The HTC Desire was HTCs well known flagship in 2010, since then their flagship brand was replaced by the One series, however due to its successful history the Desire name is still being used for the mid to low end range releases. If you want the short version of this review: The best thing about the Desire 600 is the build quality, its a mid-range premium phone.
A Mid-Range Premium
Shortly after the release of the One, HTC announced the Desire 600 dual sim with many of its big brothers features - mainly HTC Sense 5, Blinkfeed and Boomsound. It also includes Video Highlights, but omits the Infra Red blaster and Ultrapixel
sensor (2.0µm). Instead, its replaced with a standard 8MP BSI camera sensor (1.4µm) and the first version of the HTC ImageChip - this also means that the Zoe features are lost in the process. It joins the fleet of other HTC dual sim specialists like last years Desire SV
and One dual sim
(limited to specific markets).Being mid-range doesnt prevent it from carrying HTCs renowned build quality and in fact the device has some impressive highlights: the screen is protected by a robust metallic frame which also houses the dual speaker grilles, this in turn is surrounded by a plastic bezel with a very convincing brushed metallic finish.
The black version is full black contrasted with a glossy speaker frame, matte brushed bezel and a back cover with a matte grained finish which does a very good job of resisting fingerprints. Unfortunately the backs finish feels slightly irritating to the touch and fails to provide maximum grip.The white version on other hand has a more daring and different finish, it has the speakers frame coated in red, the brushed bezel painted in silver and smooth glossy white plastic for the back cover.
The plastic back cover is removable: its pretty solid but as is typical with such removable covers, it can creak under pressure. Beneath the cover cover lie two microSIM slots and a microSD slot as well as a replaceable 1860mAh battery - like everything HTC the interior has surprisingly fine fit and polish.
The camera lens and LED flash are covered by a protective glass bevelled inwards which should prevent it from collecting scratches.
The buttons have a nice, solid feel as well. The power button is at top right; volume rocker on the right hand side; and the capacitive buttons are similar to the One, with back on the left, home on the right and the HTC logo in between. The rest is taken care of with gestures. Finally a 3.5mm audio jack is located at top left, and the micro-USB port is on the bottom.
All in all this is a very well built device with a sharp look (especially the black version). The slim tapered edge is reminiscent of the black HTC 8x and compared to competitors mid-range devices, the Desire 600 build quality and design are miles ahead.
Boomsound versus Boomsound
The Desires 600 sports the HTC Ones star feature, dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers. This is "only" a mid range phone so you might expect less quality, compared with its big brother: but far from it! Compared to the One flagship its just a notch lower in loudness and noticeabley less bass. Curiously while the One sounds significantly better with beats audio, the Desire 600 actually sounds better once the default beats enhancements are disabled: leaving it enabled seems to result in a more hollow sound. With this said, the quality is still excellent for its range, beating flagship devices from opposing brands.
If you would like to know more about the HTC Ones phenomenal sound quality be sure to check our post: HTC One review - part 2: HardwareDisplay, 4.5" Super LCD2 at 245ppiThe screen is another quality seeker on the Desire 600: despite a qHD resolution (960x540), its running on a 4.5" panel which results in a respectable 245ppi pixel density. The display still inherits all the other Super LCD2 merits from last years flagship the One X (720p, 312ppi) which was lauded for its screen quality. Thanks to optical lamination it has excellent view angles and deeper blacks; there is no gap between the glass and LCD itself which makes the screen appear afloat. While not as sharp, colorful or contrasted as the One X, the screen is still significantly better than the Pentile Amoled qHD screen on last years premium One S.
Camera, 8MP with last years killer features
Instead of the ultrapixel (a low-light loving sensor with 2.0µm pixel size), the Desire 600 uses a standard wide angle 8MP BSI sensor with 1.4µm pixel size, but keeps the same f2.0 aperture and 28mm unique wide angle lens as the flagship. It also includes the older HTC ImageChip from last years flagships which gives us powers like HDR, burst shooting and VideoPic (take still shots during video capture) as well as super fast shutter/focus, slow motion video and flash metering: however it loses all the fancy Zoe features, which are enabled by a newer ImageChip 2 on the HTC One. Video recording maxes out at 720p; most likely due to the lesser capabilities of the Snapdragon 200 SOC.
Daylight pictures are of good quality but slightly hurt by HTCs default aggressive digital sharpness: thankfully you can always reduce sharpness using the Image Adjustments menu in the camera app. In terms of low light its perfectly usable when scaled down, especially indoor shots but 1:1 detail gets seriously degraded due to the smaller pixel size. Unfortunately HDR; which was flawless on last years HTC One X; fails to do a good daylight job here (curiously its the same issue as on the HTC One). On the other hand there is a great "HDR low light" feature in Sense 5: when used alongside the LED flash, the camera snaps two shots - one with flash and another without for mixed exposure, it gives far superior results to the washed out colors of standard LED flash photography.
HTC Sense 5 in duality
The tested device was preloaded with 1.17.707.3 firmware (Android 4.1.2) & HTC Sense 5.0. This is the same well praised UI from the full fledged HTC One; it is a known quantity by now so lets focus on the advertised features of the Desire 600, BlinkFeed, Video Highlights and dual SIM convenience.
Blinkfeed is HTCs version of Flipboard, it compiles news and posts from various sources (including your social media) in a nice scrolling layout embedded as the main home screen. You cant disable Blinkfeed - but you can set another home screen as your main one, and Blinkfeed will get moved to the right: you can also disable it further by removing newsfeed sources.
Video Highlights is a feature which automatically compiles a video reel from your photos and videos in your phones gallery. This works based on an events time and location (you need to select your gallery content to be sorted by events). You can choose different preset themes for different effects and music. This is all done in real time and it works surprisingly well considering the modest Snapdragon 200 SoC in this phone. If you like the end results you can then save it as an H264 MP4 video to keep or share.
The two Sense 5 features which are missing compared to the HTC One are Sense TV and HTC Zoe, which rely on the Ones hardware (IR blaster and ImageChip2).
The way the dual-SIM functionality works is interesting; Sense 5 was revised with this in mind. For example, you can choose Slot 1 or Slot 2 straight from the dialler - and an improvement over the Desire SV is that you can now receive notifications about two calls at the same time... you can even answer both calls and the first one will be placed on Hold. Throughout the UI there are other optimisations to help you use both numbers without mix-ups.
One thing to keep in mind about a device in this range: while it will surely receive maintenance updates from HTC, unlike the high end phones dont expect a long term commitment regarding Android (or maybe even Sense) updates.
In terms of connectivity, only one of the two microSIM slots supports 3G/3.5G (HSPA) - the other only supports 2G/2.5G (Edge). The Desire 600 also includes GPS/GLONASS, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 with APTX support.
Performance, a slow quad core
Here we arrive at my main niggle with this device: while it is mid-range its still not an entry level device - and priced at around 400$ we should expect a decent performer. Unfortunately this 1.2ghz Snapdragon 200 SoC variety includes quad A5 cores and an Adreno 203 GPU along with a 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The quad will certainly assist in multitasking preventing long waits or hangs (which means it does well in certain benchmarks) but in terms of raw processing power the A5 is merely adequate and the entry level GPU is overstretched by the qHD resolution. This is why the Desire 600s UI is nowhere near as snappy or smooth as the HTC One Mini. Youll find that you can improve the smoothness of the UI by enabling "Force GPU" and "Disable HW overlays" from the hidden developers options.
For those interested here are some benchmarks and system details:
Gaming, an entry level GPU
Given the affordable price, excellent stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers and a good quality screen, you can enjoy casual gaming on this device and lighter games. Temple Run 2 ran extremely smoothly in medium graphics mode (laggy if raised to high): but heavier 3D games like Fast & Furious 6 had most graphics intact, yet with a very poor frame rate. Ripetide GP2 ran with most fancy graphics enabled but at a poor (unplayable) frame rate: however reducing the game resolution or graphics effects from the in-game settings did improve things.
