Lenovo seems to be taking notice of Huawei's popular MateBook X Pro, and its just-announced Yoga S940 laptop (which is not a convertible) is quite the jaw-dropper.
Featuring a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio, the new Yoga S940 brings a first to laptops: contour glass that wraps around the display. Think of the "2.5D" displays on smartphones that let the glass smooth out with curved edges, and you'll get the idea.
Lenovo is going with a traditional 16:9 aspect ration versus Huawei's 3:2, but Lenovo solves some other issues that plague the MateBook X Pro. For instance, it not only has a standard web camera at the top of the screen but it also has Windows Hello support with infrared lenses. The little lip from the camera doubles as a grip for opening the laptop with one hand, giving it a dual purpose.
These are the most notable features:
- Contour glass display curves left and right.
- Lenovo Smart Assist suite supports Hello, Cortana, Alexa, video call background blur, and privacy eye-tracking.
- 2.64-pound aluminum body.
- 90 percent screen-to-body ratio (5.4 mm top, 4.2 mm sides, and 8.65 mm bottom).
Lenovo made good use of that camera placement, too. The smart camera uses software with presence detection to auto-lock your laptop if you walk away, or it can blur your background during conference calls. It even has eye-tracking, making Huawei's demoted web camera seem a bit sad by comparison.
Like all of Lenovo's recent premium Yoga laptops, the display is configurable up to a 4K resolution at 14 inches. That also includes 400 nits of brightness and Dolby Vision support with HDR.
Lenovo Yoga S940 tech specs and features
| Category | Lenovo Yoga S940 |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.9-inch UHD (3840 x 2400) IPS LCD, HDR400, 500-nit brightness13.9-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS LCD, Dolby Vision HDR, 400-nit brightness |
| Processor | Intel 8th Gen Core i7 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 620 |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD |
| Ports | Two USB-C Thunderbolt 3, one USB-C 3. |
| Camera | Windows Hello IR camera |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours (FHD) or 9.5 hours (UHD)USB-C Rapid Charge |
| Dimensions | 12.57 in x 7.77 in x 0.48 in (319.3 mm x 197.4 mm x 12.2 mm) |
| Weight | Starting at 2.64 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Expected availability | May 2019 |
| Price | Starting at $1,499.99 |
Matching the visual features is Dolby Atmos support for audio, along with front-facing speakers that are located just behind the keyboard.
The entire laptop is made from metal and comes in at just 2.64 lbs (1.2 kg), which is excellent for a 14-inch laptop.
Other specifications include the latest Intel 8th Gen 15-watt processors, Intel HD graphics, up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD for storage. Due to the super-thin design, at just 12.2 mm, this is a strictly USB Type-C system with three such ports, two of which are full Thunderbolt 3.
Look for this sexy Ultrabook to hit the consumer market in May 2019. Pricing starts at $1,500.
