Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5 review: Less than the sum of its parts

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When the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebeook Duet launched, it was the perfect Chrome-powered pill in the marketplace (with apologies to my long-suffering Pixel Slate). Between the trendy design and reasonably priced worth level, it had lots to supply. As ideally suited because it was to service the finances market, many (together with myself) have been ready for a barely extra premium model that provides a number of additional options. 

Enter the IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5. It’s packing extra energy and reminiscence, and the display screen is massive and vibrant. Although it seems to be the proper sequel machine at first look, there have been a number of shortcomings that knocked it down a number of pegs.

Michael Crider/IDG

Unfortunately, there have been a few issues that saved this in any other case glorious machine from reaching the near-perfect standing of its predecessor. With a bigger worth comes increased expectations, so the sacrifices rely for lots extra. 

While the Duet 5 outshines its predecessor at laptop-style duties, particularly video, its design adjustments make it much less efficient as a pill. At this worth vary, it’s onerous to suggest over a standard Chromebook. Unless you actually need that beautiful OLED display screen, there are extra sensible selections on the market. 

Upgrades a-plenty 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 is a Chrome OS-powered pill with a full keyboard and trackpad attachment plus a removable kickstand. It’s the identical setup as the unique Duet, super-sized from ten inches to 13.3, roughly the identical dimension as a Surface Pro. But at about half the value and together with a keyboard within the field, it’s a a lot better cut price. 

The display screen isn’t simply larger, it’s a lot higher. While the decision is definitely a small step down at 1920×1080, it’s been modified from a normal LCD to an excellent OLED panel, the identical form of vibrant tech you’ll see on smartphones and high-end media laptops. That makes each pixel pop with superb distinction and coloration. 

Michael Crider/IDG

The Duet 5 improves in a few different important areas, too. The new Snapdragon SC7180 is a giant enchancment over the MediaTek chip on the unique and it’s now supplied with as much as 8GB of reminiscence. I’d heartily suggest that improve for nearly any Chromebook. On the evaluation unit, it makes the OS pop and snap with much more smoothness. It additionally has a boosted 128GB of storage, although for Chrome OS, that’s not particularly essential. 

The keyboard and trackpad are notably higher on this mannequin. The additional width offers it extra of a full laptop computer really feel and the additional area on your fingers makes it simpler to get across the UI. I additionally respect that there’s a USB-C port on either side, which makes charging the pill up on the go far more handy. And that low-power ARM {hardware} means it could actually juice up — albeit slowly — on as little as ten watts from a cellular USB-C charger. 

Michael Crider/IDG

I’d have favored to have seen a stylus included within the bundle and maybe a fingerprint sensor for straightforward logins — I do know it’s a straightforward addition on that Qualcomm chip. But for this worth, what you get remains to be a cut price. There are a number of Chrome OS annoyances that haven’t been mounted, like a bizarre bug that compelled me to log in with a full password as an alternative of a PIN a number of occasions, however I’m laying these squarely on the ft of Google.

Great as a laptop computer…

There are a number of duties that the Duet 5 excels at and does higher than the unique. First, it’s completely incredible at video. Even although 1080p decision isn’t something particular, the OLED panel is, because it makes any form of fullscreen video look nice. This additionally means it’s light-weight, low-cost possibility for recreation streaming on Xbox Game Pass, Stadia, or GeForce Now. 

Michael Crider/IDG

The Duet 5 can also be good at typical laptop computer stuff: electronic mail, phrase processing, internet searching, you realize the drill. Anything you’d sit down for an prolonged time to do on a laptop computer, the Duet 5 can deal with. Its keyboard isn’t fairly pretty much as good as Microsoft’s expensive Surface add-ons or a scissor-switch, nevertheless it’s greater than ample sufficient to pound out a thousand phrases or two. 

Battery life is spectacular, too. I used to be in a position to go for greater than two workdays on a single cost. This factor may stream all the Lord of the Rings trilogy with a Hobbit film thrown in for good measure. That Snapdragon {hardware} and Chrome OS software program combines for a marathon journey machine. 

…Not nice as a pill

The Duet 5 isn’t efficient as a pill. The bigger 13-inch display screen and tiny bezels make it tough to carry comfortably, regardless that it’s a lightweight pill for its dimension. 

Michael Crider/IDG

The 16:9 side ratio is fairly unhealthy for holding, making it too large or too tall for fundamental searching. Games from the Play Store that will work wonderful on a telephone are cumbersome to play on this type issue. Ditto for duties like studying a e book — after attempting to make use of the Kindle app for a couple of minutes I reached for my telephone as an alternative, welcoming the choice to make use of it with only one hand even on a comparatively tiny display screen. 

Michael Crider/IDG

I think that Lenovo is saving cash by repurposing a laptop computer OLED panel for this pill design — the side ratio and backbone is a lifeless giveaway. Combined with the skinny bezels that make it cumbersome to carry, these design selections push the Duet 5 a lot nearer to laptop computer territory than, say, an iPad Pro or a Surface Go. This is an actual bummer as a result of the necessity to use a kickstand for “real work” with the keyboard limits its utility. While the folding, detachable kickstand is okay at what it does, it makes the entire thing far much less cozy to make use of on a sofa or a bench. 

Bottom Line

The Chromebook Duet 5 is nearly precisely what I requested for in a sequel to the unique Duet. But, because it seems, it’s not what I wished. It’s nonetheless a superb pill, particularly if you happen to’re in search of one thing that may outlast an intercontinental flight when it comes to battery life. It may also play movies like a champion. 

But the laptop-focused design — and that awkwardly large display screen particularly — signifies that the Duet 5 loses main comfort factors as a pill. If you’re okay with utilizing it like a laptop computer more often than not and accepting its shortcomings, it’s nonetheless a incredible deal for the {hardware} you get. But, for many customers in search of one thing on this type issue and worth vary, I’d suggest a standard Chromebook as an alternative.