In order to assess the GPU lets check the following GFXBench comparative, this is run onscreen since it reflects actual 3D gaming at the devices native screen resolution:
HTC One, T-Rex HD 15fps, Egypt HD 40fps (onscreen FHD - Adreno 320)
HTC One S, T-Rex HD 11.3fps, Egypt HD 28.4fps (onscreen qHD - Adreno 225)
HTC One Mini, T-Rex HD 9.3fps, Egypt HD 24.2fps (onscreen HD - Adreno 305)
HTC Sensation XE, T-Rex HD 5.9fps, Egypt HD 16.3fps (onscreen qHD - Adreno 220)
HTC One X, T-Rex HD 5.5fps, Egypt HD 15fps (onscreen HD - Tegra 3)
HTC Desire 500, T-Rex HD 4.7fps, Egypt HD 11.9fps (onscreen WVGA - Adreno 203)
HTC Desire 600, T-Rex HD 4.0fps, Egypt HD 10fps (onscreen qHD - Adreno 203)
HTC Sensation XL, T-Rex HD 3.1fps, Egypt HD fail (onscreen WVGA - Adreno 205)
HTC Explorer, T-Rex HD 0.9fps, Egypt HD 3.5fps (onscreen HVGA - Adreno 200)
You can clearly see the Desire 600 is around the bottom of the list: its modest GPU is over stretched by the qHD resolution. Adreno 203 seems to have been updated over the old Adreno 205, it fares better on the WVGA Desire 500, but its nowhere near as fast as the Adreno 305 on the HTC One Mini or Galaxy S4 Mini/Duos - and the HTC Ones graphics power seems like a distant dream.
Battery life
The included 1860mAh battery sounds good on paper but in practice with dual SIMs and data connections fully engaged you will be lucky if it lasts you the full day. Of course your mileage will vary but connectivity is the biggest drainer here - use with care.
Conclusion
The most impressive aspects of the HTC Desire 600 are design; build quality; sound and screen quality. There is no doubt HTC can design and build phones better than most - even if mid-range, even if plastic. Couple that with an impressive list of features thanks to HTC Sense 5, plus some unique hardware, and you have a really nice, slimmed down, affordable HTC One experience with an added dual SIM functionality: a "reason to buy" for many.
I can not but wish it had the Snapdragon 400 with dual Krait cores and Adreno 305 instead of the average SoC its carrying, quad core or otherwise, it would have been a killer mid-ranger. Surely this must be the reason why HTC just announced the Desire 601 with Snapdragon 400 (and there are rumors of a dual sim variety).
Alternatively if you are around this budget and dual sims are not required, you can simply buy last years flagship the HTC One X (or One X+) and update it to Sense 5: you would have an acclaimed smartphone with a vastly superior speed, screen and camera.
Hardware Summary:
+ Excellent build quality and design for the price
+ Excellent stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
+ Good quality screen with excellent view angles
+ Dual SIM convenience with good UI integration
+ Impressive automatically generated Video Highlights in the gallery
+ Speedy camera thanks to HTC ImageChip
- Low End Snapdragon 200 SOC despite a quad core CPU
- Struggling Adreno 203 GPU for qHD resolution, limited gaming
- Slippery back cover
Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use the media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!
Official HTC Desire 600 dual sim Specifications:
SIZE: 134.8 x 67 x 9.26mm
WEIGHT: 130g
DISPLAY: 4.5" qHD Super LCD2
CPU SPEED
- Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 200, quad-core, 1.2GHz
PLATFORM
- Android™ with HTC Sense™
- HTC BlinkFeed™
ROM/RAM MEMORY
- Total storage: 8GB, (available capacity varies)
- Expansion card slot supports microSD™ for up to 64GB additional storage (card not included)
- RAM: 1GB DDR2
NETWORK
- 2G/ 2.5G - GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 900/1800/1900 MHz
- 3G/ 3.5G - UMTS/ HSPA: 900/2100 MHz with HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps
- Dual SIM (microSIM) with ‘dual active’ support
SENSORS
- Accelerometer
- Proximity sensor
- Ambient light sensor
CONNECTIVITY
- 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
- NFC capable
- Bluetooth® 4.0 with aptX™ enabled
- Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer
- HTC Connect
SOUND ENHANCEMENT
- HTC BoomSound™
- Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
- Studio-quality sound with Beats Audio™
CAMERA
- 8 MP camera with auto focus, LED flash
- BSI sensor, Sensor size 1/3.2"
- Dedicated HTC ImageChip
-
Read More..
HTC Car Kit can be mounted in two ways. You can fasten in to the front window of your car, or you can use additional adhesive disk, that comes in the box and attach it on your dashboard. Normally you cant attach regular and cheap car kit on your dashboard because of rough surface of the dashboard. This is a very nice solution, giving you opportunity to choose whether you want your Car Kit to be attached to the window, or to the dashboard without covering up your view. Also, its very easy to mount the entire Car Kit and there is no risk of breaking anything.
HTC devices comes with preloaded software you can run while driving in the car. With HTC Car Kit this application can be launched automatically every time you connect your device to the holder. Its nothing unique in the cradle itself, but it is the attached USB cable that does the trick. The micro USB part has a special terminal with a clips. Once your HTC One will detect it, HTC Car mode application will be launched. However, this feature can be of course turned off in settings. You cant have this feature working correctly with non-HTC Car Kit.
![[Introduction]Lenovo has been breaking ground in the convertible ultrabook world with its Yoga line. In our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review we found ourselves surprisingly pleased with this versatile hybrid laptop and its solid performance. Even if we didnt use the Yoga as a tablet, we often flipped the keyboard back to poke through Windows 8 live tiles or watch some Netflix. What we didnt like were mostly minor complaints. The keyboard, the trackpad, and the screen were all winners. The absence of a backlit keyboard was a mild annoyance, while the lack of a true 1080 display was a read missed opportunity. At the time, we also expressed concerns that the Yoga was actually exposing some of Windows 8s weaknesses.With the Yoga 2 Pro the IdeaPad moniker is nowhere to be found now—Lenovo produced a noteworthy refresh to a device that increasingly looks like it will be a mainstay of the PC makers lineup for the foreseeable future. A 3200 x 1800 display (known as QHD+, or WQXGA for the truly in the know) is the most significant enhancement, but the new hybrids also have a Haswell processor, some subtle enhancements to the chassis, and a few extra touches in the bundled software.All things considered, these are all welcome enhancements, although once again, Lenovos forward-thinking design exposes some surprising flaws in Windows 8s ability to handle super HD resolutions on a portable form-factor. What could possibly be bad about a QHD+ 3200 x 1800 display? Well get to that in good time. For now, lets start at the top. One final note before we dive in: there arent a great number of competitors in the super high-resolution ultrabook category. Samsungs Ativ Book 9 Plus is one—it sports near-identical specifications to the Yoga 2—and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is another. Both cost 40% to 50% more than this system. Sleek, modern…and versatileAs the saying goes, you dont fix what isnt broken. In addition to its unprecedented flexibility, the original Yogas sleek, rubberized chassis was one of the laptops most remarked-upon attributes. Smartly, Lenovo has changed barely a thing, aesthetically speaking. Part of the joy of reviewing this new Yoga Pro 2 was putting it in peoples hands. Everyone remarked on its nice it look and feel, thanks to a thin profile, sturdy chassis, and that grippy, rubberized surface that we mentioned, which coats the entire device.Just like last year, the most striking and still unique aspect of the Yoga 2 Pro is the fact that you can flip the screen back 360 degrees until it rests flat against the backside of the keyboard. This permits four operating modes.Laptop mode is your standard 90-degree angle, with the advantage that the Yoga 2 Pros flexible hinge allows you to lay the screen completely flat, which is actually quite handy for situations where youre standing up and need access to the keyboard. The most useful mode next to laptop mode would be tent mode. By setting the tablet on its top and bottom edges, the devices functions like a tablet in a stand. The new rubberized bevel edges earn their keep in this mode. The old Yoga would sometimes slide a bit on slippery surfaces. Not anymore. Its perfect for glancing at a recipe while cooking or setting the Yoga 2 Pro up on cluttered tablet tops. Stand mode is essentially tent mode, but with a little more sturdiness and support. The key difference is that it has a bigger footprint, so youll need to clear off more of your desk before touchdown.A special hinge on the Yoga 2 allows you to fold the screen all the way back for tablet mode. Unfortunately, just like the original Yoga, the 13-inch