Let's call it the one hinge to rule them all.
Lenovo didn’t make the internals of this machine, leave that to Intel, Samsung and others. What Lenovo did make though is almost flawless. To start, the hinge of this laptop isn’t just perfect for a convertible, it should be the standard for all laptops. It’s a sad truth that too many healthy laptop lifespans are cut short by a faulty hinge. Lenovo says that the Yoga 3 Pro’s hinge is inspired by a watchband and hand-crafted using 813 pieces of aluminum and steel - problem solved.
Beyond the hingle, this machine is thin and light. More than marketing, Lenovo claims that it’s the lightest laptop in the world that’s more svelte than a pencil at just 0.5". At 2.6lbs, it’s the heroin-chic supermodel of ultraportables. Just like that model though who’s attractive until you try to have a deep conversation with her, Lenovo’s latest does have some flaws. The battery life isn’t all you’d hope for from a modern machine. The thinner lighter machine means a thinner and lighter battery. In addition, the almost 4k screen, while gorgeous, feels like a bit of overkill in this 13.3” frame and adds to the battery drain. It’s hard to resist the urge to add specs for specs sake, but restraint would have gone far here. While you might see others complain about the shallow keyboard on the Yoga 3 Pro, the actual experience isn’t horrible. If you’ve used Lenovo products in the past though with their signature bottom-curved keys, you might feel something missing.
The most important thing to take from this review is that Lenovo wants to make a premium machine and they’ve succeed here. The convertible side of the machine, tablet and kiosk/tent mode is nice, but the machine shines as a daily driver (minus the battery issues). This is the ideal form of a convertible laptop and this level of refined industrial design feels completely unique to Lenovo - well done.
P.S. As with most recent hardware, the Yoga 3 Pro ships with Windows 8 but is eligible for a free Windows 10 upgrade. Stay tuned for this machine as a part of an upcoming overview of just how smooth (or bumpy) the jump is from Windows old to Windows new!
Thank you to Lenovo for providing their product for review.
The Yoga 3 Pro by Lenovo
Manufacturer - $1,299.00
Amazon - $1,288.88
An extra bit of fun:
There’s so much personality here that you can’t get from the Mac side of the world. Order directly from Lenovo for the modern Clementine Orange model.
And as always... ENJOY YOUR GADGETS!