The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 3 provides thirteenth Gen Intel Core processors however in any other case carries ahead with the identical design and many of the elements utilized by its predecessor.
Design
The ThinkBook 14s Yoga is a premium convertible laptop computer with tent, stand, and laptop computer utilization modes. Aimed on the small enterprise market, it seems fashionable {and professional}, with an anodized aluminum physique that may be bought in a selection of two colours, Abyss blue and Mineral grey, each of which provide a pleasant two-tone look.
The overview unit got here within the former, and it was a pleasant break from the boring grays of most company laptops, although the outside of the show lid and the wrist relaxation space attracted fingerprints and smudge far too simply. The Lenovo branding is tastefully performed.
Although most individuals will use the Yoga as a standard laptop computer more often than not, the flexibility of the convertible design is clear and might be helpful even when used often.
Show
From what I can inform, Lenovo solely provides a single show possibility on this ThinkBook, a shiny Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS panel with an old-school 16:9 side ratio, multitouch and smartpen compatibility, and antiglare and anti-fingerprint coatings that outputs a comparatively dim 300 nits of brightness.
The show’s facet bezels are good and small and the show does no less than deal with one hundred pc of the sRGB colour gamut, and I discovered it completely serviceable for day-to-day productiveness work indoors. However I’d a lot reasonably see a 16:10 show panel and discover it odd that Lenovo hasn’t made this alteration throughout its total ThinkBook line. That’s very true given this PC’s convertible performance: a 16:10 or 3:2 show would make the Yoga’s pill mode extra usable.
Inside elements
The ThinkBook 14s Yoga could be configured with a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i5-1335U or Core i7-1355U processor, each of which give 10 complete cores—2 efficiency, 8 environment friendly—and built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8 or 16 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM (with 8 GB soldered on the motherboard and the opposite 8 added by way of a SO-DIMM card), and as much as two M.2 (PCIe NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4) SSD drives, both or each of which could be 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB in capability.
That is middle-of-the-road stuff, apart from the storage, however completely enough for the productiveness functions utilized by its target market. I ran Microsoft Phrase, Courageous, Notion, Adobe Photoshop Components 2020, Microsoft Groups, Skype, WhatsApp, and Visible Studio Code repeatedly all through the overview interval and by no means skilled any points, with efficiency, warmth, or fan noise. This was true even when it was used on a tender floor like a mattress or sofa.
Connectivity
Connectivity is modern-ish, with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 however no mobile information possibility.
Ports and enlargement
The ThinkBook provides a mixture of fashionable and legacy ports, as one would count on of a business-class moveable. However there are some odd compromises. For instance, on the left, you will see that two USB-C ports, a full-sized HDMI port, a full-sized USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port with always-on capabilities, a combo headphone/microphone jack, and, for those who look intently, a pin-sized NOVO gap that’s used to recuperate the system if the PC can’t boot.
However the rear-most USB-C port gives USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps information switch, Energy Supply 3.0, and DisplayPort 1.4) capabilities, whereas the USB-C port subsequent to it has Thunderbolt 4/USB4 (40 Gbps information switch, Energy Supply 3.0, and DisplayPort 1.4) capabilities. They need to be similar.
On the appropriate, you see a Kensington nano lock slot, a second full-sized USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port (however with out always-on capabilities), a micro-SD card reader, an influence button with its built-in fingerprint reader, and a pen slot.
Audio and video
Sound is delivered by way of a pair of 2-watt stereo audio system that fireside by means of the highest and backside of the machine and are enhanced with Dolby Atmos capabilities. I recognize the dynamic setting within the Dolby app that optimizes the sound for no matter content material sort you’re having fun with. However the general quantity isn’t significantly loud, and I discovered myself elevating it increased than regular to try to compensate.
In fact, this laptop computer is aimed toward enterprise customers, not customers, and the hybrid assembly capabilities are no less than respectable, with a selection of 720p (boo) and 1080p webcams, each with a set focus and a guide privateness shutter, and a twin microphone array with noise canceling capabilities. Patrons ought to spend a while exploring the Lenovo Vantage app, the place you may configure things like optimizing audio for VoIP, a couple of very fundamental digicam settings, microphone noise canceling with a mode particular to conferences, and speaker noise canceling.
Keyboard, touchpad, and pen
The ThinkBook’s backlit keyboard is superior, with quick, clicky key throws, and I like how its grey colour contrasts with the darkish blue/black of the aluminum case round it. Pretty much as good, Lenovo didn’t muck up the keyboard with any foolish extras, the Ctrl secret’s in the appropriate place, and you may toggle the operate row between particular features (quantity, brightness, communications, and so forth) and conventional features.
The smallish touchpad is likewise wonderful, and whereas I did disable 3- and 4-finger gestures over time, I didn’t expertise any accuracy or misclick points. I want all touchpads have been this small.
Sadly, the bundled stylus, which is saved and charged in a slot on the appropriate facet of the PC, is simply too small to be helpful for a lot, particularly if in case you have adult-sized palms. I perceive the attraction of this setup, and it’s good to have a pen you may’t lose simply, however it undercuts the machine’s handwriting and drawing capabilities.
Safety
Lenovo has you lined with the fundamentals from a safety perspective: the ThinkBook 14s Yoga provides a self-healing BIOS, an offline restoration functionality by way of its NOVO gap, and a Home windows Howdy-compatible match-on-host fingerprint reader on the facility button. However the overview unit didn’t supply Home windows Howdy facial recognition capabilities, and the webcam privateness shutter is guide and exhausting to see and use.
Sustainability
The ThinkBook 14s Yoga is fairly serviceable for a laptop computer, with a replaceable/upgradable SIMM card, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth M.2 card, and two M.2 storage slots. It’s made with 25 p.c post-consumer content material (PCC) recycled plastic within the battery, 90 p.c PCC recycled plastic utilized in its energy adaptor, and 30 p.c recycled ocean-bound plastic in packaging. The physique is one hundred pc aluminum.
Portability
Battery life was disappointing: I skilled a mean of slightly below 5 hours of uptime over the overview interval, lower than I had anticipated given Lenovo’s 11.7-hour estimate. Energy to the 60-watt-hour battery comes by way of USB-C, after all, however you may select between an ordinary Lenovo energy adapter or the 2-pin wall-mount adapter that got here with the overview unit. Each are 65-watt models and might quick cost the ThinkBook to 80 p.c in 60 minutes.
From a portability perspective, the ThinkBook is a pleasure to journey with. It weighs 3.3 kilos, which is about common for a 14-inch convertible, and its 12.6 x 8.62 x 0.67-inch physique is skinny and disappeared simply into my backpack throughout a highway journey to the Finger Lakes area of New York. I wasn’t in a position to fly with it, however between its versatile kind issue, quick show, and small dimension, the ThinkBook can be a really perfect journey companion.
Software program
It’s cheap to count on a business-class laptop computer to ship with none crapware and the ThinkBook 14s Yoga largely got here by means of, with simply McAfee LiveSafe mucking up the works. The Lenovo software program preload can be cheap, with simply 5 Lenovo-branded apps, plus AI Assembly Supervisor, Dolby, Intel Graphics Command Middle, Journal, and SmartNote taking on house.
I don’t like seeing extra-cost provides in business-class laptops, and so the unasked-for look of the Lenovo Now app, which provided me premium care plus assist at $11 monthly for a one-year dedication, 3 months of Amazon Music free of charge, and an “unique” Dropbox supply of 100 GB of house for six months free of charge, was unwelcome.
As was the in-box promoting in Lenovo Vantage, although it wasn’t as in my face as was the case with the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 8 that I reviewed again in March. The one interruption I can recall from that app was a proposal for Lenovo Good Lock, which prices $49.99 per yr.
Pricing and configurations
The ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 3 remains to be listed as “coming quickly” on the Lenovo web site, but when its predecessor’s pricing is any information, and I feel it’s, then you may count on a listing worth of about $1699 with real-world pricing within the $1000 to $1300 vary. This laptop computer is an affordable buy on the decrease finish of that vary and let’s face it, nobody ought to ever pay the record worth for a Lenovo laptop computer given its endless gross sales.
Suggestions and conclusions
The ThinkBook 14s Yoga is a middle-of-the-road enterprise convertible with a curious combine of contemporary and down-level elements that make it a bit apparent to see the place Lenovo lower prices to hit a worth level. It’s a handsome PC with a flexible design however it will get smudged too simply. The show is 16:9, which isn’t supreme normally, however is even much less so in a convertible. The keyboard and touchpad are each terrific, and the software program preload is generally crapware-free. However the disappointing battery life, single Thunderbolt 4/USB4 port, quiet audio system, and tiny stylus are all minuses. All-in-all, this PC is greatest used as a conventional laptop computer by those that don’t journey a lot and can at all times be close to energy. In that capability, it is going to show an in a position work companion.
At-a-glance
Professionals
- Trendy design
- Versatile kind issue
- Glorious keyboard and touchpad
- Largely crapware-free
Cons
- Unimpressive 16:9 show
- Disappointing battery life
- Just one Thunderbolt 4/USB4 port
- Tiny stylus
- Audio system aren’t very loud
- Smudgetastic exterior