Yoga 2 Pro is a little too large to use comfortably in tablet mode. Also a repeat of the original: the presence of the keyboard on the backside of said tablet is obstructive and annoying. This said, the notion of playing full-fledged, touch-optimized PC games like Civilization V in this mode is fairly joyous, even if the device is too heavy to hold in your hands.SpecificationsLenovo did make a few minor adjustments to the chassis itself, including a new backlit keyboard—an increasingly essential feature of any modern laptop. The new rubberized rim around the top bezel is welcome, since it prevents sliding when in tent mode. Furthermore, the power button is now located on the right side of the device, making it less likely that youll turn the system on when its in your bag. Finally, at 3.06 pounds the Yoga 2 Pro is about a half-pound lighter than last years 3.4 pound model. And at 13 x 8.7 x 0.61 inches in size (W x D x H), its a shave thinner—.05 inches to be exact—than last years model.This year, in addition to the standard silver color, the Yoga 2 Pro also comes in a lovely electric orange trim. A fairly wide number of different configurations insure that you will be able to find an ideal price-performance ratio.ThinkPad Yoga vs. Yoga 2 ProIts worth comparing the Yoga 2 Pro to Lenovos new ThinkPad Yoga. Both systems have the same 360-degree hinge, and the same set of CPU, memory, and drive configurations (minus the 512GB option on the ThinkPad Yoga). The big differences between the two are that the ThinkPad Yoga only has a standard HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display in comparison to the Ultimately, these distinctions feel like arbitrary lines in the sand. It would be easy to argue that more productivity-minded version of the Yoga would benefit more from the QHD+ display than the more consumer minded Yoga 2 Pro. Similarly, you could also make the case that the fold-away keyboard would be of equal benefit to consumers sitting on the couch than it would be to work-oriented road-warriors.One final difference: at 12.46 x 8.70 x 0.76 inches (W x D x H), the ThinkPad Yoga is a little trimmer width-wise, but a little thicker. At 3.52 pounds, it also weighs a little under a half pound more than the Yoga 2 Pro. SpecificationsThe system specs of the review unit Lenovo sent us were: • CPU: 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U• RAM: 4GB of DDR3• Screen: 3,200 x 1,800 IPS multi-touch display• Storage: 128GB SSD• Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 powered USB 2.0, headphone/mic jack, micro HDMI-out, SD/MMC card reader• Webcam: 720P front-facing camera• Weight: 3.06 pounds• Size: 13 x 8.66 x 0.61 inchesThe major upgrade here is the inclusion of Intels new Haswell architecture in the form of the Core i5 4200U processor. A dual-core part built specifically for ultrabooks, the 4200U appears to be an ideal fit for the Yoga 2 Pro given its solid CPU performance. Each core operates at 1.6GHz, but the presence of Turbo Boost means it can throttle up to 2.3GZ with both cores active, and 2.6GHz with a single core active. The key advantage Haswell provides over the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U part from last years Yoga is power savings. Well get into that a bit more in the performance section, but without Haswell, we shudder to think what kind of battery life the Yoga 2 Pro would have.In addition to the 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U we reviewed, Lenovo offers two other CPUs for this system, including an upgrade to the 1.80GHz Core i7 4500U part, and a lesser 1.7GHz Core i3 4010U. Both of these processors are also Haswell-based. The former offers a little more power under the hood with very little additional power consumption. The latter provides a more affordably-priced configuration, but with no CPU throttling Turbo Boost support. If we had our druthers, wed choose the higher-end Core i7 part for this system. Intels integrated HD Graphics 4400 provides the pixel-pushing muscle for the display and 3D graphics. Its par for the course, and is integrated into all three of the CPUs available for this device. At press time, the price for the configuration above was US$999.00. Thats a pretty solid price point, given the blend of modern parts—especially the high-quality QHD display. In addition to the CPU options noted above, buyers can also choose less memory (2GB vs. 4GB), or double the RAM to 8GB. In addition to the 128GB drive our review unit shipped with, two other hard drive configurations are offered, at 256GB and 512GB. Prices range from $949 to $1,499 fully loaded. Technophiles who want more future-proof PC computing will be disappointed that the Yoga 2 Pro does not have a built-in 802.11ac network adapter. It currently only supports b/g/n standards. While it is true that the specification yet to be finalized, and probably wont be completely locked until early 2014, there are already a number of pre-802.11ac routers on the market, and a select few laptops—including Apples newest MacBook Air—have integrated 802.11ac adapters. High-speed junkies, please note that there is no built-in Ethernet jack on this system; youll have to buy a separately-sold dongle for that. PerformanceIt didnt blow us away, but the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro performed quite capably in most of our tests. The tale, as they say, lies in the tape: BenchmarksCinebench - 9,125 (4,016 with 1x CPU)3DMark - Ice Storm: 23,032 // Cloud Gate: 3,397 // Fire Storm: 545PC Mark – Home: 2,471 // Work: 3,309PC Mark Battery life - 190 minutesWhat do the numbers tell us? First, that this is a reasonably configured device, capable of holding its own against other systems in the $1,000 or more ultrabook category. For this category, thats fairly common, and on par with other Haswell-based devices.Truthfully, unless you play games, an SSD and Windows 8 are a great equalizer for price and performance in todays PC market, so it is no surprise that in real life we were satisfied with the Yoga 2s overall performance. The only thing you dont want with a Windows 8 ultrabook is an experience that is demonstrably slow, and that is definitely not the case here. Boot times and all app launches are pretty much instantaneous thanks to the SSD. And while the integrated HD graphics arent going to allow you to play Call of Duty Ghosts at any level of respectability, you can play most of the mid-tier Steam games—including new releases like The Wolf Among Us—at moderate settings. As we noted at the top, there arent very many ultrabooks with QHD+ displays. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is one such system, and it put up superior numbers across the board by 20% to 30%. In the Yoga 2s defense, it does cost $400 less than the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and $500 less than Apples newest, and quite awesome MacBook Pro. Battery performance is a concernThe biggest weakness of the Yoga 2 Pro is its mediocre battery life. In PC Marks built-in battery benchmark, we realized just over three hours of performance. Thats actually not a bad result for a conventional laptops synthetic test. But for a Haswell-equipped ultrabook? We expected, or at least hoped for more. When you consider the 5.8 million pixels the system is pushing around, the middling battery life becomes a bit more understandable. In real life, what do these synthetic results mean? In real-work mode, youll likely get just around five hours of battery life—if you keep the screen fairly dim. And in a more work-and-sleep mode, youll get maybe six hours, depending on your battery settings. While writing this very review, we watched with dismay as the Yoga 2 Pros battery drained to zero in about five and a half hours at full screen brightness. Mouse and keyboardThe Yogas keyboard hasnt changed since last years model except that now the keyboard is backlit. The first Yoga sorely lacked this feature, which always comes in handy when working on a plane or late into the night. As far as key presses go its fine, and offers decent response.The trackpad has something of a learning curve. Out of the box, it had what felt like a slightly gritty, film over the pad itself, and the end result was that we struggled to throw the mouse around the screen. After about 10 days, we broke through whatever barrier was slowing us down, and it began to feel like we expect a touchpad to feel like: smooth, sleek, and responsive. The display has it—mostly Without a doubt, the Yoga 2 Pros 13-inch screen is a remarkable feat of engineering. At 3200 x 1800 pixels, it out Retina Displays the MacBook Pro series. We know this much: QHD+ is a whole lot of pixels; it literally doubles the 1600 x 900 screen density of last years Yogas like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.Resolution is only part of the win here. Lenovos use of a high-quality IPS panel also makes for a very crisp, viewable screen. The Yoga 2 is bright (350 nits) and offers excellent viewing angles. For a portable like this that will often