Review Lenovo YOGA BOOK - a new class of portable devices?

When they brought the package with the device that we have on the review today, and we took the packaging in our hands, at first even some doubts crept in about the courier - it seemed that there was nothing inside. The weight of the device is really pleasantly amazing - some modern tablets are even heavier, and the size and performance, as it turned out, can add +100 points to the overall impression of the new product.



Today we are visiting a very unusual device. It is possible that those who follow Lenovo's new products at IFA 2016 have already heard about it, but so far we have not seen any reviews of this device on the network. Therefore, the material is almost exclusive, one can say that the sample that we will examine in detail today is in Russia for the first time, and in the west few have tried it in work. The attention of the entire Habr-public is presented YOGA BOOK!

What is this "beast"?

We thought for a long time what type of device to include the YOGA BOOK - this is not a tablet, although its weight and dimensions indicate the opposite, and not a laptop, at least in the usual sense. YOGA BOOK - something in between, something new and very, very pleasant to use. Yes, here the functions of his elder brothers of the YOGA family are easily guessed: branded screen hinges, the ability to work in at least four positions, portability and lightness. But he is different, let's take a closer look at our guest and try to figure it out together?
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The size of the gadget is more than modest, in a sense, small. But it is precisely this that makes it sufficiently unique. For clarity, we put next to Moto X Play and Zippo lighter:



Thickness: 9.6 mm when folded, unfolded - 4.05 mm. Weight also pleasantly surprised: 690 grams



Walk through the I / O ports on the device. There are not so many of them - on the left side there are microUSB (working in standard USB mode and charging), a charging indicator diode, a slot for a nano SIM card and a microSD card (up to 128 GB), a microHDMI speaker grille. Right: headphone jack, volume rocker, speaker grille again and power button. Everything.

“Not a lot!” - the average reader Habr will say.
“Is it really necessary more for such a device?” - we will answer.

Let's go back a little higher in the text, remember: "this is not a tablet, although its weight and dimensions indicate the opposite, and not a laptop ...".





From the wireless interfaces, YOGA BOOK has Bluetooth 4.0 LE and Wifi 802.11ac.
Inside, a Samsung SSD is installed on 64 GB (storage can be increased by using a microSD card), and the amount of RAM is 4 GB.

The processor got the book from the new - Intel Atom x5-Z8550 (Cherry Trail) 1.44 GHz with 4 cores, the 2.4 GHz turbo mode and the integrated graphics core - Intel HD Graphics 400. The battery capacity is 8500 mAH.



I can not wait to open a novelty and turn it on. Forward! The first thing you notice is the download of Windows 10 - it is very smart. The “cold” system boots for about 7 seconds, which is very nice. Yes, of course, it can be attributed to the fact that the OS is still empty and has not accumulated any rubbish, but something tells us that in the future the download will be more than fast. Moreover, we don’t know about you, but we haven’t completely turned off the laptop completely before putting it in the bag. Sleep mode is our everything!

A small digression: the device will be sold in two versions - with Windows 10 and with Android 6.x with a specially designed Book UI interface, but in Russia only YOGA BOOK with Microsoft Windows 10 will be available in two versions - with 4G and WiFi or only c Wifi

The display is pleasant, although the frame by modern standards is thick, the resolution of a 10-inch screen, with support for a stylus and multitouch for 10 touches at the same time, 1920x1200 pixels, IPS matrix. It is worth noting the presence of two cameras - one on the display in the center, the second on the "keyboard" (about it later), on the right.





It's time to "drive" the device with a variety of tests. Let's start with general testing with Antutu 6 and Passmark PerfomanceTest, the results are in front of you. It’s impossible to say that the Yoga Book is breaking records, but it’s impossible to call it a “brake”.














Let's return to the text. Do you want to shoot? Moreover, there are two cameras in the book - 8Mp and 2Mp, respectively. We took some pictures and also shot a video. The video is “written” at 1920x1080 / 30 FPS, cameras shoot 16: 9, ISO auto. Shooting is done through the standard Camera application for Windows 10.





We now turn to one of the most interesting moments - the keyboard. More precisely, to the "keyboard surface". YOGA BOOK is equipped with a smart backlit keyboard surface. Lenovo called it HALO keyboard. When keys are not used, the surface is matt black. If you touch the surface, it comes to life and a standard notebook keyboard appears in front of you, except that the keys are not prominent and just.

Tactile sensations ... honestly? At first it is not very familiar, in the future it is convenient. How? Everything is simple, it turns out, the keyboard is learning. It remembers pressing, position of fingers, speed, typographical errors and adapts to style of printing of the owner.



Over time, printing becomes easier, the speed increases significantly. We conducted tests and it turned out that the speed of printing on HALO is higher than on a conventional keyboard, but not immediately - you need to get used to and train your “iron friend”!

It is clear that when the YOGA BOOK is in tablet mode, the keyboard turns off, but if you open it and ... :)





But that's not all! Lenovo has created a number of useful additional accessories that expand the capabilities of the gadget. In this case, we are talking about a special magnetic notebook holder and stylus - BOOK pad and Real Pen, respectively.



How does all this work? In fact, together with YOGA BOOK you get a graphics tablet and software for recognizing patterns and inscriptions. Yes, the stylus can be written on paper! However, video will say better than words:

Impressions

Ambiguous first. Then - very nice. Immediately it is clear that the gadget is not for transcoding 4K-video, but for work easier, but no less important: the Internet, office, video viewing, photo processing, creativity. The presence of a slot for SIM-cards allows you to be in touch whenever and wherever there is a signal. The ability to work in several modes is an unconditional plus: you can easily transform your workplace to the conditions in which you are currently working (or relaxing). The battery is beyond praise, for all the testing time (about 4 days) we have not managed to plant it to the end. Weight and size - without comment and, frankly, apart from the competition.

Lenovo got a device that is difficult to attribute to any particular form factor, here a new term suggests itself. Taking into account the capabilities of the device, its size and weight, as well as options for its use, we can suggest the term “Tablet Plus”, as though I would like to name the YOGA BOOK laptop, but it does not work. And, there is an opinion, devices of such a format have a great future. Tablets, as a class, have become obsolete, people need more freedom of action and convenience of work, and these are the possibilities offered by the YOGA BOOK.



PS Almost forgot! Lenovo has created a whole range of great accessories for the YOGA BOOK, we’ll write everything at once:

• Magnetic Notebook - BOOK Pad
• Real Pen with interchangeable rods
• Usb hub
• Case
• Replaceable notepads with paper

We are sorry, but none of these devices got at our disposal. And I wanted to try Real Pen in action. But we think that this is material for another article!

FAQ

We collected several questions that may arise after reading and tried to answer them here:

Q: When will YOGA BOOK be on sale?
A: Sales will begin in September.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: The recommended price is $ 599 for the Wi-Fi version (Win 10) and $ 699 for the 4G + Wi-Fi version (Win 10)

Q: Can the stylus and YOGA BOOK translate handwriting into typewritten text?
A: Not yet. This is a question, rather, to software manufacturers.

Q: Can I use the stylus to write on the screen?
A: Real Pen is created for Create Pad, the two of them are able to recognize the strength and frequency of clicks. Of course, Real Pen can be used on the screen, but only as your own finger =)

Q: Why not immediately make it possible to draw / write on the screen? Why these notebooks?
A: Drawing on Create Pad you do not block your screen with your hand. A bunch of paper and Real Pen gives a more natural feeling (and result) than drawing on glass.

Q: What is the battery inside the stylus?
A: There is no battery in Real Pen, it does not need to be charged.