Lenovo Yoga 3 (14 inch) Pro Reviews

Call me superficial, but I was rooting for this laptop the second I took it out of the box. It's so pretty and versatile that I wanted everything to go right, so that I could rush and tell my family and friends to order it. Unfortunately, beneath the hood, this device performs on par with similarly priced hybrids that weigh a lot less. If you're like me and love the Yoga 3 14's design, you're probably better off spending a little bit more money on the lighter and slightly less powerful Yoga 3 Pro.

The Yoga 3 14 is a large-screen convertible-hybrid laptop with Lenovo's vaunted 360-degree hinge. It's a good system in a category with fierce competition.

If you're familiar with Lenovo's laptops, particularly with its new Yoga machines, then you'll find the Yoga 3 14 feels like something you've seen before, but with its own little tweaks that make it unique. In this case, it's the brushed metal surface surrounding the keyboard that gives it a unique flavor, and it is beautiful to behold. That aside, the PC is akin to many of the other laptops we've reviewed from Lenovo in past months, and that's not a bad thing for those who like the brand.

Ultimately, the Yoga 3 14 is worthy addition to the venerable Yoga series. For $949, this 14-inch laptop offers a sleek magnesium alloy exterior, a colorful 1080p display and rich, well-rounded audio. The notebook's multi-mode design remains as useful as ever, and its battery lasts an entire workday with juice to spare.However, the Lenovo left us disappointed in a few respects. Like most convertibles, it's unwieldy in tablet mode, and the power cord is so short that you'll have to sit within a few feet of the outlet to use the laptop while it's charging. More frustrating, the keyboard suffers from a cramped layout and mushy feedback. By the time we were halfway through this review, we found ourselves pining for one of Lenovo's ThinkPad keyboards. But typing woes aside, the Yoga 3 14 impressed us with its handsome flip-and-fold design, beautiful screen, and extra-long battery life. It may not boast the impeccable keyboard we've come to expect from Lenovo, but it surpasses its predecessors in most other respects.