Another year, another Lenova yoga laptop. The latest edition comes in the form of $ 1,399 Lenovo Yoga C940.
We tested the 14-inch model with the FHD display, but there are a few other variants with different colors and display types. There’s also the option to customize your own if you’re picky about configurations.
As the successor to the Lenovo C930, the 2-in-1 convertible laptop looks almost identical to its predecessor. It has a sleek aluminum construction, a vibrant display, and a 360-degree hinge with a powerful built-in speaker.
Most notably, however, the C940 is equipped with the latest Intel 10th generation processor. Even after the laptop was put through its paces, it was able to run without any problems.
Table of Contents
A sleek, lightweight design
Even if it looks heavy, it is actually easy to transport.
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The laptop made of aluminum feels elegant and of high quality. It is available in two colors: iron gray or mica. My test device came in mica, a light silver color that I preferred to the darker gray model. But be careful, it’s a bit like a fingerprint magnet.
One small change that is barely noticeable aesthetically is the lip that Lenovo put on the top of the C940 (right where the camera is). This makes it a lot easier to open the laptop with your fingers.
The C940 is also super durable. I’m not particularly careful when it comes to my electronics (oops) but I didn’t feel the need to be especially careful about throwing the C940 in my pocket or carrying it around the office.
At 2.98 pounds, it’s just a little lighter than the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro, which weighs 3.02 pounds. I often shuttled between work and home with the C940, and it didn’t feel too heavy or cause the annoying shoulder pain that often comes with carrying too much stuff in my pocket. I sometimes forget that it was in there at all.
The laptop comes with a pen that sits in an integrated slot.
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As mentioned earlier, the laptop is held together by an aluminum hinge (which also doubles as a speaker) so you can easily fold it back to use it as a tablet. You can also prop it up on both sides for presentations. There is also a built-in slot for the pen which is easily accessible no matter what mode you are in.
For the most part, I kept it on my desk to use as a second screen to reference specs as I write this review. I used it the same way at home, putting the laptop on my bed to watch Netflix or YouTube videos.
And although I find the C940 comfortable as a laptop, I can’t say that in tablet mode. It felt way too big and clunky when I held it in my arms. Even as I put it on my desk, I awkwardly stretched my arms around the display.
I prefer to put it on my desk.
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It’s way too big and heavy to use as a tablet.
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As for the extra features, there’s a power button on the right side of the laptop, while the left side houses two USB-C ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and a headphone jack.
A powerful display and impressive sound
The 14-inch C940 comes with either a Full High Definition (FHD) IPS display or an Ultra High Definition (UHD) IPS display, both touchscreens. I had the FHD version with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. Meanwhile, the UHD model has a higher resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a higher price tag of $ 1,829.
That may be because I usually work on a 2015 MacBook Air, but the C940’s display is very crisp. The colors look sharp in both photos and text, even when not using full brightness, which makes for a comfortable viewing experience.
The touchscreen is also responsive, although I mainly used the stylus to navigate the screen. This also works well and feels quick, whether you’re tapping or swiping the display.
There is also a 720p HD camera upstairs for things like video calls and photos. But if you’re concerned, it comes with a discreet privacy screen that you can slide up and down.
See? I told you this photo looks like it was taken in 2008.
Image: Brenda stolyar / mashable
The quality is not that great though. I took a few photos to try it out and felt like I was using an old school webcam. As you can see in the picture I (reluctantly) included above, parts of my hair are smudged and the colors are super dull. But hey, if you need to video chat with someone quickly then it’s more than capable.
As far as the sound is concerned, the C940 has a loudspeaker integrated into the hinge. Regardless of whether you are in laptop or tablet mode, the sound will be crisp and clear. It will also very loud, for those of you who love to blow up your music or movies.
The speaker sounds great, especially when watching shows on Netflix.
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Like its predecessors, the C940 also comes with Dolby Atmos – Dolby’s surround sound technology. On the laptop, you can switch between different modes depending on whether you’re listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game. You can also customize and improve the sound to your liking.
Under the hood
Lenovo’s C940 has a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor running Windows 10. It also comes with an Intel graphics card for the gamers out there. Up to 12 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD are available for storage.
You can also choose between Cortana and Alexa as your personal voice assistant. I went with Alexa which worked fine. The dual far-field microphones picked up my voice within seconds of asking questions like “Alexa, what’s the weather like”. or “Alexa, turn up the volume.”
If you want to call Alexa at any time with your voice, you can activate the hands-free mode. But that means the microphones will always be listen to it. If you want more privacy, you can instead go to the app to talk to Alexa.
Tons of tabs open and this baby was still running smoothly.
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In terms of performance, the laptop did very well for everything I’ve been through. Even with 33 tabs and multiple windows open in Google Chrome while Slack was running in the background, the C940 worked like a dream.
After running benchmarks on GeekBench, my test device scored 5,114 for single-core performance and 16,107 for multi-score performance. This is slightly higher than the values measured by the C930, which were 4,738 and 15,289, respectively.
In terms of battery life, Lenovo says the FHD model can last up to 15 hours (and the UHD model up to 10 hours) – depending on usage, of course. Mine, however, lasted a little more than half at around 7 hours. I would start my work day at 9 a.m. with a fully charged battery and would not need the charger until around 4 p.m.
The battery basically lasted a whole working day for me.
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But it’s also important to note that I put this thing through its paces and ran as much at the same time as possible to test its performance. So, those of you who will actually be using the laptop normally will likely find that it will last longer for you.
A worthwhile investment
With a starting price of $ 1,399, it’s understandable if you don’t grab the Lenovo Yoga C940 straight away. However, if you are looking for a 2-in-1 laptop, this is a great option. With the latest on-board processor, it will run smoothly even when you are busy with a lot of work.
While it’s not the most comfortable for me in tablet mode, it might be more suitable for others. The pen is still an ideal experience when working through presentations or highlighting documents. And when you’re away from the office, it’s great for games and entertainment too.
While I wouldn’t say it’s worth upgrading if you already own the C930, it’s certainly a solid choice if you’re in the market for a new laptop.
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