Today, we’re taking a look at the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7, a convertible laptop that aims to take on the convertible tablet space. Lenovo has always been one to bring innovation to the table— most apparent in the Yoga line of devices.
Design 4.5/5
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 is a looker. It’s almost pretty enough to think of as a fashion accessory. Our review device came in a gorgeous Orchid, an eye-catching shade of purple, and the keyboard has a nicely textured fabric covering that makes the entire package stand out in a world of slate gray and black laptops. The large screen is surrounded by thin bezels, and a handy kickstand that folds flush with the rest of the device’s back. It’s tantalizingly thin, and to keep up with heat, it has vents at the top for the active fan to exhaust out of. Take this device out at a meeting, and you’ll turn some heads for sure. The magnesium case gives it structural rigidity, and keeps the weight down.
Hardware: 5/5
Apart from being easy on the eyes, The Lenovo Legion Duet 7 is a monster. First off, the processor. It runs an Intel Core i7-10510U, with a clock speed of 4.9GHz. Sure it only has integrated graphics, but it’s really not intended for gaming, so that’s a non-issue. You do get 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a gorgeous 13-inch WQHD touchscreen. The detachable keyboard is backlit, and also offers Bluetooth connectivity with the flick of a switch, so you should be able to use it with other devices as well, should the need arise. The cherry on top is the active stylus that doesn’t just let you create artwork and take down notes, it also lets you capture colors IRL to use in your digital art. The future is here, folks. You also get an IR front camera for logging in with a glance via Windows Hello. There aren’t any USB-A ports, but USB-C ports abound–there are three in total, including two for power and image output.
User Experience: 4.5/5
Even stuck at home, I use a laptop just for the convenience of being able to move around a little bit. It has come to a point though that I move around so much at home, that even regular laptops have a difficult time keeping up. I’ve switched to using a tablet for the most part now, and while that’s certainly serviceable, it still just can’t compare to the full Windows desktop experience.
Fortunately, our friends from Lenovo sent over the Yoga Duet 7. This is an extremely versatile convertible that delivers the performance I was needed, with the portability I wanted. As a laptop, the i7 processor and generous 16 GB of RAM makes short work of various tasks, even up tp multi-layered audio tracks on Audacity and video editing on Lightworks, both of which are tasks I would normally have to do on my gaming laptop. You do need a flat, stable surface for the kickstand to properly prop the tablet portion of the Yoga up, but thanks to Bluetooth connectivity on the keyboard, what I’ve been doing is setting the tablet on the coffee table while I work from the couch with the keyboard and a mouse. When more precise work is needed, I simply pick the display up, set it on my lap and get work done that way.
That screen, by the way, is gorgeous, bright, and extremely sharp, letting you get right in there for details in photos, and remaining clear even if you’re like me and have ridiculously small fonts for all your desktop applications. Speakers are loud, firing from the tops of both the left and right edges of the tablet portion of the device. The front-facing IR camera works great for unlocking the device as well, not registering any false positives, and unlocking the Yoga to desktop in a few blinks of the eye. Very impressive.
The Yoga Duet 7 also has an optional stylus that makes digital art much more accessible to the user. No, I can’t draw, but I love taking handwritten notes. Simply pick the software of your choice (the market is rife with these), and get writing. The pen is more than responsive enough for writing, and feels quite natural, ifa little slippery. Windows pan integration has made a lot of progress through the generations, and I’m quite happy to report that at least in my opinion, this is ready for prime time. If you’re painting or sketching furiously, there’s a slight delay, but not nearly enough to be disruptive.
The pen has an extra little trick. Apart from USB-C charging, that allows you to plug itin to any of the side ports of the Yoga to recharge, it also lets you capture colors from the real world to use for your digital art. By simply tapping the non-writing end of the pen onto a surface, the Yoga Duet’s software captures the color you tapped on, and loads it into the Lenovo Pen’s software, ready to use for your creative endeavors.
One of my biggest gripes with changing locations while working is the need to constantly be hunting for an outlet. My daily driver is a gaming laptop, and as such, can’t really keep up with a full day of work without a wall outlet nearby. There’s no such concern with the Yoga Duet 7. It stays with me through a whole day of writing articles, doing research, and procrastinating on YouTube, with no difficulty at all, and if I need a little boost, 45W charging tops the internal battery up quickly.
Value: 4/5
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 might be the perfect device for digital creatives on the move. The pen, powerful software, and additional features such as color capture really make it shine in that regard. Even if you don’t do a lot of digital art, it’s perfectly portable, has superb battery life, and enough power to work as a mobile production studio, or work-anywhere office laptop. Once you’ve gotten all your work hours, it’ll gladly double-duty as a convenient entertainment device to boot. Win-win. At PHP 84,995 in this configuration, it’s a hefty chunk of change, but easily worth every Peso.
Overall, I’m quite enamored with the Yoga Duet 7. Beautiful design, powerful internals, and additional features that are more than just cute gimmick give it a spot in the tech arsenal of people who are looking for portable performance.
Specs:
- Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.16 x 0.36 inches, 11.7 x 8.70 x 0.23 inches (Keyboard folio)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10510U (4C / 8T, 1.8 / 4.9GHz, 8MB)
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Chipset: Intel SoC Platform
- Memory: 16GB Soldered DDR4-2666
- Memory Slots: Memory soldered to systemboard, no slots
- Max Memory: 16GB soldered memory, not upgradable
- Storage: 1TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
- Battery: Integrated 42Wh
- Max Battery Life: MobileMark 2014: 10.8 hr
- Power Adapter: 45W USB-Cv
What’s hot:
- Great design
- Useful form factor
- Stylus is a huge plus
What’s not:
- Price (though more affordable configurations are available)
Bottomline:
If you need a portable, convertible powerhouse, this is it.
Reviewed by Ren Alcantara
Also published in Gadgets Magazine February 2021 Issue