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    Did you miss the new Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 at CES 2020?

    Kevin TofelBy Updated:3 Comments2 Mins Read

    With all of the hype about the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook yesterday, it was easy to overlook a new 2-in-1 from the same company: the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, which starts at $360 when it launches in June.

    This is a 13.3-inch 1080p convertible with an included pressure-sensitive stylus that can be configured with up to a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. Given that the base model comes with 32 GB of storage, I suspect the chip powering that configuration is either a Celeron or a Pentium but I’ll swing by Lenovo’s CES booth to find out.

    Aside from the stylus support, a first for Lenovo’s Chromebooks, the company says this is also the first 13-inch Chromebook with “intelligent built-in user-facing dual stereo speakers”. It will be difficult to test the sound quality on the show floor, but I like the speaker placement alongside the keyboard.

    Here’s a rundown on the specs as provided by Lenovo:

    CPUUp to 10th-Gen Intel Core i5
    GPUIntel Integrated Graphics
    Display13.3-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS
    touchscreen, 300 nits
    Memory4 GB / 8 GB DDR4
    Storage32GB / 64GB eMMC or
    128GB SSD, microSD slot for expansion
    ConnectivityWiFi 6 (Note: No mention of Bluetooth
    but I suspect it’s there)
    InputWater-resistant, backlit keyboard, multitouch
    trackpad, 720p webcam
    PortsTwo USB Type-C (3.1), one USB Type-A (3.1),
    headphone jack
    BatteryClaimed run-time of up to 10 hours
    Weight2.97 pounds
    SoftwareChrome OS automatic software update
    expiration: TBD

    The chassis is plastic while the top lid is aluminum. Considering that and a $360 starting price, this is an entry-level to mid-range device although with options you can certainly make it more powerful. I like the fact that if you want more and faster local storage, a true SSD option will be available.

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    After spending 15 years in IT at Fortune 100 companies, Kevin turned a hobby into a career and began covering mobile technology in 2003. He writes daily on the industry and has co-hosted the weekly MobileTechRoundup podcast since 2006. His writing has appeared in print (The New York Times, PC Magazine and PC World) and he has been featured on NBC News in Philadelphia.

    3 Comments

    1. James Eriksen on

      Heard anything more on this? My ASUS C302 is having problems, looks like a good replacement, but I don’t know if I was to wait until June.

    2. Freddell on

      32 GB is not sufficient.. I cant download Chrome recovery image. I cant install Google play store due to space constraints in my Chromebook 14e. I don’t have a single item stored on the disk. Lenovo needs to get their act together and Google needs to let users use the card slot for disk expansion.

      • Kevin C. Tofel on

        So I can’t speak to Lenovo’s design decisions, but Chrome OS and no data stored locally should only take 4-6 GB or so. You can also use an SD card or USB flash drive to store data with a Chromebook. Additionally, you can download and use a Chrome OS recovery image on removable media as well. Cheers!