Customer Ratings & Reviews

I like this Chromebook Plus a lot. This is my first Chromebook, so I can't compare how well the Chromebook Plus performs vs Chromebooks. Pros: It boots up quickly and has nice features. The keys are backlit and feel good when typing on them. I appreciate the touchscreen and ability to turn it into a tablet when needed. The laptop is easy to set up and use. So far I have been able to use the laptop heavily for maybe 4 to 5 hours until needing to charge it. Cons: When opening the laptop the bottom of the screen bumps against the table. I've seen other laptops do this too. The Lenovo 7i laptops and newer are much smoother and don't do this. Another point is that sometimes the touchpad goes awry and seems like it's lagging. I like to browse with many tabs open, so I usually restart and make sure I don't have too many things (especially more demanding websites) open to resolve this.

I love this laptop however there are some software/applications not compatible with Chromebook so beware if purchasing and hoping to use with a certain software/application it might not be compatible. Also I have experienced internet connectivity issues which other laptop users have not. Similarly the connectivity to printers using WiFi has been shoddy and I have to restart my computer and the printer using specific steps to connect again. Other than that it's pretty great and user friendly for simple everyday work.

...and I do. The keyboard is quiet, the track pad works great--far better than a 7 year old HP Spectre 2 in 1 that it will replace. The screen is bright enough for my indoor use and HD sharp. I also like the 16:10 display ratio. The touch screen is also very responsive. Everything works quickly and web browsing is snappy, but it is new and uncluttered. Only time will tell how it fares with use. I had to replace the old HP because the battery died and it cannot be updated to Windows 11. So far, it looks like I can edit WORD doc.x documents via Google DOCS (within some limits). I had occasional glitches with the virtual and physical keyboards freezing, but that seems better recently. I don’t play any action video games, but I noticed the fan runs much of the time while running a simple game like Sudoku!?! With word processing the fan runs intermittently on low speed. I think Intel Core i3’s run hot so that may be the reason. I expected a learning curve transitioning from a Windows PC, but due to the simplified keyboard on a chromebook, there are a lot of new keyboard shortcuts to learn to make up for fewer keys. I like a 5 button wireless mouse, but was unable to customize all the buttons even after enabling developer options. Maybe a new mouse designed for Chrome OS would be fine. The dimmable lighted keys are a nice feature that require a simple keyboard shortcut to adjust. The speakers in this chromebook sound decent but don’t play very loud. However, they are fine for a quiet environment. This chromebook is heavier than many, but I don’t carry it for extended periods. The case is bulkier than many modern offerings, but I still think it is attractive. The bottom also looks simple to remove in case of future servicing. If I can adjust to Chrome OS, tune out the fan noise, and learn enough keyboard shortcuts, it may be a keeper.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is a true gem in the world of 2-in-1 laptops. With its sleek design, powerful performance, and versatility, it offers a well-rounded experience for both work and entertainment. Design: The Flex 5i boasts a stylish and modern design, with its slim and lightweight build. The 360-degree hinge allows for seamless transition between laptop and tablet modes, making it perfect for on-the-go productivity or leisurely browsing. The sturdy construction and premium materials give it a premium feel. Display: The 14-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display on the Flex 5i delivers vibrant colors and sharp details. Whether you're editing photos, watching movies, or browsing the web, the display offers an immersive viewing experience with wide viewing angles. Performance: Powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors, the Flex 5i delivers impressive performance. With up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage, multitasking and storage are a breeze. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics provide smooth visuals for casual gaming and multimedia tasks. Keyboard and Touchpad: The backlit keyboard on the Flex 5i offers a comfortable typing experience, with well-spaced keys and good key travel. The touchpad is responsive and supports multitouch gestures, allowing for precise navigation and control. Battery Life: The Ideapad Flex 5i excels in terms of battery life, offering up to 10 hours of usage on a single charge. This makes it an ideal companion for long work sessions or entertainment on the go, without the need to constantly search for a power outlet. Connectivity: The Flex 5i comes equipped with a variety of ports, including USB Type-C, USB 3.1, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Additionally, it features Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 for fast and reliable wireless connectivity. Software and Features: Lenovo provides a suite of useful software and features, including Lenovo Vantage for system optimization and control, as well as a fingerprint reader for secure login. The inclusion of a webcam privacy shutter adds an extra layer of privacy protection. Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is a well-balanced 2-in-1 laptop that offers a versatile experience with its sleek design, powerful performance, and long battery life. Whether you're a student, professional, or casual user, the Flex 5i is sure to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

This chrome book is awesome, its fast, has long battery life,display is high end quality,sturdy and compact,with the 360 feature it can convert to tablet, I only have 1 glitch/complaint, the sound quality isn't great, I downloaded a volume booster app and now its perfect, over all I highly recommend has Intel i3, large 8GB ram etc its a lot of bang for the buck, highly recommend.

