Indeed, a year is enough time to redesign a system and change the industry altogether. Just a year ago, Lenovo treated us to the Yoga 3 Pro, that was sleek in every inch but not terribly fast as anticipated by many power users. Now, the Lenovo Yoga 900 comes into the mix to correct the flaws we didn’t like in its predecessor, while still maintaining the sleek design among other niceties.
Now we have a Skylake-powered system in place of the sluggish core M from last year’s model and the battery life has been greatly improved. A perfect mix of power and beauty earn the Lenovo Yoga 900 our Editors’ Choice for high-end convertible-hybrid laptops.
Design
The laptop measures 0.59 by 12.75 by 8.86 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.85 pounds. This makes it lighter, smaller and thinner than the HP’s flagship 2-in-1 hybrid device, HP Spectre x360, but thicker and slightly heavier than its predecessor Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or Lenovo’s own Lenovo LaVie Z 360 could be more sensible choices to those who have portability as the priority. The Yoga 900 has a special hinge that lets the screen flip around 360 degrees, so that the display sits flat on the back of the keyboard.
The Yoga 900 has a 13.3-inch touch screen display that has WQHD+ (3,200-by-1,800) resolution. This size strikes a good balance between having a large enough display while still being considered as “portable”. The resolution allows more space for webpages and spreadsheets as compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 12 which has a cramped Full HD (1,920-by-1,080) display and the 13-inch Apple MacBook which sports a 2,560-by-1,600 resolution.
Its big resolution does however not come any closer to the powerhouses such as the like the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 P20W-CST3N02 that has a more expansive 3,840-by-2,160 resolution.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Yoga 900 corrects the trackpad flaws in the previous Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro that were finicky. It comes with a larger, usable and responsive trackpad that is not too sensitive. The keyboard also offers a solid experience with good tactile feedback and spacing between keys.
Lenovo has also added a dedicated function row, which is a nice touch. Furthermore, the palm rest is covered in a faux soft leather covering that helps keeps your hands comfy while typing. Last but not least, the keyboard is also backlit.
Connectivity
Lenovo is generous enough as the Yoga comes with 4 USB ports, a better bargain when compared to other ultraportable that come with 2 USB ports. There is one 2.0 USB port that also serves as the power connector and two 3.0 USB ports for connecting devices, high-speed drives inclusive. There is a USB 3.0 Type-C port that replaces the direct HDMI, VGA, or DisplayPort options and serves as a video output while using a third-party connector.
It also comes with an SD card slot that supports MMC, SDXC and SDHC. WLAN and Bluetooth 4.2 are provided by a removable Intel 8260 M.2 2230 module with dual-band (2×2) connectivity for theoretical speeds of up to 867 Mbps on 802.11ac.
Performance
The Lenovo Yoga 900 comes with Intel Core i7-6500U processor 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.10 GHz. It is also equipped with Intel 520 integrated GPU and 4MB cache that is good enough for the average user. This is an upgrade from the slower Intel Core M 5Y71 Broadwell Processor that we saw in the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. The rest of the configurations remains the same including 8GB LPDDR3 RAM 1600 MHz and 256GB SSD internal storage.
Unlike the Yoga 3 Pro’s power-sipping Core M processor, the more powerful Intel Core i series CPU requires active cooling. Internally, heat management is also controlled by a new metal alloy fan design, which Lenovo claims is 66% more efficient and 30% better at cooling than its predecessors. The processor has the stamina to handle heavy tasks such as video editing and run Photoshop software seamlessly.
Just like its predecessor, the latest Yoga 900 can be used as both a laptop and tablet; thanks to its rotating screen, with four different modes: Laptop, Stand, Tent, and Tablet. It also comes with a 256 GB SSD and 8GB DDR3 SDRAM that are both expandable to 512GB and 16GB respectively. Its performance and mobility makes it most ideal for power users that are not in a budget to get the best out of it and a perfect road warrior buddy.
Summary
The Lenovo Yoga 900 strikes a balance between high performance and extreme portability making it one of the best ultrabooks we’ve seen. The convertible functions of the 2-in-1 ultrabook adds flexibility to the already impressively slim design, while the processing hardware offers category-leading graphics and enough processing potency that you’ll never feel like you’re making a compromise in the name of portability.
However, if this is not all that you are after, then it could be ideal if you consider the Dell XPS 13 or the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 that is primarily a tablet. Lenovo integrated power into this award-winning design, and the result is one of the best all-round laptops that you can function as a part-time tablet. The combination of power and beauty earns the Lenovo Yoga 900 our Editors’ Choice for high-end convertible-hybrid laptops.
Recommended Configuration
QYD 65W Laptop Car Charger Replacement for Power Adapter Notebook Lenovo Yoga-3 Pro Miix 1370 11 1170 14 1470 900 900S 700 Pro 4 Pro Convertible Ultrabook Tablet Ideapad 700s 14" ADL40WDA Power Supply
The Review
Lenovo Yoga 900
The Lenovo Yoga 900 is a nice-looking, convertible, hybrid that harbors premium components in a design that can be used in a wide variety of positions
PROS
- Sleek design
- Strong performance
CONS
- Display could be brighter
