The keyboard is great with a good amount of travel and zero flex in the keyboard deck. Interestingly, Lenovo has added a fingerprint reader that works faster every time you use it to log in. The trackpad, on the other hand, could use some work; It's a bit fiddly and requires slightly different pressure to register a click depending on where I placed my finger.
Surprisingly, the IdeaPad Flex 5i's webcam is solid. It's a clear and crisp 1080p shooter that looks quite good in video calls, especially considering the price. It also has a built-in privacy shutter that you can easily close when not in use.
The overall build quality of the laptop is great. There's not a lot of flexibility in the chassis no matter where you apply pressure, which is always a good sign when you're dealing with a 2-in-1 where you can move the display back and forth on a regular basis. . It also feels quite dense, so its weighty appearance gives me confidence that it won't break even if it falls.
Unfortunately, one major drawback is its speakers. I was hopeful when I saw the pair of speaker cutouts rising up on the keyboard, but I was immediately disappointed when I pulled up a YouTube video. The sound quality is quite thin, making even the strongest tracks sound weak. You can easily solve this problem by using a pair wireless headphones Or earbudsBut still it is unfortunate.
limited windows
Perhaps the most puzzling decision with the IdeaPad Flex 5i is that Lenovo chose to ship it with Windows 11 in S mode. If you're unfamiliar, this version of Windows 11 only allows you to install apps directly from the Microsoft Store. Out of the box, you can't download and install anything from the Internet, which surprised me when I tried to install Google Chrome immediately upon booting the laptop for the first time.
However, you can do Easily exit S Mode, which permanently switches the OS to Windows 11 Home. Once you make the switch, you can install apps and programs from anywhere, even if it's technically less secure than staying tied to the Microsoft Store. It's a fairly simple process, but it's an annoying hurdle for those who don't know what they're doing.