We knew it was only a matter of time before Lenovo started introducing new settings for its very popular and low-priced Chromebook Flex 5. I honestly thought the first new configuration going on sale here in the US would probably be the lower-cost Celeron 5205U version, but it seems like there are smaller configuration changes not showing up on Lenovo’s landing page for the Chromebook Flex 5, and One of those variants has landed at Costco.
Buy the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook in Chrome Shop
This particular version is equipped with most of the same things as our review unit, which includes a backlit keyboard, up-firing speakers, convertible form factor, solid build, and a good display. The big change in the Costco version is the updated internal storage. Instead of the 64GB of eMMC storage that comes with the $ 409 model, you get double that in NVMe form, a much faster alternative to the entry-level eMMC storage currently available in the standard model. The upgrade has a price increase, but only by $ 70 ($ 479) for a much faster, higher-quality storage solution that also doubles your space. Oh, and it’s not just for Costco members, it’s going to have a $ 25 fee applied if it’s not one, so keep that in mind.
While for my part I would love to see this accompanied by a RAM upgrade as well, it currently appears that Lenovo maintains 4GB across the board in the US variants of this Chromebook for now. For the life of me I can’t understand why that’s the case, but I think 8GB of RAM with 128GB of eMMC (not much need for a faster and more expensive NVMe for most users) would be doable for $ 499 and It would make this Chromebook even more formidable than it already is. While we’re asking for things, I’d also love to see the proper 300 nit display that’s supposed to ship with the i5 model that we haven’t seen here in the US yet in one of these upgraded versions. A brighter screen, twice the RAM and twice the storage for around $ 499 and I think Lenovo would have a complete flagship killer on their hands.
As it stands now, the $ 409 Flex 5 is still a better deal for most users over this $ 479 version at Costco. Unless you need faster storage and more for any particular task, the 64GB eMMC on the $ 409 model is more than enough for just about anything you need from a Chromebook. When storage gets this kind of update, it expects other things to escalate, but that’s not the case with this particular update. ->
Either way, it’s exciting to see other configurations of this Chromebook start shipping as I’m still hoping that the i5 model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of NVMe storage is heading to the US at some point in time. the future or simply choose to add those updates to the current i3 model. With the best display panel they clearly have available for this device, and a board with 8GB of RAM, the Core i3 stands its ground and pairing it with more RAM, more storage, and a brighter display could easily make the case for one of the best. Chromebooks on the market, regardless of price.
Buy the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook in Chrome Shop ->