be used in kitchens and living rooms, both of these attributes are important. At just $1,000 USD, its a sure sign that in 2014 well be entering a laptop display war. By January 2015, we bet that more than half of all laptops in the $1,000+ range have hyper-HD screens.Unfortunately, not all is perfect with the Yoga 2 Pros screen. Last November, in our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review, we felt that it because it was such a forward thinking laptop, it actually exposed some of the flaws of Windows 8. Unfortunately, the same can be said here.Time after time, we found that Windows 8 struggled with the super high resolution, which created some odd inconsistencies and unpredictable behaviors in day-to-day operations. Most of these frustrations occurred in desktop mode, but some oddities did crop up in Metro as well. The short version of our difficulties boiled down to a conflict between such a high resolution display on such a relatively small screen. As an example, in Outlook, the main inbox/calendar window used an oversized cursor, but when we switched to the composition window, the cursor would shrink in size. Similarly in Chrome, the browser tabs suddenly became microscopic in size, even though there was plenty of real estate to display web site names in each one. (This occurred in both desktop and Metro modes.) Over and over again, we experienced these frustrations, until we finally figured out a solution that addressed most of these issues. In Windows 8, navigate to Display > Screen Resolution, and then click](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_teTCesUM_VNw-EVMxsC07Yc8pBtXjiMx3yybhO1WThxGwU4l31eJ8WsKPMgjO6Gckk1fnCBY9Iucs2YqSBAq-2y6CaI3G7Fl0Dgz8SqJPC0tFu2THggRA2QyzF5PBOj0Uta99OJhjn9yBLvKxR5kEIKGFId3JSAEyW_Ey-lSTBOUGjPDE4wNA=s0-d)
![[Introduction]Lenovo has been breaking ground in the convertible ultrabook world with its Yoga line. In our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review we found ourselves surprisingly pleased with this versatile hybrid laptop and its solid performance. Even if we didnt use the Yoga as a tablet, we often flipped the keyboard back to poke through Windows 8 live tiles or watch some Netflix. What we didnt like were mostly minor complaints. The keyboard, the trackpad, and the screen were all winners. The absence of a backlit keyboard was a mild annoyance, while the lack of a true 1080 display was a read missed opportunity. At the time, we also expressed concerns that the Yoga was actually exposing some of Windows 8s weaknesses.With the Yoga 2 Pro the IdeaPad moniker is nowhere to be found now—Lenovo produced a noteworthy refresh to a device that increasingly looks like it will be a mainstay of the PC makers lineup for the foreseeable future. A 3200 x 1800 display (known as QHD+, or WQXGA for the truly in the know) is the most significant enhancement, but the new hybrids also have a Haswell processor, some subtle enhancements to the chassis, and a few extra touches in the bundled software.All things considered, these are all welcome enhancements, although once again, Lenovos forward-thinking design exposes some surprising flaws in Windows 8s ability to handle super HD resolutions on a portable form-factor. What could possibly be bad about a QHD+ 3200 x 1800 display? Well get to that in good time. For now, lets start at the top. One final note before we dive in: there arent a great number of competitors in the super high-resolution ultrabook category. Samsungs Ativ Book 9 Plus is one—it sports near-identical specifications to the Yoga 2—and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is another. Both cost 40% to 50% more than this system. Sleek, modern…and versatileAs the saying goes, you dont fix what isnt broken. In addition to its unprecedented flexibility, the original Yogas sleek, rubberized chassis was one of the laptops most remarked-upon attributes. Smartly, Lenovo has changed barely a thing, aesthetically speaking. Part of the joy of reviewing this new Yoga Pro 2 was putting it in peoples hands. Everyone remarked on its nice it look and feel, thanks to a thin profile, sturdy chassis, and that grippy, rubberized surface that we mentioned, which coats the entire device.Just like last year, the most striking and still unique aspect of the Yoga 2 Pro is the fact that you can flip the screen back 360 degrees until it rests flat against the backside of the keyboard. This permits four operating modes.Laptop mode is your standard 90-degree angle, with the advantage that the Yoga 2 Pros flexible hinge allows you to lay the screen completely flat, which is actually quite handy for situations where youre standing up and need access to the keyboard. The most useful mode next to laptop mode would be tent mode. By setting the tablet on its top and bottom edges, the devices functions like a tablet in a stand. The new rubberized bevel edges earn their keep in this mode. The old Yoga would sometimes slide a bit on slippery surfaces. Not anymore. Its perfect for glancing at a recipe while cooking or setting the Yoga 2 Pro up on cluttered tablet tops. Stand mode is essentially tent mode, but with a little more sturdiness and support. The key difference is that it has a bigger footprint, so youll need to clear off more of your desk before touchdown.A special hinge on the Yoga 2 allows you to fold the screen all the way back for tablet mode. Unfortunately, just like the original Yoga, the 13-inch Yoga 2 Pro is a little too large to use comfortably in tablet mode. Also a repeat of the original: the presence of the keyboard on the backside of said tablet is obstructive and annoying. This said, the notion of playing full-fledged, touch-optimized PC games like Civilization V in this mode is fairly joyous, even if the device is too heavy to hold in your hands.SpecificationsLenovo did make a few minor adjustments to the chassis itself, including a new backlit keyboard—an increasingly essential feature of any modern laptop. The new rubberized rim around the top bezel is welcome, since it prevents sliding when in tent mode. Furthermore, the power button is now located on the right side of the device, making it less likely that youll turn the system on when its in your bag. Finally, at 3.06 pounds the Yoga 2 Pro is about a half-pound lighter than last years 3.4 pound model. And at 13 x 8.7 x 0.61 inches in size (W x D x H), its a shave thinner—.05 inches to be exact—than last years model.This year, in addition to the standard silver color, the Yoga 2 Pro also comes in a lovely electric orange trim. A fairly wide number of different configurations insure that you will be able to find an ideal price-performance ratio.ThinkPad Yoga vs. Yoga 2 ProIts worth comparing the Yoga 2 Pro to Lenovos new ThinkPad Yoga. Both systems have the same 360-degree hinge, and the same set of CPU, memory, and drive configurations (minus the 512GB option on the ThinkPad Yoga). The big differences between the two are that the ThinkPad Yoga only has a standard HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display in comparison to the Ultimately, these distinctions feel like arbitrary lines in the sand. It would be easy to argue that more productivity-minded version of the Yoga would benefit more from the QHD+ display than the more consumer minded Yoga 2 Pro. Similarly, you could also make the case that the fold-away keyboard would be of equal benefit to consumers sitting on the couch than it would be to work-oriented road-warriors.One final difference: at 12.46 x 8.70 x 0.76 inches (W x D x H), the ThinkPad Yoga is a little trimmer width-wise, but a little thicker. At 3.52 pounds, it also weighs a little under a half pound more than the Yoga 2 Pro. SpecificationsThe system specs of the review unit Lenovo sent us were: • CPU: 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U• RAM: 4GB of DDR3• Screen: 3,200 x 1,800 IPS multi-touch display• Storage: 128GB SSD• Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 powered USB 2.0, headphone/mic jack, micro HDMI-out, SD/MMC card reader• Webcam: 720P front-facing camera• Weight: 3.06 pounds• Size: 13 x 8.66 x 0.61 inchesThe major upgrade here is the inclusion of Intels new Haswell architecture in the form of the Core i5 4200U processor. A dual-core part built specifically for ultrabooks, the 4200U appears to be an ideal fit for the Yoga 2 Pro given its solid CPU performance. Each core operates at 1.6GHz, but the presence of Turbo Boost means it can throttle up to 2.3GZ with both cores active, and 2.6GHz with a single core active. The key advantage Haswell provides over the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U part from last years Yoga is power savings. Well get into that a bit more in the performance section, but without Haswell, we shudder to think what kind of battery life the Yoga 2 Pro would have.In addition to the 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U we reviewed, Lenovo offers two other CPUs for this system, including an upgrade to the 1.80GHz Core i7 4500U part, and a lesser 1.7GHz Core