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Lenovo upgrades Duet 3 Chromebook with 2K display, but lowers price from Duet 5
- The Lenovo Duet 3 is an upgraded Chromebook slate with a larger screen and newer processor.
- The Duet 3 comes in either Storm Gray or Mist Blue.
- Lenovo also announced two IdeaPad Flex Chromebooks and a new Android tablet.
Lenovo announced a whole range of products at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, including three new Chromebooks, a refreshed Android tablet, and a slew of Windows machines. One of the biggest announcements of the show is the newly upgraded Duet 3 Chromebook, the successor to one of the most popular Chromebooks available.
The original Duet Chromebook featured a small, 10-inch screen, a compact form factor, and a really low price point. The Duet 5 raised the price but offered a bit more. This redesigned machine carries over many of the basics from both but greatly improves the internal components. Interestingly, the price went down as compared to the Duet 5.
The screen has been improved to an 11-inch LCD with 2K resolution in a 5:3 aspect ratio. Lenovo trimmed the bezels to give the device a more all-screen experience. The touchscreen supports the Lenovo Precision Pen 2 stylus, though that’s an optional extra purchase. The Duet 3 comes with a two-tone design and is available in Storm Gray and Mist Blue.
It’s not just the screen that sees a major upgrade. Lenovo switched out the MediaTek processor of the original with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip that is supported by 4GB or 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage. There’s no expandable storage, however. Ports are limited to two USB-C 3.0 Gen 1. There’s a set of pogo pins on the bottom for connecting to the keyboard.
Lenovo didn’t say how big the battery is but rated the runtime at 12 hours. That is more than adequate and should get most people through a standard work or school day. Two 1W speakers flank the screen and push out plenty of sound. Two cameras are on board, including a 5MP front-facing selfie cam and an 8MP rear-facing shooter. Wi-Fi is limited to Wi-Fi 5 — rather than Wi-Fi 6 or 6E — and the slate includes Bluetooth 5.1 for connecting to accessories.
See also: The best touchscreen Chromebooks
The Lenovo Duet 3 Chromebook will have a starting price of $399.99 and will begin shipping in May 2022.
Flexible ideas
That’s not all Lenovo had to show on the Chromebook front. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex Chromebooks are convertibles with 360-degree hinges. These devices are more flexible than standard laptops as they allow you to flip the screen around at most any angle and use it in various modes. The Flex 5i is the smaller of the two with a 14-inch screen, but it has more powerful options when it comes to the processor. For example, it can be outfitted with up to Intel Core i5 chips, while the Flex 3i is limited to Intel Pentium and Celeron processors.
Shared details between the two include Full HD touchscreens, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, a range of storage options, 2W Speakers by Max Audio for stereo playback, blue or gray colorways, support for the optional Lenovo USI Pen, microSD slots for expandable storage, audio jacks, and a solid selection of USB-A ports. Both Chromebooks support up to 10 hours of battery life.
More reading: The best budget Chromebooks
The IdeaPad Flex 5i starts at $499.99 and will ship in June and the IdeaPad Flex 3i starts at $399.99 and will ship in May.
Low-cost Android tab
Lenovo hasn’t forgotten about Android tablets. The company refreshed its low-cost media slate, which is now called the Tab M10 Plus.
The Tab M10 Plus has a 10.1-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution. This LCD puts out 400 nits and supports an optional stylus. A special reading mode can reduce the screen’s color output to zero, creating a grayscale effect, which Lenovo says is better for your eyes. The tablet will be powered by two different processor choices, depending on the region in which you buy the device. One version includes a MediaTek G80 and the other includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680. Memory configurations are limited to 3GB or 4GB for the MediaTek variant while the Snapdragon version enjoys 4GB or 6GB. Storage ranges from 32GB to 128GB and the tablet includes a microSD card with support for cards up to 1TB.
The battery measures 7,700mAh and can push out between 12 and 14 hours of battery life depending on your activity. The tablet supports 20W fast charging, though charge-up times were not disclosed. Connectivity options are solid. There’s a base Wi-Fi 5 model, as well as an LTE 4G variant for those who want connectivity on the go. There’s a single USB-C port as well as an audio jack.
The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus ships with Android 12 and should receive one major OS upgrade. It will start at $189.99 and is expected to ship in June.