Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 10.1" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook model: ZA6F0008CA
Ranked #1 among Tablets priced under $500.

Quick Description
This affordable tablet has a lot to offer, with a full-featured web browser, access to the Android App Store. Thanks to the bundled cover, it's also slightly better suited to typing emails, and even longer documents.
It only has a single port, however, meaning that this lonely USB-C Port could be in high demand, acting as a charging port, USB port for data transfer, headphone jack and video port. You will have to buy an adapter to fulfill some of these roles, which could cost you a bit extra. It remains a versatile tablet that could act as a Netbook under certain conditions.
This tablet stood out to me on 8 occasions while compiling the weekly Tech Worth Buying Newsletter. It was most recently selected on 2020-09-11, selling for $330.
Other Considerations
Here are a few things about this tablet which could come as a surprise. For each point, you will find how to fix it (if it's an issue) and how much to budget for it. Not every point below will be a concern, but hopefully, we can keep your surprises to a minimum.
No Headphone Jack. Without a headphone jack, you will need a (more expensive) bluetooth headset to listen music privately. It also won't be possible to connect to traditional speakers or sound systems without a bluetooth feature.$50+
Dongle-Dependant. This tablet has no regular USB port. So, in order to plug most USB peripherals, you will need an adapter of some kind. Those are sometimes included but not always and can result in hefty expenses. $10-$120
Set Expiration Date. This tablet will cease to receive updates from Google after June 1st, 2028, making it more vulnerable to new threats past this date. If you're adventurous, some users have been able to turn their Chromebooks into Linux machines before, but it does require a bit of extra know-how, and most people will likely want to look for a replacement past this point.
Every tech company declares its products obsolete and stop supporting them eventually; Google mostly differs by setting this date long in advance instead of notifying us after the fact. Still, this information should play a role in your decision, especially if you're considering buying an older model.
Available at 2 locations, from $350
Based on 156 days of observation, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 10.1" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook usually costs ~$350 in Canada. If you were waiting for this tablet to drop in price, this could be the day you were waiting for.
Scroll down to find charts comparing the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 10.1" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook to similar devices, to see how well it runs your favorite apps and to find where it can be bought from.
Pricing
History
Here's how this device has been priced up to now:
Here are a few Canadian retailers who currently sell this product:
- Get it New, from Staples for US$274.21, Online and In-Stores Last price check: 2021-01-18 04:21:28, EST
- Get it New, from Best Buy for US$289.88, Online Only Last price check: 2021-01-18 05:31:53, EST
- Open Box from Best Buy for US$235.04, has been Out of Stock for 6 days Last price check: 2021-01-18 04:21:59, EST
Specs
Here's how the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 10.1" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook ranks compared to similar devices. The more stars there are, the better (except for the price row).
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The Meaty details
The Specs
The features
- Back-Facing Camera
- Webcam / Front-Facing Camera / Selfie Cam
- USB Type-C
- IPS Display (incl. PLS, AHVA, etc.)
- Touch Screen
- Bluetooth 4
- Wi-Fi a
- Wi-Fi ac
- Wi-Fi b
- Wi-Fi g
- Wi-Fi n
- Built-in Microphone
- Built-in Speakers
- Fixed storage: eMMC Storage (slow)
What it's capable of
Here are the tasks this computer can handle and how easily it'll breeze through it. A 5-star rating means it should handle the task at a professional level, a 1-star rating means it can do it, but it likely won't be a pleasant experience.
Activities it will handle
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Web & Communication
The basics Design Websites -
Audio & Visual medias
The basics Music Production Drawing and Illustrations Photo Editing Video Editing -
Texts & Numbers
The basics -
Video Games
Casual and Mobile Games Enthusiast Games Triple-A Video Games -
3D and CAD
The basics
Programs, Apps and Games it will handle
Activity ratings are good but sometimes, you want to be absolutely sure your next purchase will be able to run a specific piece of software.
A 1 star rating means the program'll be usable (according to the developer's own definition; some are more demanding than others); 3 stars mean recommended specs are met with this device; 5 stars will means you will have plenty of overhead to handle uncommon uses of that program like mods, plug-ins and more.
In the same price range
For roughly the same price, you could get one of these. Anything in there sounds like a better deal?