i3 4010U. Both of these processors are also Haswell-based. The former offers a little more power under the hood with very little additional power consumption. The latter provides a more affordably-priced configuration, but with no CPU throttling Turbo Boost support. If we had our druthers, wed choose the higher-end Core i7 part for this system. Intels integrated HD Graphics 4400 provides the pixel-pushing muscle for the display and 3D graphics. Its par for the course, and is integrated into all three of the CPUs available for this device. At press time, the price for the configuration above was US$999.00. Thats a pretty solid price point, given the blend of modern parts—especially the high-quality QHD display. In addition to the CPU options noted above, buyers can also choose less memory (2GB vs. 4GB), or double the RAM to 8GB. In addition to the 128GB drive our review unit shipped with, two other hard drive configurations are offered, at 256GB and 512GB. Prices range from $949 to $1,499 fully loaded. Technophiles who want more future-proof PC computing will be disappointed that the Yoga 2 Pro does not have a built-in 802.11ac network adapter. It currently only supports b/g/n standards. While it is true that the specification yet to be finalized, and probably wont be completely locked until early 2014, there are already a number of pre-802.11ac routers on the market, and a select few laptops—including Apples newest MacBook Air—have integrated 802.11ac adapters. High-speed junkies, please note that there is no built-in Ethernet jack on this system; youll have to buy a separately-sold dongle for that. PerformanceIt didnt blow us away, but the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro performed quite capably in most of our tests. The tale, as they say, lies in the tape: BenchmarksCinebench - 9,125 (4,016 with 1x CPU)3DMark - Ice Storm: 23,032 // Cloud Gate: 3,397 // Fire Storm: 545PC Mark – Home: 2,471 // Work: 3,309PC Mark Battery life - 190 minutesWhat do the numbers tell us? First, that this is a reasonably configured device, capable of holding its own against other systems in the $1,000 or more ultrabook category. For this category, thats fairly common, and on par with other Haswell-based devices.Truthfully, unless you play games, an SSD and Windows 8 are a great equalizer for price and performance in todays PC market, so it is no surprise that in real life we were satisfied with the Yoga 2s overall performance. The only thing you dont want with a Windows 8 ultrabook is an experience that is demonstrably slow, and that is definitely not the case here. Boot times and all app launches are pretty much instantaneous thanks to the SSD. And while the integrated HD graphics arent going to allow you to play Call of Duty Ghosts at any level of respectability, you can play most of the mid-tier Steam games—including new releases like The Wolf Among Us—at moderate settings. As we noted at the top, there arent very many ultrabooks with QHD+ displays. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is one such system, and it put up superior numbers across the board by 20% to 30%. In the Yoga 2s defense, it does cost $400 less than the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and $500 less than Apples newest, and quite awesome MacBook Pro. Battery performance is a concernThe biggest weakness of the Yoga 2 Pro is its mediocre battery life. In PC Marks built-in battery benchmark, we realized just over three hours of performance. Thats actually not a bad result for a conventional laptops synthetic test. But for a Haswell-equipped ultrabook? We expected, or at least hoped for more. When you consider the 5.8 million pixels the system is pushing around, the middling battery life becomes a bit more understandable. In real life, what do these synthetic results mean? In real-work mode, youll likely get just around five hours of battery life—if you keep the screen fairly dim. And in a more work-and-sleep mode, youll get maybe six hours, depending on your battery settings. While writing this very review, we watched with dismay as the Yoga 2 Pros battery drained to zero in about five and a half hours at full screen brightness. Mouse and keyboardThe Yogas keyboard hasnt changed since last years model except that now the keyboard is backlit. The first Yoga sorely lacked this feature, which always comes in handy when working on a plane or late into the night. As far as key presses go its fine, and offers decent response.The trackpad has something of a learning curve. Out of the box, it had what felt like a slightly gritty, film over the pad itself, and the end result was that we struggled to throw the mouse around the screen. After about 10 days, we broke through whatever barrier was slowing us down, and it began to feel like we expect a touchpad to feel like: smooth, sleek, and responsive. The display has it—mostly Without a doubt, the Yoga 2 Pros 13-inch screen is a remarkable feat of engineering. At 3200 x 1800 pixels, it out Retina Displays the MacBook Pro series. We know this much: QHD+ is a whole lot of pixels; it literally doubles the 1600 x 900 screen density of last years Yogas like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.Resolution is only part of the win here. Lenovos use of a high-quality IPS panel also makes for a very crisp, viewable screen. The Yoga 2 is bright (350 nits) and offers excellent viewing angles. For a portable like this that will often be used in kitchens and living rooms, both of these attributes are important. At just $1,000 USD, its a sure sign that in 2014 well be entering a laptop display war. By January 2015, we bet that more than half of all laptops in the $1,000+ range have hyper-HD screens.Unfortunately, not all is perfect with the Yoga 2 Pros screen. Last November, in our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review, we felt that it because it was such a forward thinking laptop, it actually exposed some of the flaws of Windows 8. Unfortunately, the same can be said here.Time after time, we found that Windows 8 struggled with the super high resolution, which created some odd inconsistencies and unpredictable behaviors in day-to-day operations. Most of these frustrations occurred in desktop mode, but some oddities did crop up in Metro as well. The short version of our difficulties boiled down to a conflict between such a high resolution display on such a relatively small screen. As an example, in Outlook, the main inbox/calendar window used an oversized cursor, but when we switched to the composition window, the cursor would shrink in size. Similarly in Chrome, the browser tabs suddenly became microscopic in size, even though there was plenty of real estate to display web site names in each one. (This occurred in both desktop and Metro modes.) Over and over again, we experienced these frustrations, until we finally figured out a solution that addressed most of these issues. In Windows 8, navigate to Display > Screen Resolution, and then click](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tmIehvXdAqK7377ZcSlt6tKy2MIEIJRhWMbLDBKsJOHLiTk0afBVFoAuwo6AvoQDEVw7v8GFJ5DCzxpWQ1eiGNq1jaVtQBcIz4et8H7lElVkXSB5A6Tb69pS3lhTTrWH8EusFdOX-zUgRq8da8pkIhqqyQeSk8yvdCwz6-x34nAgahhtEyamSMyA=s0-d)
![[Introduction]Lenovo has been breaking ground in the convertible ultrabook world with its Yoga line. In our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review we found ourselves surprisingly pleased with this versatile hybrid laptop and its solid performance. Even if we didnt use the Yoga as a tablet, we often flipped the keyboard back to poke through Windows 8 live tiles or watch some Netflix. What we didnt like were mostly minor complaints. The keyboard, the trackpad, and the screen were all winners. The absence of a backlit keyboard was a mild annoyance, while the lack of a true 1080 display was a read missed opportunity. At the time, we also expressed concerns that the Yoga was actually exposing some of Windows 8s weaknesses.With the Yoga 2 Pro the IdeaPad moniker is nowhere to be found now—Lenovo produced a noteworthy refresh to a device that increasingly looks like it will be a mainstay of the PC makers lineup for the foreseeable future. A 3200 x 1800 display (known as QHD+, or WQXGA for the truly in the know) is the most significant enhancement, but the new hybrids also have a Haswell processor, some subtle enhancements to the chassis, and a few extra touches in the bundled software.All things considered, these are all welcome enhancements, although once again, Lenovos forward-thinking design exposes some surprising flaws in Windows 8s ability to handle super HD resolutions on a portable form-factor. What could possibly be bad about a QHD+ 3200 x 1800 display? Well get to that in good time. For now, lets start at the top. One final note before we dive in: there arent a great number of competitors in the super high-resolution ultrabook category. Samsungs Ativ Book 9 Plus is one—it sports near-identical specifications to the Yoga 2—and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is