaPad Chromebook Plus is a cheap Chromebook that doesn't look or feel.