Lenovo Flex 5G review: The first 5G notebook computer provides loopy battery life, as neatly as compromises

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The Lenovo Flex 5G is the first notebook computer capable of tapping into 5G networks—Verizon’s, in this case—and unleashing cellular accumulate speeds that would possibly maybe lumber away your Wi-Fi router within the dirt. Even better, the Flex 5G’s battery will last you all day, after which some.

The Flex’s loopy battery life comes at a mark, even supposing. This 14-disappear, 2-in-1 notebook computer ($1,400 at Verizon) guidelines the scales at almost three pounds, while its Snapdragon 8cx 5G CPU chugs in some unspecified time in the future of some day to day computing initiatives. We were lower than impressed with the Flex 5G’s shallow keyboard. At last, you’ll will deserve to private in mind Verizon’s gentle-sketchy 5G protection pickle (in fair 36 cities up to now), as neatly because the slew of competing 5G laptops which would possibly maybe perhaps be poised to lumber within the marketplace.

This review is piece of our ongoing roundup of essentially the most appealing laptops. Wander there for files on competing products and the blueprint we examined them.

Flex 5G Configuration

Lenovo provides a huge sort of Flex-branded 2-in-1 laptops, including 14- and 15-disappear fashions with 10th-gen Intel Core i3 and i5 Comet Lake CPUs. Nonetheless with its Snapdragon 8cx processor (formally is known as the Snapdragon 8cx 5G) and integrated 5G networking functionality, the Flex 5G stands by myself in Lenovo’s Flex lineup and has no 5G competitors—for the time being.

The Lenovo Flex 5G will pickle you aid $1,400, otherwise it’s most likely you’ll lumber alongside with Verizon’s two-300 and sixty five days, $58.33 installment plan. Besides the associated fee of the notebook computer itself, you’ll will deserve to private in mind Verizon’s 5G Extremely Wideband Linked Tool Opinion, which costs $30 per month with an existing line,or $90 per month without one.

The Flex 5G won’t be the one real 5G notebook computer for for a long way longer. A veritable avalanche of competitors used to be announced earlier this 300 and sixty five days, including 5G versions of the Dell Latitude 9510, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2, and Lenovo’s private ThinkPad X1 Fold, a foldable notebook computer that knocked our socks off in some unspecified time in the future of a fast palms-on this summer season. Extra no longer too long ago, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Book Flex 5G powered by Intel’s model-fresh 11th-gen CPU. Acer is prepping the 5G-capable Race 7, a 2-in-1 notebook computer working on the subsequent-technology version of the (already old-normal!) Snapdragon 8cx 5G that sits throughout the Lenovo Flex 5G.

So while the Lenovo Flex 5G currently stands as essentially the most appealing—and handiest—possibility for anyone who wants for a 5G notebook computer, customers can private many extra choices within the months forward. That reality by myself would possibly maybe perhaps gentle give these desirous in regards to the Flex 5G a moment of stay, except you the truth is, the truth is desire to be the first for your block to private one.

With that preamble out of the methodology, listed below are the specs for the Lenovo Flex 5G:

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G
• Reminiscence: 8GB LPDDR4X
• Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno 680
• Storage: 256GB UFS
• Demonstrate: 14-disappear 1920×1080 IPS touchscreen, rated at 400 nits’ brightness
• Webcam: 720p webcam
• Connectivity: Two SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (beforehand is known as USB 3.2 Gen 2) Form-C ports, one combo audio jack
• Networking: Verizon 5G (mmWave and sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
• Biometrics: IR facial recognition, fingerprint reader
• Battery means: 60 watt-hour
• Dimensions: 12.65 x 8.46 x 0.58 inches
• Weight: 3 pounds (measured), 3.6 with energy brick

While 5G is the headliner as a long way because the Flex 5G’s specs are fervent, let’s take care of one more vital parts first (we’ll private plenty to verbalize about 5G a runt of later), beginning with that Snapdragon chip.

Qualcomm’s Arm-based solely Snapdragon 8cx processor used to be before all the pieces achieve touted as a viable different to extra total X86-based solely Intel chips. It packed in roughly the comparable efficiency as Intel’s U-series Core i5 CPUs and delivered amazingly long battery life.

The reality is a runt extra complex. Our review of the Snapdragon 8cx-powered Samsung Galaxy Book S showed first rate results in multimedia and graphics efficiency (the latter courtesy of the 8cx’s Adreno 680 CPU), but disappointing ratings in photo enhancing and (crucially) day-to-day productivity. You’ll stare the vital parts in our Performance piece.

The 8cx’s Arm structure additionally has vital implications for the forms of Windows apps you are going to—and won’t—be ready to scuttle.

The 32-bit Windows programs encoded for X86 (because the overwhelming majority of Windows apps are) can scuttle on an Arm notebook computer on myth of of the magic of emulation, but 64-bit X86 apps can’t. While many of essentially the most traditional day-to-day programs—, Microsoft Spot of job, Edge, Google Chrome, and Firefox—end private 32-bit versions on hand, Adobe Ingenious Cloud is a necessary exception. Most AAA video games will most likely be out of the demand too, no longer that the 8cx’s integrated Adreno 680 graphics core would private a prayer of working any of them smoothly.

Sooner than making the soar to a Snapdragon-powered notebook computer fancy the Lenovo Flex 5G, be obvious your must-private programs—particularly the arcane ones, now to not point out your organization’s VPN—private both 32-bit X86 versions on hand, or 64-bit versions which would possibly maybe perhaps be compiled for Arm.