another. Both cost 40% to 50% more than this system. Sleek, modern…and versatileAs the saying goes, you dont fix what isnt broken. In addition to its unprecedented flexibility, the original Yogas sleek, rubberized chassis was one of the laptops most remarked-upon attributes. Smartly, Lenovo has changed barely a thing, aesthetically speaking. Part of the joy of reviewing this new Yoga Pro 2 was putting it in peoples hands. Everyone remarked on its nice it look and feel, thanks to a thin profile, sturdy chassis, and that grippy, rubberized surface that we mentioned, which coats the entire device.Just like last year, the most striking and still unique aspect of the Yoga 2 Pro is the fact that you can flip the screen back 360 degrees until it rests flat against the backside of the keyboard. This permits four operating modes.Laptop mode is your standard 90-degree angle, with the advantage that the Yoga 2 Pros flexible hinge allows you to lay the screen completely flat, which is actually quite handy for situations where youre standing up and need access to the keyboard. The most useful mode next to laptop mode would be tent mode. By setting the tablet on its top and bottom edges, the devices functions like a tablet in a stand. The new rubberized bevel edges earn their keep in this mode. The old Yoga would sometimes slide a bit on slippery surfaces. Not anymore. Its perfect for glancing at a recipe while cooking or setting the Yoga 2 Pro up on cluttered tablet tops. Stand mode is essentially tent mode, but with a little more sturdiness and support. The key difference is that it has a bigger footprint, so youll need to clear off more of your desk before touchdown.A special hinge on the Yoga 2 allows you to fold the screen all the way back for tablet mode. Unfortunately, just like the original Yoga, the 13-inch Yoga 2 Pro is a little too large to use comfortably in tablet mode. Also a repeat of the original: the presence of the keyboard on the backside of said tablet is obstructive and annoying. This said, the notion of playing full-fledged, touch-optimized PC games like Civilization V in this mode is fairly joyous, even if the device is too heavy to hold in your hands.SpecificationsLenovo did make a few minor adjustments to the chassis itself, including a new backlit keyboard—an increasingly essential feature of any modern laptop. The new rubberized rim around the top bezel is welcome, since it prevents sliding when in tent mode. Furthermore, the power button is now located on the right side of the device, making it less likely that youll turn the system on when its in your bag. Finally, at 3.06 pounds the Yoga 2 Pro is about a half-pound lighter than last years 3.4 pound model. And at 13 x 8.7 x 0.61 inches in size (W x D x H), its a shave thinner—.05 inches to be exact—than last years model.This year, in addition to the standard silver color, the Yoga 2 Pro also comes in a lovely electric orange trim. A fairly wide number of different configurations insure that you will be able to find an ideal price-performance ratio.ThinkPad Yoga vs. Yoga 2 ProIts worth comparing the Yoga 2 Pro to Lenovos new ThinkPad Yoga. Both systems have the same 360-degree hinge, and the same set of CPU, memory, and drive configurations (minus the 512GB option on the ThinkPad Yoga). The big differences between the two are that the ThinkPad Yoga only has a standard HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display in comparison to the Ultimately, these distinctions feel like arbitrary lines in the sand. It would be easy to argue that more productivity-minded version of the Yoga would benefit more from the QHD+ display than the more consumer minded Yoga 2 Pro. Similarly, you could also make the case that the fold-away keyboard would be of equal benefit to consumers sitting on the couch than it would be to work-oriented road-warriors.One final difference: at 12.46 x 8.70 x 0.76 inches (W x D x H), the ThinkPad Yoga is a little trimmer width-wise, but a little thicker. At 3.52 pounds, it also weighs a little under a half pound more than the Yoga 2 Pro. SpecificationsThe system specs of the review unit Lenovo sent us were: • CPU: 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U• RAM: 4GB of DDR3• Screen: 3,200 x 1,800 IPS multi-touch display• Storage: 128GB SSD• Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 powered USB 2.0, headphone/mic jack, micro HDMI-out, SD/MMC card reader• Webcam: 720P front-facing camera• Weight: 3.06 pounds• Size: 13 x 8.66 x 0.61 inchesThe major upgrade here is the inclusion of Intels new Haswell architecture in the form of the Core i5 4200U processor. A dual-core part built specifically for ultrabooks, the 4200U appears to be an ideal fit for the Yoga 2 Pro given its solid CPU performance. Each core operates at 1.6GHz, but the presence of Turbo Boost means it can throttle up to 2.3GZ with both cores active, and 2.6GHz with a single core active. The key advantage Haswell provides over the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U part from last years Yoga is power savings. Well get into that a bit more in the performance section, but without Haswell, we shudder to think what kind of battery life the Yoga 2 Pro would have.In addition to the 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U we reviewed, Lenovo offers two other CPUs for this system, including an upgrade to the 1.80GHz Core i7 4500U part, and a lesser 1.7GHz Core i3 4010U. Both of these processors are also Haswell-based. The former offers a little more power under the hood with very little additional power consumption. The latter provides a more affordably-priced configuration, but with no CPU throttling Turbo Boost support. If we had our druthers, wed choose the higher-end Core i7 part for this system. Intels integrated HD Graphics 4400 provides the pixel-pushing muscle for the display and 3D graphics. Its par for the course, and is integrated into all three of the CPUs available for this device. At press time, the price for the configuration above was US$999.00. Thats a pretty solid price point, given the blend of modern parts—especially the high-quality QHD display. In addition to the CPU options noted above, buyers can also choose less memory (2GB vs. 4GB), or double the RAM to 8GB. In addition to the 128GB drive our review unit shipped with, two other hard drive configurations are offered, at 256GB and 512GB. Prices range from $949 to $1,499 fully loaded. Technophiles who want more future-proof PC computing will be disappointed that the Yoga 2 Pro does not have a built-in 802.11ac network adapter. It currently only supports b/g/n standards. While it is true that the specification yet to be finalized, and probably wont be completely locked until early 2014, there are already a number of pre-802.11ac routers on the market, and a select few laptops—including Apples newest MacBook Air—have integrated 802.11ac adapters. High-speed junkies, please note that there is no built-in Ethernet jack on this system; youll have to buy a separately-sold dongle for that. PerformanceIt didnt blow us away, but the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro performed quite capably in most of our tests. The tale, as they say, lies in the tape: BenchmarksCinebench - 9,125 (4,016 with 1x CPU)3DMark - Ice Storm: 23,032 // Cloud Gate: 3,397 // Fire Storm: 545PC Mark – Home: 2,471 // Work: 3,309PC Mark Battery life - 190 minutesWhat do the numbers tell us? First, that this is a reasonably configured device, capable of holding its own against other systems in the $1,000 or more ultrabook category. For this category, thats fairly common, and on par with other Haswell-based devices.Truthfully, unless you play games, an SSD and Windows 8 are a great equalizer for price and performance in todays PC market, so it is no surprise that in real life we were satisfied with the Yoga 2s overall performance. The only thing you dont want with a Windows 8 ultrabook is an experience that is demonstrably slow, and that is definitely not the case here. Boot times and all app launches are pretty much instantaneous thanks to the SSD. And while the integrated HD graphics arent going to allow you to play Call of Duty Ghosts at any level of respectability, you can play most of the mid-tier Steam games—including new releases like The Wolf Among Us—at moderate settings. As we noted at the top, there arent very many ultrabooks with QHD+ displays. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is one such system, and it put up superior numbers across the board by 20% to 30%. In the Yoga 2s defense, it does cost $400 less than the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and $500 less than Apples newest, and quite awesome MacBook Pro. Battery performance is a concernThe biggest weakness of the Yoga 2 Pro is its mediocre battery life. In PC Marks built-in battery benchmark, we realized just over three hours of performance. Thats actually not a bad result for a conventional laptops synthetic test. But for a Haswell-equipped ultrabook? We expected, or at least hoped for more. When you consider the 5.8 million pixels the system is pushing around, the middling battery life becomes a bit more understandable. In real life, what do these synthetic results mean? In real-work mode, youll likely get just around five hours of battery life—if you keep the screen fairly dim. And in a more work-and-sleep mode, youll get maybe six hours, depending on your battery settings. While writing this very review, we watched with dismay as the Yoga 2 Pros battery drained to zero in about five and a half hours at full screen brightness. Mouse and keyboardThe Yogas keyboard hasnt changed since last years model except that now the keyboard is backlit. The first Yoga sorely lacked this feature, which always comes in handy when working on a plane or late into the night. As far as key presses go its fine, and offers decent response.The trackpad has something of a learning curve. Out of the box, it had what felt like a slightly gritty, film over the pad itself, and the end result was that we struggled to throw the mouse around the screen. After about 10 days, we broke through whatever barrier was slowing us down, and it began to feel like we expect a touchpad to feel like: smooth, sleek, and responsive. The display has it—mostly Without a doubt, the Yoga 2 Pros 13-inch screen is a remarkable feat of engineering. At 3200 x 1800 pixels, it out Retina Displays the MacBook Pro series. We know this much: QHD+ is a whole lot of pixels; it literally doubles the 1600 x 900 screen density of last years Yogas like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.Resolution is only part of the win here. Lenovos use of a high-quality IPS panel also makes for a very crisp, viewable screen. The Yoga 2 is bright (350 nits) and offers excellent viewing angles. For a portable like this that will often be used in kitchens and living rooms, both of these attributes are important. At just $1,000 USD, its a sure sign that in 2014 well be entering a laptop display war. By January 2015, we bet that more than half of all laptops in the $1,000+ range have hyper-HD screens.Unfortunately, not all is perfect with the Yoga 2 Pros screen. Last November, in our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review, we felt that it because it was such a forward thinking laptop, it actually exposed some of the flaws of Windows 8. Unfortunately, the same can be said here.Time after time, we found that Windows 8 struggled with the super high resolution, which created some odd inconsistencies and unpredictable behaviors in day-to-day operations. Most of these frustrations occurred in desktop mode, but some oddities did crop up in Metro as well. The short version of our difficulties boiled down to a conflict between such a high resolution display on such a relatively small screen. As an example, in Outlook, the main inbox/calendar window used an oversized cursor, but when we switched to the composition window, the cursor would shrink in size. Similarly in Chrome, the browser tabs suddenly became microscopic in size, even though there was plenty of real estate to display web site names in each one. (This occurred in both desktop and Metro modes.) Over and over again, we experienced these frustrations, until we finally figured out a solution that addressed most of these issues. In Windows 8, navigate to Display > Screen Resolution, and then click](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vlWGk-GEFuYOxihBoqK7dYjPo0zWe9mzBkmfUco_PVmY4PPmcAVArzneOOPB7QrElUXVBGW_2C05p824f5Hl3Uj1gBpBSuUKqXpA78DizWUWQWgv1RTWKv0LWtZhQGdc3kK6DbVqjw0iGeZWHwH7jg2ITpkBClYl5Xjk4-bXRe9B8j0-YPjTY0tI2kusK4=s0-d)
![[Introduction]Lenovo has been breaking ground in the convertible ultrabook world with its Yoga line. In our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review we found ourselves surprisingly pleased with this versatile hybrid laptop and its solid performance. Even if we didnt use the Yoga as a tablet, we often flipped the keyboard back to poke through Windows 8 live tiles or watch some Netflix. What we didnt like were mostly minor complaints. The keyboard, the trackpad, and the screen were all winners. The absence of a backlit keyboard was a mild annoyance, while the lack of a true 1080 display was a read missed opportunity. At the time, we also expressed concerns that the Yoga was actually exposing some of Windows 8s weaknesses.With the Yoga 2 Pro the IdeaPad moniker is nowhere to be found now—Lenovo produced a noteworthy refresh to a device that increasingly looks like it will be a mainstay of the PC makers lineup for the foreseeable future. A 3200 x 1800 display (known as QHD+, or WQXGA for the truly in the know) is the most significant enhancement, but the new hybrids also have a Haswell processor, some subtle enhancements to the chassis, and a few extra touches in the bundled software.All things considered, these are all welcome enhancements, although once again, Lenovos forward-thinking design exposes some surprising flaws in Windows 8s ability to handle super HD resolutions on a portable form-factor. What could possibly be bad about a QHD+ 3200 x 1800 display? Well get to that in good time. For now, lets start at the top. One final note before we dive in: there arent a great number of competitors in the super high-resolution ultrabook category. Samsungs Ativ Book 9 Plus is one—it sports near-identical specifications to the Yoga 2—and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is another. Both cost 40% to 50% more than this system. Sleek, modern…and versatileAs the saying goes, you dont fix what isnt broken. In addition to its unprecedented flexibility, the original Yogas sleek, rubberized chassis was one of the laptops most remarked-upon attributes. Smartly, Lenovo has changed barely a thing, aesthetically speaking. Part of the joy of reviewing this new Yoga Pro 2 was putting it in peoples hands. Everyone remarked on its nice it look and feel, thanks to a thin profile, sturdy chassis, and that grippy, rubberized surface that we mentioned, which coats the entire device.Just like last year, the most striking and still unique aspect of the Yoga 2 Pro is the fact that you can flip the screen back 360 degrees until it rests flat against the backside of the keyboard. This permits four operating modes.Laptop mode is your standard 90-degree angle, with the advantage that the Yoga 2 Pros flexible hinge allows you to lay the screen completely flat, which is actually quite handy for situations where youre standing up and need access to the keyboard. The most useful mode next to laptop mode would be tent mode. By setting the tablet on its top and bottom edges, the devices functions like a tablet in a stand. The new rubberized bevel edges earn their keep in this mode. The old Yoga would sometimes slide a bit on slippery surfaces. Not anymore. Its perfect for glancing at a recipe while cooking or setting the Yoga 2 Pro up on cluttered tablet tops. Stand mode is essentially tent mode, but with a little more sturdiness and support. The key difference is that it has a bigger footprint, so youll need to clear off more of your desk before touchdown.A special hinge on the Yoga 2 allows you to fold the screen all the way back for tablet mode. Unfortunately, just like the original Yoga, the 13-inch Yoga 2 Pro is a little too large to use comfortably in tablet mode. Also a repeat of the original: the presence of the keyboard on the backside of said tablet is obstructive and annoying. This said, the notion of playing full-fledged, touch-optimized PC games like Civilization V in this mode is fairly joyous, even if the device is too heavy to hold in your hands.SpecificationsLenovo did make a few minor adjustments to the chassis itself, including a new backlit keyboard—an increasingly essential feature of any modern laptop. The new rubberized rim around the top bezel is welcome, since it prevents sliding when in tent mode. Furthermore, the power button is now located on the right side of the device, making it less likely that youll turn the system on when its in your bag. Finally, at 3.06 pounds the Yoga 2 Pro is about a half-pound lighter than last years 3.4 pound model. And at 13 x 8.7 x 0.61 inches in size (W x D x H), its a shave thinner—.05 inches to be exact—than last years model.This year, in addition to the standard silver color, the Yoga 2 Pro also comes in a lovely electric orange trim. A fairly wide number of different configurations insure that you will be able to find an ideal price-performance ratio.ThinkPad Yoga vs. Yoga 2 ProIts worth comparing the Yoga 2 Pro to Lenovos new ThinkPad Yoga. Both systems have the same 360-degree hinge, and the same set of CPU, memory, and drive configurations (minus the 512GB option on the ThinkPad Yoga). The big differences between the two are that the ThinkPad Yoga only has a standard HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display in comparison to the Ultimately, these distinctions feel like arbitrary lines in the sand. It would be easy to argue that more productivity-minded