Who said power must come at the expense of versatility and portability? Not Lenovo, that’s for sure, as the global PC overlord just pulled a pair of new Yoga convertibles somehow punchier, slimmer and more flexible than previous family members.
The Yoga 3 is offered in two sizes, much like the Yoga 2, only the 11 incher’s bigger brother now fits a 14-inch display in a 13-inch chassis. Bezels are skinnier than ever before on the highest-end consumer-oriented Yoga yet and, with a profile of just 0.72 inches, the Yoga 3 14 is almost as slender as its 13-inch forerunner.
Both the fresh 11 and 14-inchers can seamlessly switch between four use modes (Laptop, Stand, Tent and Tablet), courtesy of two-hinge 360-degree construction, so while the physical keyboards don’t come off, these babies remain as convertible as convertible notebooks get.
They’re also as speedy as you’d expect, with Intel Core M inside the smaller model, and up to fifth-generation Intel Core i7 in the larger one. The efficient Broadwell microarchitecture behind both chips should ensure strong battery life, though Lenovo isn’t ready to share numbers.
Stereo speakers, “intelligent” JBL and Waves audio, and uber-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity are other highlights of the two’s spec sheets. Both models have a 1080p display but the larger Yoga also gets an IPS panel and optional Nvidia discrete graphics.
The smaller Yoga, at 2.6 pounds, is hands-down the lightest Yoga laptop to date. In comparison, the second-gen Yoga 11 starts at a “whopping” 3.2 pounds. The Yoga 3 14 is only slightly heavier than that at 3.5 pounds.
Due out in March, the 11-incher will cost a palatable $799 in its entry-level configuration, and the 14-incher is priced at $979 and up, which is also not too extravagant.