The only real negative: Every time the Chromebook is shut down it resets the display brightness level down to only about 70% brightness on battery power. And this is problematic because the screen is only 300 nits. 300 nits is pretty decent. 70% of 300 nits not so much. Anyway…. I can’t find any setting to change this behavior. A google search result from 2021 gave me hope that I could fix things by using some hidden “chrome flags” settings. But those specific flag settings apparently no longer exist. And a search result from 2022 indicates this is intentional behavior from Google. I could be wrong, but I suspect all other current chromebooks being sold also do this??? Anyway…. I know lower brightness will increase battery run time, but it’s kind of lame that Google thinks they know what’s best for me. It’s not a safety issue like seat belts in cars. Give me the choice to set max brightness as a default! For what it’s worth, I don’t think the computer has any kind of ambient light sensor. At least not one that increases or decreases brightness automatically. I tested it by using the laptop in the bathroom. **But not on the toilet! ;-) ** The bathroom allowed me to test the display in complete darkness and also under very high brightness. Not a once did I notice the display screen brightness go up or down. On the plus side, the screen does apparently default to a higher level of brightness when plugged in to power. Not 100% max. But maybe 85% or 90%. Positives: I was pleased to discover that charging can be done by plugging into either the left side or right side USB-C port. Prior to buying it I thought it only did the left since that’s where the charging icon was located. But it charges on both like most laptops do these days. Sound is decent enough. Keyboard feels good enough and I like the backlight. Mousepad I have no complaints. Bluetooth mouse pairs and works good. And I was pleased to see the printer settings carried over from a previous chromebook. (Chromebooks have always been a pain to set up printers ever since Cloud Print was shut down. But maybe Chromebooks are getting better here?) Personally, I like the looks of this Lenovo. The cover when shut has a two-tone gray color that varies slightly how it looks depending a bit on the angle it’s viewed from. I like that the Lenovo label is on the right side of the keyboard part rather than centered near the bottom of the screen. Build quality is fine. It’s a nice plastic. (Maybe decorative aluminum cover? Not sure). Feels fairly solid. And I liked the look of this over the similarly priced HP Chromebook that was also on sale. Though that one looks nice, too. I also choose this over the Asus CM3401FF Chromebook Plus that is also at Best Buy. (I actually ordered that one initially before cancelling.) Anyway… The Asus has a nice screen, too. But the Asus shape overall is maybe a little boxier and heavier than this Lenovo. This Lenovo has an i3-1315U intel processor. It’s very fast for a chromebook. Additionally, it is apparently quite a bit faster than the AMD Ryzen processor found in the Asus chromebook I almost bought. I was looking at the website nanoreview to compare processors. They didn’t specifically have the Asus chromebook’s Ryzen 7320C, but they did have the 7230U which from what I’ve read is basically the non-chromebook version of the 7320C. Is that true? I don’t know for sure, but I read they were about the same somewhere. Long story short. If the 7320C and 7320U are indeed essentially the same, then that means the i3-1315 in the Lenovo is faster than the 7320C in the Asus I also liked. Finally, this is not my first time with a chromebook. It’s actually my mom’s. I got her going with chromebooks because they’re supposedly a lot harder to get viruses on. And they basically update instantly with no long wait for updates like Windows does, which is a good fit for my mom’s use case. She basically wanted something that she wouldn’t use for normal web everyday browsing. She needed something that was reserved only for occasional stuff like banking. Probably not a bad idea. My parents have managed to get viruses on Windows computers. (Not the fake popups that say you have viruses when you really don’t, but real viruses some of which were a major pain to remove.) Anyway… the previous Chromebook I set her up with was a Samsung Chromebook Plus. I paid too much ($500) and got “scroogled” because Google only supported that model for 5 years of security updates. Unlike some other older chromebooks, Google did not extend it’s AUE date. So it’s expired now even though it is otherwise still functional. At least this Lenovo is set to get security updates until June 2032 according to the “about” settings on the Lenovo I bought. So despite my criticism of my inability to find a way to default to max brightness, I do recommend this computer. On sale at $379 it is within an acceptable price range, IMO. I won’t ever spend $500 on a Chromebook again. I wish it were $300, to be honest. I could’ve spent less, and maybe should’ve spent less and purchased the Asus, instead, which was $300 when I made my purchase, but this Lenovo chromebook is nice enough I’m OK with paying slightly more. Finally, the description on Best Buy’s website says this is 2K. I’m guessing they mean 2K display? If so, they’re wrong. It is closer to 1080p, but still very detailed.

