Chromebooks are popular because they're typically affordable and easy to use. That's certainly why we liked the Chromebook Duet, Lenovo's slick Chrome 2-in-1 from 2020 that (with its good screen and great battery life) remains one of the best Chromebooks on the market.
This week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Lenovo unveiled a successor to the Duet that looks to improve on its virtues: the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3.
The IdeaPad Duet 3 features an 11-inch 2K (2000 x 1200) display, which is larger than its predecessor’s 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 screen. This Chrome-driven 2-in-1 comes in your choice of Stormy Gray or Misty Blue and has thinner bezels that, according to Lenovo, yield a 15.8% greater screen-to-body ratio than the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. It also has touchscreen functionality with stylus support.
This Chromebook is powered by a Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 CPU and runs on Chrome OS. Different configurations pack either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage. It has 2 USB-C ports and supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The IdeaPad Duet 3 also features a 5MP front-facing camera and an 8MP rear-facing webcam, along with a pair of stereo speakers.
You can use the IdeaPad Duet 3 as both a tablet and laptop. The latter is possible thanks to the included keyboard. The keyboard locks itself to the Duet 3 when you fold it back. Unfortunately, you’ll need to purchase the stylus separately since the Chromebook doesn’t come bundled with one.
Price-wise, the IdeaPad Duet 3 starts at $399. This is a bit more expensive than the $249 starting price of the company's 2020 Chromebook Duet, but is more affordable than the $469 Chromebook Duet 5 that Lenovo is also launching this year.
Lenovo expects to release the IdeaPad Duet 3 later this year, starting in May 2022.
We had a brief hands-on with the IdeaPad Duet 3 during a recent Lenovo event in New York City. At 10.16 x 6.48 x 0.31 inches and a starting weight of 1.14 pounds (plus 0.95 pounds with the keyboard folio case), the device is both small and light, even with the keyboard attached. The screen is vibrant and its touchscreen functionality is snappy.
I also liked how the keys on the keyboard are disabled when you fold the accessory to the back of the Chromebook — the last thing you want is to accidentally press the keys when using the device in tablet mode. I wish the stylus came bundled with the Duet 3 but the touchscreen functionality works well enough.
We hope to have a Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 review later this year, so stay tuned!
