Lenovo – on Thursday – launched some innovative products in the laptop segment. Specifically, the Chinese company launched the world’s first laptop with two screens, and a laptop that uses a super-fast mobile processor for better battery life.
Yoga Book C930 – a laptop with two screens
Both the new Lenovo laptops were launched under its Yoga Book brand. Lenovo’s laptop with two screens – dubbed as Yoga Book C930 – costs 999 euro ($1,164). The earlier Yoga devices were priced around $500, but they came with entry-level processors. The Yoga Book C930, however, is powered by the higher-performance 7th-gen Intel Core Y-series processor.
Lenovo Yoga Book C930 comes with a 10.8 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel LCD IPS touchscreen display. The second display, which is a touchscreen E Ink display, is placed where one will normally find a keyboard. The E Ink screen can be used for writing, drawing, or typing. Also, the E Ink screen allows the Yoga Book C930 to be used as an eReader for viewing eBooks, documents, or other content.
Lenovo’s laptop with two screens is based on Windows and comes with a digital keyboard and a Bluetooth pen to write on the screen. The dimensions of the laptop with two screens is 10.3″ x 7.1″ x 0.4″ and it weighs 1.7 pounds. The laptop is thin, light, and comes with a fanless computer, and features Lenovo’s watchband-style hinge.
Other specifications of the Yoga Book C930 are: 35.8 Wh battery, 4GB LPDDR3 RAM, Optical fingerprint reader, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports, Optional 4G LTE, Stereo speakers, up to 256GB of PCIe SSD storage, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth and Intel Core M3-7Y30 or Core i5-7Y74 processor. Further, the Chinese company claims that the dynamic keyboard now comes with bigger keys and a bigger trackpad.
Lenovo’s laptop with two screens also features a built-in sound bar designed to improve the entertainment experience. Lenovo’s laptop will be available for purchase by the end of next month in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Yoga C630 WOS – a laptop with mobile processor
Lenovo’s other laptop – dubbed as Yoga C630 WOS – is a Windows laptop powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 850 platform. It is also a high-end device offering LTE connectivity and a battery life of up to 25 hours (video playback).
Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS has an aluminum body, a slim 12.5mm profile and weighs just 2.6lbs (1.2kg). The laptop doesn’t require a fan as it is powered by a Qualcomm chip. So, this laptop won’t emit the annoying fan noise.
Talking of the performance, the Snapdragon 850 offers up to 30% performance improvement over the earlier Windows devices based on Snapdragon. The Snapdragon 845, which powers the Note 9 and other Android flagships, is 25% faster than the Snapdragon 835. If you are wondering why Lenovo hasn’t used the Snapdragon 845 for its notebooks, Qualcomm has developed a new mobile platform for addressing the Windows 10 needs.
Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS features a 13-inch Full HD touchscreen with support for the stylus. The Lenovo Pen, however, is sold separately. The laptop is also integrated with a Snapdragon X20 LTE modem, which supports speeds of up to 1.2Gbps. Other specifications of the laptop include up to 256GB UFC 2.1 flash memory, SIM card holder, fingerprint sensor, audio-jack, up to 8GB of storage, stereo speakers, and 2 USB-C ports.
Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS will ship from November, and will cost $849.99 in the U.S. and €999 in Europe.
Diversifying revenue stream with smart home products
Lenovo’s latest laptops have been launched to benefit from the recent rebound in PC sales. Prior to the recent rebound, the past couple of years have been difficult for the PC and laptop manufacturers with dropping sales. In the second quarter of 2018, Lenovo’s PC shipments were up 17% from the same period last year, as per the data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
For the second-quarter, the PC revenue for the Chinese company was up almost 20% year-on-year. The boost in the PC sales can partially be attributed to the launch of the new tablet and PC, including the Yoga Book. Despite the rebound in the PC sales, Lenovo has been working on diversifying its revenue stream with investments in the Internet of Things (IOT) segment.
Along with the laptops, at the IFA in Berlin, the Chinese company also showcased several smart home products, like the internet-connected plug, camera and light bulb. These smart products will be available in the U.S. from November, and will support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant products.