This is my first Chromebook and I'm pretty happy. I paid around $330 before tax and for around the $300 price point you can't go wrong. The Chromebook is snappy, the screen is crisp and the battery life is above average. It gets me through a day but I would like to see a bit better life on this Chromebook but for $330 I am pretty happy.

So far the hardware has been great, especially for the price. That said, it's running Chrome, which for me has a decent amount of shortfalls (no fault for this hardware, it's a limit for the software all Chromebooks are). The Android apps all work well expanding this beyond a basic Chromebook. It's way heavy than the Apple hardware I use all day for work, but feels well built and not plasticy. One thing I hadn't thought about was when this is in tablet mode, the keyboard on on the back, making bothin holding it or placing it flat on a ssurface awkward vs say an iPad. Battery life is great so far. All said, for a Chromebook this is far and away better than anything my kids schools are sending home.

The IdeaPad Flex 5I has been around in a few different variations for a while, and now it's been re-branded as part of the new "Chromebook Plus" initiative from Google and various OEM partners (HP, ASUS, ACER, perhaps more). If you're not familiar with what "Chromebook Plus" means, it's simply a way to easily tell if a Chromebook meets certain minimum specs, such as Ram, processor, storage and webcam resolution. It also nets you some cool offers from the partner channel (three months free adobe photoshop on the web, for example) and some great Google upgrades such a AI assisted Google Photos, etc. Note that most "High End" Chromebooks will get these features as well. If you're interested in learning more about Chromebook Plus and what all it entails, I would highly suggest checking out Google's page on it or visiting a review group like Chrome Unboxed on the web or youtube as they's covered it extensively. So then, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus - it's one of the more expensive options and there are some really great options here from Acer, ASUS and HP, but this is the one I picked and I'll explain why I did, and ultimately why I decided to stick with it. First, I simply like the way it looks. For $500 or less, I'm not expecting it to be the most slim thing but I do feel like the Macbook AIR is the king of laptop design aesthetic (my opinion only). This one comes close enough for the price point. It looks great on a desk with the two-tone grey and the brushed logo is a cool touch. This is a minor thing, but it does matter to me. the features I like from an aesthetics perspective: the speakers are up-firing and I like their placement on the sides of the keyboard. The keyboard keys match the look and are backlit in a professional way. the trackpad looks good, feels responsive and isn't cluttered by buttons that aren't needed. The side buttons for power and volume are a nice touch as well. Ports: I'll not regurgitate the spec sheet but I will say that I like that we get USB-C on both sides for charging, a headphone jack and a micro-sd card slot. Keyboard: To expand on the look of the keybaord, typing on it is good. It's not as good as the Macbook, but for half the price I don't expect it to be. However, I don't dislike typing on it and it does what a keyboard should do: make me not really think about it. It's not a bad typing experience so I can use it quite a bit and never think about it at all, and that's a win in my book. Processor, Memory: I have no problems with speed on this. While i'm sure you can bog it down and kill it with man tabs, for browsing/google docs/O365 work etc this hasn't let me down. The i3 and 8 GB Ram combo is a winner as all "Chromebook Plus" devices should be. The Screen: This is a big draw for me. One place a lot of OEMs save money is the screen. With Chromebook Plus, the screen has to be *at least* 1080p and 300 nits of brightness. This screen, while not top of the line by any means, goes a bit above that. The *Default* resolution is 1536 x 960, however the *Native* resolution is 1920 x 1200. Max resolution is 2194 x 1371. However, it's important to note that this is a 14 inch screen and the Native resolution might be a bit difficult to read on. For this reason I've kept the default resolution as my setting. Even at this setting the graphics you'll see are crisp and clear. PPI count must be decent though I admit I don't know the actual spec for it. Media consumption through this device at any resolution is good. Not mind blowing, but not awful. Better than just "fine" or "adequate". Games, be they Andoid, Geforce Now or Xbox Cloud, looks great on this screen. Pair a controller and it's a joy to play. As the name indicates this device does fold back on itself to go into a tablet type mode and I'm sure you could even use a stylus with it (Lenovo sell on on their website). I'm not super interested in that so I can't speak much about it. I mentioned that I'd explain why I kept this laptop. I'll admit I did consider returning it. The's a good deal at another retailer on a white Asus going on right now, and I was tempted. However ultimately, I decided to stick with the Lenovo (and write this review) for three reasons: 1. While the ASUS in white looks phenomenal, I don't like how the trackpad looks nore the shape of the device itself. It feels so much more "bulky" to me. 2. The ASUS keyboard feels "different". Not worse, just different but in a way I'm not happy about (but you may be, suggest checking out the Phantom Blue version here at best buy first). 3. The chassis flexes a little too much for me to be happy. The Lenovo feels much more sturdy. So that's really my take on this device. It's a solid device that I'm happy with and I would recommended it. There are cheaper options but for the core of what you get I feel like the Lenovo should be considered, but you can feel good that you're getting a good piece of kit with any of the Chromebook Plus devices honestly. One last thing of note about Best Buy: I do prefer to buy these things at Best Buy. I mentioned another retailer had a screaming deal on the White Version of the ASUS. I am a "Total Member Plus" or whatever it's called now so my devices are automatically covered by the best buy warranty through that. While it is unlikely I will experience any need to use that warranty on a device like this it just seems silly to me to purchase from anywhere else. So even with the "screaming" deal on the ASUS, if I had decided to ditch the Lenovo and go for the ASUS I would have stuck with the Blue Asus for this reason alone. Regardless, if you're not a member and you're someone who likes having the piece of mind of the local warranty, I highly recommend the program.

