Lenovo’s Ideapad Duet 3I Is a Budget 2-In-1 Windows Tablet
Laptops and tablets each have their place, but some products bring the best of both worlds together. The new IdeaPad Duet 3i from Lenovo is the company’s latest attempt at that.
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Like many other PC and phone manufacturers, Lenovo is at MWC Barcelona this week, sharing details about what it has in store for the rest of the year. The company’s 2023 lineup includes refreshed ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre monitors, but perhaps the most interesting announcement involves the IdeaPad Duet 3i.
Lenovo is updating the Windows 11 2-in-1 to add a larger 11.5-inch IPS panel with a 2,000 x 1,200 resolution, 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and 400 nits of peak brightness. The new model also has upgraded 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras and an N200 processor from Intel. The four-core, four-thread processor features a boost clock of up to 3.7GHz. You can configure the IdeaPad with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It also comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and with the option to pair the device with a stylus, Lenovo says the IdeaPad Duet 3i is perfect for students. The 2-in-1 will arrive in Europe later this year and cost €449 (about $473).
Lenovo is also updating its affordable IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook line. The company will offer the 14-inch laptop in three different display options. At the top of the stack, there’s a Full HD model with an IPS panel that offers 100 percent sRGB coverage and 300 nits of brightness. Another FHD model comes with a TN panel that peaks at 250 nits. And for those looking to spend as little as possible on their next computer, Lenovo will also offer a 1,366 x 768 option. You can configure the IdeaPad Slim 3 with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. With a modest MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor powering everything, Lenovo says its latest Chromebook can go up to 13.5 hours on a single charge. The company expects the IdeaPad Slim 3 to start at $340 when it arrives in May.
You can read Engadget’s hands-on with the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and Z16 Gen 2 to get the full scoop on those laptops, but the short version is that they feature AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors and Radeon GPUs. You can configure both devices with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of internal storage. Lenovo will offer two screen options with the Z13. You can either go with an IPS panel or a 2.8K OLED. Both displays feature a 16:10 aspect ratio and 400 nits of peak brightness. With the Z16, meanwhile, your options are between an IPS panel and a 4K OLED. Both computers also come with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 support, and Lenovo will allow you to outfit the Z13 with an optional casing made partially from woven plant fibers. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 will arrive in July and start at $1,249. Lenovo expects to begin selling ThinkPad Z16 Gen 2 one month later. It will start at $1,749.
Our current favorite Chromebook, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is down to an all time low of $270 right now on Amazon. We’ve seen it dip down to $300 before, but this is an exceptional low and a great time to pick up a lightweight but speedy Chromebook. When we tested it out for our Chromebook guide, we particularly liked the extra bright and sharp touchscreen paired with the responsive performance. In fact, we said the Flex 5i offers a “level of quality and performance that’s pretty rare to find at this price point.” That goes double on Black Friday.
This configuration runs on Intel’s Core i3 chip and stocks 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of storage. While that’s not a ton of storage, it’s more than enough for the way Chromebooks work best, which is as a browser-focused laptop working in harmony with all of Google’s apps. It’s got a 13.3-inch touchscreen and a good amount of ports, including USB-C and USB-A ports, a microSD card slot and a security lock. Though we found the keys a bit on the smaller side, we still think it’s the best Chromebook for most people.
The Flex 5i discount is part of a larger Chromebook sale Amazon is running for Black Friday, which includes laptops from Acer, HP and ASUS in addition to more Lenovo devices. The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is $90 off, bringing it down to $290. It’s the lightweight cousin to the Acer pick from our guide, sharing the same convertible features that allows you to fold it backwards for a tablet-like experience.
Shop the Black Friday Chromebook sale at Amazon
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Save $90: As of Aug. 31, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3i laptop is on sale for $289 at Walmart. You’ll save 24% on the original price.
The magic of the 2-in-1: You don’t need to choose between a laptop or a tablet. They combine the best of both worlds.
A particularly versatile option is the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3i laptop, which is on sale for only $289 at Walmart. You’ll save $90 or about 24% on a best-selling laptop that includes a detachable keyboard.
This model of the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3i features a 1.1Ghz Intel Pentium Silver N5030 processor that helps you multitask on different programs at the same time. It also includes 8GB of RAM for additional performance plus 128GB of internal eMMC storage. All this helps to run on Windows 11, making this a more powerful laptop option if you need more than a Chromebook.
Instead of a 360-degree hinged keyboard like other 2-in-1 laptops, it uses a fully detachable keyboard. When detached, the keyboard works remotely with the tablet portion while it rests on its folio kickstand. And if you don’t need the keyboard, then just enjoy it as a tablet with a 10.3-inch FHD touchscreen display.