It’s a well-constructed keyboard with the same light, snappy switches that you’ll find on other Lenovo laptops, but because it only lies flat, it’s not as comfortable for longer typing sessions as Microsoft’s angled Type Cover. On the other hand, the IdeaPad’s detachable keyboard has the same limitation as the Dell folio: it doesn’t prop up at an angle. It’s a nicely sized tablet all around and highly portable. Its display bezels are a little thick, making it slightly wider and taller. It weighs 1.85 pounds, again splitting the difference between those two competitors, and it’s 2.62 pounds with the folio keyboard attached. The IdeaPad Duet 5i is a thin tablet at 0.37 inches, thicker than the XPS 13 2-in-1 and about the same as the Surface Pro 9. That’s a huge plus and makes the IdeaPad a more comfortable tablet than the XPS 13 2-in-1. Because it’s built-in, unlike the add-on Dell folio with its three angles, The IdeaPad’s kickstand is available when using the tablet alone. Just like with Microsoft’s tablet, the built-in kickstand levers out from the center of the tablet’s back, offering a wide range of angles.

Where the IdeaPad Duet 5i most closely mimics the Surface Pro 9, and in a good way, is with its sturdy integrated kickstand. Like with most tablets, there’s not been much effort expended to make a standout aesthetic, and the Stone Blue or Storm Grey IdeaPad Duet 5i is neither better nor worse in this regard. It’s more rounded than Dell’s tablet and thus more closely resembles Microsoft’s, and it’s as well-built as both with its magnesium-aluminum frame that resists bending and twisting.

The IdeaPad Duet 5i is a standard slate design with rounded corners and larger display bezels than we’ve seen in recent competitive detachable tablets like the XPS 13 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 9. A functional design that doesn’t stand out Mark Coppock/Digital Trends That makes the Lenovo a lot less expensive in this minimal configuration, but we’ll have to see what other builds (if any) cost before assuming that the IdeaPad Duet 5i is price-competitive with more powerful components. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is $1,000 for the same RAM and storage and a Core i5 CPU without the $280 keyboard and pen, while the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is $1,200 for a Core i5, the same RAM and 512GB of storage, with a keyboard and pen.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i hands-on: One-upping the Surface Pro Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i: which 2-in-1 is best?

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