Previously, we’ve seen the $499.99 Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook discounted by $100. And now this 13.3-inch detachable Chrome OS tablet with a removable keyboard costs even less. You can snag this excellent 2-in-1 for $120 under the full price at a cost of $379 from Best Buy. That’s close to the all-time low sale price of $369.
Is the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook worth it?
At this price, I think this deal is well worth it provided you plan to use the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook mainly in laptop mode. Yes, it is a Chrome OS tablet by itself although it comes with a reasonably good keyboard cover and kickstand.
However, while that 13.3-inch display is gorgeous to look at, it is rather large for tablet use. Complicating matters is the display’s aspect ratio, which is 16:9 widescreen.
For perspective: I own a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But I enjoy using it as a tablet far more than I did with the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook, for these reasons. Your mileage may vary, and I’m sure your personal preferences do as well, but this is worth a mention.
Pros and cons of this ChromeOS tablet
In my review of the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook, the second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c and 8 GB of memory keeps things quick enough for everyday use.
The keyboard has a decent amount of travel and feel for such a thin design. The speakers are at least average. Chromebook speakers generally have been pretty “meh” in my experience, so the bar isn’t set too high. And there are four speakers here along with volume controls that rotate depending on the device’s orientation.
This Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook package doesn’t come with a USI stylus but you can add one if you want. Any USI-certified pen will work just fine. However, I recommend you test a few Android apps for note-taking if you buy one. I found that the pen experience varies wildly, depending on your choice of app.
You’re also getting a pair of USB Type-C ports, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and a pair of usable but not fantastic cameras. So nothing too exciting in that area. Still, once you see the bright, 400 nits OLED display, it’s easy to overlook some features that are average at best.
Updated on 2/13/23 to reflect this deal is available again.
2 Comments
Why do most Chromebook tablets seem to have nice bright 400 nit screens and laptops not so much?
I can only give you an educated guess: Tablets are more portable so are likely to be used in more places with varying lighting conditions, i.e.: outside, where you really need that brightness. Personally, I’m OK with a dimmer laptop screen of say, 250 – 300 nits. But that’s because I only use my laptops indoors. Occasionally, I’ll sit outside on my deck with a laptop but I do have a large umbrella out there for shade.