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Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) Laptop Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8
Reviewed Mar 01, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) Picture
N/A
School
N/A
Gaming
N/A
Multimedia
N/A
Workstation
N/A
Business

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) is a budget 2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard. It replaces the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020). It has an IPS display with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen. 2 SoC (System on Chip). It's available with 4GB or 8GB of memory and up to 128GB of storage. It has two USB-C ports, a front-facing and back-facing camera, and a 29Wh battery.

Our Verdict

N/A School

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is decent for school use. It's easy to carry around due to its compact size, and its battery lasts easily through a full day of light use. However, its small screen makes multitasking hard, the keyboard feels uncomfortable to type on, and the touchpad isn't very responsive. Also, its ARM-based SoC can only handle general productivity tasks like web browsing and text processing, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D animation.

Pros
  • Compact and lightweight.
  • Battery lasts through a full day of light use.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Great 1080p webcam.
Cons
  • ARM-based SoC can't handle demanding workloads.
  • Cramped keyboard, poor touchpad tracking.
  • ARM-based SoC doesn't support x86 applications.
  • Screen is too small for multitasking.
N/A Gaming

The Lenovo Duet 3 is bad for gaming. Its ARM-based SoC can't handle demanding tasks and doesn't support DirectX games, so you're limited to Android-based mobile games from the Google Play Store. It also has a 60Hz display with a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting in fast-moving scenes. On the upside, it doesn't get hot or loud under load and provides smooth gameplay in most mobile games.

Pros
  • No fan noise.
Cons
  • ARM-based SoC can't handle demanding workloads.
  • No user-upgradeable parts.
  • Can only run Android-based games from Google Play Store.
  • 60Hz display with slow response time.
  • Slow eMMC storage.
  • Can only get up to 8GB of memory.
N/A Multimedia

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is decent for media consumption. It's very portable, and since it's a tablet with a detachable keyboard, you can take the keyboard off to save space, which is handy in tight spaces like on an airplane or bus. The display looks sharp and gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings; however, it isn't very color-accurate out of the box, and blacks look gray in dim settings due to its low contrast. Unfortunately, the speakers sound unnatural, and the battery lasts less than five hours of video playback.

Pros
  • Compact and lightweight.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Can detach keyboard to save space.
Cons
  • Short battery for video playback.
  • Blacks look gray in dim settings.
  • Speakers sound unnatural.
N/A Workstation

The Lenovo Duet 3 is bad for use as a workstation. It's only available with a low-power ARM-based SoC, which isn't powerful enough to handle demanding workloads and doesn't support x86 applications. Also, you can only get up to 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage. The keyboard feels uncomfortable to type on, and there are only two USB-C ports.

Pros
  • No fan noise.
Cons
  • ARM-based SoC can't handle demanding workloads.
  • No user-upgradeable parts.
  • ARM-based SoC doesn't support x86 applications.
  • Slow eMMC storage.
  • Can only get up to 8GB of memory.
  • Limited port selection.
N/A Business

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is inadequate for business use. It's a very compact and portable device, and its battery lasts a full day of light use. However, its small screen makes multitasking hard, and the keyboard feels tiring to type on for long periods. Also, its low-power ARM-based SoC can only handle light tasks and doesn't support x86 Windows programs, which isn't ideal if your company requires specialized software.

Pros
  • Compact and lightweight.
  • Battery lasts through a full day of light use.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Great 1080p webcam.
Cons
  • ARM-based SoC can't handle demanding workloads.
  • Cramped keyboard, poor touchpad tracking.
  • ARM-based SoC doesn't support x86 applications.
  • Screen is too small for multitasking.
  • Limited port selection.
  • N/A School
  • N/A Gaming
  • N/A Multimedia
  • N/A Workstation
  • N/A Business
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2023: Review published.
  2. Updated Feb 24, 2023: Early access published.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Feb 09, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  5. Updated Feb 01, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (model 82T6000FUS) with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen. 2 SoC, 8GB of memory, and 64GB of storage. The memory and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below. This review applies to all models with a model number starting with '82T6'.

