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Lenovo takes wraps off Windows 10, Chromebook device lineup at MWC

With Mobile World Congress 2018 now underway, Lenovo formally introduced six new devices making an appearance during the show. The list consists of three Windows 10 PCs of the Flex and Yoga flavors, and three “E-class” Chromebooks falling under the $360 mark. All three Windows 10 devices rely on eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processors while the Chromebooks range from Intel Celeron and MediaTek chips. 

Windows 10

For this family, we have the Flex 14, and two Yoga 730 devices with 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch screens. All three are 2-in-1 devices, meaning they have hinges supporting Laptop, Tent, Stand, and Tablet modes. The 13.3-inch Yoga 730 is the thinnest and lightest of the three, measuring just 0.55 inches thick and weighing 2.46 pounds. All three support Lenovo’s Active Pen stylus. 

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For gamers, the 15.6-inch Yoga 730 with the optional GeForce GTX 1050 graphics chip is the ideal choice of the three. The GeForce MX130 in the Flex 14 would be your second-best bet given it’s better than integrated graphics, but it’s based on an older design and won’t have the performance you’ll see in the Yoga 730’s discrete GTX 1050 chip. 

According to Lenovo, the two Yoga units include integrated support for both Cortana and Alexa. “Use Cortana on your Yoga 730 during the day to schedule meetings, get reminders, search and send emails and manage to-do lists with just your voice,” the company says. “Or just ask to order food, do your shopping, dim the lights and turn up the music at night with Alexa.” 

Here are the specifications for all three along with their availability and prices: 

  Flex 14  Yoga 730 13  Yoga 730 15 
Screen size: 

14 inches 

13.3 inches 

15.6 inches 

Screen type: 

In-Plane Switching 

In-Plane Switching 

In-Plane Switching 

Screen resolution: 

Up to 1920 x 1080 

Full HD or Ultra HD 

Full HD or Ultra HD 

Processor: 

Intel 8th Gen Core i7 

Intel 8th Gen Core i7 

Intel 8th Gen Core i7 

Graphics: 

Up to GeForce MX130 

Integrated 

Up to GeForce GTX 1050 

Memory: 

Up to 16GB DDR4 

Up to 16GB DDR4 

Up to 8GB DDR4 

Storage: 

Up to 512GB PCIe SSD 

Up to 512GB PCIe SSD 

Up to 1TB PCIe SSD 

Connectivity: 

Wireless AC 

Wireless AC 

Wireless AC 

Ports: 

1x USB-C 3.1 Gen1
2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x HDMI
1x SD card slot
1x Audio jack 

2x Thunderbolt 3
1x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x Audio jack 

2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x USB-C 3.1 Gen1
1x HDMI
1x Audio jack 

Battery: 

Up to 10 hours 

Up to 11.5 hours 

Up to 11 hours 

Dimensions (inches): 

12.9 x 9.02 x 0.69 

12.08 x 8.52 x 0.55 

14.17 x 9.80 x 0.67 

Weight: 

3.25 pounds 

2.46 pounds 

4.16 pounds 

Pen support: 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Style: 

2-in-1 

2-in-1 

2-in-1 

Colors: 

Onyx Black 

Iron Grey
Platinum Silver 

Iron Grey
Platinum Silver 

Availability: 

April 

April 

April 

Starting price: 

$599 

$879 

$899 

Chrome OS

Next, we have three Chromebooks to meet every budget. Two models are based on Celeron processors while the 300e model provides options that includes MediaTek’s MTK 8173C chip. All three Chrome OS devices sport an 11.6-inch screen, a 1366 x 768 resolution, and integrated graphics. But only two support pen-based input: the 300e and the 500e. 

Outside their crazy-low prices, the big selling point for all three Chromebooks is in their overall design. The devices target students, sporting a drop-resistant durability of up to 29.5 inches. They also have reinforced ports to help protect against unintentional peripheral yanks, and reinforced hinges so the screens remain sturdy over time even with the roughest hands. 

“All three Lenovo Chromebooks are extra tough with flak-jacket-like protection for life’s rigors,” the company adds. “The Chromebooks have rubber bumpers and spill-resistant keyboards with reinforced keys that are not only tough in the classroom but at home too.” 

Here are the specifications for Lenovo’s new Chromebooks including availability and pricing: 

  100e  300e  500e 
Screen size: 

11.6 inches 

11.6 inches 

11.6 inches 

Screen type: 

Twisted Nematic 

In-Plane Switching 

In-Plane Switching 

Screen resolution: 

1366 x 768 

1366 x 768 

1366 x 768 

Processor: 

Celeron N3350 

Up to MediaTek
MTK 8173C 

Celeron N3450 

Graphics: 

Integrated 

Integrated 

Integrated 

Memory: 

8GB 

4GB 

4GB or 8GB 

Storage: 

32GB 

32GB 

32GB or 64GB 

Connectivity: 

Wireless AC 

Wireless AC 

Wireless AC 

Camera: 

Front-facing

Front-facing

World-facing 

Ports: 

2x USB-C 3.1 Gen1
1x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x Micro SD card slot
1x Mic/Audio combo 

1x USB-C 3.1 Gen1
1x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x HDMI
1x SD Card slot
1x Mic/Audio combo 

2x USB-C 3.1 Gen1
2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
1x Micro SD card slot
1x Mic/audio combo 

Battery: 

42WHr 

45WHr 

42WHr 

Dimensions (inches): 

11.41 x 8.03 x 0.78 

11.49 x 8.0 x 0.83 

11.41 x 8.03 x 0.80 

Weight: 

2.75 pounds 

3.0 pounds 

2.97 pounds 

Pen support: 

No 

Yes 

Yes
EMR pen included 

Style: 

Clamshell 

2-in-1 

2-in-1 

Availability: 

March 

February 

February 

Price: 

$219 

$279 

$349 

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