Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: how the best Chromebook detachable fares against the best Apple tablet

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook

The Duet 5 Chromebook is one of the best portable devices you can get, but can it match Apple's iconic iPad Air for getting things done on the go?

For

• Gorgeous display

• Phenomenal battery life

• Bigger keyboard

Against

• Difficult kickstand

• Stylus not included

iPad Air 5 (2022)

The iPad Air redefines what portable computing can do, but is it enough to overcome the Duet 5 Chromebook's versatility and affordability?

For

• Great design

• Speedy performance

• Incredibly versatile

Against

• Expensive

• Average battery life

• Too little storage

Portable devices can be beneficial for getting work done on the go, all while taking up very little space and weighing down your bag of choice. There are plenty of different models and makes, with two of the most well-known being the Apple iPad and the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook.

Both have been mainstays on our Best Chromebook and Best iPad lists for over a year, offering plenty of positives for potential buyers. But which one makes sense for you?

We'll compare the two devices and see how each one stacks up against the other to better help you decide which one is the overall better pick for your needs.

Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: pricing

Both the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 and the Apple iPad Air are well priced, neither past the $600 mark. The Apple iPad Air 5 started at $599 / £569 / AU$929 at launch, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 can be purchased for as low as $349 / £549 / AU$690.

The availability of the Duet 5 Chromebook might be more of an issue though, especially for those in the UK and Australia, whereas the Apple iPad Air is going to be more readily available.

Still, even when Apple tablets are discounted, they can't compare to the affordable pricing of Chromebooks, making the latter the clear winner on price. The IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook also comes with a detachable keyboard, something that will cost you extra on an iPad.

• Winner: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook

Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: Design

One of the most distinctive features of Apple products is its sleek and minimalistic design, and the iPad Air is no exception as it has one of the best designs of any tablet ever made.

The Duet 5 Chromebook also has a great build, somehow able to nearly match the iPad Air on looks, but in terms of design, the iPad Air is king. It's well-built, features sharp angles that look next-level premium, and a heavy and rigid build that screams quality.

While the swiping and other touch features are smooth and responsive, the IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook just can't compete here.

• Apple iPad Air

Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: Specs

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 is a bit underpowered when it comes to storage, with the Chromebook still using eMMC Flash storage, though at least there's 128GB of it.

The Snapdragon 7c Gen2 CPU is definitely an improvement over the MediaTek P60T from prior models and runs more efficiently too, but it's still lacking in raw performance compared to Chromebooks with at least an Intel Core i3, or higher.

Lenovo ThinkPad Duet 5 Chromebook specs

• Size: 12.04 x 7.35 x 0.28 ins (305.86 x 186.74 x 7.23mm) (W x H x D)

• Weight: 2.24lbs (1.02kg)

• CPU: ASnapdragon 7c Gen2

• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno GPU

• RAM: 8GB LPDDR4

• Storage: 128GB eMMC Flash storage

• Display resolution: 1920 x 1080p multitouch OLED

• Display size: 13.3-inch

• Brightness: 400 nits

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1

• Camera (Front): 5MP RGB; (Rear) 8MP RGB w/ autofocusPower: 45W USB Type-C

• Battery life: 42WHr w/ Rapid Charge

The Apple iPad Air 5 is still giving us a measly 64GB to start with that will barely last after a few downloaded movies, and you can only increase that amount through expensive upgrades.

However, the iPad Air comes loaded with the Apple M1 chip, which offers near-desktop-quality performance in a tablet that can fit in the smallest of bags, something that the Duet 5 Chromebook can't do.

Apple iPad Air (2022) specs

• Size: 7.02 x 9.74 x 0.24 ins (W x H x D)

• Weight: 16.32 ounces

• CPU: M1 chip

• RAM: 8GB

• Storage: 64GB

• Display resolution: 2360 x 1640

• Display size: 10.9-inch

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6

• Camera 12MP Wide camera, 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage

• Battery life: All day

Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: performance

In this matchup, performance is a bit murkier. While the Apple iPad Air is generally much faster and more efficient thanks to Apple's M1 silicon, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook has the advantage of behaving much more like a laptop in terms of the UI's efficiency and ease of use.

The Duet 5 Chromebook's benchmarks are quite solid and the fact that you can get a 13-inch OLED HD screen for such a low price is a true steal.

However, the M1 chip for the iPad is incredibly fast and efficient, especially paired with the iPadOS 15 OS's multitasking features. But trying to use this tablet as a fully realized laptop showcases the limitations as you need to navigate more to reach the same places.

In this case, it depends on what your needs are for your portable device, whether you require one that functions as a laptop for productivity work or one that's meant for more casual usage.

Lenovo Duet 5 vs iPad Air: verdict

Overall, it seems the Apple iPad Air just eaks out a win thanks to its design and specs being inherently superior. For most people, those two aspects are the most important factors in making a buying decision, with price not being a major factor as long as the quality is there.

For those who need a reliable productivity machine, however, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a great start with solid specs, a good detachable keyboard, and a nice OLED HD display.