Screen
  • 10.95" IPS 2000 x 1200 60Hz Touchscreen

CPU

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen. 2 (8 cores, up to 2.55GHz)
GPU
  • Qualcomm Adreno 618 (integrated)
Memory
  • 4GB LP-DDR4X 2133MHz
  • 8GB LP-DDR4X 2133MHz
Storage
  • 64GB eMMC
  • 128GB eMMC
Color
  • Storm Gray
  • Misty Blue

You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Laptops

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is a decent budget Chromebook. It's among the most portable laptops, but its small size also makes it less ideal for productivity because you don't get a lot of screen space, and the keyboard feels cramped.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best Chromebooks, the best laptops, and the best budget and cheap laptops.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (2021)

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (2021) is essentially a larger version of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) with an OLED display. The Duet 5 is better for media consumption because its OLED screen displays deeper blacks and more vibrant colors; however, it doesn't get as bright as the Duet 3, so you may have more problems with visibility in well-lit rooms. The only other notable difference is the battery life; the Duet 3 lasts longer if you only perform light tasks like web browsing, but the Duet 5 lasts longer for video playback.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020)

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) is a newer version of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020). The 2022 model is slightly better. It has a faster SoC, a much better webcam, and a second USB-C port. The screen is a little bigger and brighter, but it isn't as accurate out of the box and doesn't handle reflections as well as the 2020 model.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021)

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021) is marginally better than the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) for most uses. The Surface Go 3 is slightly more compact, making it easier to carry around, and it has a significantly better keyboard, touchpad, and webcam. However, its display doesn't get as bright as the Duet 3's, and its battery life is much shorter. Also, you need to buy the Surface Go 3's keyboard separately, while the Duet 3 comes with the keyboard.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021)

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) is much better than the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) for most uses. The Surface Pro 8's display is larger, sharper, and brighter, and it has a 120Hz that improves responsiveness, especially when writing or drawing with a stylus. It also has better-sounding speakers, a better webcam, and a wider port selection. On the other hand, the Duet 3 is more portable, and its battery lasts much longer. The Surface Pro 8 has a better keyboard and touchpad; the downside is that you have to buy it the type cover separately, while the Lenovo's is included in the box.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Form Factor
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 has a simple design that looks almost identical to its predecessor, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020). It's a tablet with a two-tone back, relatively thin bezels, and speakers on each side (in landscape mode). In addition to the front-facing camera, there's an 8MP camera on the back. The fabric-covered back cover and the keyboard attach to the tablet magnetically. There's a pen holder on the back cover; you can remove it if you don't need it, but it'll leave a gap, and it might be hard to put it back on. It's available in two color schemes: Storm Gray and Misty Blue.

N/A
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is decent. The construction is a mix of aluminum and plastic, with a finish that doesn't scratch or pick up fingerprints easily. The tablet feels solid and doesn't flex at all, but the keyboard feels more flimsy and flexes a bit.

N/A
Design
Hinge
Range
Lock°
Stability
Locked
One Finger Lift
Locked

The kickstand's hinge is adequate. It feels a little cheap but still very sturdy. Like most 2-in-1 tablets, you can tilt the screen to an almost flat position to take notes or draw with a stylus. The posted range is the maximum angle you can tilt the screen, not the actual range because the tablet would fall shut if you set it at less than 90 degrees.

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Design
Portability
Size
10.9"
Thickness
Lock" (Lock cm)
Width
Lock" (Lock cm)
Depth
Lock" (Lock cm)
Volume
Lock in³ (Lock cm³)
Weight
Lock lbs (Lock kg)
Charger Size
Lock in³ (Lock cm³)
Charger Weight
Lock lbs (Lock kg)

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 and its power adapter are very compact and lightweight. The posted measurements include the back cover and the keyboard. The pen holder on the back adds 0.47 inches (1.2cm) of thickness and 10g of weight.

N/A
Design
Serviceability
Ease Of Access
0.0
RAM Slots
Locked
Storage Slots
Locked
Replaceable Battery
Locked
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
Locked

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 isn't serviceable. It's very hard to access the internals without causing damage, as the tablet is mostly held together with glue. None of the components are user-replaceable anyway.

