With the release of the new, upgraded, and very awesome Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11″ in October, you’d be forgiven for looking right past its older predecessor in the Duet 3. At full MSRP, that’s exactly what you should do: the new version is better in every way, so at the same general price, there’s no reason to even consider the older model. We said as much in our review, and I still 100% stand by that.
But when the sale price on the Duet 3 drops to as low as it is currently – $219 – the narrative simply changes. There’s no doubt the new Duet 11″ is faster, has a far-niftier pen slot, better cameras, and delivers an overall better experience; but the spec I’d recommend most people buy (the one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage) is $399 when not on sale.
Versus the Duet 3’s current $219 deal, there’s quite the price gap right now. I can pretty easily overlook many of the Duet 3’s shortcomings when compared to its newer, more competent sequel when it’s $180 less expensive. Sure, the processor isn’t the fastest and there’s nowhere to store your pen, but the Duet 3 still does a lot of stuff quite well. The screen is 400 nits, sharp, and very colorful. The build quality is superb. The kickstand and keyboard are thin and well made, and the battery life gives you a full day’s use with ease.
For a device to keep around the house or to simply have on the go, it’s great and is still fun to use. And the $219 price tag will only make you appreciate it that much more. There are very few Chromebooks in this price range that give you so much good stuff in the box for your money, and the Duet 3 still has a lot to offer when it’s discounted this deeply. If you are looking for a great gift or just a device to keep around the house, this could be a great time to consider the Duet 3.
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