Lenovo laptops are often expensive, but with the Flex 14 (sometimes listed as the Lenovo Flex 6 14), you can have a top-tier laptop — complete with a 360 degree touchscreen and tablet capabilities — for likely under $500.
Design
The Flex 14 does not look impressive. Its polished aluminum chassis is restrained and simple, with the primary focus of the machine’s design on the 360 degree hinge that allows the screen to rest flat against the base of the laptop for use as a keyboard-free slate tablet. (If you’re a regular scribbler, the $20 Lenovo Active Pen is a great accessory to add to the machine.) The laptop’s downward-firing Harman Kardon speakers aren’t ideal, but they’re loud enough for daily use, and while the keyboard offers relatively short travel (how far down you must depress the key before a keystroke registers) the layout is functional, and even includes backlight capabilities.
The one problem I have with the design involves the front lip of the machine when closed, which has a sloped surface that sandwiches the machine’s two halves together almost seamlessly. It’s difficult to grip the spot and pry the machine open, especially one-handed.
Features
The 360 degree rotating screen is the major selling point here, and it really is beautiful, with thin bezels and strong color representation (though only average brightness). At 14.0 inches in size (1920 by 1080 pixels), the screen is larger than a typical 13.3 inches but without the heft of a 15.6-inch machine.
Specs
Sub-$500 doesn’t get you very far in the components department, and the Flex 14’s specs are decidedly thin. A 1.3GHz Core i3-8130U CPU (eighth generation) doesn’t overwhelmingly impress, and while the 8GB of RAM and integrated graphics are standard for this category, the 128GB SSD is a bare-bones letdown. Ports include two full-size USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C port, full-size HDMI, and an SD card reader slot. That selection should be fine for most users. At 3.4 pounds and 20mm thick, the system is fairly average in weight and girth.
Performance
The Flex 14 isn’t powerful, but it’s adequate if your computing needs aren’t extreme. General application performance (including web page rendering, business productivity applications, and digital media creation work) was slightly below average, making the Flex 14 one of the slower machines in this roundup. With no separate graphics processor, the Flex doesn’t offer much in the way of graphics performance either, so don’t expect to use the machine for entertainment purposes beyond streaming video. I found one performance flaw: During regular use, the laptop’s innards make an annoyingly repetitive clicking noise.
Battery
With 7 hours and 52 minutes of battery life on my full screen video playback test, the Flex 14 performed very well on this front, providing a nearly all-day run time score. That should be plenty of juice for anyone considering a machine in this category.
Conclusion
Lenovo starts the Flex 14 at $630, but, as always, you’re sure to find better deals elsewhere. I found listings as low as $460, which makes it one of the least expensive laptops in this roundup and a great bargain. While its specs and performance are limited, considering it comes with a sophisticated wraparound touchscreen and battery life, the Lenovo Flex 14 merits strong consideration from any budget shopper.
