Lenovo's at IFA showing off a whole slew of PCs, tablets, and even a pair of VR glasses, but its newest IdeaPad 5i model breaks a new barrier and gives us a 16-inch 120Hz display. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook (16", 7) — Lenovo needs more names; this is too many IdeaPad 5i models for one year — is being marketed as a "one for all" laptop for anyone and everyone, from kids needing to do homework to parents working from home to anyone wanting to relax and unwind with streaming the latest movies and shows on its large, 2.5K screen.

Name

Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook (16", 7)

Storage

64-128GB eMMC, 256GB-512 SSD

CPU

Intel Core i3-1215U, Intel Pentium 8505

Memory

4-8GB

Battery

Up to 12 hours

Ports

2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, Audio combo jack, microSD slot

Camera

1080p webcam

Display (Size, Resolution)

16-inch 2.5K LCD display, 16:10 aspect ratio, 350 nits, 120 Hz

Form

Clamshell

Dimension

356.5 x 253 x 19.95 mm, 1.86kg

Network

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0

Speakers

2x 2W stereo speakers by MaxxAudio

The 120Hz is mentioned as making video content look smoother, but where 120Hz on a Chromebook would really shine is during gaming, but that's the one use-case this premium Chromebook actually isn't made for. While you can play excellent Android games on this IdeaPad 5i Chromebook, it only comes with either a Pentium 8505 or a 12th Gen Intel Core i3, which will preclude it from getting Steam on Chrome OS support anytime in the foreseeable future.

The i3 configurations of this 16-inch 5i with the 120Hz display and 8GB of RAM could serve quite well as your next Chromebook, but there's no mention of that high-res, high-refresh-rate screen being a touchscreen. That could make the starting price in Europe of €549 — North American pricing and availability weren't available at press time — a bit steep.

As a full-time work and leisure device, the 5i could be quite capable, especially if screen quality is more important to you than touch interaction. The rest of the bells and whistles are here: a backlit keyboard with a number pad, up-firing stereo speakers, plentiful USB-C and USB-A ports, and an alleged 12-hour battery life. (I'll believe those battery claims once I can get my hands on one; a 2.5K, 300-nit, 16-inch display sounds like a battery hog, even if you aren't running it at full brightness.)

Lenovo also unveiled the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox Enterprise, a user-upgradeable business-grade Chromebox with up to 12th Gen Intel processors, and the consumer models will start at $323 next February. The details are still incomplete for this Chromebox, but it'll be easy to mount and able to be configured with a wide variety of ports.

We also have 2nd Gen versions of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro and Tab P11 running Android 12L. Both feature screens with up to 120Hz refresh rates, with the P11 Pro (2nd Gen) also having 360Hz touch response speeds. The Pro model comes with the MediaTek Kompanio 1300T and supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. The regular Tab P11 sports the MediaTek G99, which Lenovo claims is 50% more powerful than the first generation.

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Gen) will go on sale later this month for $400, but we'll have to wait until January for the $250 Tab P11 (2nd Gen). We'll bring you more news from IFA 2022 and our impressions of these new Lenovo devices as the event continues.