Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S review

The Chinese laptop maker's first 'mini ultrabook'

The Yoga 11S is Lenovo's first ever "mini ultrabook" and the latest addition to its IdeaPad Yoga lineup, giving the previous 11in Yoga model a performance boost with a choice of third-generation Intel Core processors running Windows 8, as opposed to an ARM chip with Windows RT.

The original Ideapad Yoga 11 didn't impress, with a major lack of apps and application programs available to download onto it, such as Spotify and Google Chrome, and running the more basic Windows RT. However, with the same design and featuring the full version of Windows 8, the Yoga 11S should move beyond the shortcomings of the original Yoga 11.

Display
As with its less-powerful sibling, the IdeaPad Yoga 11S has an 11.6in IPS HD graphics multitouch display with 1366x768 resolution. In the same way that we found with the Yoga 11, HD movies look brilliantly clear and vibrant.

We think the native resolution of 1366x768 is just about right for an 11in display, giving it plenty of screen real estate without making on-screen text appear too small. Pixels aren't visible unless you look closely and viewing angles are good, with moving images appearing sharp.

Touchscreen commands are very fluid and the Yoga 11S responds to them rapidly. We enjoyed using the touchscreen to skip between tabs and apps, which is a rarity in Windows 8.

The brightness of the Yoga 11S is similar to that of the Yoga 11 and doesn't match the level of brightness of its 13in counterpart, the Yoga 13. Nevertheless, it is bright enough for general day-to-day use, with the picture quality at a good level in a wide range of lighting conditions, even bright sunlight.

We used the Yoga 11S in a garden with sun directly overhead and we were still able to read what was on the screen, although as suspected, movies did look washed out.

Next: Build quality and design

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S review

The Chinese laptop maker's first 'mini ultrabook'

Build quality
The Yoga 11S appears to have top-notch build quality. It has a smart look and thanks to the soft-textured material covering the outside of the chassis - also used on the Yoga 11 and the Yoga 13 - it feels luxurious as well. This not only allows for a better grip but also gives it a very comfortable feel.

We found that the silver-grey finish is stylish but also simple enough to complement other devices you might want to use alongside it.

The good build quality of the Yoga 11S makes it feel sturdy. Both the keyboard and the screen feel robust, despite the Yoga 11S having a slim construction, measuring 298x204x17mm. For example, we could twist the display in opposite directions at both sides with it suffering no apparent damage.

Weighing just short of 1.4kg, the Yoga 11S is slightly heavier than its predecessor, which weighed 1.2kg, but it makes up for this added weight with its more powerful internal components, running the full version of Windows 8. It also weighs about the same as most other ultrabooks on the market presently.

One thing worth noting is that although the Yoga feels relatively lightweight in notebook mode, it can feel a bit heavy when it's folded 360 degrees to use as a tablet. On the other hand, there aren't many 11in tablets out there, so perhaps it's just the case that there are few models to compare it with, besides the more popular 7in and 10in tablets that dominate the market.

Design
What makes the IdeaPad Yoga 11S stand out from many other Intel ultrabooks on the market is its 360-degree hinge. This flexibility makes it superior to many other 11in laptops out there, as the Yoga's simple design enables it to be used in a number of ways. Users can rotate the display back from "notebook mode" into either "tent mode", which allows the Yoga to be stood on its two parts so it can be watched on uneven surfaces; "stand mode", which enables the screen to be viewed while being supported by the keyboard; or "tablet mode", where the bottom of the keyboard and lid meet so it can be used as a tablet.

For us, "stand mode" proved to be the best for viewing movies, as it meant the keyboard was tucked away and out of sight with the display propped up and tilted to a desirable viewing angle. We used the notebook mode the most, as this is the traditional laptop configuration.

Tablet mode proved great for watching movies on public transport, but those used to an Android tablet or iPad will probably find the Yoga 11S is a little thick in tablet mode due to its built-in keyboard. Tent mode proved to be the least useful of the four modes the Yoga 11S is capable of flexing into, as we found no real need for it.

Lenovo has built an accelerometer into the Yoga 11S so that the screen can detect what position it's in, landscape or portrait, and rotate accordingly. When in tablet mode, the Yoga 11S can be controlled manually via physical volume keys on the side as well as a start button on the front, so you don't have to open it up and control it using the keyboard.

