Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 review: One of the best budget Chromebooks just got even better

Throughout my first yr of school, I labored a part-time job that supplied me with simply sufficient to cowl my textbooks, transportation, and dorm charges. That meant that when it got here to purchasing a college laptop computer, $1,000 MacBooks and ultrabooks had been out of the query. As an alternative, I settled with a “like new”, sub-$300 Toshiba Chromebook 2 from eBay.

That turned out to be a poor funding; the battery rapidly deteriorated, the Wi-Fi connection was unstable, and, finally, the hinge grew to become so free that the higher half of the laptop computer indifferent throughout a morning commute.

Happily, at present’s $300 Chromebooks yield a lot better experiences. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) is an reasonably priced pill with a show that is meant to be indifferent from its physique. I have been testing the 2-in-1 over the previous month, and whereas there are a couple of telltale indicators of its funds make-up, I can not assist however fathom how a lot better my faculty life would’ve been with it — as a substitute of the Toshiba.  

Specs

Design

I will admit, the least thrilling a part of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is its design. Effectively, that’s, earlier than you snap on the included equipment that give it its 2-in-1 allure.

By itself, the Duet 3 is only a boring slab of plastic and metallic. The Storm Gray mannequin that I have been testing has a two-toned design; the underside half of the pill is coloured in a purplish-grey hue, and the highest in graphite. Collectively, there is a lack of distinction that makes the Chromebook forgettable and unappealing. 

However wait, there’s extra! And I imply that in a great way as a result of when you connect the woven-textured kickstand case and compact keyboard, you get a classy, multi-functional pill with a contact of ruggedness. With the bundled equipment on, you not solely achieve better entry to viewing angles, bodily typing, and much-needed grip, however the pill is simply extra enjoyable to make use of.

Show

Lenovo made two notable upgrades with the 2022 Duet 3: a bigger 11-inch show and an extra USB-C port. The previous is a mere inch greater than its predecessor, which, for my part, was the suitable name. For one, the 2-in-1 stays as compact and transportable as ever. And secondly, the added actual property — with its peculiar 15:9 side ratio — is nice for leisure, net browsing, and all of the doc looking that is achieved for varsity and work.

The panel has a 2,000 by 1,200 decision (Lenovo calls it “2K”), and that is been a pleasure to have a look at. I discovered the colours well-balanced and naturally saturated, and the Duet 3’s 400 nits get pretty vibrant, too. I had no hassle utilizing the Chromebook open air, even with the New York Metropolis solar beaming down and reflecting off the buildings round me. 

Additionally: The 5 greatest Chromebooks: From funds to rugged

Having a second USB-C port means which you could reassuringly join the Lenovo Chromebook to an exterior monitor whereas protecting it charged. This was particularly helpful once I was testing the system’s HDMI streaming, a activity that usually triggers efficiency throttling and intense battery drainage.   

Equipment

As I discussed earlier than, the bundled equipment do loads of heavy lifting for the Duet 3’s performance. The keyboard, very similar to the one which got here with the unique Duet, is compact and responsive. Putting in it is so simple as aligning its pogo pins to that of the pill and snapping the 2 collectively. Observe that the keyboard just isn’t Bluetooth or wi-fi appropriate, so you’ll be able to’t detach it from the pill and proceed typing.

If you end up utilizing it as meant, anticipate a cramped typing expertise, with every key feeling a bit of narrower than those on a conventional keyboard. I would not go so far as to say that the Lenovo keyboard is unusable, nevertheless it definitely made my arms really feel a bit of fatigued after an hour or two of use.

I had an identical concern with the smaller trackpad, so I ended up utilizing my proper hand to regulate the cursor and my left hand to faucet and work together through the touchscreen. 

Additionally: Finest 2-in-1 laptops: Versatile, hybrid, and convertible notebooks

Lastly, the included kickstand case has a slot to deal with a stylus, regardless that Lenovo would not put one within the field. The perfect (and solely) clarification for it’s because the Duet 3 helps Common Stylus Initiative (USI) 2.0 and never USI 1.0. Lenovo has but to launch its USI 2.0 stylus, so regardless that the Chromebook pill is “future-proofed” you may say it is virtually too forward of its time. 

Efficiency

On the efficiency entrance, the 2022 Duet 3 is powered by a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 and 4GB of RAM. What does this imply in follow? Count on a simplified person expertise that handles important browser duties like video enjoying and multi-window looking, however nothing extra.

In spite of everything, it is a $300 Chromebook, so its efficiency is sweet at greatest. Since most of my workflow entails cloud and web-based packages, I truly had no hassle utilizing the Duet 3 as my main machine. Because of the twin USB-C ports, I hooked the pill as much as my 34-inch ultrawide monitor and was in a position to multitask like how I’d on some other desktop or laptop computer. 

Additionally: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook (2020) evaluate

My customary work setup consists of devoted browsers for emailing, researching, and writing, with Slack and Zoom operating within the background. In the course of the first hour or two, the Duet 3 dealt with all of that gracefully. As soon as the battery dips underneath 45%, although, I’ve seen the occasional stutter and delay with loading pages which have extra parts. Remember that that is with heavy utilization. In the event you’re utilizing the Chromebook for singular duties and purposes, then the system’s mere 4GB of RAM ought to handle properly.   

Utilizing a Chromebook, not to mention the Duet 3, implies that you are restricted when it comes to what packages you should use domestically and offline. So for those who dabble in skilled software program like Adobe Premiere or After Results, then I would suggest trying elsewhere. In any other case, the Lenovo’s 64GB of inside storage is definitely a lot for a Chromebook, even for those who plan to obtain a dozen or so apps.

Lastly, the audio system on the 2-in-1 are side-firing, reasonably loud, and have a dispiriting lack of bass. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack on board, so I would suggest pairing up a set of earbuds or headphones to get the perfect sound. 

Battery

Throughout my month-long trial of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, I averaged a bit of over ten hours per cost. That does not match Lenovo’s declare of 12-hour battery life however continues to be nice. Contemplating the infinite stream of Chrome tabs and apps opening and shutting, the pill did a enough job at energy administration and protecting its battery life estimate correct and dependable all through the day.  

Backside line

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is a formidable 2-in-1 that performs simply in addition to some costlier Chromebooks. Whereas its restricted working system and energy could also be off-putting for professionals, the pill is appropriate for college students, touring employees, and informal customers who desire a dependable machine for much less. 

Options to contemplate

Moreover the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, listed below are three worthy alternate options that you must take into account:

HP’s 11-inch Chromebook pill, which is available in the identical measurement and side ratio because the Duet 3, is without doubt one of the greatest alternate options. It has 8GB of RAM — doubling that of the Lenovo — and comes bundled with a kickstand, removable keyboard, and a stylus. For added safety, HP has additionally embedded a fingerprint reader throughout the energy button of the Chromebook.

Whereas not as transportable because the Duet 3, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has a fully-rotatable hinge that makes it versatile sufficient to make use of as a standalone pill or common laptop computer. The display measurement is 12.4”, which makes the Galaxy a greater choice if you’d like a greater viewing expertise. 

Past the scope of Chromebooks, the Floor Go 3 is an reasonably priced, Home windows-powered laptop computer that is simple to journey with. Whereas the 2-in-1 is the most affordable Floor up to now, it is simply as practical and transformative as its costlier predecessors. If you’d like a conveyable slab for on-the-go looking, emails, and content material writing, then the Floor Go 3 is a formidable pick-up.