LENOVO IDEAPAD FLEX 5 15IIL05
Lenovo has chosen to coat the IdeaPad as a mixture of materials. The back of the display lid is made of aluminum while the remaining components are made of plastic. The entire case is gray. Both the bottom of the base unit and the back of the display have smooth surfaces, while the top of the base unit is slightly rubberized. The battery is built-in and the device does not offer a maintenance hatch.
The workmanship of the notebook is very good. The gap dimensions are regular and we did not notice any overhanging material. Unfortunately, the device is not quite as sturdy as we would have hoped. The base unit can be compressed on the right and left sides of the keyboard without a lot of pressure. Both the lid and the base unit can be warped considerably. The device should be a little more stable. Pressure on the back of the display does not cause the image to change. The hinges are tight and keep the lid in position but still enable users to open the device with one hand.
As with any 15.6-inch notebook, the footprint is quite big for a convertible. However, the laptop also weighs 1.80 kg and has a profile of 17.9-20.9mm. Ultimately, this would be a perfect combination for a conventional device, but for a 2-in-1 – it feels a bit on the heavy side. In terms of build materials, the lid cover is made out of aluminum, while the rest of the notebook comes in a plastic shell. It’s also worth mentioning that the base has some sort of a textured finish, which feels a bit grippy.
To no surprise, the lid doesn’t open with a single hand. Also, the hinges are not very stable in an upright position and you will have a hard time using the touchscreen like that. Thankfully, the display has a glass cover, which greatly increases the resistance to flex.
However, the base provides a very different experience. It twists, the keyboard deck bends and it generally feels soft. Nothing unexpected, though. As we mentioned, it is entirely made out of plastic. As for the keyboard, itself, it has comfortable feedback, but the key travel is a bit too short. On the bright side, it features a NumberPad section, as well as a fingerprint reader.
Beneath the keyboard, you will find the Mylar touchpad. This term means that the material used for the surface is made out of a plastic sheet, which has very similar properties to glass. This gives the touchpad very nice gliding, while the tracking is also decent.
Instead of having its speakers firing downwards, the Ideapad Flex 5 actually has its shooting towards the user. This leaves the bottom plate only home to the ventilation grill, while the hot air is exhausted from the back.
Ports
This notebook has its Power plug, HDMI 1.4b connector, USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an audio jack on the left, as well as two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1 port), and SD card reader on the right.