Design
In The Box

  • Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 laptop
  • Back cover
  • Keyboard
  • 30W USB-C power adapter and cord
  • User guide

Display
Display
Screen Specs
Resolution
Locked
Aspect Ratio
Locked
Pixel Density
Lock PPI
Panel Type
Locked
Touch Screen
Locked
Screen-To-Body Ratio
Lock%

The Lenovo Duet 3's display resolution isn't particularly high, as it's just a little more than FHD (1920 x 1080), but it looks very sharp because its small screen size makes the pixel density very high. Split-screen multitasking is doable; however, it feels pretty cramped, so it isn't the best experience. Its 5:3 aspect ratio is slightly wider but shorter than 16:10.

N/A
Display
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
Lock Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 is only available with a 60Hz screen. It has a very slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, so it isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content or gaming.

N/A
Display
Contrast
Native Contrast
Lock : 1

The display's contrast ratio is decent and within the typical range for IPS panels. However, it's still relatively low compared to other display technologies like VA and OLED. This contrast level makes blacks look gray in dim settings.

N/A
Display
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
Lock cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
Lock cd/m²

The display gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings. It's just enough for outdoors in broad daylight; however, you may have trouble seeing some content due to the display's glossy finish, especially dark-color content. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness settings, which is great for dark room viewing as it causes less eye strain.

N/A
Display
Reflections
Screen Finish
Locked
Total Reflections
Lock%
Indirect Reflections
Lock%
Calculated Direct Reflections
Lock%

The reflection handling is okay. The display's glossy finish mainly struggles with direct, mirror-like reflections, meaning it's best to avoid having bright light sources directly behind you, as the reflections are visible even with the screen at maximum brightness.

N/A
Display
Black Uniformity
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
Lock%

The black uniformity is decent. The screen is more blue than gray or black, and there's a bit of clouding near the corners and edges.

N/A
Display
Horizontal Viewing Angle
- SAMPLE -
Get Insider Access for videos & test results
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) Horizontal Viewing Angle Video Sample
Color Washout From Left
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Color Washout From Right
Lock°
Color Shift From Left
Lock°
Color Shift From Right
Lock°
Brightness Loss From Left
Lock°
Brightness Loss From Right
Lock°
Black Level Raise From Left
Lock°
Black Level Raise From Right
Lock°
Gamma Shift From Left
Lock°
Gamma Shift From Right
Lock°

The horizontal viewing angle is passable. Image accuracy degrades fairly quickly as you move off-center, so you need to be near or directly in front of the screen to see an accurate image.

N/A
Display
Vertical Viewing Angle
- SAMPLE -
Get Insider Access for videos & test results
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) Vertical Viewing Angle Video Sample
Color Washout From Below
Lock°
Color Washout From Above
Lock°
Color Shift From Below
Lock°
Color Shift From Above
Lock°
Brightness Loss From Below
Lock°
Brightness Loss From Above
Lock°
Black Level Raise From Below
Lock°
Black Level Raise From Above
Lock°
Gamma Shift From Below
Lock°
Gamma Shift From Above
Lock°

The vertical viewing angle is okay. Like the horizontal viewing angle, the image looks dimmer and more washed out from above and below. You need to look at the screen straight on to see an accurate image.

N/A
Display
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
Avg. White Balance dE
Lock
Avg. Gamma
Lock
Avg. Color dE
Lock
Avg. Color Temperature
Lock K

The display's accuracy is bad out of the box. Most colors are inaccurate, and the white balance is visibly off, especially at higher brightness levels. The color temperature is much cooler than the standard 6500K target, giving the image a noticeable blueish tint. The gamma sticks to an almost flat 2.2 instead of following the sRGB curve, making bright scenes too bright and dark scenes too dark.

N/A
Display
Color Gamut
sRGB xy
Lock%
sRGB uv
Lock%
Adobe RGB xy
Lock%
Adobe RGB uv
Lock%
DCI P3 xy
Lock%
DCI P3 uv
Lock%
Rec. 2020 xy
Lock%
Rec. 2020 uv
Lock%

The Lenovo Duet 3's display has a great color gamut. It has near-full sRGB coverage, the color space used in most content. It also has very good coverage of the wider color spaces, like Adobe RGB and DCI P3, but it isn't enough for photo editing or viewing and producing HDR content.