[Employee of bestbuy] Good value at regular price but at a sale price of $350 this thing is hard to pass up. Nice display at 16:10 ratio means more vertical space compared to other models at 16:9. The display is also fairly accurate and not washed out compared to cheap laptops that hp sells. Typically lenovo is known to have quiet speakers but these are upward firing and pretty loud. Trackpad and keyboard are solid. This model will get 10 years of updates from Google if you keep it that long. If your use case is internet, email, and YouTube this thing is great. The fans only really kick on with video content. Bonus is it works well with android, you can reply to messages and toggle your phone hotspot similar to how apple works. Cons: there's no extra options for logging in. You get a choice of smart lock which means you can unlock your android phone to unlock the computer or type in your pin. There's no face unlock or finger print reader.

Seems capable and a decent deal for the $379 price I paid on black friday, modern processor and decent screen, good functionality for common tasks and media consumption. I would not have paid full price, because at that point, I would have simply expanded my budget for something more powerful and bigger.

Good Chromebook Plus experience. Good keyboard. Good upward firing sound (not super-loud but loud enough and clear). Screen is better than average but the color is not as saturated and the brightness is not as significant as on some other machines. Battery life is acceptable (6 hours?), given the snappy power of the processor.

Overall this laptop is good value for the price as recommended by Wirecutter. I wish the camera could be changed to take pictures from behind the screen, instead of only facing me. The shutter closing the camera lens got stuck after about a year and cannot now be closed. Otherwise, dependable and does everything I need.

This a pretty nice Chromebook. The screen, build quality, and battery life are great. The one dislike I have is the speakers are not very loud.

Great touchscreen laptop that can be flipped around like a tablet. Long battery life, and quick to charge. Only complaint is the touchpad mouse is a little quirky to getting used to for scrolling.

Nice for the price on sale ! Using for only internet browsing, everything looks well with the 2k screen

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook is a versatile 2-in-1 that punches above its weight. Its 14-inch touchscreen and 13th Gen Intel power make multitasking seamless. While the battery life is average and the chassis is partly plastic, the responsive keyboard and crisp speakers offer exceptional value.

I never had a Chromebook. This model boots up in about 10 seconds, and can be "folded" to use it as a sort of IPad. It comes with a set of applications that cover most anything you'd want, and of course the Google play store has lots of options, I am very impressed. I am seriously considering making a Google Chromebook my primary machine. I am an apple fanboy, Considering the price ( I think I paid about $270 on sale.) it's a very inexexpensive way to expand as needed. I'm using it with Innocn dual 34 inch curved monitors, And that's an attractive setup.

Great portable option between a tablet and dedicated laptop. Able to download and run most Android apps, while still being large enough to comfortably take notes with (not included) stylus or update spreadsheets. Beware, MS office product apps don't work on the device, you have to access any Microsoft stuff online through a web browser only.

I needed to upgrade my laptop after my previous one had lived a very crazy life during my job as a special education teacher. Upgrading to this laptop was effortless and simple as soon as I logged into the google chrome system. It seems to have a good battery life and I have had no issue using the video and microphone features for my work or video conferencing. Very happy with my purchase and the lovely people at the Best Buy in Albany, NY for helping me out!