What is the Lenovo Yoga 700?
Lenovo’s
Yoga series is simultaneously one of the most odd and most practical
attempts at the convertible laptop/tablet. Its 360-degree fold-back
screen means it’s almost completely uncompromised as a laptop, and can
also be used in a variety of touchscreen configurations.
The most
recent addition to the line is the Lenovo Yoga 700. It includes the
latest Intel processor at its heart, but is otherwise a mid-range
device: it's larger, heavier and less luxurious than the Yoga 900.
However,
this 14-inch model is available in options that include an Nvidia
graphics chip and its storage drive is an easy-to-upgrade 2.5-inch SATA
model. These qualities make it an intriguing option for those looking
for a slightly more versatile convertible that doesn’t break the bank.
Lenovo Yoga 700 – Design and Features
The
review sample Yoga 700 I received makes a striking first impression,
thanks to its bright-white exterior and black edges. Open it up and the
ying/yang styling continues with a white keyboard surround and black
keys. Alternatively, you can order it in black and black or silver and
black.
Finished in plastic, the Yoga 700 doesn't offer the premium
feel of a truly top-end laptop, nor indeed the Yoga 900. However, the
plastic does a slightly textured finish on the outside, which should
prove hardwearing.
Inevitably, dirt will build up and be far more
visible on a white chassis but a quick once-over with a cloth should
have the Yoga 700 back to looking its best – unlike some laptops with a
soft-touch finish that can wear away.
With
dimensions of 334.9 x 229.5 x 18.3mm, this 14-inch machine is
relatively thin and light, although it’s no record-breaker. Notably,
it’s a little larger than the likes of a 13-inch MacBook Air and another
step up again from the Dell XPS 13 or new MacBook.
As a result it
can be a little unwieldy as a tablet, regardless of the merits – or
lack thereof – of its foldable convertible design. The iPad Pro may come
close in terms of footprint, with its 305.7 x 220.6mm measurements, but
it’s half as thick and heavy.
On the flip-side, those dimensions allow for a full-sized keyboard, with none of the key-size reduction of the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air 11-inch.
Connectivity
is largely typical except for one standout feature, which is that the
power socket doubles as a USB 2.0 port – and the mains power adapter
thus doubles as a generic USB charger. Although this has been around on
various Lenovo laptops for a while, in general it remains a rarity and
is certainly a useful feature.
This port sits on the left edge,
next to another USB 3.0 port, the 3.5mm audio jack and SD card reader.
On the right edge is the power button, recovery button, rotation lock,
volume rocker, micro-HDMi and a second USB 3.0 port. The front and rear
of the device have no connectivity options.
The
heart of this machine is an Intel Core i7-6200U processor, which
includes the very latest 14nm Skylake technology and Intel HD 520
graphics, which should combine to make light work of most workloads, as
well as some gaming. All this while consuming less power than ever –
although the real-world results of these improvements are only likely to
be a few per cent of extra performance and battery life over last
year’s Yoga 3 in normal use.
You can also spec up the Yoga 700
with an Nvidia GeForce GT 940M. Although a pretty modest graphics chip,
it will double the performance of the Intel graphics and turn this
laptop from one that’s capable of playing older games at low resolution
and 30fps to one that can play older games at a high frame rate. It will
just about be able to play the latest games, too, if you keep the
resolution down.
Whip off the bottom of this laptop and you can
see the 2.5in SATA drive. Lenovo has only made this laptop available
with SSDs, but there's nothing to stop you from adding a hard drive if
storage capacity is a priority over speed, or you could upgrade to a
larger SSD – Lenovo only offers up to 256GB – or add a combined SSD and
HDD.
You can also access the single SO-DIMM memory slot, again
giving you the option of a future upgrade from the 8GB (DDR3 1,600MHz)
that comes with all the available models.
