When it comes to budget laptops, the keyboard and touchpad often reflect compromises made to keep costs down, and this model is no exception. The keys require a noticeable amount of force to press, which can lead to fatigue during extended typing sessions. This has resulted in instances of missed keystrokes, making typing feel somewhat cumbersome. While it does include a numeric keypad, I find it unnecessary as it shifts the touchpad off-center.
Regarding the touchpad itself, its not the worst I’ve encountered. The click response is satisfactory—not too loud or overly soft—addressing a common issue with budget models. However, as usual with lower-end devices, tracking performance leaves much to be desired. Moving your finger across the surface feels inconsistent and actions like text selection can be awkward and imprecise. This isn’t unique to the IdeaPad 5i; rather, it’s indicative of what you might expect from affordable laptops.
An Underwhelming Display
Photo: Luke Larsen
The primary reason for choosing a laptop of this size typically revolves around its display quality. Regrettably, with the IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 model, you’re not getting an notable screen experience. It features a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels paired with a 60-Hz refresh rate. While this isn’t inherently bad for everyday tasks, on a larger 16-inch screen size you can easily discern individual pixels—a factor that makes smaller laptops more appealing if you’re working within budget constraints.
Like many competitors in its price range, this laptop utilizes an inferior display panel that falls short in colour accuracy despite being IPS technology; it exhibits an unwanted green tint that distorts colors substantially upon first glance. My colorimeter tests confirmed these observations by revealing that it only covers about 63% of the sRGB color gamut.
On a positive note, at least it’s glossy rather than matte—this is one advantage over many budget options where matte screens tend to look even more washed out due to their poor brightness levels. The IdeaPad’s display avoids those unattractive plastic bezels commonly found on matte screens which helps enhance its overall appearance slightly as well. Many low-cost laptops opt for matte finishes becuase their displays lack sufficient brightness; however this one reaches up to just 334 nits maximum brightness—which means you’ll likely struggle against glare when positioned near bright light sources.
Having mentioned that: No othre laptop under $800 offers better display quality in this size category currently available on the market today! There are smaller alternatives like the M1 MacBook Air or Dell’s XPS 14 Plus, both boasting superior screens—but nothing comparable exists within this particular dimension range.