LAS VEGAS -- Lenovo's Yoga laptop/tablet hybrid was one of the few success stories among Windows "convertible" PCs. It wasn't just because it was equipped with a keyboard that swung a full 360 degrees around to become a tablet -- it was also a well-made, well-designed laptop.
The Lenovo Yoga 3 (not to be confused with the previously launched Yoga 3 Pro) evolves the design even further.
It comes in two sizes: 11 inches and 14 inches, but the larger is the size of a 13-inch machine, measuring 0.7 of an inch thick and weighing 3.53 pounds. The 11-incher is the lightest Yoga yet at just 2.65 pounds and is 0.6 of an inch thick.
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The marquee feature of the Yoga, of course, is the hinge that bestows its four modes: laptop, stand, tent and tablet. When the keyboard is rotated more than 180 degrees, it automatically disables itself. Lenovo says it optimized the hinge to open and close more easily for the Yoga 3.
For the 14-inch model, the PC packs an Intel fifth-generation Core processor, but the 11-inch has a Core M, Intel's new fanless chip. With a Core M, the smaller Yoga 3 discards the noisy fan, but still boasts laptop-level performance and battery life (although both models are rated at a mere 6.5 hours).
Both models have a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display that's of course equipped for touch, a 720p webcam, a pair of USB 3.0 ports (and a single USB 2.0 port), an SD card slot, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and an HDMI output. Storage goes up to 256GB for the 11-inch (SSD only) or 500GB for the 14-inch, although there's no SSD option at that capacity.
The Yoga 3 comes in orange, silver, white or black, and it'll be available in March. Prices start at $799 for the 11-inch model and $979 for the 14-incher.
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