Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review: a high-end Ultrabook that’s actually affordable

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review: a high-end Ultrabook that's actually affordable

With enough time, even the best products start to feel stale. Take the original Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13: Thanks to a unique hinge that allowed the screen to fold all the way backward, it was the most versatile Windows 8 convertible on the market (and it had lots of competition, too). But as other PC makers started releasing newer Ultrabooks with sharper screens and longer battery life, it became harder and harder to recommend it. In fact, though we made a nod to the original Yoga in our last laptop buyer's guide, we basically told people to wait for a refresh.

Turns out, that was wise advice. Lenovo recently started shipping the Yoga 2 Pro, and it brings a little more than just a fresh CPU. In addition to running new Haswell processors, it rocks a thinner and lighter design, a backlit keyboard and a 3,200 x 1,800 display -- a big step up from the 1,600 x 900 panel used in the last gen. And, given that this makes use of Intel's fourth-generation Core chips, it also promises longer battery life -- up to nine hours, according to Lenovo. One thing that hasn't really changed: the price. Even now that it has a crisper screen, it still starts at around $1,000, with a special promotion driving the starting price as low as $929. That sounds fantastic on paper, but what's it like to actually use?%Gallery-slideshow122110%

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Lenovo announces Yoga 2 Pro with 3,200 x 1,800 screen, slimmer design (hands-on)

Lenovo announces Yoga 2 Pro with 3,200 x 1,800 screen, slimmer design (hands-on)

We think we can all agree the Lenovo Yoga has been long due for an upgrade: while every other flagship Ultrabook got refreshed with Haswell, the Yoga 13 stuck around with Ivy Bridge and a relatively low-res 1,600 x 900 display. It was getting so long in the tooth, in fact, that we almost didn't recommend it in our most recent laptop buyer's guide. Well, Lenovo's finally giving us the upgrade we've been asking for, and if specs are any indication, it might have actually been worth the wait.

The new Yoga 2 takes a big step up to a 13-inch, 350-nit, 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen, putting it well ahead of its peers, most of which max out at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. As you'd expect, this new model runs on fourth-gen Intel Core processors (all the way up to i7), with the battery life now rated at up to nine hours. The Yoga also adds Intel Wireless Display, in accordance with the current Ultrabook spec. Equally important: the new model measures 15.5mm thick (versus 17.1mm on the original) and sheds about half a pound so that it now weighs a little over 3 pounds (3.06, to be exact, or 1.39kg). And believe us when we say that half-pound makes a difference: chalk it up to muscle memory, but we could instantly feel the difference when we picked it up for the first time. We don't remember the original ever being this thin or light. %Gallery-slideshow73818%%Gallery-slideshow76615%

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