A convertible that won't break the bank

So you want a Chromebook but you’re worried it’s not powerful enough? Chrome OS is not as capable as Windows or macOS, but that’s okay. As long as the software provides a compelling user experience and caters to all your needs, it doesn’t need to be objectively the most powerful laptop. Having found a niche—pretty much anyone who doesn’t eat RAM for breakfast—Chromebooks have exploded in popularity and thankfully there’s a ton of options from which to choose, even if you’re looking for a non-traditional form factor.

If you’re looking for a powerful 2-in-1 Chromebook, Lenovo’s Chromebook Flex 5 is a solid option at $549. It’s slightly expensive as far as Chromebooks are concerned, but it’s got plenty of power and zippy storage, has a great keyboard, and is light enough to be used on the go.

The Lenovo Flex Chromebook is a zippy laptop that's well-suited for entertainment and work, especially if you're entrenched in Google's ecosystem of products and services.

There’s no metal to touch here, but that’s not a deal-breaker. Either way, Lenovo has done a fine job with the soft-touch plastic chassis, which feels lush to the touch. However, it does catch fingerprints over time and doesn’t offer any appreciable grip. There’s Chromebook branding along with a small Lenovo metal plate on the lid, whereas the bottom of the laptop looks rather industrial with eight very visible screws. But once you flip open the lid, the story is quite familiar.

Similar to most 2-in-1s, the Flex 5i’s display has a huge bezel at the bottom, and even the ones on the other sides aren’t particularly slim. There is a slight wobble when you change the angle of the display, but it stands sturdy while typing. The IPS panel has an FHD resolution (1920x1080) and the brightness is rated at 250 nits—unsurprisingly, the text is barely legible in direct sunlight. Unfortunately, the display also suffers from backlight bleeding around almost the entire periphery. This isn’t as visible in brighter environments, though. The accompanying, upwards-facing dual speaker setup gets loud but the sound loses depth at louder volumes.

I didn’t face any major issues with the microphone while taking Zoom calls on the laptop, but if you care about how you look on these calls, the Flex 5i will make you buy a real webcam. The 720p camera is wholly average in daylight and a straight-up potato in low light — it’s a good thing Lenovo offers a built-in webcam shutter.

The Flex 5i doesn’t include biometrics of any kind, but it does have a power button and a volume rocker on the right-hand side. As for ports, you get Type-C and Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left, and a Type-C port (can also be used for charging) on the right. I sure missed the HDMI port when I picked my laptop to play a movie on my projector, though.

It’s worth noting that despite being a 2-in-1, the Flex 5i isn’t very heavy at 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg). Since it charges via a Type-C port, you could probably even share your phone’s charger with it — less stuff to carry around!

The Abyss Blue colored laptop is contrasted with grey keys that are tactile and sturdy; the experience is definitely better than that on the M1 MacBook Air that I use most of the time. The keyboard is backlit and the intensity can be controlled to (Alt + brightness up/down key)

Another peeve I have with the keyboard is standard on Chromebooks: the CAPS LOCK key has been replaced by a search button. Having a search button is not a bad idea, but I’m not ready to hold down the shift key for when I want to write a few capitalized words. The top row is a Chromebook standard, too. It’s populated with browser shortcuts, system gestures, brightness and volume controls, and a power button.

The trackpad is one aspect of the laptop where it seems like Lenovo cut some corners. The surface has more friction than it should, making it feel weird to swipe your fingers across. It’s not easy to click too and gestures go unnoticed at times. I find it annoying to use this Chromebook without my Anywhere 3 Bluetooth mouse. The small overall footprint of the trackpad also doesn’t help its cause.

The Flex 5i can... flex when it comes to performance; it boasts of the Intel Core i3-1115G4 with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 128GB of PCIe SSD — one of the smoother Chrome OS experiences out there. There's a lower-end variant with 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage as well.

Here are a few benchmark numbers for context:

If we talk about real-world performance, the Flex 5i didn’t sputter even with 25 Chrome tabs, music playing on Spotify, and a couple of Android apps open. It did get warm in such scenarios, but it never became unusable. Heavy Linux apps should even run fine — it won’t disappoint your performance needs.

The touchscreen makes it extremely easy to use Android apps that otherwise aren’t suitable to use with a trackpad and a keyboard. The presence of an SSD — not a common sight on Chromebooks — keeps things working really smooth. Apps launch quickly and data transfer speeds to my external SSD are a breeze!

My experience with Chrome OS on this notebook has been just what I expected. It handles 80% of my work really well, and then just falls apart when it comes to the other 20% — this mainly revolves around third-party app support. I rely on Lightroom for my editing workflow, and a bunch of popular apps that I need for my coursework at university just aren’t there. Granted there are ways to run Windows apps on Chromebooks, but none of them are straightforward or reliable.

Beyond the lacking third-party app support, Chrome OS has been a breeze. Everything from the setup process to the user interface was extremely easy to get used to. The dock provides familiarity with traditional desktop OSs whereas the app drawer reminds you of core Android elements. The search shortcut on the keyboard, which works like Universal Search on macOS, makes it easier to find files, and; I still contest replacing the CAPS LOCK key for this.

Besides the fact that you’re using a myriad of Google services, Chrome OS makes the Flex 5i a secure laptop and its updates take place automatically in the background — that’s a big deal if you’re coming from Windows.

I really liked how well the latest versions of Chrome OS work with Android phones, especially the Pixel 6. The Flex 5i can instantly tether to mobile internet, show and respond to notifications, and even silence the phone when needed. Even better, I can also use Nearby Share to wirelessly share files across devices. The experience isn’t close to what you’d get with a MacBook and an iPhone, but it’s worth appreciating.

The Flex 5i isn’t an endurance runner but it lasted me an average of 8-9 hours between charges. Lenovo includes a 45W Type-C charger in the box with a USB Type-C cable.

Maybe. If you’ve long accepted the quirks of Chrome OS and still need some power and flexibility for your workflow, the Flex 5i should surely be on your list. It even doubles up as a decent way to consume content and play mobile games.

The only real pain points for me were the so-so display and the iffy trackpad. They aren’t necessarily deal-breakers, but a little more work here would’ve made the Flex 5i a lot more appealing; even a fingerprint sensor, a better camera, and even an HDMI port for that matter.

The version with the 11th gen Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD costs $569 (on sale for $437 at the time of writing) which isn’t bad. However, don’t forget to take a look at the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which is our current favorite Chromebook in this segment.

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Prasham has been writing about technology since 2015 and has regretted not sharing affiliate links with those who have asked for his recommendations. Oh, he was also an urban farmer once, but you better not ask him what crops he was growing. He is currently a freelance writer and focuses on how-tos, guides, reviews, and editorials at Android Police.