One of Lenovo’s hottest Chromebooks is getting a full replace for 2022, as a part of the corporate’s many bulletins for Mobile World Congress. The 10-inch IdeaPad Duet Chromebook proved to be a success when it was launched in 2020 as a result of it was small, carried out effectively and it was low cost, at lower than $300. This up to date model, the IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook, is full of enhancements that definitely tackle just a few of the shortcomings of the unique.
The Duet 3 is now an 11-inch Chrome OS pill with a 2K-resolution show. The sometimes sluggish MediaTek processor has been changed with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform, which ought to perk up the efficiency from the unique and even the equally sized HP Chromebook x2, which is operating on the first-gen 7c compute platform.
The Duet 3 Chromebook now has an 11-inch show.
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Lenovo addressed two of my greatest gripes concerning the first-gen mannequin. One of these was that it solely had one USB-C port. That may not sound like an enormous deal, nevertheless it made charging and likewise utilizing the port for anything not possible and not using a hub or adapter. The new Duet 3 has USB-C ports on either side so you possibly can cost and join a monitor or storage on the identical time.
The second problem was the keyboard, which was cramped and had some half-sized keys. It simply wasn’t an excellent typing expertise for greater than dashing off a fast e mail. The bigger show measurement of the brand new model means Lenovo had a bit of further room for the keys and touchpad on the up to date keyboard, and key journey can also be a tiny bit higher at 1.4 millimeters. The keyboard, in addition to a folio kickstand, are nonetheless included, too. That’s in stark distinction to some Windows-based slates that power you to purchase the keyboard individually. There’s pen help additionally, however Lenovo would not embody one within the field.
The Duet 3 has an 8-megapixel rear digicam and a 5-megapixel front-facing webcam.
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The new keyboard can also be higher while you’re not utilizing it. With the unique, you actually needed to absolutely take away the keyboard to make use of the Duet as a pill. Now, you possibly can flip the keyboard round to the rear and it’ll magnetically snap to the show and concurrently disable the keyboard and touchpad.
Of course, these enhancements imply the Duet 3 isn’t going to be as low cost at launch as its predecessor. It’s anticipated to start out round $400 when it is obtainable in May. That converts to roughly £300 or AU$555.
The new Duet 5i is a Windows 11 removable two-in-one.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Lenovo additionally expanded the Duet line past Chromebooks and can now use the Duet identify for all of its two-in-ones with removable keyboards, together with the brand new IdeaPad Duet 5i coming in July.
The Duet 5i is predicted to start out at $750 and is a 12-inch Windows 11 pill with a removable keyboard folio. Lenovo may even supply an optionally available backlit keyboard for the system, which is able to make this a nicer choice for dimly lit convention rooms and lecture halls. It’ll be obtainable with as much as a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i7 however the base mannequin is a fundamental Pentium chip. Fully loaded, although, it appears like this could be an excellent various to a Microsoft Surface Pro. It appears like we’ll have to attend until summer season to seek out out, although.
Lenovo has added new fashions to its IdeaPad Flex Chromebook and Windows 11 two-in-one convertible lineups as effectively. They characteristic the newest processors from AMD and Intel, brighter, higher-resolution show choices and redesigned hinges that elevate the rear of the laptops when opened for higher cooling and ergonomics. The new Flex 5 and 5i might be obtainable in May in 14- and 16-inch sizes, with a selection of AMD or Intel processors beginning as little as $620. The 14-inch Flex 5i Chromebook arrives in June and begins at $500. A 15-inch Flex 3i Chromebook might be obtainable beginning at $400.
If you’d desire an Android pill, Lenovo up to date its Tab M10 Plus with a brighter 1080p 10.6-inch 2K LCD show, an octa-core processor and as much as 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus pen help. The pill can have as much as 12 hours of battery life as effectively. Look for it in June beginning at $190.