The Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe is a colorful assault on the eyes – but there is a surprising number of features on offer here

The word 'vibe' has been somewhat tainted by the technology industry. Whether it's 'vibe working' or 'vibe coding', it's often used incorrectly. So there was some trepidation when Lenovo announced its new colorful laptop range, the IdeaPad Vibe.

What 'Vibe' means in relation to this laptop is a little unexplored. The range of colors it comes in is certainly some kind of vibe, like aura farming in laptop form. But you have to look beyond that and see the specifications – it has a surprising amount to offer underneath the shiny exterior.

Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe: Design

The Vibe is a compact laptop with just a 14.9mm thickness. It's only 313.6mm tall, with a 14in WUXGA OLED display and a standard-sized backlit keyboard. It was no trouble to hold one-handed, either, weighing just 1.3kg. This makes it a great option for remote workers and travelers.

Businesses might not immediately see the Vibe as a work machine, largely because Lenovo is positioning it as a machine for consumers but also because it comes in such a wide variety of colors. And those colors have extravagant names, like 'Spicy Gold' and 'Dreamy Violet'. But there is 'Chill Blue' and 'Lowkey Grey', which seem more like colors businesses opt for. However, 'Zen Green' and 'Radiant Coral' are fairly professional-looking shades.

One thing that was very apparent in our 30 minutes with the device is that it's very easy to use. The lid can be opened with one finger, the keyboard has decent travel (1.3mm), and it has nice bright backlighting. It might not look or sound like a business laptop, but the Vibe has lots for business to like.

Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe: Specifications

For a small laptop, the Vibe sure does cram in a lot of ports; you get two USB-C slots for data transfer and charging, two standard USB-A 3.2 ports, an HDMI slot, an audio jack, and, pleasingly, a microSD card reader – which all us photographers and creators like.

Add to that the fact that it also comes with up to 1TB of SSD, and you have a machine that can store all your images and videos. The only thing that might let it down here is the display, which might not be totally suitable for image editing and color work, but we won't know that until we get one in for testing.

We also can't say which configuration is best, though you'll have a choice between the AMD Ryzen AI 4000 series and the Snapdragon X chip – both have come back with good benchmarks in other devices, so it seems like a good choice either way. And the Vibe will complement both options with a healthy helping of RAM (32GB DDR5-5600 dual-channel).

Other features include Wi-Fi7 and Bluetooth 5.4, as well as a 5MP IR webcam with an optional privacy shutter.

Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe: First impressions

The Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe is a colorful assault on the eyes. But it's best to ignore the bright shades and fancy names, because that will blind you to the actually interesting features, such as the fullness of the port selection and the portability. It's going to be marketed to individuals, but this seems just as good for business as the MacBook Neo – light, efficient, and, crucially, affordable.

Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe specifications