One of Lenovo's many announcements at IFA was a 12-inch Windows 10 that has a kickstand and a detachable keyboard.
Sound familiar?
Yes, the MIIX 700 looks a lot like a Surface. But there's more to it than that. Lenovo has put its own touches onto the MIIX 700 that make it a pretty interesting device.
The first thing to say is that Lenovo tells us the MIIX 700 comes with the detachable keyboard included. No additional purchase is required. And it's a good keyboard. It's of a similar style to some of Lenovo's mid-range notebooks and feels good to type on. It's also Bluetooth, meaning you can use it detached from the tablet if you wish. Attaching it will charge the onboard battery. It also has a leatherette feel on the back, which actually looks really good as a sort of folio case.
To recap on the specs:
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home or Pro |
| CPU | Up to 6th-gen Intel Core m7 (Skylake) |
| RAM | Up to 8GB LPDDR3L |
| Display | 12-inches, 2160 x 1440 resolution |
| Storage | Up to 256GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel HD |
| Weight | 1.7lbs |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, Micro HDMI™-out Micro Sim (LTE / 3G SKU only), microSD™, Audio Combo Jack |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 hours claimed |
| LTE | Optional |
| Other | Keyboard dock, Intel RealSense camera (Rear) |
| Price | From $749 |
Of those options, we also need to point out that you'll apparently either be able to have a RealSense camera, or LTE, but not both. Otherwise it gives you a very 'Surface-like' experience. It's about the same size, perhaps a little lighter, and importantly the same 3:2 aspect ratio. We're told there will also be a pen made available for it in the future.
Oh, and not forgetting the kickstand. It's not as sturdy feeling as that on the Surface as it's pretty simple to make it flex. But that's only when you're pressing on it. When it's standing the tablet up, all is well. The hinge is Lenovo's own, fancy watch-band style that we first saw on last years Yoga 3 Pro. And it is smooth. It also means you can position the kickstand infinitely between being fully closed and it's most extreme open position.
Surface spawned a legion of fans and it was only a matter of time before someone else jumped onto the bandwagon. The MIIX 700 is a nice device. Whether or not we'd recommend it over the Surface, would be a harder question to answer.
