At least that is the marketing for the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1, a 16-inch 2-in-1 PC with a focus on affordability. You can read on it like a tablet, watch Netflix in bed, and perform other tablet-like functions thanks to its touchscreen and 360-degree hinge. If it’s on sale, the price is comparable to that of a typical clamshell laptop.

The price narrative is disorganized. At the current sale price of $649, this laptop is OK; nevertheless, Lenovo’s suggested retail price of $1,099 is too high. It frequently appears to be on sale, which is how the PC market operates: When a laptop is regularly discounted, retail prices often seem to be set high to give the impression of greater value.

Specification

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1’s CPU is its best hardware feature. The Intel Core Ultra 7 255U CPU is fast for this class, and combining it with 16 GB of LPDDR5x-8000 RAM is a smart move. This is more CPU and faster RAM than you’d normally see in a PC in this class.

The rest of the hardware isn’t too impressive. The Intel graphics here are slow — far behind Intel’s more impressive Lunar Lake hardware and the graphics you’d find on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X-powered ARM PC. And the NPU here is too slow for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features, so all the talk about it “unlocking the power of AI” is mostly marketing.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 16IAL10 model number; Intel Core Ultra 7 255U CPU
Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5x-8000 RAM Graphics/GPU: Intel graphics
NPU: Intel AI Boost (up to 12 TOPS)
Display: 16-inch touch-screen 1920 x 1200 IPS display with a refresh rate of 60 Hz
512 GB PCIe Gen4 SSD for storage
1080p webcam
Connectivity: 2 USB Type-C (1 USB 5Gbps, 1 USB 10Gbps), 2 USB Type-A (USB 5Gbps), 1 HDMI 1.4b, 1 combination audio jack, and 1 microSD card reader
Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 for networking
Biometrics: Windows Hello’s IR camera
57 Watt-hours of battery capacity
Measurements: 14.02 x 10.03 x 0.72 inches
4.41 pounds in weight
MSRP as tested: $1,099

Design and build quality

The 16-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 features an aluminum top cover and a polycarbonate bottom. It’s a traditional laptop design that comes in Cosmic Blue or Luna Grey. The machine’s bulk and weight are the main issues. This is hardly the type of 2-in-1 device you would want to carry around, weighing 4.41 pounds and having a thickness of 0.72 inches. I can see it if you’re lying in bed with Netflix on your lap.

I understand if it’s flat on your desk. However, the 2-in-1 experience isn’t very portable. Apart from that, the build quality is decent but not “premium.” The hinge has a sturdy feel. Since the keyboard deck is made of plastic, it is not surprising that it will bend slightly when you press down on it.

Keyboard and trackpad

The full-size keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 features white illumination and a number pad. Although it is functional, the key travel seems shallow for a laptop that is only 0.72 inches thick. It reminds me of keyboards from computers that were thinner. It’s definitely not sharp, but I’m not sure if I would describe it as mushy. This is probably not the laptop I would suggest if you type a lot and a clear keyboard is vital to you.

For a 16-inch laptop with a keyboard deck this size, the trackpad seems a bit small, but it’s not too bad. It’s a mediocre trackpad. When I move my finger over it, it responds fairly well, but the click-down action is a bit noisy; I believe most people would like a quieter click.

Display and speakers

The 16-inch IPS display of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 features a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. That’s not too terrible for a 16-inch laptop that costs $649 on sale.

This device has a touchscreen because it is a 2-in-1 device. Although a pen is not included with this system, it does accept pen input. That is offered for sale individually.

At a maximum brightness of 300 nits, the display is extremely dim. Since the coating is glossy to permit the touch screen, that is a concern. This display lacks sufficient brightness to overcome reflections, making it extremely vulnerable to them. Reflections will be an issue in a brightly lit room (or, worse, outside). It’s not an issue with Netflix in a dark room.

Although I don’t usually worry about color fidelity in displays, artists frequently think about using 2-in-1 drawing equipment. It’s important to note that if you were working in graphic design, you wouldn’t want this kind of high-end display with precisely calibrated color accuracy.

Although the speakers are loud enough, the bass is almost nonexistent. They don’t sound very appealing. And in clamshell form, that is! The speakers on this 2-in-1 PC will fire away from you if you put it in tent mode. The speakers will be muffled if you place them in face-down mode. The surface beneath the PC will be the target of their fire. This device has the feel of a clamshell laptop with a 360-degree hinge added by Lenovo. It wasn’t intended to be a media 2-in-1.

