Another year, another Lenova Yoga laptop. The latest edition comes in the form of the US$1,399 Lenovo Yoga C940.
We reviewed the 14-inch model with an FHD display, but it comes in a few other variations with different colors and display types. There's also the option to customize your own, if you're picky about configurations.
As a follow up to the Lenovo C930, the 2-in-1 convertible laptop looks almost identical to its predecessor. It has a sleek, aluminum build, vibrant display, and 360-degree hinge with a powerful speaker built-in.
But most notable is that the C940 packs the latest 10th generation Intel processor. Even after putting the laptop through its paces, it still managed to run without a hitch.
A sleek, lightweight design
Image: ZLATA IVELEVA/MASHABLE
Made of aluminum, the laptop has a sleek and high-end feel to it. It comes in two colors: Iron Grey or Mica. My review unit came in Mica, a light silver color, that I preferred to the darker grey model. But, beware, it's a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
One minor change, that's barely noticeable aesthetically, is the lip that Lenovo added to the top of the C940 (right where the camera resides). This makes it a lot easier to open the laptop with your fingers.
The C940 is also super durable. I'm not the most careful when it comes to my electronics (oops), but I didn't feel the need to be extra cautious when throwing the C940 into my bag or while carrying it around the office.
At 2.98 pounds, it's only a little lighter than the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro, which weighs 3.02 pounds. I often commuted with the C940 between work and my apartment, and it didn't feel too heavy or cause that annoying shoulder pain that often comes with carrying too much stuff in my tote. I sometimes forgot it was even in there.
Image: Zlata iveleva/mashable
As mentioned before, the laptop is held together by an aluminum hinge (which also doubles as a speaker), allowing you to easily fold it back to use as a tablet. You can also prop it up on both sides for things like presentations. There's also a built-in slot for the stylus, which is easily accessible regardless of which mode you're in.
For the most part, I kept it propped up on my desk to use as a second screen to reference specs while writing this review. I used it the same way at home, by propping the laptop on my bed to watch Netflix or YouTube videos.
And, even though I find the C940 comfortable to use as a laptop, I can't say the same when in tablet mode. It felt way too big and clunky when I held it in my arms. Even when setting it down on my desk, I found myself awkwardly extending my arms around the display.
Image: ZLATA IVELEVA/MASHABLE
Image: ZLATA IVELEVA/MASHABLE
As for additional features, the right side of the laptop is where you'll find a power button while the left houses two USB-C ports, one USB-A 3.0 port, and a headphone jack.
A punchy display and impressive sound
The 14-inch C940 comes with either a Full High Definition (FHD) IPS display or an Ultra High Definition (UHD) IPS display, both of which are touchscreen. I had the FHD version, which boasts a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. Meanwhile, the UHD model has a higher resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a steeper price of US$1,829.
Now, this might be because I normally work on a 2015 MacBook Air, but the display on the C940 is very crisp. The colors look sharp on both photos and text, even when it's not on full brightness, which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
The touchscreen is also responsive, although I mainly used the stylus to navigate the screen. That, too, works well and feels swift whether you're tapping or swiping across the display.
There's also a 720p HD camera on top, with for things like video calls and photos. But if you're worried, it comes with a discrete privacy shutter that you can slide on and off.
Image: Brenda stolyar/mashable
The quality isn't too great though. I took a few photos to test it out and felt like I was using an old-school webcam. As you can tell from the image I (reluctantly) included above, parts of my hair are blurred out and the colors are super dull. But hey, if you need to quickly video chat someone then it's more than capable.
As for sound, the C940 comes with a speaker built into the hinge. Regardless of whether you're in laptop or tablet mode, audio sounds crisp and clear. It also gets very loud, for those of you who like to blast your music or movies.
Image: Zlata iveleva/mashable
Like its predecessors, the C940 also comes with Dolby Atmos—Dolby's surround sound technology. On the laptop, you can switch between different modes depending on if you're listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game. You can also customize and enhance the sound your liking.
Under the hood
Lenovo's C940 packs a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, running Windows 10. It also comes equipped with an Intel graphics card for the gamers out there. For storage, there are up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
You also have your choice between Cortana and Alexa as your personal voice assistant. I went with Alexa, which worked well. The dual far-field microphones picked up my voice within seconds of asking questions like "Alexa, whats the weather?" or "Alexa, turn up the volume."
If you want to summon Alexa at any time using your voice, you can turn on hands-free mode. But that means the microphones will always be listening for it. If you want more privacy, you can pull up the app to talk to Alexa instead.
Image: ZLATA IVELEVA/MASHABLE
In terms of performance, the laptop ran extremely well for all that I put it through. Even with 33 tabs and multiple windows open on Google Chrome, while running Slack in the background, the C940 worked like a dream.
After running benchmarks on GeekBench, my review unit scored 5,114 for single-core performance and 16,107 for multi-score performance. That's slightly higher than the metrics on the C930, which came in at 4,738 and 15,289, respectively.
As for battery life, Lenovo says the FHD model can last up to 15 hours (and the UHD model up to 10 hours)—depending on usage, of course. Mine lasted a little over half that, though, at about 7 hours. I'd start my work day at 9 a.m. with full battery and wouldn't need the charger until around 4 p.m.
Image: zlata iveleva/mashable
But it's also important to note that I put this thing through its paces, running as much as I could simultaneously to test its performance. So, those of you who will actually use the laptop normally will likely find that it'll last longer for you.
A worthy investment
With a starting price of US$1,399, it's understandable if you're not jumping to purchase Lenovo's Yoga C940. But if you're looking for a 2-in-1 laptop, it's a great option. With the latest processor built in, it runs smoothly even when you're throwing tons of tasks at it.
While it's not the most comfortable in tablet mode for me, it might be more suitable for others. The stylus still makes for an ideal experience when working through presentations or highlighting documents. And, when you're not in the office, it's also great for gaming and entertainment.
While I wouldn't say it's worth upgrading if you already own the C930, it's certainly a solid choice if you're in the market for a new laptop.