N/A
Display
Flicker
Flicker-Free
Locked
Flicker Frequency
Locked
Flicker Active Below
Lock%

The backlight is entirely flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain.

Interface
N/A
Interface
Keyboard
Typing Quality
0.0
Numpad
Locked
Backlighting
Locked
Operating Force
Lock gf
Actuation Force
Lock gf
Pre-Travel
Lock mm
Total Travel
Lock mm

The Lenovo Duet 3's keyboard is inadequate. Although the layout is easy to get used to, it feels very cramped because it's such a compact device. It also feels flimsy, and unlike the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) and Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021), there's no way to tilt it to improve comfort. The keys are stable and have a lot of travel; however, they don't feel particularly satisfying to type on and require a lot of force to actuate, so it can be tiring to type on for extended periods. Typing noise is relatively low and isn't bothersome in quiet settings.

N/A
Interface
Touchpad
Tracking Quality
0.0
Size
Lock in² (Lock cm²)
Material
Locked
Dedicated Buttons
Locked

The touchpad is inadequate. It's small and doesn't track well, especially around the edges. Palm rejection doesn't always work, and gestures like zooming in and out of images and maps can feel a little janky. Dragging and dropping items is also hard. You can only click in the bottom half of the touchpad, and the click mechanism doesn't feel very satisfying. On the upside, its smooth surface allows the fingers to glide easily.

N/A
Interface
Speakers
Max Volume
Lock dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Lock dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Lock
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
Lock Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
Lock kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
Lock dB

The speakers are bad. They don't get very loud and sound unnatural, with no bass. Also, they fire from the side, so your hands might cover them when holding the tablet in landscape mode.

N/A
Interface
Webcam & Microphone
- SAMPLE -
Get Insider Access for videos & test results
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) Webcam Video Sample Sample
Video Quality
0.0
Resolution
Locked
Position
Locked
Privacy Cover
Locked
Face Unlock
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 has a good webcam. There's a lot of fine detail, and the colors look natural; it's just a tad overexposed. As for the microphone, voices sound clear but slightly muffled, and there's a little bit of background noise. There's a second 8MP camera on the back of the device; you can see the image quality in this video.

Connectivity
N/A
Connectivity
Ports
USB-A Ports
Locked
USB-C Ports
Locked
Thunderbolt
Locked
USB-C Charging
Locked
USB-C Display Out
Locked
HDMI
Locked
DisplayPort
Locked
3.5mm Jack
Locked
Card Reader
Locked
Ethernet
Locked
Proprietary Port
Locked
Security Lock
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 has a bad port selection. The USB-C ports support USB 3.2 Gen. 1 data transfer speed of up to 5Gbps. The device charges over USB-C, so unless you use a dock, you only have one usable port when plugged in. There's no 3.5mm headphone jack, and the device doesn't have a USB-C audio adapter.

Connectivity
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Locked
Bluetooth
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 uses a Qualcomm wireless adapter. Unfortunately, we can't confirm the exact model.

Configuration
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Locked
Model
Locked
Core Count
Lock
Thread Count
Lock

The Lenovo Duet 3 is only available with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen. 2 SoC (System on Chip), a low-power ARM-based processor typically found in budget Chromebooks. It's fast enough to provide a relatively smooth desktop experience on Chrome OS; however, it can't handle demanding workloads, so it's mainly for tasks like web browsing, text processing, and video playback.

Configuration
GPU
Brand
Locked
Model
Locked
Dedicated/Integrated
Locked
VRAM Size
N/A

The Lenovo Duet 3 is only available with integrated graphics. Again, it's a low-power GPU that can only handle general productivity tasks, not intensive workloads like video editing. Most games from the Google Play Store will run well, but you might experience some stutters in very graphically-demanding titles.

Configuration
RAM
Capacity
Lock GB
Modules
Locked
Type
Locked
Speed
Lock MHz

You can get this laptop with 4GB or 8GB of memory.

Configuration
Storage
Advertised Capacity
Lock GB
Usable Capacity
Lock GB
Drive 1
Locked
Drive 1 Type Locked
Drive 2
Locked
Drive 2 Type Locked

This laptop is only available with 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage.

