The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is without doubt one of the solely Chromebooks I’ve ever used that is aware of what it’s. Much like Apple’s iPad or Microsoft’s Surface, the Duet’s id is in its removable versatility. It embraces its function wholeheartedly, with a light-weight design, vibrant WUXGA show, and funky magnetic keyboard case that mix into an impressively transportable and classy package deal.
It’s as straightforward on the pockets as it’s on the eyes. The Duet prices simply $299 at Best Buy for 128GB of storage—and that’s with a removable keyboard. But you don’t should be out there for an inexpensive Chromebook to need one. The Duet’s quirky persona greater than makes up for its pokey processor, so whereas it won’t stand as much as even a middling Chromebook just like the Pixelbook Go in pace exams, the Duet will completely stand out within the crowd.
This evaluate is a part of our ongoing roundup of the perfect laptops. Go there for data on competing merchandise and the way we examined them.
Good seems in a small package deal
If I didn’t know higher, I might have guessed the Duet was designed by Google. The again has a two-tone blue-and-gray design just like the Pixel telephones, the entrance has uniform bezels just like the Pixel Slate, and the keyboard cowl has a knit exterior just like the Pixel cloth case. Basically, the Duet combines the perfect components of Google’s merchandise into a really nice-looking pill. The digital camera is somewhat bumpier than I’d like, however it’s no worse than that on every other pill.
The Duet is skinny sufficient that the digital camera stands proud fairly a bit.
But even with a considerably spinoff design, Lenovo has put some thought into the small print. The energy button and quantity rocker are completely cut up by the colour line to create come good symmetry, the audio system are on the highest in order to not be muffled by the keyboard, and the only real USB-C port is on the underside to maintain the wire from getting tangled. That’s additionally the place you’ll be plugging in earbuds, as a result of the Duet doesn’t have a headphone jack. It’s the one actual knock I can levy on the design, and even so, it’s a small one as a result of Lenovo features a 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter within the field.
On its personal, the Duet weighs only a pound, lower than the 9.7-inch iPad. Its 6.29 x 9.44-inch body is extraordinarily straightforward to carry with one hand, and the 10.1-inch display strikes a pleasant stability between too large and too small. The bezels across the display are uniform and comparatively skinny, so the main focus is completely on the display.
Michael Simon/IDGIt was sensible for Lenovo to separate the keyboard case into two elements.
And what a display it’s. While most Chromebooks on this value vary have 720p shows, the Duet has a better-than-full-HD WUXGA 1900×1200 decision that’s each vibrant and crisp. Max brightness topped 500 nits and whereas it’s a tad uneven in spots, it’s one of many higher shows I’ve seen on a Chromebook at any value vary. It even holds up in comparison with the Pixel Slate’s marvelous 2000×3000 Molecular Display. For $300 you’re not going to discover a higher show—until you get an iPad on sale.
A stand-up accent brings all of it collectively
With a incredible show and light-weight design, the Duet can be a superb pill operating any OS, however it’s a very good showcase for Chrome’s pill mode enhancements. With model 81, Google launched Android-inspired gestures for navigation. They’re proper at house on a pill this small. It feels quite a bit like utilizing an enormous telephone, with intuitive again and residential gestures that make the UI sensible and animated.
But the Duet has one other trick up its sleeve: it could flip right into a tiny laptop computer. And it received’t price you something. While the iPad, Surface, and Pixel Slate all cost lots of of {dollars} further for his or her add-on keyboards, Lenovo consists of its removable keyboard within the field, turning a very good worth into an ideal one.
Michael Simon/IDGThe Lenovo Duet comes with a magnetic case that matches like a glove.
Like most pill keyboards, the Duet’s is magnetic, attaching by way of a set of pogo pins and a sequence of magnets on the again. The distinction right here is that it’s cut up into two elements, with the again performing as a type of protector when the keyboard isn’t in use. Both items connect firmly and work properly collectively, however they’re extra intriguing as separate items. The Surface-style kickstand that’s constructed into the rear case provides good adjustability, however it requires two palms to tug out–and even then it’s nonetheless somewhat tough. (I typically pulled the case off the again when making an attempt to tug out the kickstand.) Even so, I discovered myself typically leaving the again plate on even when utilizing the Duet as a pill, each for the kickstand performance and the feel it supplied.