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#8, Tablets (under $500)
Apple iPod touch (7th Generation) from US$200;
~$365 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -66.09% inferior Versatility for the Price -79.13% inferior Power equivalent Storage -12.18% inferior Portability equivalent Autonomy -74.02% inferior Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: Apple A10 (ipod touch edition)Graphics: Apple A10 Graphics (iPod Touch Edition)Memory: 2.00 GBStorage: 32.00 GBScreen Size: 4"Screen Resolution: 1136×640Dimensions: 12.34 x 5.86 x 0.61 cmWeight: 0.088 kgdetailed info US$195.86 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-17 06:08:23, ESTPricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Best Buy site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. × -
#7, Tablets (under $500)
Nintendo Switch Lite from US$210;
~$350 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -65.22% inferior Versatility for the Price -20.87% inferior Power equivalent Storage -12.18% inferior Portability equivalent Autonomy -72.73% inferior Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: Nvidia Tegra X1Graphics: Nvidia Maxwell 256Memory: 4.00 GBStorage: 32.00 GBScreen Size: 5.5"Screen Resolution: 1280×720Dimensions: 9.14 x 20.83 x 1.40 cmWeight: 0.277 kgdetailed info from US$203.68 - US$203.68 from Walmart (New)as of 2021-01-18 04:01:59, EST
- US$203.7 from London Drugs (New)as of 2021-01-18 11:49:50, EST
- US$203.7 from Toys R Us Canada (New)as of 2021-01-18 11:50:44, EST
- US$203.7 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-18 03:44:20, EST
- US$203.7 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-18 03:50:58, EST
- US$203.7 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-18 03:56:17, EST
- US$219.36 from Newegg (New)as of 2021-01-18 05:05:23, EST
Pricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer's site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. × -
#3, Tablets (under $500)
Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet (2019, Kids Edition) from US$210;
~$350 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -60.87% inferior Versatility for the Price -74.78% inferior Power equivalent Storage -12.18% inferior Portability -26.95% inferior Autonomy equivalent Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: MediaTek MT8183Graphics: ARM Mali-G72Memory: 2.00 GBStorage: 32.00 GBScreen Size: 10.1"Screen Resolution: 1920×1200Dimensions: 29.20 x 20.60 x 2.60 cmWeight: 0.778 kgdetailed info US$203.7 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-18 07:29:32, ESTPricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Best Buy site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. × -
#4, Tablets (under $500)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) from US$320;
~$490 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -61.74% inferior Versatility for the Price -28.7% inferior Power equivalent Storage -21.74% inferior Portability equivalent Autonomy equivalent Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: Samsung Exynos 7870Graphics: Samsung Mali T830Memory: 2.00 GBStorage: 16.00 GBScreen Size: 10.1"Screen Resolution: 1920×1200Dimensions: 25.40 x 15.53 x 0.82 cmWeight: 0.530 kgdetailed info US$313.39 from Visions Electronics (New)as of 2021-01-18 04:38:06, ESTPricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Visions Electronics site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. × -
#5, Tablets (under $500)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2019, 32GB) from US$240;
~$390 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -62.61% inferior Versatility for the Price equivalent Power equivalent Storage -12.18% inferior Portability equivalent Autonomy -10.39% inferior Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: Samsung Exynos 7904Graphics: ARM Mali-G71Memory: 2.00 GBStorage: 32.00 GBScreen Size: 10.1"Screen Resolution: 1920×1200Dimensions: 24.52 x 14.94 x 0.75 cmWeight: 0.469 kgdetailed info US$235.04 from Staples (New)as of 2021-01-18 11:47:59, ESTPricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Staples site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. × -
#9, Tablets (under $500)
Nintendo Switch from US$320;
~$400 with accessoriesDevice Ratings
Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy by All Smart Devices standards
Bang for the Buck -66.96% inferior Versatility for the Price -10.43% inferior Power equivalent Storage -12.18% inferior Portability equivalent Autonomy -50.65% inferior Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Bang for the Buck Versatility for the Price Power Storage Portability Autonomy Processor: Nvidia Tegra X1Graphics: Nvidia Maxwell 256Memory: 4.00 GBStorage: 32.00 GBScreen Size: 6.2"Screen Resolution: 1280×720Dimensions: 23.88 x 10.16 x 1.40 cmWeight: 0.400 kgdetailed info from US$313.36 - US$313.36 from Walmart (New)as of 2021-01-16 04:46:05, EST
- US$313.36 from Walmart (New)as of 2021-01-18 04:27:10, EST
- US$313.39 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-18 07:17:03, EST
- US$313.39 from Best Buy (New)as of 2021-01-16 23:38:23, EST
- US$313.39 from The Source (New)as of 2021-01-16 03:47:22, EST
Pricing Accuracy
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer's site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. ×