Last week, at CES 2020, we had the unique opportunity to spend some hands-on time with Lenovo’s latest convertible Chromebook. The Chromebook Flex 5 joined the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook and the ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 as the first official devices to feature 10th Gen Intel Comet Lake processors. This is a big deal for the Chrome OS community as Comet Lake brings with it features such as WIFI 6, optional Thunderbolt support and a much-needed update to Bluetooth 5. All that combined with substantial performance boosts will make this generation of Chromebooks the most powerful Chrome OS machines to date.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 hands-on
While the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 doesn’t quite stand up to the ultra-premium Galaxy Chromebook or ASUS’ Flip C436, that’s okay: it doesn’t have to and that’s the beauty of this device. On the inside, you’ll get the same, powerful internals with up-to a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a very respectable 128GB of PCIe SSD storage. Here’s a closer look at what the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 has to offer.
- Chrome OS
- Up-to Intel Core i5-10210U processor
- Up-to 8GB DDR4 memory
- Up-to 128GB PCIe SSD
- 13.3″ FullHD IPS touch display @ 300 nits of brightness
- WIFI 6
- Bluetooth 5
- USI stylus compatible
- 2 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A, MicroSD and 3.5mm audio jack
- Upward firing dual speakers
- 360-degree form-factor
- 720P webcam with privacy shade
- spill-resistant keyboard
- Metal finish in Graphite Grey
- 2.97 lbs
- Starting price of $359
- Launching June 2020
Shop The Best Chromebooks of 2019 at Chrome Shop
At this point, it is unclear as to what specs the base $359 model will offer but I would not be surprised if we see something like a Pentium Gold 6405U paired with 4GB of RAM. It would be nice if Lenovo started at the Core i3 level and went up from there. That should put the maxed-out Core i5 version somewhere in the $600 range which would be phenomenal. This device is at least partially aluminum and feels quite premium in the hand. At just under 3 pounds, the Flex 5 doesn’t feel clunky and Lenovo has gone with a more squared-off design that gives it a sleeker look than previous models.
As much as we’ve fallen in love with the Galaxy Chromebook, we know that devices like the Flex 5 will be the big sellers as sales should put the Core i5 model in that sweet spot of around $400-$500. With flagship internals and many of the premium features that users are looking for, Lenovo has a winner on their hands and we’re looking forward to getting some more quality time with the Flex 5 so we can bring you a full review. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 will be available for purchase at some point in June and Lenovo has a good track record of on-time releases. We can expect to see the Chromebook at the usual outlets such as Best Buy, Amazon and Lenovo direct.
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