Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11" Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
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There has been no shortage of awesome Chromebooks released over the last year: we're talking OLED displays and hardware that pushes the limits of what these once-modest devices were capable of.
But one of the best Chromebooks I've tested is one of the most affordable. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an ultraportable 2-in-1 device that looks and feels like a Microsoft Surface Pro but is a tenth of the price, running the lightweight and efficient ChromeOS and a modest 4GB of RAM.
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The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a great little device for everyday tasks: checking email, surfing the web, or watching YouTube, and supports those tasks with a flexible, durable form factor that's good for kids, students, and professionals.
The Duet comes with a modest but snappy hardware loadout, but it's not necessarily relegated to simple tasks. The MediaTek Kompanio 828 processor is well-positioned for navigating files in Google Drive or NotebookLM, surfing the web either in tablet or laptop mode, and playing media while propped up in the kitchen, on a plane, or coffee shop.
In terms of the device's ports, you get two USB-C ports and a headphone/mic combo port, along with a 5MP front camera with a physical shutter and an 8MP rear camera. The tablet also has two physical buttons on the side that increase or decrease volume, making it easy to control media without having to mess around with the UI.
Review: I switched to a $280 Chromebook from my Windows laptop for a week - and didn't regret it
We called out this device as being great for kids thanks to its size, ease of use, and durable case and screen cover. The magnetized backplate is thick and well-padded, adding a degree of sturdiness that gives confidence to a few bumps or drops. When removed from the case, the 10.95-inch tablet is small enough to fit in a bag unnoticed.
The tablet weighs 1.12 pounds, but the keyboard and backplate/kickstand bring the total weight up to 2.09 pounds. That's still pretty dang light, even for a Chromebook.
Just keep in mind that this is a small device: the keyboard and accompanying trackpad might be too small for certain adults to use comfortably, as the keys are a bit tinier than standard.
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The battery life is quite good as well. Lenovo advertises over 12 hours of use, but I got a little over 10 in my testing. The physical size of the device is going to prevent the 29WHr battery from going much beyond the 10- to 12-hour mark.
All in all, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an affordable device for anyone who appreciates the tablet/laptop dual form factor and wants a long-lasting battery.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
How I rated this deal
I gave this deal a 4/5 because this price is too good to pass up. At $199, it's definitely the lowest I've seen this model go, but also a competitive price for Chromebooks in general. The Duet's regular price hovers around $310, so you're getting a little over $100 off an already affordable product.
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