The first Lenovo Yoga models have been released in 2012 and introduced a really well-designed product with a focus on flexibility due to the feature of a hinge that can be stretched to almost any degree.
The product series is still pretty prominent, and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on a test unit of the Yoga 730 with a 15.6″ display size, provided to us by Lenovo for review. This particular model, along with all its features, was announced during the MWC earlier this year.
Reviewing the Lenovo Yoga 730
What I can say is that the essence of the Yoga series can still be felt today, even if the used parts are of course several times better in comparison to the first version back in 2012. The Lenovo Yoga notebooks are designed for creative people on the go. For people who want to just kick the legs up in their thinking corner and getting some work done.
This is the main difference to the ThinkPad serious, which is more like the business workhorse, inherited from IBM’s laptop business. The Yoga series, on the other hand, is a true Lenovo innovation and while it’s flexible hinges allow you to put the keyboard on the back or even build a tent with it, it’s still a solid and stable product.
The designer and creative aspect is reinforced by the fact that the tested Yoga laptop is fully equipped with a nice touchscreen and a Lenovo Active Pen 2 (with Wacom software) and as some of you might know, Wacom is one of the most prominent manufacturers of gear for digital artist, including animation, game dev and movie studios. The pen is included in the box when you buy the unit, and you just have to insert the batteries and pair it to your Yoga via Bluetooth before you can start sketching and drawing away either on your favorite graphic software or even on top of business documents and websites for making notes or adding suggestions.
Also interesting: Lenovo Sponsors CS:GO Team “Silver Snipers”, Average Age: 71
I was personally also surprised by the power of performance in this little guy. I ran a benchmark against a gaming laptop from another brand (bought in 2016), and surprisingly the Yoga 730 even had a slightly better score. This means that you can not only use the Yoga notebooks for work and creative activities, but it’s also a decent choice for gaming. If video games on ultra-settings and rendering video material is the primary objective you might want to check into the latest Lenovo Legion gaming laptops available right now, but for everybody else, I can only recommend you to try this little monster out yourself.
In addition to my general remarks, I also wanted to point out some of the pro’s and con’s I thought of. Think of it as a quick summary of all the findings ready for your personal weighting, based on what features are important to you. Here we go…
Pros (+)
- Excellent performance with latest CPU and GPU
- Professional-grade pen and touchscreen
- The price for this kit is a lot less than I thought
- Bend the hinges to match your work style perfectly (now that’s “Yoga” right?)
- Not just a tablet with a keyboard, it does a perfect job as a proper laptop too
- Unlocking OS with the fingerprint sensor is really fun and comfortable
- Ventilation system keeps the laptop cool even under load
Cons (-)
- The product design and color options are a little too simplistic and 2010 for my taste (just a personal point of view)
- There are fingerprints and smudges all over the front and back (but there are covers available)
- The glossy display does reflect a little like a mirror (though this is not unusual for touchscreens, I am still not used to it)
- The device is a bit too heavy and bulky for tablet use, like carrying it with just one hand (because it’s a convertible laptop and not a tablet, fair and square)
- Does not have the cool TrackPoint from the ThinkPad series (but you can use the touchscreen)
- There’s some unused space on the keyboard and display (I think that could have been handled better)
Specs
And you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t going to ask for some good ol’ tech specs, am I right? Here are the details of the Yoga 730 that we tested. Hmmm… delicious facts.
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8550U (4C, 1.8 / 4.0GHz, 8MB)
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 (NVIDIA Pascal)
- Memory: 8GB DDR4-2400 Soldered
- Display: 15.6″ 4K (3840×2160) IPS Glossy, 300 nits
- Multi-touch: 10-point Multi-touch
- Storage 512GB SSD M.2 PCIe
- Optical: None
- Ethernet: None
- Ports: 2 x USB 3.0 Type-C, Thunderbolt, Full-size HDMI, DC-in, audio jack
- Wifi + Bluetooth: 11ac, 2×2 + BT4.1
- Integrated Webcam: 720p
- Microphone: Dual Array
- Keyboard: Backlit keys
- Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
- Pen: Lenovo Active Pen 2 (4,096 levels of pen sensitivity)
- Battery: 51.5Wh, 3 cell Li-Polymer (reportedly up to 9 hours)
- Power Adapter: 90W
- Audio: JBL speakers (Dolby Atmos with headphones)
- Weight: 1.89 kg / 4.2 lbs
- Dimensions: (H x W x D) 14.2″ x 9.8″ x 0.67″ / 360 x 249 x 17.15 (mm)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
Please note that the parts and specifications can change from model to model and sometimes even from region to region. Check carefully that you got the kit that you want before you make the purchase to avoid trouble.
Benchmark
We ran benchmarks on PCMARK10 and 3DMARK to get some numbers to the performance that will enable you to better comprehend the actual results or even compare it with your own rig. The testing happened in regular operations, with the laptop in a normal position, while being directly connected to the power socket. Here are the results for you.
- PCMark 10 score: 3,914 (better than 40% of all results)
- Cloud Gate 1.1 score: 7,297 (better than 26% of all results)
Click the link on the score for a more detailed overview.
Summary
I think that measured against the price of the product, this is an exciting choice for all who want to get some great performance into their creative working game for a reasonable budget. It’s a price that enthusiasts and hobbyist can afford somehow and not just the fancy design agencies. You can buy the Lenovo Yoga 730 15.6″ right now starting at $769.99 on Amazon. If you’re looking for more options or ordering from outside the US, just visit the Lenovo store. Sometimes they have a discount event going on, so don’t miss out on checking there.
While some small aspects irritated me a little bit personally at first, I think that objectively the Lenovo Yoga 730 does a great job. It’s a reliable piece of equipment, and you can even use it for gaming (in 4K!). At this moment, I would prefer it over similar “hybrid” products built by competitors in this market segment. If you ask me it’s the hybrid of hybrids and worth a second and a third look if you’re looking for new gear right now. You’ll get a fun and sleek experience all around. What do you think? Thanks to Lenovo for letting us test this new product and thank you for reading!
YouTube: Lenovo Yoga 730 Tour
Photo credit: All images used were provided by Lenovo as part of a press kit.
Editorial notice: The author has tested the reviewed product for more than eight hours before writing this article. Lenovo was kind enough to provide us with this product for review purposes but has not sponsored this article. Our performance scoring has been done with software we received from UL benchmarks. Thanks to all for your great support!
