PC makers have been pumping out new devices powered by Intel’s latest Haswell processors, so it’s about time we saw a hardware refresh for Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 13, one of the most interesting Windows 8 convertibles launched more than a year ago.
The new Yoga 2 Pro will be launched at this year’s SITEX IT bazaar, and Lenovo has certainly upped the ante here, as we’re looking at more than just a processor bump.
The name change is the first obvious departure from its previous generation. Lenovo is moving away from the IdeaPad moniker, and has slapped a “Pro” label for good measure. However, you’re not going to find any enterprise-oriented features on this particular device.
Instead, the Yoga 2 Pro remains a consumer model with a slew of new features, including a gorgeous 13-inch 3,200 pixels by 1,800 pixels multi-touch display and a beautiful black-and-white, back-lit keyboard. Windows 8.1’s colorful tiles really come to life on its vivid display.
The surface finish feels fantastic to the touch. No glossy fingerprint magnet here, just a smooth, rubbery material that provides a good grip. The entire laptop feels rock solid, and I couldn’t get any part of it to creak or flex no matter how I tried.
As per the previous model, you’ll be able to twist the Yoga 2 Pro’s display all the way to the back so that it can be used in multiple modes. It’s still too big and heavy to be used comfortably as a tablet, but at only 1.39 kg, the Yoga 2 Pro is actually lighter that its forebear. In fact, it’s only very slightly heavier (40g) than the 13-inch Macbook Air, which is impressive considering hardware differences such as a touch screen and a strong hinge.
Lenovo has equipped the Yoga 2 Pro with a piece of software that prompts you with tips on what you can do with the mode you twist to. When you tap on the prompt, you get pushed into a “Yoga Picks” app that shows you what sort of apps you can use in a particular mode.
Frankly, it’s gets quite annoying after the tenth or so notification, so I hope it can be turned off.
There’s almost nothing to dislike about the Yoga 2 Pro, except one detail: Lenovo’s decision to build a combination of one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port is baffling. Why not two USB 3.0 ports? Plus, I wish the company had chucked in the choice of an Intel HD 5000 or even 5200 GPU instead of the baseline 4400.
All those goodies come at a price. The Yoga 2 Pro will be retailing from S$1,899, and you’ll be able to get your hands on it at SITEX next week. As a new product, the Yoga 2 Pro probably won’t see any discount there, but it should be reasonable to expect some freebies with every purchase.
We’ll get our full review up soon, so stay tuned!
Could you guys give an opinion on the screen colors (after the recent patch released by Lenovo on the yellow issues) and let your readers know how good/bad the color gamut really is?
Hi Dy, we haven’t had a chance to properly review this yet, it’s just a quick hands-on impression at the launch event. Will keep you posted when we do review it.