With Mobile World Congress 2018 now underway, Lenovo formally introduced six new devices making an appearance during the show. The list consists of three Windows 10 PCs of the Flex and Yoga flavors, and three “E-class” Chromebooks falling under the $360 mark. All three Windows 10 devices rely on eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processors while the Chromebooks range from Intel Celeron and MediaTek chips.
Windows 10
For this family, we have the Flex 14, and two Yoga 730 devices with 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch screens. All three are 2-in-1 devices, meaning they have hinges supporting Laptop, Tent, Stand, and Tablet modes. The 13.3-inch Yoga 730 is the thinnest and lightest of the three, measuring just 0.55 inches thick and weighing 2.46 pounds. All three support Lenovo’s Active Pen stylus.
For gamers, the 15.6-inch Yoga 730 with the optional GeForce GTX 1050 graphics chip is the ideal choice of the three. The GeForce MX130 in the Flex 14 would be your second-best bet given it’s better than integrated graphics, but it’s based on an older design and won’t have the performance you’ll see in the Yoga 730’s discrete GTX 1050 chip.
According to Lenovo, the two Yoga units include integrated support for both Cortana and Alexa. “Use Cortana on your Yoga 730 during the day to schedule meetings, get reminders, search and send emails and manage to-do lists with just your voice,” the company says. “Or just ask to order food, do your shopping, dim the lights and turn up the music at night with Alexa.”
Here are the specifications for all three along with their availability and prices:
Flex 14 | Yoga 730 13 | Yoga 730 15 | |
Screen size: |
14 inches |
13.3 inches |
15.6 inches |
Screen type: |
In-Plane Switching |
In-Plane Switching |
In-Plane Switching |
Screen resolution: |
Up to 1920 x 1080 |
Full HD or Ultra HD |
Full HD or Ultra HD |
Processor: |
Intel 8th Gen Core i7 |
Intel 8th Gen Core i7 |
Intel 8th Gen Core i7 |
Graphics: |
Up to GeForce MX130 |
Integrated |
Up to GeForce GTX 1050 |
Memory: |
Up to 16GB DDR4 |
Up to 16GB DDR4 |
Up to 8GB DDR4 |
Storage: |
Up to 512GB PCIe SSD |
Up to 512GB PCIe SSD |
Up to 1TB PCIe SSD |
Connectivity: |
Wireless AC |
Wireless AC |
Wireless AC |
Ports: |
1x USB-C 3.1 Gen1 |
2x Thunderbolt 3 |
2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1 |
Battery: |
Up to 10 hours |
Up to 11.5 hours |
Up to 11 hours |
Dimensions (inches): |
12.9 x 9.02 x 0.69 |
12.08 x 8.52 x 0.55 |
14.17 x 9.80 x 0.67 |
Weight: |
3.25 pounds |
2.46 pounds |
4.16 pounds |
Pen support: |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Style: |
2-in-1 |
2-in-1 |
2-in-1 |
Colors: |
Onyx Black |
Iron Grey |
Iron Grey |
Availability: |
April |
April |
April |
Starting price: |
$599 |
$879 |
$899 |
Chrome OS
Next, we have three Chromebooks to meet every budget. Two models are based on Celeron processors while the 300e model provides options that includes MediaTek’s MTK 8173C chip. All three Chrome OS devices sport an 11.6-inch screen, a 1366 x 768 resolution, and integrated graphics. But only two support pen-based input: the 300e and the 500e.
Outside their crazy-low prices, the big selling point for all three Chromebooks is in their overall design. The devices target students, sporting a drop-resistant durability of up to 29.5 inches. They also have reinforced ports to help protect against unintentional peripheral yanks, and reinforced hinges so the screens remain sturdy over time even with the roughest hands.
“All three Lenovo Chromebooks are extra tough with flak-jacket-like protection for life’s rigors,” the company adds. “The Chromebooks have rubber bumpers and spill-resistant keyboards with reinforced keys that are not only tough in the classroom but at home too.”
Here are the specifications for Lenovo’s new Chromebooks including availability and pricing:
100e | 300e | 500e | |
Screen size: |
11.6 inches |
11.6 inches |
11.6 inches |
Screen type: |
Twisted Nematic |
In-Plane Switching |
In-Plane Switching |
Screen resolution: |
1366 x 768 |
1366 x 768 |
1366 x 768 |
Processor: |
Celeron N3350 |
Up to MediaTek |
Celeron N3450 |
Graphics: |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Integrated |
Memory: |
8GB |
4GB |
4GB or 8GB |
Storage: |
32GB |
32GB |
32GB or 64GB |
Connectivity: |
Wireless AC |
Wireless AC |
Wireless AC |
Camera: |
Front-facing |
Front-facing |
World-facing |
Ports: |
2x USB-C 3.1 Gen1 |
1x USB-C 3.1 Gen1 |
2x USB-C 3.1 Gen1 |
Battery: |
42WHr |
45WHr |
42WHr |
Dimensions (inches): |
11.41 x 8.03 x 0.78 |
11.49 x 8.0 x 0.83 |
11.41 x 8.03 x 0.80 |
Weight: |
2.75 pounds |
3.0 pounds |
2.97 pounds |
Pen support: |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Style: |
Clamshell |
2-in-1 |
2-in-1 |
Availability: |
March |
February |
February |
Price: |
$219 |
$279 |
$349 |