Lenovo IdeaPad Duet affordable detachable 2-in-1 tablet launch is imminent

Lenovo’s eagerly awaited IdeaPad Duet is set to ship as soon as May 11 with the device now live on Best Buy’s website in the US. The device was first unveiled in early January and promises to offer a similar form factor and functionality to Google’s much more expensive Pixel Slate. While the Pixel Slate starts at US$599 just for the device, the IdeaPad Duet costs just US$299 and includes a keyboard accessory.

Naturally, to keep the IdeaPad Duet priced so sharply, Lenovo has delivered a device that is significantly less powerful than the Pixel Slate, but it still should prove sufficient for getting things done on Google’s relatively lightweight browser-based operating system. Instead of Intel-based processors, Lenovo has fitted the Duet with a MediaTek Helio P60T octa-core mated to a somewhat meager 4 GB of RAM – expecting more at the price point is probably asking too much.

After all, Lenovo hasn’t skimped on storage with 128 GB on board as standard. The Duet’s 10.1-inch IPS display is also decent with a high-resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels while the battery is also sizeable rated at 7,180 mAh. The included detachable keyboard features a full trackpad, although you can expect it to be around 90 percent of full-size. It will also be reasonably widely available at launch with Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan and Canada joining the US in the first wave.