The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a unique device — and surprisingly cheap. It looks like a laptop, but Lenovo named it a Chromebook that has a loosening keyboard. Regardless of the name, even when deleted from your keyboard, the Duet will be used as a Chromebook or slated tablet. Does the duet function better like either device? Was that working as well?
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet with its convertible setup is for those people who like to have options. For those who do not (or cannot) indulge in one form of a machine on the go. Would you like a Chromebook? Would you like a tablet? Why on the same device, not both?
This new machine imitates the Surface Pro line from Microsoft, using the Chrome OS in place of Microsoft Windows. It describes what the Chrome OS, relative to Android, will do on a convertible laptop. The Duet tends to come with a 10.1-inch screen, a magnetically mounted trackpad keyboard, and RAM of 128 GB just for $199.99.
The Duet resembles the Google Pixel device more than almost any other machine available on the market. Running the Duet is a display with just one screen and minimal port keys. An optional extension keyboard clicks across the bottom edge, allowing the Duet the flexibility to function as a Chromebook. And if you like the concept of working with a single, revolutionary gadget throughout the day and snuggle up with it at night on the floor, Lenovo does the job.
Besides, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is about as budget-friendly as it gets if you are on a budget. It may pack more power for the price out there than anything else.
Last month, the Duet launched Lenovo’s effort to bring that niche with a new Chromebook feature set that runs both Linux and Android apps inside Chrome OS. It’s a 2-in-1 device that is also suitable with an MSI stylus for handwriting and drawing. It does not come with a, however.
What is it comparable to use the Lenovo Chromebook Duet?
Unpack the Lenovo Chromebook Duet box, and you’ll find three pieces: the Duet, the Keyboard, and the rear cover (Stand Cover). The tablet is indeed lightweight at 239.8 by 159.8 by 7.35 mm and light at 450g. The front side is all black glass, while the back is slate grey aluminum and blue plastic. It is a pretty good combination of colors.
With a 16:10 aspect ratio, the screen size is 10.1 inches and contains 1,920 by 1,200 pixels. Lenovo states the brightness rates of the IPS LCD are 400nits with a color gamut of 70%. The size is abundantly bright and vivid. You will enjoy seeing on-screen videos from Disney Plus and Netflix that seemed colorful. It is also a brilliant display for word processing, but it felt a little hemmed in by spreadsheeting.
Lenovo introduced the Duet at CES in January. Lenovo was not publicly selling the Duet as of this writing. But it went from not listing the Duet to displaying it as a “Coming Soon” attraction on its website. Best Buy promised to preorder a limited number of Duets in May. When mine arrived, I made it my temporary leading computing platform to check out how well it can help me get things done.
Lenovo introduced the Duet at CES in January. Lenovo was not publicly selling the Duet as of this writing. But it went from not listing the Duet to displaying it as a “Coming Soon” attraction on its website. Best Buy promised to preorder a limited number of Duets in May. When we arrived, we can make it our temporary leading computing platform to check out how well it can help us get things done.
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Talking about the other hardware options, which are direct and meaningful. Almost all the action is already on the right edge, where users will find the power button, volume toggle, and USB-C port. The port can manage the responsibilities of charging, data, and connecting to DisplayPort. When more than one peripheral is to be connected, you may need to switch to the dongles. Stereo speakers and mics are adjusted to the upper portion, while copper pogo pins line the bottom for keyboard attachment. There is no MicroSD slot option available. Thus, the headphone jack is also missing.
Talking about the other hardware options, which are direct and meaningful. Almost all the action is already on the right edge, where users will find the power button, volume toggle, and USB-C port. The port can manage the responsibilities of charging, data, and connecting to DisplayPort. When more than one peripheral is to be connected, you may need to switch to the dongles. Stereo speakers and mics are adjusted to the upper portion, while copper pogo pins line the bottom for keyboard attachment. There is no MicroSD slot option available. Thus, the headphone jack is also missing.
The Duet improves the experience, but there are a few design flaws in the first-generation variant. We hope m the new hardware will fix them in the 2nd generation model. Using both Android apps and Linux apps with the same is incredible. So, it seems reasonable that the Duet can deliver the next innovation in a slightly smaller and more compact device. In this form factor, Lenovo makes an excellent case for Chrome OS.
The screen is sharp enough, and the remaining hardware is direct and very useful.