Next: Keyboard, performance and operating system

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S review

The Chinese laptop maker's first 'mini ultrabook'

Keyboard
As with the Yoga 11, the Yoga 11S has a full-size Qwerty keyboard that feels great to type on and is a pleasure to use when you're constructing long documents or complex spreadsheets, which is great for business use.

The trackpad is multi-gesture, so it might take a bit of getting used to if you're new to it. But you can also turn this option off if it drives you crazy.

As with all the other previous IdeaPad Yoga models, the Yoga 11S keyboard lacks a backlight to make typing easier in low light, but this is usually considered a bonus factor in Intel's ultrabooks.

One thing that did disappoint us about the Yoga 11S is that Lenovo didn't include shortcut keys for media playback, such as play, pause and skip tracks. We flagged this in our Yoga 13 and Yoga 11 reviews, but obviously Lenovo didn't listen. Many of the low-cost laptops out there now come with such keys, which are there to make life a bit easier. The lack of these keys in the IdeaPad range is odd, seeing as it's targeting an entertainment-oriented audience.

Performance and operating system
The Yoga 11S is a powerhouse for its size. Running the full version of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system (OS), it is powered by a choice of third-generation Intel Core processors, from Core i3 to Core i7, with up to 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the Yoga 11S has no support for Intel's Haswell processors. Nevertheless, our model was powered by an Intel Core i3 CPU with 4GB of RAM.

In our tests, the Yoga scored a Windows 8 Performance Index score of 4.6. The score is determined by the lowest sub-score, in this case desktop graphics performance, and is not an average result of the performance of components.

Though the score was pulled down by the Yoga's integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, all other results were much better, with processor calculations per second scoring 5.5 out of 9.9, disk data transfer earning a score of 8.0 and RAM operations per second gaining a 5.9 score.

However, this is a pretty decent score considering that our review model had a Core i3 chip. We would expect these results to shoot up if we were to test a Yoga 11S with a Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM. However, a boost in performance means a boost in price too, and anyone in the market for the Yoga 11S will have to expect this.

But unless you're using the Yoga for intense gaming on high-graphic settings, you're not going to notice any lag, as in our tests both touchscreen and non-touchscreen operations were fluid, with the Yoga responding quickly to commands.

The Yoga 11S also handled the Windows 8 OS well, with no lag when swiping between pages and programs popping up almost as soon as we selected them.

The best thing about the Yoga 11S' operating system is the fact it supports the full offering of the Microsoft Office suite, giving users the choice to install programs such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook. This makes the Yoga 11S a brilliant business device, as it not only supports programs for use in the office, but its Intel Core CPU ensures it's powerful enough to run demanding applications with ease.

Currently, the Yoga 11S has a starting price of £700 for the Core i3 model, but expect this to rise significantly if more powerful internal specifications are chosen.

Next: Connectivty, storage and battery life

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S review

The Chinese laptop maker's first 'mini ultrabook'

Connectivity, storage and battery life
Lenovo claims the IdeaPad Yoga 11S has up to six hours of battery life. But in our battery test, when we unplugged the Yoga from the mains we saw roughly four hours of solid use with intermittent web browsing, music listening and video watching on the full 10/10 brightness setting before the battery died. This was without letting the screen go into battery-saving mode or standby.

We wouldn't go so far as to say we were disappointed with the battery performance of the Yoga 11S, as most similar devices rarely manage to live up to vendors' claims in this area. But it's a shame that the Yoga 11S is a sealed unit, since it means that users can't swap the battery with a spare, charged-up backup.

Our Yoga 11S review model had 128GB of SSD storage, but it is available with up to 256GB for those who are hungry for space to save large files such as movies and games. However, this will come at an additional cost.

In terms of connectivity, the IdeaPad Yoga 11S has a good selection of options despite being a slim and compact system. It offers almost everything a standard notebook PC has, including WiFi as standard and Bluetooth 4.0 along with one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, a 2-in-1 headphone and mic port and a 3-in-1 SD card reader. It doesn't have a wired Ethernet port, though.

Overall
The Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11S has a unique design and is perhaps one of our favourite hybrid ultrabooks on the market. It's an ultra-flexible and powerful laptop with the option to convert into various different modes, making it a close to ideal hybrid laptop. Its HD display also offers a good touchscreen experience as well as high resolution for watching movies.

The Yoga 11S might be a little heavier and slightly thicker than its predecessor, the Yoga 11, but with its extra power and capability from its x86 Intel processors and running the full version of Windows 8, it makes up for these relatively minor shortcomings.