Performance
N/A
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
CPU Single-Thread
Lock points
CPU Multi-Thread
Lock points
GPU Compute
N/A

The Lenovo Duet 3's overall score in Geekbench 5 is very low. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen.2 SoC can only handle light tasks like web browsing, video playback, and text processing. If you need to run more intensive applications or perform heavy multitasking, it's best to get a laptop with a more powerful U- or P-series CPU, like the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022). Although the GPU compute test doesn't work on Chrome OS, the integrated GPU likely performs poorly, so it isn't suitable for any demanding computing tasks.

N/A
Performance
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Single-Thread
N/A
Multi-Thread
N/A

Cinebench R23 doesn't run on Chrome OS. The performance is likely very bad, as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen. 2 is a low-end processor. It's also in a device with no active cooling, so there's probably some thermal throttling when performing heavy, sustained workloads.

N/A
Performance
Blender (3D Rendering)
CPU Render Time
Lock min
GPU Render Time
N/A
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 performs terribly in Blender. It takes a very long time to render the simple bmw27 scene, far too slow for any practical purposes. Blender doesn't support the integrated GPU, although it'll likely take even longer.

N/A
Performance
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Overall Score
Lock

The Basemark GPU score is terrible. The Qualcomm Adreno 618 can only handle mobile Android games from the Google Play Store, and even then, you might experience some stutters in very graphically-intensive titles.

N/A
Performance
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
Lock MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
Lock MB/s
Random Write Speed
Lock MB/s
Random Read Speed
Lock MB/s

The eMMC drive performs poorly. It's slow to retrieve data, launch a locally-installed app, and write data to the drive. That said, the system still feels reasonably responsive because Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system, and most tasks are done online through the Chrome browser.

N/A
Performance
Battery
Capacity
Lock Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
Lock hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
Lock hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
Lock hrs
Charge Time
Lock hrs

The Lenovo Duet 3's battery life is excellent. Despite its small battery capacity, it easily lasts a full day of light tasks. Video playback drains the battery much faster, giving you only enough time to get through a movie or two. Battery life while gaming is short but far better than most gaming laptops with a dedicated GPU.

N/A
Performance
Borderlands 3
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Very Low
N/A

Borderlands 3 doesn't run on Chrome OS.

N/A
Performance
Civilization VI
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Minimum
N/A
Avg. Turn Time
N/A

Civilization VI doesn't run on Chrome OS.

N/A
Performance
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
N/A

CS:GO doesn't run on Chrome OS.

N/A
Performance
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Lowest
N/A

Shadow of the Tome Raider doesn't run on Chrome OS.

N/A
Performance
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temp While Idle
Lock °C (Lock °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
Lock °C (Lock °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 has outstanding thermal and noise handling. The heat doesn't affect the keyboard since all the components are on the tablet side, and it isn't a problem when using the device in tablet mode either, as there's a back cover. There's no fan noise because this is a fanless device.

N/A
Performance
Performance Over Time
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
N/A
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
N/A
GPU Temp (Heaven)
N/A
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
N/A

We can't test the performance over time because UNIGINE Heaven and Cinebench R23 aren't compatible with Chrome OS. There's likely some thermal throttling, which is typical for a fanless device. The performance loss isn't noticeable if you only perform light tasks like web browsing and video playback; it's only noticeable when you push the system to near-maximum capacity, like when gaming.

Additional Features And Software
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Chrome OS
Additional Software
Locked

There aren't any pre-installed applications other than those that typically come with Chrome OS.

Every Chromebook has an 'expiration date' at which it stops receiving software updates, and according to Google's official document, the Duet 3's end-of-life is June 2030. Google may extend this date as they have for other Chromebooks; it's best to check their official document for any changes.

Additional Features And Software
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
Locked
Touch Pen
Locked
Secondary Display
Locked
Biometrics
Locked

The Lenovo Duet 3 supports pen input; however, not all models have a stylus (Lenovo USI Pen 2), so you may have to buy it separately. Any USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) stylus will work, but it might not fit the pen holder on the back cover.