That’s a very good factor, as a result of the keyboard isn’t the Duet’s strongest high quality. While the keys have a pleasant journey, typing on it’s a little cramped because of the small dimension—and among the keys, together with the comma and apostrophe, are half-sized, which makes them tougher to hit. The keyboard additionally greater than doubles the burden of the Duet when connected, regardless of the small dimension. Closing the keyboard on the display turns off the display, however as a result of there’s no magnetic closure on the keyboard aspect, it’ll slip, slide, and flop open whereas carrying the Duet inside a bag.
Michael Simon/IDGFrom the best angle, the Lenovo Duet nearly seems like a Surface.
If it had been a $100 add-on, the Duet keyboard won’t be price shopping for, however as a bundled accent, it’s a incredible addition to an already nice pill. Lenovo was sensible to separate the keyboard case in two, as a result of even should you go for a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard on your typing wants, the Duet’s keyboard cowl will likely be very good to have when it’s worthwhile to bang out an extended electronic mail or prop it as much as watch a film.
Just sufficient energy, greater than sufficient battery life
If you’re in search of a Chromebook with energy, the Duet is just not for you. Its MediaTek Helio P60T was sluggish again when it launched in 2018, and a bare-minimum 4GB of RAM means you received’t be protecting dozens of tabs open. It’s noticeably slower than a Core i5-based Chromebook just like the Pixel Slate or Pixelbook Go, however for probably the most half it’ll get by means of duties with ease.
Melissa Riofrio/IDGIn CrXPRT 2 benchmarks, the Duet introduced up the rear, as anticipated.
Your mileage will range relying on what you need to do with it, in fact, however for probably the most half, the Duet will carry out about in addition to an Intel Celeron or OP1 processor. That is to say, loads ok. While you possibly can plainly see that the Duet brings up the rear in comparison with different current Chromebooks in our baseline CrXPRT 2 Performance benchmark, in day-to-day use it didn’t really feel almost as sluggish because the bar chart would have you ever consider.
Melissa Riofrio/IDGThe Duet did no higher in Basemark 3 exams, however the real-world efficiency is not almost as unhealthy as its benchmark outcomes.
The similar could be mentioned for the Basemark 3.0 benchmark, which measures browser efficiency and the responsiveness of net functions, two essential issues on a Chromebook. Again, the Duet brings up the rear when put next even to a low-power Celeron-based Chromebook, however it’s not as unhealthy because the chart would have you ever consider. Yes, websites load a bit slower and movies take a beat longer to start out enjoying, however it was very bearable in my testing. Chrome doesn’t are likely to get slowed down over time like different methods, so the efficiency ought to be high quality for the issues most individuals need to do.
Melissa Riofrio/IDGBattery life is solely exceptional on the Duet.
Battery life, nevertheless, is one other story, an excellent story with a cheerful ending. Lenovo charges the Duet as having 10 hours of battery life, however in my testing I bought far more than that. Benchmarks yielded an insane 15-plus hours. I simply bought by means of a number of days in common use. It’s considerably akin to the iPad in that I by no means needed to fear about battery life. Standby life is incredible, and it didn’t appear to lose important battery life doing any single activity, even with the keyboard connected.
For my cash, I’d a lot fairly have higher battery life than the quickest processor in a Chromebook anyway, and the Duet greater than delivers the place it counts. It will get by means of a day with sufficient energy, loads of juice, and little or no fuss.
Should you purchase a Lenovo ChromeEbook Duet?
During a time when youngsters are being schooled at house, mother and father are turning to Netflix for escape, and nobody needs to spend a bundle of money on something, the Duet hits each excessive notice. But even when we weren’t shrouded within the monetary and social uncertainty of a pandemic, the Duet can be the right Chromebook for most individuals.
Michael Simon/IDGThe Lenovo Duet has a cultured two-tone design that is paying homage to the Pixelbook.
The display is perhaps somewhat small and the keyboard somewhat cramped should you’re working for hours on finish, however in any other case it’s an ideal little machine, whether or not you employ it as a companion to a bigger laptop computer, give it to a child who must take a Chromebook to high school, or set it up as a transportable streaming system. Even should you by no means use the keyboard for something aside from a stand, the Duet is a incredible discount that units the bar very excessive for all future Chromebook tablets.