Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i: a close competition - Digital Trends

Two caller detachable tablet 2-in-1s deed the marketplace recently, entering a abstraction that’s been dominated by Microsoft’s Surface Pro for years. Lenovo has its caller IdeaPad Duet 5i and Dell offers the XPS 13 2-in-1, the second of which has morphed from a 360-degree convertible.

The Lenovo competes chiefly connected terms portion looking a batch similar Microsoft’s tablet, portion Dell’s exemplary takes a antithetic plan way and costs a spot more. Which is the amended tablet for you?

Specs and configurations

There’s conscionable 1 configuration of the IdeaPad Duet 5i, a $790 exemplary with a Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The keyboard folio is included, but the $30 pen is not. That compares to the XPS 13 2-in-1 that starts astatine $1,000 with a Core i5-1230U, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, and without the $100 keyboard folio oregon pen. At the precocious end, you’ll walk $1,449 for a Core i7-1250U, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, without the keyboard and pen.

The IdeaPad Duet 5i is little expensive, but it besides uses lower-end components. You’ll walk much for the XPS 13 2-in-1, but get faster parts, much RAM, and much storage.

Design

Both tablets are emblematic slates, with the IdeaPad Duet 5i being somewhat much rounded astatine the corners. Lenovo offers 2 colors, Storm Grey and Stone Blue, portion the Dell comes successful Sky and Slate. Both designs are simple, with small to differentiate them aesthetically.

The aforesaid goes for physique quality, with some manufactured from aluminum and the XPS 13 2-in-1 featuring an all-glass back. They’re some coagulated designs, though the IdeaPad Duet 5i has 1 chiseled diagnostic — a kickstand that’s centered successful the rear of the tablet and props it up astatine a wide scope of angles. It’s similar the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 successful this respect. The XPS 13 2-in-1 relies connected its detachable folio keyboard for a kickstand, and offers conscionable 3 magnetically secured angles.

The IdeaPad Duet 5i includes a detachable keyboard, and it has a comfy feel, with capable cardinal spacing and light, snappy switches. The included touchpad is tiny but functional. The XPS 13 2-in-1’s keyboard is simply a $100 add-on that includes an progressive pen (a $30 enactment with the Lenovo), and it has an edge-to-edge plan that’s akin to the XPS 13 Plus. It’s besides comfy for agelong typing sessions, and its touchpad is likewise sized and functional. Both keyboards endure the aforesaid flaw, specifically that they laic level and can’t beryllium propped up arsenic is the lawsuit with Microsoft’s Type Cover.

Both tablets are constricted to USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports, but the IdeaPad Duet 5i includes a 3.5mm audio jack that the XPS 13 2-in-1 excludes. Dell does see USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to 3.5mm audio dongles. Both person Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, portion Dell includes optional 5G WWAN connectivity.

Finally, the IdeaPad Duet 5i has 5MP front- and rear-facing webcams, portion the XPS 13 2-in-1 has a 1080p beforehand camera and 2160p rear camera. Both devices supply fantabulous representation prime for videoconferencing.

Performance

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The Core i3-1215U successful the IdeaPad Duet 5i that we tested is simply a 15-watt 12th-gen processor with conscionable six cores (two Performance and 4 Efficient) and 8 threads. It’s the lowest-end CPU we’ve tested successful that lineup, though it has a higher basal powerfulness than the 9-watt Core i5-1230U successful the XPS 13 2-in-1. That CPU has 10 cores, though, with 2 Performance and 8 Efficient cores, positive 12 threads.

Even so, the Lenovo intimately matched the Dell successful Geekbench 5, bushed it successful Cinebench R23, and fell importantly down lone successful our Handbrake trial that encodes a 420MB video arsenic H.265. The 2 laptops achieved astir identical scores successful the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark. Ultimately, these tablets are some susceptible of handling the aforesaid kinds of productivity tasks, and neither is large for creativity.

Display

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Both tablets connection crisp IPS displays successful taller formats, with the XPS 13 2-in-1 enjoying the 3:2 facet ratio that’s person to a carnal expanse of insubstantial than the IdeaPad Duet 5i’s 16:10. But the IdeaPad had a overmuch brighter show with wider colors. Both had fantabulous opposition for IPS displays, and the IdeaPad’s 1 weakness was its mediocre colour accuracy, which is simply a spot of the XPS 13 2-in-1.

Both tablets are large for productivity work, though, arsenic agelong arsenic you’re not disquieted astir proofing photos oregon videos connected the Lenovo.

Portability

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These are 2 bladed and airy slates, but the XPS 13 2-in-1 is thinner and lighter astatine 0.29 inches and 1.23 pounds compared to 0.37 inches and 1.85 pounds for the IdeaPad. Add connected their folio keyboards, though, and they some attack clamshell laptops successful presumption of value and thickness. They’re casual capable to transportation around, though.

Battery beingness was successful the IdeaPad Duet 5i’s favor.. Both tablets had astir 50 watt-hours of artillery astatine their disposal, but the Lenovo lasted importantly longer successful our artillery tests. Neither is apt to get done a afloat day’s enactment connected a azygous charge, but you’ll beryllium pulling retired your Dell charger overmuch sooner.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 has much headroom, but the IdeaPad Duet 5i wins connected price

If you’re looking for a instrumentality to augment a superior desktop oregon much accepted laptop, past you’ll emotion the IdeaPad Duet 5i’s price. It’s an affordable tablet with conscionable capable powerfulness and artillery beingness to beryllium a meaningful summation to your computing stable.

The XPS 13 2-in-1, though, tin beryllium configured with much RAM and storage, the second of which is simply a weakness with the IdeaPad, and provides for greater computing headroom. But you’ll wage for the privilege.

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