Transferring on from the CPU, the Lenovo Flex 5G’s 8GB of low-energy RAM is enough (even supposing 16GB would had been even better), as is the 256GB SSD (even supposing you’d be better off relegating media to the cloud). The 14-disappear plump-HD touchscreen guarantees to be slightly shiny, while the integrated Qualcomm Adreno 680 GPU would possibly maybe perhaps gentle provide a cramped boost over Intel’s competing UHD integrated graphics. While the Flex 5G’s cellular aid (including both the ultra-like a flash mmWave and slower but extra frequent sub-6GHz versions of 5G) grabs all the headlines, the notebook computer’s Wi-Fi 5 networking feels a tad within the aid of the cases because the fresh Wi-Fi 6 in style gains momentum.

Create

Groundbreaking even supposing it’s miles inclined to be from a cellular networking standpoint, the Lenovo Flex 5G’s create is otherwise acquainted.

Ben Patterson/IDG

From its pedestrian “iron gray” aluminum magnesium shell and almost featureless flat lid to the twin 2-in-1 hinges that rotate for tablet, kiosk, and tented tabletop expend, the Flex 5G cuts a slim, nondescript figure. There’s one refined innovation: a notch straight away above the webcam makes it more straightforward to pry the notebook computer open with your fingertips.

The Flex 5G does feel a runt of heavy for a 14-disappear notebook computer. Of path, that extra heft incorporates a 60 watt-hour battery, which (as we’ll stare in a runt) earns its achieve after which some.

Demonstrate

The Lenovo Flex 5G’s 14-disappear, plump-HD (1920×1080) demonstrate is pleasingly brilliant and shiny, with a specified maximum of 400 nits that used to be readable exterior beneath an umbrella on a sunny day. The touch-enabled demonstrate does private a sleek carry out, however, so glare would possibly maybe perhaps additionally be a teach in dispute sunlight.

Ben Patterson/IDG

Viewing angles on the Flex 5G’s IPS demonstrate are unsurprisingly sturdy, dimming handiest a runt of when viewed from off-heart vertical or horizontal angles.

The Flex 5G’s touch demonstrate reacted smoothly to my taps and swipes. A stylus is non-mandatory—it’s most likely you’ll also snap up the battery-powered Exciting Pen for $45 from Lenovo.

Keyboard, trackpad, audio system, and webcam

I’ll correct lower to the race here: I wasn’t a substantial fan of the Lenovo Flex 5G’s keyboard. The main caps themselves sit awfully low within the Flex 5G’s chassis, making the keyboard feel fancy it’s almost flat. Accelerate distance didn’t feel that colossal both. On the plus aspect, I did fancy the tactile, rubberized feel of the Flex’s interior surface, including the palmrest.

The Flex 5G’s touchpad did a nice job, scooting the cursor spherical with out a lower than jitter. The touchpad used to be additionally adept at rejecting wrong inputs: Even after I brushed my hands aid and forth on the trackpad’s surface, the cursor every so often budged.

Ben Patterson/IDG

The dual upfiring audio system on the Flex 5G sound reasonably correct, cranking out crisp, detailed sound, albeit with runt within the methodology of low-frequency response. The audio system on the Flex are optimized for Dolby Atmos, an audio structure that can ship immersive 3D audio from as few as two drivers. We’re seeing—and hearing—Atmos in additional and extra laptops and even smartphones (iOS has natively supported Dolby Atmos since 2016). The affect is impressive for a notebook computer, even supposing you’re gentle in total better off the usage of external audio system or a correct pair of cans.

The video produced by the Lenovo Flex 5G’s 720p webcam looks about as blotchy as you’d search files from, even supposing the Flex 5G’s video pictures hit upon a tad extra washed out and herky-jerky than the norm. The notebook computer does near with an IR digicam for facial recognition, which I dilapidated nearly solely—and fairly successfully—in some unspecified time in the future of my discovering out. The Flex additionally has a fingerprint reader if you’d slightly verify in to Windows with your fingertip.

Ports

The Lenovo Flex 5G comes with exactly two USB ports, and they’re both SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps Form-C connectors, positioned on the notebook computer’s left aspect.

Ben Patterson/IDG

On the simply aspect of the Flex 5G is the facility button, a combo audio jack, an airplane mode switch, and … that’s it.

Ben Patterson/IDG

So, what’s missing? USB Form-A ports for starters, so that you just’ll desire a USB-C hub (we private got some ideas) if you have to must make expend of the Flex 5G with a wired mouse or printer with legacy connectors. There’s additionally no memory card reader or HDMI port, even supposing it’s most likely you’ll also constantly connect a 4K video show to one in every of the USB-C ports in DisplayPort Alt mode.

Proceed discovering out for the Flex 5G’s benchmark results

• The Lenovo Flex 5G’s slicing-edge bandwidth is nice if you occur to can also gain it, given the brand new limits of 5G networks.. Its battery life is superior. Nonetheless its Snapdragon 8cx processor will employ you aid.

  Pros

  • Blisteringly like a flash 5G files speeds
  • Gleaming FHD demonstrate
  • Extremely long battery life
  • IR facial recognition and fingerprint reader

  Cons

  • Middling productivity efficiency
  • Little Verizon 5G protection
  • No USB Form-A ports
  • Shallow keyboard