ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 (CM3000)

The ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 (CM3000) is a 10.5-inch ChromeOS tablet that ships with its keyboard cover, a kickstand cover, and a USI stylus that stores inside the tablet. It suits note-taking, sketching, and light web work, and its MediaTek MT8183 with 4GB of RAM limits it once you open many tabs. Compared with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, it adds a headphone jack, a stand that works in portrait, and a garaged pen for a higher price.

Pros and Cons

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ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 (CM3000) Comparison Chart

	ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 (CM3000)	ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 (CM3000)
Price	List Price: $369.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $389.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon
Model number	CM3000DVA-DS44T-S	CM3000DVA-DS48T-S
Performance Rating	3.2	3.2
Chromebook Plus	No	No
Processor	Octa-core 2.00 Ghz (max 2.00 Ghz) MediaTek MT8183	Octa-core 2.00 Ghz (max 2.00 Ghz) MediaTek MT8183
RAM	4 GB	4 GB
Internal Storage	64 GB eMMC	128 GB eMMC
Screen Size	10.5"	10.5"
Screen Resolution	1920x1200	1920x1200
Screen Type	LED Backlit	LED Backlit
Touch Screen	Yes	Yes
Stylus / Pen	Supported	Supported
Dimensions width x length x thickness	10.06 x 6.58 x 0.31 inches (255.52 x 167.13 x 7.87 mm)	10.06 x 6.58 x 0.31 inches (255.52 x 167.13 x 7.87 mm)
Weight	1.12 lbs (0.51 kg)	1.12 lbs (0.51 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No
Webcam	Front 2 MP / Rear 8 MP	Front 2 MP / Rear 8 MP
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 4.2
Ethernet	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No
HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI
USB Ports	1 USB-C (power, data, DisplayPort, and audio w/ adapter)	1 USB-C (power, data, DisplayPort, and audio w/ adapter)
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No
Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader
Battery	2 cell, 27 WHr, Li-ion	2 cell, 27 WHr, Li-ion
Battery Life	12.0 hours	12.0 hours
Fanless	Yes	Yes
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2030	June, 2030

The tablet half is an aluminum unibody and feels sturdy in hand. Both covers ship in the box: a fabric kickstand cover for the back and a keyboard cover for the front. Those covers are the weaker part of the package, since rough padding and plastic keys make them feel cheaper than the tablet they attach to.

Its 16:10 panel runs 1920x1200, and the extra height over a 16:9 screen gives a browser window more room in laptop mode. The pen lives in a garage at the top left corner of the tablet, so handwriting, markup, and drawing need no separate stylus.

Fold the kickstand one way and the tablet stands in landscape for video; fold it the other way and it stands in portrait for reading or drawing. Wired earbuds plug into a combo headphone/microphone jack, so the single USB-C port stays free for charging.

The MT8183 slows down once several tabs or Android apps are open, and slow performance is a recurring complaint in Amazon buyer reviews. Storage is fixed at 64GB or 128GB of eMMC, depending on the model, with no SD card reader to extend it. ASUS rates the battery at 12 hours, and The Verge measured close to 13 hours in mixed use.

Reviewers’ Opinions

AmSatt compared the CM3 with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet in a hands-on video. He preferred the CM3’s keyboard, saying “the key travel is better” and that “it has a better feeling when you’re typing compared to the Lenovo one,” and he singled out the two-way stand that works in portrait as well as landscape. The trackpad drew one of his complaints: “That’s one of the negative things about the Asus one because it’s loud.” He rated the garaged pen well for drawing and said, “This pen has the best latency.”

Android Digest’s review also set the CM3 against the Duet. The keyboard lifts to an angle when it attaches, and he called it “definitely a good improvement over the keyboard on the Lenovo Chromebook Duet.” The cover was less convincing: when he adjusted the kickstand, “the case itself started to wobble a little bit.” Battery life ran about 10 hours in his testing. He saw no speed gain over the Duet and put the extra cost this way: “What you’re paying for is a better typing experience and an included stylus.” His conclusion: “I still say the Asus CM3 is a good device, but I think the Chromebook Duet is still a better value.”

Monica Chin tested a 128GB unit for The Verge and gave it an 8.5 out of 10. She averaged 12 hours and 49 minutes of continuous use on a workload of Chrome tabs and Android apps, and called the build fairly sturdy, though the palm rests and keyboard deck felt plasticky. Chrome showed “a teensy bit of sluggishness when swapping tabs and resizing windows.” Her verdict weighed the extras against the Duet’s lower price: “I think the CM3 is a slightly worse purchase than the Duet for most people who are looking for a secondary device or a small Chromebook for a student.” She still concluded, “I do think the CM3 is a great device. And it does offer a few benefits over the Chromebook Duet that justify it costing a bit more.”

Design and build quality fell short for Tom Brant at PCMag, who criticized the quality of the keyboard and back cover and recommended the Lenovo Chromebook Duet as a better alternative. He praised the display and battery life, and noted, “Just because the CM3 doesn’t benchmark overly well doesn’t mean it isn’t suited for the types of tasks that you’d likely buy it for, such as serving as a classroom learning tool or videoconferencing platform.”

Customer Reviews

Amazon buyers who treat it as a light, portable second screen tend to come away happy. A verified buyer, jamie, wrote: “This isn’t a surface pro. But for the money it’s pretty much unbeatable. And if you’re a chromeos fan, it’s close to perfection.” The detachable keyboard, garaged stylus, bright screen, and value for note-taking and casual browsing come up repeatedly among the positive reviews, including from buyers setting it up for students and for first-time internet users.

The recurring complaint, and the reason for the lower-star reviews, is speed. Several verified owners say the chipset is too slow for how they use it, and a one-star buyer, Xandr, wrote: “This thing is slower than a kindle. Everything I try to do I’m waiting for the computer to catch up so I can do the next thing.”

A featherweight tablet for notes and light web work

The tablet alone weighs 1.12 lbs, and the garaged pen suits students who take handwritten notes and anyone who sketches. Google lists the CM3000DVA for ChromeOS updates until June 2030, so a unit bought now still has several years of security and feature updates left.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is the closest alternative. It uses a similar MediaTek chip and cost less at launch. PCMag and The Verge called the Duet the better choice for most people, and Android Digest called it the better value, while the CM3 adds a better keyboard, a garaged pen, and a stand that works in portrait.

The Starry Hope Chromebook Comparison App lines this one up against other models side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions