Product Listing

Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 - If You've Got it, Flex it

By Leo Boon Yeow - 26 Dec 2012
Launch SRP: S$1899

Bend it Right

Bend it Right

The Yoga is a perfect example of an item being worth more than the sum of its parts. Its durability, ease of use and good looks puts it in a favorable position when compared against other convertible Ultrabooks in the market.

We’ve concluded in our initial hands-on review of the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga, that at S$1899, is a pretty good value deal when compared against other convertible Ultrabooks out in the market. After using it for a couple of weeks, we still stand by our original conclusion. If anything, we find that it’s actually one of the best Windows 8 convertible notebooks out there right now.

Simply comparing it against its predecessor shows that Lenovo took into consideration all of the complaints against the U300s to produce the Yoga. Instead of the standard 1366 x 768 pixels resolution found on more affordable machines, the Yoga has a more adequate 1600 x 900 pixels resolution, multi-touch IPS panel which looks great.

Lenovo didn’t add a much needed third USB 3.0 port onto the Yoga, but at the very least, there’s now an SD card reader, which makes it more convenient to transfer photos off digital cameras.

And like its name suggests, the Yoga is able to bend and flip into multiple modes. It can easily switch from laptop mode, to its "tent", "stand" and "tablet" mode in one fluid motion. We found that the two extra modes (three if you count the unofficial portrait mode) make it very adaptable and lend the machine extra usability that's not yet found in other convertible notebooks made primarily for notebook usage. The "tent" mode is good for interaction, while the "stand" mode is ideal for movie watching.

As for usage in its tablet mode, it does what it’s supposed to. However, because it’s bigger and heavier than the usual 10-inch tablets, it’s quite unwieldy in tablet mode. We’d actually recommend that you use it in "tent" mode if you’d want to interact with the Yoga primarily with touch input. But if you need to doodle or draw something, as long as the Yoga is placed flat on the table, you could use it just like any other tablet and you wouldn't be bothered by its weight. As such, it's ideal to note that the Lenovo Yoga was designed primarily for notebook usage while providing tablet-like functionality when required.

At S$1899, it’s much pricier than other tablet-only devices, and pricier than non-touch Ultrabooks. However with the Yoga being a convertible Ultrabook, you get a very capable touch-equipped laptop, and a very powerful tablet - all in one package that's manageable, relatively portable and is well built to serve various usage needs. So instead of questioning what the Yoga can do for you, ask yourself, what will be the first fun thing you want to with the Yoga! 

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9.0
  • Design 9.5
  • Features 8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 9
  • Mobility 8.5
The Good
Well designed
Easy conversion from notebook to tablet
Scratch resistant body
Accutype keyboard
Excellent Battery Life
The Bad
Only 1 USB 3.0 port and 1 USB 2.0 port
IPS display could be higher resolution
Screen could use an anti-glare coating
No backlit keyboard
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