“We recognize consumers’ need to work on multiple devices for different tasks,” Lenovo said in a press release. “For example, they may text on a smartphone, work on a laptop, and read on a tablet. That’s why we designed each of our new devices to either convert or detach into tablet mode, so users can do more with the comfort of typing on a keyboard and the power of the latest generation of Intel processors, while giving them long battery life to leave the power cord at home.”
While you may not actually want to leave the power cord at home, Lenovo’s new systems do seem to give preference to portability.
Yoga 710
The Yoga 710 comes in both 11-inch and 14-inch flavors, boasting up to a Core m5 processor on the smaller model, and up to a full-size Skylake i7 on the larger one. The Yoga 710, Lenovo says, is “one of the most powerful and portable convertible laptops available,” not only thanks to the processor, but also because the 14-inch model packs an optional, dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics card in the mix. Intel HD graphics will be standard.
Weight, or lack thereof, is a priority for this system. The Yoga 710 11-inch weighs only 1.07 kilograms (or 2.4 pounds), which is especially convenient when propped up into tablet mode, stand mode, or tent mode. The 14-inch model weighs in at 1.65kg (or 3.6 pounds).
Both models feature a battery life of up to eight hours, allegedly 14 percent longer than their predecessors, as well as 1080p display resolution, and Dolby Audio Premium sound. Better Wi-Fi stability and the option for a 256GB solid state drive, however, are exclusive to the 14-inch model.
The 11-inch Yoga 710 laptop will start at $500 with a Pentium processor, while the 14-inch model will go for $800, beginning in May 2016.
Yoga 510
The Yoga 510 improves upon its precursor even more than the 710, with a 50 percent battery jump, bringing it to 8.5 hours. Though it’s heavier than the 710 at 1.75 kilograms (or 3.9 pounds) for the 14-inch model and 2.08kg (or 4.6 pounds) for the 15-inch model, the Yoga 510 also supports the laptop, stand, tent, and tablet modes.
It is powered by up to a 6th-gen Core i7 processor, which can be accompanied by an optional AMD Radeon R7 M460 2GB GFX graphics card. A solid state drive up to 256GB can be equipped, or a mechanical disk up to 1TB, though not both. Both systems have a 1080p IPS touchscreen. Battery life comes in at about 8.5 hours, according to the company.
Other features include an optional backlit keyboard, 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 4.1, and Harmon Kardon speakers.
Lenovo’s 14-inch Yoga 510 will retail at $600, while the entry-level 15-inch model starts at $700. Both will be available in April 2016.
MIIX 310
Although it’s marketed as a 2-in-1 device, the Ideapad MIIX 310 focuses far more heavily on tablet use than either of the Yoga models. Though it weighs a mere 580 grams (or 1.3 pounds), the MIIX 310 boasts optional 4G LTE support and, “unlike many of its rivals,” an included detachable keyboard as well.
With a 10-hour battery life and a 10-inch screen, the Windows 10-powered MIIX 310 comes with an optional Full HD 1080p resolution display, up to 64GB of built-in eMMC storage, and up to 4GB of DDR3L memory. An Intel Atom X5 8300 processor with Intel HD Graphics appears to be the only available CPU/IGP combo.
The MIIX 310 tablet, which Lenovo plans to release in June, starts at a surprisingly affordable $230. That will make it one of the least expensive Windows 2-in-1s on the market.