Connectivity

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 feels like a low-cost notebook in terms of connectivity. Although this laptop has a good number of ports, its specs are not as good. There are no USB4 or Thunderbolt ports, and the HDMI port is HDMI 1.4b instead of HDMI 2.1.

This device features two USB Type-C connections, an HDMI port, and a combination audio jack on the left side. It has a microSD card reader and two USB Type-A connectors on the right side. You must always insert the charging wire into the left side of the laptop because it charges via USB Type-C. It would have been better to have USB Type-C ports on both sides.

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 are supported by the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1, which seems a bit outdated. Lenovo should do more in this area, as Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptops priced at $1,099 or less offer Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7. I’ve observed that more computers are using Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 6E.

Performance

The CPU performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is its strongest point. Considering everything else on this system, it does seem like Lenovo overspent on the CPU. Maybe Intel gave them a nice deal. The IdeaPad offers a quick experience when used on a daily desktop. We then launch Cinebench R20. This benchmark emphasizes total CPU performance and is highly multithreaded. Since it’s a fast benchmark, cooling over prolonged workloads is not an issue. However, CPUs with more cores have a significant advantage because it is highly multithreaded.

This device outperformed Intel Lunar Lake-powered devices like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 and the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 with a Cinebench R20 multi-threaded score of 4,787. Lunar Lake systems are capable of running Windows 11’s Copilot+ PC AI features and have significantly better performance and power efficiency. However, because Lunar Lake has fewer cores, they have trouble with multithreaded performance.

Additionally, we use Handbrake to do an encode. Although it has operated for a long time, this benchmark is also highly multithreaded. This causes the laptop’s cooling system to activate, and under load, many computers will throttle and slow down.

In 1,348 seconds, or around 22 and a half minutes, this machine finished the encoding operation. It’s a respectable outcome, but this device isn’t as fast as more expensive laptops; it’s only good for its class. We then perform a graphical benchmark. Even though this laptop isn’t meant for gaming, it’s still worthwhile to examine the GPU’s performance. We use 3Dmark Time Spy, a GPU performance-focused graphical benchmark.

The integrated Intel graphics here were unimpressive, with a 3DMark Time Spy score of 2,439. That’s unfortunate because it would increase the machine’s use for light gaming. Other Intel systems have not yet adopted the stunning Intel Arc graphics present in Lunar Lake computers.

All things considered, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 performed admirably for a $649 laptop, but it wasn’t what you would expect from a $1,099 laptop. Depending on how much you paid, you may or may not be satisfied.

Battery life

The battery capacity of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is 57 Watt-hours, which is relatively low. Although not really remarkable for a laptop in 2025, the battery life is adequate. We play a 4K version of Tears of Steel repeatedly on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself to test the battery life. For our battery benchmarks, we set the screen to 250 nits of brightness, which meant turning up the brightness significantly. Since local video playback is so effective, this is the best-case situation for any laptop; nevertheless, actual battery life in daily use will always be lower than this.

The average lifespan of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 was 619 minutes before it suspended itself. That is somewhat less than ten and a half hours. This machine currently weighs a lot, so adding a bigger battery would make it heavier, which is not ideal. However, a larger pack would offer this machine more endurance.

Many 2-in-1s can be used as drawing tablets because they are made to be lightweight, portable devices with a long battery life. This device has a respectable battery life, but it won’t last as long as contemporary 2-in-1s with Qualcomm Snapdragon X or Intel Lunar Lake CPUs.

Conclusion

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 laptop only makes sense if you understand that its MSRP of $1,099 is not its actual cost. That entire cost is absurd. For almost the same price as a standard 16-inch clamshell laptop, you can purchase a 16-inch 2-in-1 device with a 360-degree hinge for $649. If you purchase a pen separately, you can enjoy pen input in addition to the 2-in-1 experience.

However, this isn’t a 2-in-1 experience meant for artists who care about real color reproduction due to the display, weight, battery life, and absence of a supplied pen. Additionally, it’s not suited for employees who want a portable, pen-friendly gadget. As a casual 2-in-1, it’s passable. But there is a serious issue with the speakers’ placement. Although you’ll need headphones to hear what you’re watching, this machine might be good for streaming videos in convertible mode.

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