Evaluating the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S

Hybrid laptops—gadgets which are primarily laptops but can double as a touchscreen tablet—are the craze of today’s generation. It provides users with multi-purpose functions that can be changed depending on the circumstances. For example, if you are working intensively on your device you can choose to have it on laptop mode. Meanwhile, if you just want to fill your leisure time by playing games then the shift to a tablet set up.

One of the hybrid devices that you can avail this year is the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S. This hybrid laptop is ultra portable, sporting an 11” screen.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S at a glance

Such 11” laptops as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S are often called ultraportables, deriving from the fact that they are, well, portable. This hybrid device offers a touchscreen laptop that can be flipped round to serve as a tablet. This is the most anticipated laptops of the year, especially after the success of its predecessor, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S, however, fails to catch up with its competitors such as those from Sony and Apple. For instance, it needs to upgrade its processor to the latest offerings of Intel. A good thing with this device is that it does not forget that it is first and foremost a laptop. Other salient specs of this hybrid laptop include a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. You can buy this device at $999.

A closer look at the specifications

While the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S may seem like a mid-range device when placed side by side with high-end laptops, it still provides you with respectable specs, which are listed below.

• With regard to the design and features, this device gets an above average mark. Its fold-back hinge differs from other convertibles and by far is the best way to go about with hybrids. The more common design involves either a fully detachable screen that becomes a standalone tablet, a screen sliding down the keyboard, or a rotating center hinge. Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S’ method offers a no-compromise laptop experience by allowing the screen to be folded fully over. The keyboard and the touchpad are automatically disabled whenever you flip the screen back past 180 degrees. This device is a little thicker than most tablets.
• When it comes to display performance, the IdeaPad Yoga 11S’ 11” panel packs 1366 x 768p resolution. This is quite paltry considering current standards. This gadget sports an IPS screen that is sufficiently bright and has wide viewing angles. The touchscreen is also responsive.
• In terms of hardware, this device comes with an HDMI output that can be used to send signal to a larger monitor. However, this laptop sports only one USB 3.0 port.
• Meanwhile, the various configurations of this hybrid device involve a prior generation of Intel CPU. It also features an also outdated Intel HD 4000 graphics. When it comes to the battery performance, on the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S lasted for about 5 hours and 11 minutes on the video playback battery drain test. This is perfectly decent for an 11” device. By comparison, however, the MacBook Air 11” ran for an astounding 10 hours.

So, what’s the verdict for the IdeaPad Yoga 11S?

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S may not be as powerful as other hybrid devices from Sony or Apple, but its respectable specs and performance are already a great bargain, especially if you are looking for a device that will not compromise laptop experience. There are many rooms for improvement, of course, including a faster processor and a better screen.