The keyboard works fine with authority and grips tightly. You will enjoy that powerful magnet that holds the two together. The keyboard will add 6mm to the overall thickness and 250 g (0.55lbs.) to the weight. Likewise, the Shield Cover, which also shoves on the magnetic, adds 6mm more from the overall thickness and 220 g more (0.49lbs.) to the weight. Altogether, the Duet, the Stand Cover, and Keyboard weigh 920 g (2.03lbs.), which is much lighter on the market than most of the other Chromebooks, especially at this price range.
If you are not the biggest fan of stand Cover, it has a soft, denim-like fabric meant to make it feel relaxed and blend in at home. It does, but the flap you need to stretch to get the Duet standing is finicky. It is difficult to open from the edges, so you often must touch the Duet side and bring the standout from the very bottom edge. After a while, it gets old. The consistency is perfect, and there is just not enough of a surface for your finger to hang on.
Performance and Power
At first glance, the IdeaPad Duet looks a little underpowered. Yet Lenovo has made significant changes to make it more competitive with leader devices. Because Duet’s design brings customizable Chromebooks towards the next stage, you should be willing to compromise if the change will work for you.
Keep in mind that the Chrome OS operates differently from Windows 10 and iOS. Only under situations would you run Microsoft Windows on a desktop or laptop underpowered with 4GB RAM, for example. That much memory is excellent on a Chromebook, even while running Android and Linux apps.
The Duets Best Buy announced last month for preorder were the 64-GB edition and the 128-GB edition for an additional massive $20. So far, there are no plans to launch a Duet with extra RAM.
As long as you don’t expect much, you won’t be disappointed. Almost all of the Chromebooks in the sub-$300 range are, we’ll say, limited when it comes to certain performance aspects. The Duet comes with a 2GHz, octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T with an ARM Mali G73 GPU, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage (a 128GB version also available). We’ve run several benchmarking apps and got consistent performance results. It only struggles with gaming. The 3DMark test, for instance, truly driven the Chromebook hard.
The trackpad is pretty good. Lenovo could stuff a relatively large trackpad onto the keyboard, and I considered it a lifesaver. Above all, it was quick and responsive. There will still be some aspects that are better performed by touching the screen with your finger.
Chromebook Duet Battery Life
In contrast, battery life is exceptional. Lenovo says the power cell of 7,000 mAh can operate for approximately 10 hours, but we always performed nearer to 11 hours. That puts the tablets and Chromebooks in front of most, particularly for the price. We found the 10W charger that was included in the box but was slow to charge the battery. It will cost only 25% after an hour’s charge. Think of leaving it on charging to complete battery charge for hours.
Chromebook Duet Peripherals
The camera is not good enough. Do not assume to use a proper camera with the Duet instead. When using the front 2MP front-facing (Selfie) camera, with fixed-focus LED indicator notification light will come on, you can’t turn it off. It also has an 8MP autofocus rear-facing camera and a single USB-C port.
A headphone jack is missing. Instead, you get an earbud or headphone connector converter on one side and a USB-C port at the other end of the dongle.
For charging, data transmission, and display, a single USB-C port is used. Any power supply connector is approved, and the USB-C port provides a fast charge in the package. You need a multi-connector bus if you have to connect something else simultaneously or more than one thing.
The double Dolby audio speakers provide quite impressive sound reproduction in tiny spaces where little noise competition is concerned. You need a Bluetooth external speaker to do something more boastful.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a steal for just $279 (64 GB). The majority of Chromebooks in the sub-$300 range are clunky 14-inches offering little versatility. The Duet is much more robust and economical than most of the rivalry, making it a mighty opponent.
It’s not precisely excellent. The keyboard is too small, and performance may be hit or missed, depends what process you are running. It’s not entirely stable on your hands, although it works well on a desk or table. And others could also not be comfortable as a laptop user interfaces with Chrome OS. Let us forget those vulnerabilities.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet Specifications
- Processor: MediaTek Helio P60T Octa-Core
- Operating System: Chrome OS
- Display: 10.1″ FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS, 400 nits, 10-point touchscreen, 70% NTSC
- Graphics: ARM G72 MP3 800GHz
- Battery: Up to 10-12 hours
- Connectivity: 802.11AC (2 x 2) and Bluetooth 4.2
- Dimensions: (H x W x D):
- Tablet Only — 9.44″ x 6.29″ x 0.29″
- Tablet + Keyboard: 9.64″ x 6.66″ x 0.71″
- Weight: Tablet Only — 0.99 lbs — Tablet + Keyboard: 2.03 lbs