Should you choose the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 or the Lenovo Flex 5i (2021)?

Following the success of the Flex 5 Chromebook in 2020, Lenovo decided to double down on its 13-inch winner in 2021, giving it both ways. The Flex 5i Chromebook offers more functionality in a more traditional 2-in-1 laptop form factor, but the detachable Duet 5 Chromebook has a much better screen and far better battery life thanks to less power and greater efficiency Snapdragon 7c Gen 2. Both are the best Chromebooks out there, but it comes down to which one you want more: raw power and lap-friendliness or adaptability and longevity. Here’s everything you need to know when considering the Lenovo Duet 5 vs. the Flex 5i.

Experiment and Tradition: How much fun do you want to have?

Two blue Chromebooks, identical in dignity: Lenovo Duet 5 (left) and Lenovo Flex 5i (right)

After using and looking at the Flex 5i and its detachable sibling twin, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5, I’ve been struggling to get rid of the Duet 5. The 400-nit, 1080p touchscreen is great, great speakers are worthy of a Netflix binge, and its detachable keyboard doesn’t will feel cramped. All in all, the Duet 5 is unbeatable for casual browsing and content consumption.

All Saturday, I’ve been using Duet 5 to play Microsoft Solitaire Collection and e-read some of my favorite stories. The device is casually addictive; the 13.3-inch screen sounds ridiculous, but as long as it’s landscape, the 16:9 form factor is more suitable for movies and the latest season of Demon Slayer than the 4:3 and 3:2 phablets of late computer. Remember that 400 nits of brightness means you can take it to the back porch and keep watching the game (or the increasingly out-of-control Nerf war between siblings) while supervising a smoker.

Few Chromebooks have such a bright display that they need to be replaced, and once you’ve used the screen for a weekend, going back to the 250-nit touchscreen on the Flex 5i feels like a punishment. That said, a touchscreen alone doesn’t make a Chromebook: functionality and practicality also come into play, and that’s where the Flex 5i starts to lay the groundwork.

category	Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook	Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook
exhibit	13.3-inch OLED touch screen 1920×1080 pixels • 400 nits	13.3-inch OLED display (touch optional) 1920×1080 pixels • 250 nits
processor	Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Computing Platform	Intel Celeron 6305 Intel Pentium 7505 Intel Core i3-1115G4 Intel Core i5-11135G7
memory	4-8GB	4-8GB
storage	64GB eMMC, 128-256GB SSD	32-64GB eMMC 128-512GB Solid State Drive
port	2x USB-C (USB 3.0) pogo pin	2 USB-C 1 USB-A microSD card slot audio combo jack
Peripheral function	Pre-bundled keyboard and stand Optional stylus USI	Backlit keyboard Optional digital pen USI Stylus Compatibility
vocal	Four speakers	Waves Audio Stereo Speakers
Battery	42Whr up to 15 hours fast charging	up to 10 hours
AUE date	June 2029	June 2029
color	Abyss Blue	Abyss Blue, Iron Gray

The Duet 5’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 computing platform has a different priority than the mighty Intel Core i3 inside the Flex 5i. In terms of pure power, the Flex 5i trumps the Duet 5, as does storage in higher-end configurations.Both come in 4 GB and 8 GB RAM configurations, no matter which one you buy Get an 8GB RAM. Chrome is naturally RAM-heavy, albeit less on a Chromebook, and while you can work around smaller storage if necessary, you can’t upgrade the RAM, so don’t go cheap on it.

The Flex 5i also handily beats the Duet 5 in port availability: it has USB-A and microSD on top of the two USB-C ports that both machines support. Again, as a tablet, the Duet 5 has a high real estate price tag — and you can always use a good USB-C hub to get extra ports when you need it — while a regular 2-in-1 has more peripherals Space.

Lenovo Duet 5 and Flex 5i: Which is best for you?

The extra space also allows the Flex 5i to have a backlit keyboard, something I miss on the Duet 5, but the core typing experience on the Duet 5 is still the best experience on any Chrome OS tablet to date. So if you’re using your Chromebook on your lap or in the dark in actual laptop mode, the Flex 5i wins out for its stability and reliability, but if you’ve got work done and are ready to ditch the keyboard for some poker or Star Wars binge – look, Duet 5 was made for it.

These laptops are also priced between $400 and $500, so it’s not a question of a huge price hike, but just a question of what role you want to fill. If you want a fun Chromebook on the back porch for weekends, vacations, and afternoons, while still being a full-fledged laptop when you need it, the Duet 5 is worth the money. If you need a workhorse that works from 8 to 7 every day (because really, who stops working at 5 pm these days), or for leisure at the end of the day, you’ll want to stick with the dimmer, but The more powerful Flex 5i .

bright, shiny, new

Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook

$430 at Amazon (4GB/64GB) $500 at Best Buy (8GB/128GB)

Want easy access to Chrome OS? This is your starter drug.

The Lenovo Duet 5 has twice the screen as the Flex 5i, and you can ditch the keyboard when you’re done. It’s not as powerful as the Flex 5i, but it’s more adaptable, and it’s a great content consumption tablet that you can still use when you need it.

traditional power

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i

$479 at Amazon (Intel Core i3, 8GB) Lenovo (Intel Core i3, 4GB) from $460, Best Buy $299 (Pentium, 4GB)

For you and your work for the rest of the decade, that’s flexibility.

It’s not quite as sexy as the Duet, but if you’re looking for a major laptop, the Flex 5i’s practical form factor and 11th-generation Intel Core processors make it the more obvious (if less interesting) option. It’s easier to use on your lap, more durable, but has a darker screen and has a fan.