Lenovo IdeaPad 2022 Lineup Flexes Windows 11 While M10 Keeps Android Simple
Lenovo seems to be using the 2022 Mobile World Congress as a launchpad for most of its 2022 products. The company's MWC 2022 launches so far include brand new Chromebooks, a new range of gaming notebooks, fresh convertible laptops that target both regular consumers and small businesses, and not to mention — a refreshed ThinkPad lineup.
In this article, we take a closer look at four new products Lenovo unveiled at MWC 2022. Three of these devices belong to Lenovo's consumer-centric IdeaPad lineup of Windows 11-powered notebooks. They include the IdeaPad Flex 5i and the IdeaPad Flex 5 — both of which happen to be convertible notebooks. The third IdeaPad product is the Duet 5i which boasts a detachable keyboard unit that can be added or removed whenever needed.
Another device we shall be looking at in this article is the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus, an Android-powered tablet currently in its third generation.
IdeaPad Flex 5 and Flex 5i
The key thing to understand about the Flex 5 and the Flex 5i is that they are basically the same products — but based on competing processors. If you haven't figured already, the 'i' in the Flex 5i hints at them being powered by Intel chips. The Flex 5, on the other hand, gets AMD processors.
Both products come in two screen sizes – 14-inch and 16-inch – with the Flex 5 exclusively using IPS LCD panels. The 14-inch variant of the IdeaPad Flex 5 supports up to 2.2K resolution (2240 x 1400 pixels) and has a peak brightness of 300 nits. The top variant of the 14-inch IdeaPad Flex 5i not only supports a higher resolution of 2.8K (2880 x 1800 pixels) but also happens to use an OLED panel and even has a higher peak brightness value of 400 nits. The rest of the Flex 5i series – including the 16-inch models – get IPS LCD panels.
Moving on to the 16-inch variants, both the Flex 5 and the Flex 5i – as mentioned before – use IPS LCD panels that top out at 2.5K resolution (2560 x 1600 pixels) in the 16:10 aspect ratio.
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Features common to the Flex 5 and the Flex 5i include
- 4GB/8GB/16GB LPDDR4x RAM
- 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
- Camera with privacy shutter
- Support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
Both products also get identical connectivity ports that include one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one HDMI 1.4 port, a 4-in1 card reader, and a single audio jack.
Processor options on the AMD-powered IdeaPad Flex 5 start with the AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, includes the Ryzen 5 5500 U, and top out with the Ryzen 7 5700U. As for the Intel-powered Flex 5i lineup, the four processor options on offer here include the Intel Pentium 8505, Intel Core i3-1215U, Core i7-1235U, and the Intel Core i7-1255U.
IdeaPad Duet 5i
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i is positioned as the most portable product in the IdeaPad lineup, and its USP is its detachable form factor. The Duet 5i can transform itself from a full-fledged notebook to a large screened tablet by detaching the removable keyboard.
There are four processor options available for the Duet 5i that start with the Intel Pentium 8505 — going up to the Intel Core i7-1255U at the other end of the spectrum. There is another i7 option that uses the Intel Core i7-1235U chip. The mid-tier variant of the IdeaPad Duet 5i gets the Intel Core i3-1215U processor.
The display used on the Duet 5i is a 12.35-inch IPS LCD panel with 2.5k (2560 x 1600 pixels) resolution and a peak brightness value of 450 notes. The product uses M.2 PCIe SSDs for storage, with storage capacities that start with 128GB, going up to 1TB on the top variant. The IdeaPad Duet 5i also supports up to 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM with 8GB and 4GB options also available.
Wired connectivity options are limited to two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports and a single audio jack. The product also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
Lenovo Tab M10 Plus
Next up, we have the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus, which is now in its third generation after being first released in 2019. This is a full-sized, 4G-ready tablet with a large 10.61-inch IPS LCD panel that supports 2000 x 1200 pixel resolution and up to 400 nits of peak brightness.
There are two variants of the Tab M10 Plus — one that uses a MediaTek chip and another that gets a Snapdragon processor. The first option comes powered by the MediaTek G80 chip and is sold in three RAM/Storage sub-variants — starting with an entry-level 3GB+32GB option, followed by a mid-tier 4GB+64GB variant, and a top tier 4GB+128GB variant. The second variant of the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor and is offered in 4GB+64GB, 4GB+128GB, and 6GB+128GB options. All the variants above – including the MediaTek powered models – support memory expansion using microSD cards.
The third-gen Lenovo Tab M10 Plus gets a 7700 mAh battery that supports 20W fast charging. The tablet does not, however, ship with a fast charger. The camera specs are just about average, with both the front and rear cameras using 8MP sensors. At launch, the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus ships with Android 12, which means you could expect the product to stay relevant for the next couple of years.
Pricing, Availability
Those interested in buying the 14-inch variant of the Intel-powered IdeaPad Flex 5i will need to shell out $619.99 for the base variant of the product starting May 2022. Prices for the AMD-powered 14-inch Flex 5 start at $689.99, with availability expected by May 2022.
The Intel-powered 16-inch Flex 5i will set you back by $899.99 for the base variant, while the AMD variant of the same will cost slightly lesser at $749.99. Like its 14-inch siblings, these shall also be available in May 2022.
You will need to wait till July 2022 for the IdeaPad Duet 5i to hit the shelves. This one has a starting price of $749.99. As for the third generation Lenovo Tab M10 Plus Android tablet, the pricing for this entry-level tablet starts at $189.99, with an expected June 22 availability.