[Review] Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 82M7004HUX: We're In Love!

Convertible laptops have become an excellent choice for students as well as average users, as they can easily find a low-cost 2-in-1 solution from the best-known brands in order to get things done efficiently everywhere they go.

That's the case with the highly popular 13.3'' convertible we're going to know in-depth in this review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 82M7004HUX. This lightweight convertible packs a crisp FHD IPS touchscreen, a comfy backlit keyboard, fast Core i3 processor, long-lasting battery, and a privacy shutter on the webcam for added security.

What's more, unlike most Chromebooks to hit the market which will typically deliver anywhere between 32 to 128 GB of storage, this model manages to stand out from the get go by featuring 256 GB. Giving users the best of both worlds.

But is this the convertible you've been looking for? That's what we're here to find out!

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i (82M7004HUX) boasts a stylish and premium Storm Blue chassis. Additionally, despite keeping a lightweight profile (weighing just 3 pounds) and measuring less than 1 inch, this Chromebook still manages to offer a quality build that once again sets it apart from the sea of low-cost low-quality Chromebooks that have been quick to flood the market. 

Moreover, its convertible design allows you to use it the way you want - in laptop, tablet, or tent mode-, so you can add even more versatility to your day-to-day routine without compromising on productivity. 

When it comes to the display, the model at hand delivers a 13.3 inch Full HD touchscreen IPS panel with narrow bezels to help you dive deeper into whatever you're doing. 

We're not going to lie, it's not the best panel in the world. However, considering the price point this Chromebook is serving, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option. 

The keyboard also offers us an unexpected surprise by featuring a backlight, something that's fairly rare both in the case of convertibles as well as when it comes to sub-450 dollar laptops as a whole. The keyboard in itself is nothing to write home about but it definitely gets the job done which is what we care about here.

Moving into the internal hardware, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is equipped with the Dual-Core 11th-Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, with four threads and a 6 MB SmartCache memory, reaching a burst frequency of 4.10 GHz on heavy loads. 

This processor delivers 1151 in the geekbench single core performance test and almost 2500 in the multi-core performance test. In laimans terms this means that it's roughly 20% less powerful than the 11th generation quad-core i5 processor. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

Unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 82HS00R9US which has just 4 GB of RAM, this convertible packs a decent 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM which will exceed your expectations -as stated by some customers- since it delivers excellent performance on everyday tasks (spreadsheet editing, web browsing, video calling, light photo editing, and many others) as long as they are not very demanding. 

Moreover, the Intel UHD Graphics GPU is powerful enough to allow light gaming from a vast catalog of Android games, and even smooth 4K multimedia streaming through a 4K monitor or TV.

Regarding storage, as we stated earlier in this review, it comes with a high-speed 256 GB SSD drive. That's double what we'll generally see on a Chromebook in a good case scenario. 

The IdeaPad Flex 5i comes with a decent selection of terrestrial ports, including a single full-sized USB-A 3.2 input port and two USB-C 3.2 ports, as well as a Micro SD card reader, and an audio jack for headphones.

However, if you're looking specifically for a convertible with a high-speed Thunderbolt port, fingerprint reader, and HDMI output, then the Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EA-AS34T could be a better choice. Though you would be giving up some storage capacity and you'd need to switch to Windows. 

As for the wireless connections, we've got Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 which is three times faster than the previous standard (Wi-Fi 5), meaning that you'll have reliable wireless connectivity when browsing the web, and streaming. 

Last but not least, there's an HD webcam on the top bezel with a privacy shutter that you can easily slide when you're not on a video call. This reminds us of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-347N we covered earlier this week.

When it comes to the battery life of the Lenovo IdeaPad 82M7004HUX, the built-in lithium polymer battery reaches the 10-hour mark of continuous web browsing and light work over Wi-Fi, which is outstanding since most convertible laptops don't offer the same results unless you're willing to fork over significantly more cash in the process.

Generally speaking, when reviewing laptop's the answer to this question is; "it depends". Few are the times when the answer is clearly a "YES". The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 82M7004HUX is one of those rare cases.

If you're looking for a convertible Chromebook then this is easily one of the best options in the market offering the best value for your money. It delivers a crisp Full HD display, a portable and lightweight design, top-notch performance for a Chromebook, extremely generous storage and a massive battery life.

There's just no way around it. If you're looking for a Chromebook then buy this one. 

Buy Now!