CES 2021 is well under way and every other manufacturer is kicking off the year 2021 with a bang. After a bad year in 2020, we kind of need this. CES 2021 then, is the time that we see tech giants waking up from a bad slumber in 2020. Of course, as the world’s largest PC maker, Lenovo has to be a part of the biggest electronic show in the first half of the year.
Lenovo introduces their follow up to one of their most popular notebook PC line-ups in their stables. They have updated their IdeaPad line-up. First off, they changed the naming scheme to be more in theme with the rest of their devices since the Lenovo Legion 7 and such. They now call it the IdeaPad 5 series.
IdeaPad 5G
They kick off the year with 5G connectivity though, with a Qualcomm powered IdeaPad 5G. The new IdeaPad 5G made for 2021 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx System on A chip (SoC) with 5G compute capabilities. Within the all-in-one chip is also a powerful Qualcomm Adreno 680 GPU for all kinds of graphical needs. You can also opt for a 4G/LTE variant powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c, if you feel that you are not ready for 5G just yet.
The Qualcomm processor package powers a 14-inch IPS display that pushes 1080p Full HD with 100% sRGB colour gamut. You get up to 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage to go with the device too for good measure. It also comes with an IR sensor with its webcam to fully utilise Windows Hello’s facial recognition feature.
With Dolby Audio speakers, entertainment should be ideal on the IdeaPad 5G. Imagine taking Netflix with you even when there is no WiFi. Imagine also watching Netflix hours on end with 51WHr of battery. Running out of power? Maybe quickly charge it via Rapid Charge Express via the USB Type-C port.
IdeaPad 5 Pro & IdeaPad 5i Pro
But it is not all Qualcomm and 5G that Lenovo is bringing to the table. Of course, there is the regular notebook PCs that we are used to. Lenovo is also launching their AMD variant at the same time as the Intel variant. They are the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
We start with their AMD variant, because we honestly feel that AMD powered notebooks are getting less attention than they deserve. Still, at least this one is launched at the same time with its Intel counterpart. It is also packing quite a lot of punch.
You get to choose from AMD’s next-gen Mobile Processors. We are guessing the Ryzen 4000 series processors, but Lenovo is not telling. That kind of hints the arrival of AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series for notebooks and mobile PCs, but there has not been reports of the Ryzen 5000 series hitting notebooks just yet at this time. We could be wrong.
The new Ryzen processors will power either a 14-inch or 16-inch display with up to 1.8K (14-inch) resolution. Both displays at IPS panels that stretches 16:10 display ratio offering up to 120Hz (16-inch) in refresh rate. You get up to 400 nits (14-inch) in brightness too, from these panels.
With the 14-inch You get up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU that should be available from NVIDIA soon. It is not a gaming notebook and you should not expect it to be one. Still, the MX450 is NVIDIA’s most powerful discreet GPU for mobile platforms to date.
On the 16-inch variant, you can technically kit it out as a gaming PC. Lenovo says that the new IdeaPad 5 Pro with AMD power will pack NVIDIA’s next-gen RTX 30 series GPUs to boot. That also means gaming class performance in a body that works even in the meeting rooms.
You also get up to 32GB in DDR4 RAM (16-inch) and up to 1TB of PCIe M.2 SSD storage for good measure. The notebook PC comes packing either a 56.5WHr (14-inch) or 75WHr (16-inch) in battery capacity with Rapid Charge Boost technology for a quick plug-and-dash.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro
Then we come to the Intel variant, which we all expect. You get up to an Intel Core i7 from their 11th generation stable of capable processors. That is also paired to up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU that should allow the PC to process 4K videos properly and even play some games.
You also get to choose between a 14-inch display that boasts 2.8K in resolution out of a 16:10 screen ratio. That 14-inch of IPS goodness refreshes at 90Hz and can punch your face at 400 nits in brightness. Or you can go bigger at 16-inch. The 16-inch display is also a 16:10 type display but only produces 2.5K in resolution. You get 120Hz in refresh rate though at a still impressive 350 nits in brightness.
You get up to 16GB in DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB in PCIe M.2 SSD storage too for both size variants. Like the AMD variant, the 14-inch only gets 56.5WHr in battery size with Rapid Charge Boost while the 16-inch variant gets a 75WHr battery with Rapid Charge Express via a Thunderbolt 4 port.
Lenovo Tab P11
The Android tablet market is quite stale these days with the usual offering from the likes of Samsung. There are some other offerings from Acer as well, but they are made for a completely different purpose and sense. Until now, there is no competing tablet to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 series.
We said until now because Lenovo has announced their Lenovo Tab P11. The Lenovo Tab P11 is an 11-inch tablet that is supposed to also come with a keyboard case and stylus pen of its own. Its 11-inch IPS panel also boasts 2K (2,000 x 1,200) in resolution. All that goodness can be pushed to 400 nits. But the 400 nits should not hurt your eyes too much with TÜV Rheinland certified Eye Care technology.
The 11-incher packs a Qualcomm’s power efficient Snapdragon 662 platform with LTE connectivity. While it does not pack as much power as Samsung’s high-end Exynos powering the Galaxy Tab S7 series, the Snapdragon 662 is still a capable enough SoC on its own. The SoC is partnered with 6GB of RAM for plenty of multitasking and smooth browsing when needed.
The Lenovo Tab P11 is made to be a family friendly tablet you can enjoy at home though. It has something called Kids Space made by Google for curated lists of apps, books, and even videos to motivate learning in kids under 9 years of age.
The 8MP selfie camera is also perfect for video calls. For meetings you need to take at home, you can even turn on Smart Privacy mode to blur out your background. That, or when you want to hide the mess that is behind you or mask your whereabouts. It is an entertainment powerhouse with Dolby Atmos certified quad speakers for the best possible aural experience when you want movies or videos in whichever orientation you prefer.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5g is expected to hit selected markets only. There are no mentions on its release date or even which markets will get it first. Lenovo only mentions that the Lenovo is not bringing it to the North American market currently. We are not even sure it if it is going to make it into Malaysia at all, there are no plans currently.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro (16-inch) with AMD’s latest H-Series processors and next-gen NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs will be available in North American markets starting May 2021. The retail price is expected to start from US$ 1,149.99 (MRY 4,650*). The 14-inch variant will not be available in the North American region but is supposed to launch in EMEA region in March 2021 with a retail price starting EU€ 799 (MYR 3,933**). Again, there are no word on its availability in Malaysia specifically.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro (16-inch) with Intel’s 11th generation Core processors will not be available in North America yet. It will be launched in the EMEA markets starting March 2021 with prices starting from EU€ 899 (MYR 4,425**). The 14-inch in variant is also supposedly launched in EMEA at around the same time with prices starting from EU€699 (MYR 3,440**). Its availability in Malaysia is also not yet confirmed by Lenovo Malaysia.
The Lenovo Tab P11 is now available in the North American region at US$ 229.99 (MYR 930*). Like the other things that has been announced, there are no confirmation on the device’s availability in Malaysia just yet. Of course, we are keeping our ears to the ground and keep you posted on any changes in any of this, keep watch of this space.
*Approximately based on Conversion Rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.04 as of 11th January 2021 (xe.com)
**Approximately based on Conversion Rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.92 as of 11th January 2021 (xe.com)