version of the Yoga would benefit more from the QHD+ display than the more consumer minded Yoga 2 Pro. Similarly, you could also make the case that the fold-away keyboard would be of equal benefit to consumers sitting on the couch than it would be to work-oriented road-warriors.One final difference: at 12.46 x 8.70 x 0.76 inches (W x D x H), the ThinkPad Yoga is a little trimmer width-wise, but a little thicker. At 3.52 pounds, it also weighs a little under a half pound more than the Yoga 2 Pro. SpecificationsThe system specs of the review unit Lenovo sent us were: • CPU: 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U• RAM: 4GB of DDR3• Screen: 3,200 x 1,800 IPS multi-touch display• Storage: 128GB SSD• Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 powered USB 2.0, headphone/mic jack, micro HDMI-out, SD/MMC card reader• Webcam: 720P front-facing camera• Weight: 3.06 pounds• Size: 13 x 8.66 x 0.61 inchesThe major upgrade here is the inclusion of Intels new Haswell architecture in the form of the Core i5 4200U processor. A dual-core part built specifically for ultrabooks, the 4200U appears to be an ideal fit for the Yoga 2 Pro given its solid CPU performance. Each core operates at 1.6GHz, but the presence of Turbo Boost means it can throttle up to 2.3GZ with both cores active, and 2.6GHz with a single core active. The key advantage Haswell provides over the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U part from last years Yoga is power savings. Well get into that a bit more in the performance section, but without Haswell, we shudder to think what kind of battery life the Yoga 2 Pro would have.In addition to the 1.6GHz Core i5 4200U we reviewed, Lenovo offers two other CPUs for this system, including an upgrade to the 1.80GHz Core i7 4500U part, and a lesser 1.7GHz Core i3 4010U. Both of these processors are also Haswell-based. The former offers a little more power under the hood with very little additional power consumption. The latter provides a more affordably-priced configuration, but with no CPU throttling Turbo Boost support. If we had our druthers, wed choose the higher-end Core i7 part for this system. Intels integrated HD Graphics 4400 provides the pixel-pushing muscle for the display and 3D graphics. Its par for the course, and is integrated into all three of the CPUs available for this device. At press time, the price for the configuration above was US$999.00. Thats a pretty solid price point, given the blend of modern parts—especially the high-quality QHD display. In addition to the CPU options noted above, buyers can also choose less memory (2GB vs. 4GB), or double the RAM to 8GB. In addition to the 128GB drive our review unit shipped with, two other hard drive configurations are offered, at 256GB and 512GB. Prices range from $949 to $1,499 fully loaded. Technophiles who want more future-proof PC computing will be disappointed that the Yoga 2 Pro does not have a built-in 802.11ac network adapter. It currently only supports b/g/n standards. While it is true that the specification yet to be finalized, and probably wont be completely locked until early 2014, there are already a number of pre-802.11ac routers on the market, and a select few laptops—including Apples newest MacBook Air—have integrated 802.11ac adapters. High-speed junkies, please note that there is no built-in Ethernet jack on this system; youll have to buy a separately-sold dongle for that. PerformanceIt didnt blow us away, but the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro performed quite capably in most of our tests. The tale, as they say, lies in the tape: BenchmarksCinebench - 9,125 (4,016 with 1x CPU)3DMark - Ice Storm: 23,032 // Cloud Gate: 3,397 // Fire Storm: 545PC Mark – Home: 2,471 // Work: 3,309PC Mark Battery life - 190 minutesWhat do the numbers tell us? First, that this is a reasonably configured device, capable of holding its own against other systems in the $1,000 or more ultrabook category. For this category, thats fairly common, and on par with other Haswell-based devices.Truthfully, unless you play games, an SSD and Windows 8 are a great equalizer for price and performance in todays PC market, so it is no surprise that in real life we were satisfied with the Yoga 2s overall performance. The only thing you dont want with a Windows 8 ultrabook is an experience that is demonstrably slow, and that is definitely not the case here. Boot times and all app launches are pretty much instantaneous thanks to the SSD. And while the integrated HD graphics arent going to allow you to play Call of Duty Ghosts at any level of respectability, you can play most of the mid-tier Steam games—including new releases like The Wolf Among Us—at moderate settings. As we noted at the top, there arent very many ultrabooks with QHD+ displays. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is one such system, and it put up superior numbers across the board by 20% to 30%. In the Yoga 2s defense, it does cost $400 less than the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and $500 less than Apples newest, and quite awesome MacBook Pro. Battery performance is a concernThe biggest weakness of the Yoga 2 Pro is its mediocre battery life. In PC Marks built-in battery benchmark, we realized just over three hours of performance. Thats actually not a bad result for a conventional laptops synthetic test. But for a Haswell-equipped ultrabook? We expected, or at least hoped for more. When you consider the 5.8 million pixels the system is pushing around, the middling battery life becomes a bit more understandable. In real life, what do these synthetic results mean? In real-work mode, youll likely get just around five hours of battery life—if you keep the screen fairly dim. And in a more work-and-sleep mode, youll get maybe six hours, depending on your battery settings. While writing this very review, we watched with dismay as the Yoga 2 Pros battery drained to zero in about five and a half hours at full screen brightness. Mouse and keyboardThe Yogas keyboard hasnt changed since last years model except that now the keyboard is backlit. The first Yoga sorely lacked this feature, which always comes in handy when working on a plane or late into the night. As far as key presses go its fine, and offers decent response.The trackpad has something of a learning curve. Out of the box, it had what felt like a slightly gritty, film over the pad itself, and the end result was that we struggled to throw the mouse around the screen. After about 10 days, we broke through whatever barrier was slowing us down, and it began to feel like we expect a touchpad to feel like: smooth, sleek, and responsive. The display has it—mostly Without a doubt, the Yoga 2 Pros 13-inch screen is a remarkable feat of engineering. At 3200 x 1800 pixels, it out Retina Displays the MacBook Pro series. We know this much: QHD+ is a whole lot of pixels; it literally doubles the 1600 x 900 screen density of last years Yogas like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.Resolution is only part of the win here. Lenovos use of a high-quality IPS panel also makes for a very crisp, viewable screen. The Yoga 2 is bright (350 nits) and offers excellent viewing angles. For a portable like this that will often be used in kitchens and living rooms, both of these attributes are important. At just $1,000 USD, its a sure sign that in 2014 well be entering a laptop display war. By January 2015, we bet that more than half of all laptops in the $1,000+ range have hyper-HD screens.Unfortunately, not all is perfect with the Yoga 2 Pros screen. Last November, in our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review, we felt that it because it was such a forward thinking laptop, it actually exposed some of the flaws of Windows 8. Unfortunately, the same can be said here.Time after time, we found that Windows 8 struggled with the super high resolution, which created some odd inconsistencies and unpredictable behaviors in day-to-day operations. Most of these frustrations occurred in desktop mode, but some oddities did crop up in Metro as well. The short version of our difficulties boiled down to a conflict between such a high resolution display on such a relatively small screen. As an example, in Outlook, the main inbox/calendar window used an oversized cursor, but when we switched to the composition window, the cursor would shrink in size. Similarly in Chrome, the browser tabs suddenly became microscopic in size, even though there was plenty of real estate to display web site names in each one. (This occurred in both desktop and Metro modes.) Over and over again, we experienced these frustrations, until we finally figured out a solution that addressed most of these issues. In Windows 8, navigate to Display > Screen Resolution, and then click](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tOQiKDgXKZjaHPaUVCA7qf_Rm_v9onIDw7V1aDtnFuR2zDiXIZiFHy9wab8XtaTIc3dCgQroyofjPe6X2r_vXO-rhh2rzC9PeSgQdczRhC4taUjxb_V39KbxccHhITZFeyFXPNQpgGRtjBE3oxDKaumgGx1EtIoV-YblQIgUBhHwZauGKs=s0-d)
