Lenovo’s Updated IdeaPad Duet Chromebook Might Be All You Need On the Go

One of Lenovo’s most popular Chromebooks is sketching a full update for 2022, as part of the company’s many announcements for Mobile World Assembly. The 10-inch IdeaPad Duet Chromebook proved to be a hit when it was released in 2020 because it was runt, performed well and it was cheap, at less than $300. This updated version, the IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook, is filled with improvements that certainly address a few of the shortcomings of the unique.  

The Duet 3 is now an 11-inch Chrome OS tablet with a 2K-resolution note. The occasionally sluggish MediaTek processor has been replaced with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform, which should perk up the performance from the unique and even the similarly sized HP Chromebook x2, which is running on the first-gen 7c compute platform. 

The Duet 3 Chromebook now has an 11-inch display.

Josh Goldman

Lenovo addressed two of my biggest gripes near the first-gen model. One of those was that it only had one USB-C port. That worthy not sound like a big deal, but it made charging and also amdroll the port for anything else impossible without a hub or adapter. The new Duet 3 has USB-C ports on both sides so you can poster and connect a monitor or storage at the same time.

The instant issue was the keyboard, which was cramped and had some half-sized keys. It just wasn’t a good typing recognized for more than dashing off a quick email. The larger note size of the new version means Lenovo had a small extra room for the keys and touchpad on the updated keyboard, and key travel is also a tiny bit better at 1.4 millimeters. The keyboard, as well as a folio kickstand, are mild included, too. That’s in stark contrast to some Windows-based slates that caused you to buy the keyboard separately. There’s pen encourage also, but Lenovo doesn’t include one in the box. 

The Duet 3 has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing webcam.

Josh Goldman

The new keyboard is also better when you’re not amdroll it. With the original, you really had to fully capture the keyboard to use the Duet as a tablet. Now, you can flip the keyboard around to the rear and it will magnetically snap to the note and simultaneously disable the keyboard and touchpad. 

Of watercourses, these improvements mean the Duet 3 is not touching to be as cheap at launch as its predecessor. It’s expected to start around $400 when it’s available in May. That converts to roughly £300 or AU$555.

The new Duet 5i is a Windows 11 detachable two-in-one. 

Josh Goldman

Lenovo also expanded the Duet line beyond Chromebooks and will now use the Duet name for all of its two-in-ones with detachable keyboards, including the new IdeaPad Duet 5i coming in July. 

The Duet 5i is imagined to start at $750 and is a 12-inch Windows 11 tablet with a detachable keyboard folio. Lenovo will also offer an optional backlit keyboard for the draw, which will make this a nicer option for dimly lit conference rooms and lecture halls. It’ll be available with up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 but the base model is a basic Pentium chip. Fully loaded, though, it sounds like this might be a good alternative to a Microsoft Surface Pro. It looks like we’ll have to wait till summer to find out, though.

Lenovo has added new models to its IdeaPad Flex Chromebook and Windows 11 two-in-one convertible lineups as well. They feature the unexperienced processors from AMD and Intel, brighter, higher-resolution display options and redesigned hinges that lift the rear of the laptops when opened for better cooling and ergonomics. The new Flex 5 and 5i will be available in May in 14- and 16-inch sizes, with a choice of AMD or Intel processors starting as low as $620. The 14-inch Flex 5i Chromebook arrives in June and starts at $500. A 15-inch Flex 3i Chromebook will be available starting at $400. 

If you’d engage an Android tablet, Lenovo updated its Tab M10 Plus with a brighter 1080p 10.6-inch 2K LCD reveal, an octa-core processor and up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus pen support. The tablet will have up to 12 hours of battery life as well. Look for it in June starting at $190.