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The promise of Chromebook Plus is pretty simple
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Make devices that have all the necessary hardware to deliver a great all-around ChromeOS experience
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at a price that doesn't hurt too bad. And so far, every Chromebook Plus model that I've used for any amount of time has delivered on this promise
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So it should come as no surprise when I tell you that the Lenovo Flex 5I Chromebook Plus is fantastic, imperfect, but a very enjoyable Chromebook experience
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Let's talk about it. And before we get going, a quick apology for my voice
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I've been dealing with laryngitis. I've made my vocal cords bad, and they're not quick to forgive, apparently
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So I'm sorry, my voice sounds like this. I'm doing everything I can to make it go away, but we also don't want to stop making content
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and we don't want to stop getting through these Chromebook Plus reviews so that you guys can see them
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So bear with me through this, and this is a shorter review, so you won't have to listen to my
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scratchy throat too long. Early on, before Chromebook Plus was actually unveiled
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I was under the impression that the Slim 3i Chromebook from Lenovo wasn't just a soon-to-be Chromebook Plus model itself
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but it was also like an example of what Chromebook Plus would mean from a build quality standpoint
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I mean that device is like ultra rigid frame is just so impressive feeling And I really thought that was gonna be like a marker of Chromebook Plus quality Unfortunately the Slim 3i is a bit of a unicorn in that regard
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and overall build quality on Chromebook Plus devices is, well, fine. I mean, for the most part
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it's not bad, but it's not standout either, and that definitely applies to the Flex 5E here
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Like many other Chromebooks, the all-aluminum and glass lid feels really great, but it makes the
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plastic keyboard deck feel just average by comparison. There's only moderate flex in the bottom half of the chassis and all the seams come together very nicely
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So overall, I'd say the build quality is good, not great. It's not exceptional, but it's not a deal
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breaker either. But a big upgrade Lenovo included in this version of the Flex 5i is in the display
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department. Versus the older models of this Chromebook, this new 16 by 10, 14 inch
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1080p screen looks really great. It's bright at over 300 nits. And with reasonable size
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bezels all around, it really becomes one of the real highlights of the Flex 5i. Look, I always want to see
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400 Nits to really fawn over a screen, but this one is really good. And it's an important step up
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from the older 250 Nits 16 by 9 screens that Lenovo used to use on the Flex 5 series. Above that
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screen, you get the Chromebook Plus certified 1080P webcam with temporal noise reduction. And with the
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additional camera tricks provided by a Chromebook Plus like background blur an enhanced lighting correction you can actually get decent images and videos from this camera Like most Chromebooks it a small sensor so don expect like cinema quality or anything
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but it does look pretty good with decent lighting. And though the keyboard deck isn't as rigid as I'd prefer, the typing experience is still
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really good, and the spacious smooth trackpad performs just like you would expect
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If I'm going to be a little bit picky, I'd like the keys to be a bit firmer. There's like a little bit of wobble to the keycaps that makes the keyboard feel
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feel a bit loose, but I've been really fast and accurate on this keyframe, so I can't complain
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too much, and as always, having backlighting there is nice to have. And flanking that keyboard is a set
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of upward-facing stereo speakers that are quite good. The speakers in devices like the HPX-36014C
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do outclass this one a bit, but the sound from these speakers is full and loud. It's good enough for some
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YouTube content or like gaming here and there. Around the sides of the device, we also get a nice
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port selection, including two USB type C's, USB Type A, headphone, microphone jack, micro SD card slot
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and a Kensington lock. If I'm going to gripe a little bit, though, I would love to see a full-size
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HDMI port here so that I wouldn't have to get out a dongle or a dock whenever I'm at the desk
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But having USB Type C on each side and a decent docking station does take care of that
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And we almost don have to talk about the internals do we With Chromebook Plus you know it fast but I go over them anyway The Flex5i has has the Intel Core I3 1315U 8 gigs of RAM and 128 gigs of storage and that means things are fast and efficient
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At no point in my work did I ever run into any performance issues, and I'd imagine you probably won't either
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I mean, from general Chromebook tasks to multitasking to cloud gaming, this Chromebook, not surprisingly
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handled all of it with ease. And it can do all that while maintaining an 8 to 10 hour battery life
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I mean, there's just nothing to complain about here. And I think overall, that's the takeaway
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Yeah, some Chromebook Plus models are better than others, and I think this one is one of the best
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but all of them are great at the main Chromebook stuff, and that's where Google has done something pretty cool
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with this entire Chromebook Plus thing. We still have other models to review, of course
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but I feel like I'll be saying a lot of the same stuff with each of those reviews, and that's a good thing
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Now you just have to decide what size or what form factor you want, and you can know that if it's a Chromebook
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Plus, it's probably pretty good. But guys, that's it for this one. If you enjoyed this video, give us a thumbs up
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