Lenovo has long been refining its Yoga laptop range, carving away at the block of design perfection, with the Yoga C940 representing the company's best-of-best three-in-one laptop.
The 2018 model was the first to introduce a Dolby Atmos 'soundbar' hinge, delivering quality sound whichever mode the laptop was in - as that hinge allows for laptop and so-called tent, stand and tablet positions given its 360-degree rotation - which has been re-engineered for the upated 2019 model.
But that's not all. Lenovo is finally squeezing the bezel size down - particularly that once huge bottom bezel - to make the C940 one highly attractive laptop offering.
Our quick take
Given the hinge potental to reposition the C940 in multiple orientations, that small bezel, and the bright screen, this Yoga laptop is the ultimate media powerhouse, ideal for marathon work or play sessions.
With internal tweaks and some much-needed bezel-crunching made in the design, Lenovo has taken one of our favourite accomplished laptops from 2018 and carved it another step closer to perfect in this 2019 edition.
Lenovo Yoga C940 14-inch initial
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Lenovo Yoga C940
Design & Display
- 14-inch touchscreen with Dolby Vision HDR (500nits)
- Full HD (1920 x 1080) or 4K (3840 x 2160) options
- Re-engineered Dolby Atmos 'soundbar' hinge
- Colour options: Mica, Iron Grey
- Privacy shutter camera
- Integrated stylus included
- Built-in fingerprint scanner
- 1x USB 3.1, 2x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm jack
We'll kick off with the display first and foremost, because Lenovo has made on big change here: the once huge bottom bezel has now shrunk in size, which makes the footprint of this laptop all the better. The overall screen-to-body ratio is far greater, at 89 per cent. It looks a lot better as a result.
The panel options are great too. In terms of brightness, the 500nit output is good enough for Dolby Vision content. There are Full HD or Ultra HD resolutions available, the latter offering a 25 per cent brightness boost over the former.
There is also Dolby Vision software aboard that can make adjustments between presets for different lighting conditions to deliver on deep blacks and bright whites - including for HDR (high dynamic range) content. For us it's more about the punchy colour profile that this HDR panel delivers than the brightness factor.
Beyond the screen, the Yoga C940 packs in a fingerprint scanner for rapid logins and, tucked around the back, there's a stowed stylus integrated into the body. This will be handy for some users to interact with the touchscreen. And if that's not your style - we'd barely used it, as it's not commonplace for our work - then you can leave it stowed back there forever, as it's not hurting anybody.
The backlit keyboard works supremely well too. In an age where manufacturers are pushing out low travel keys - the MacBook Air is one fairly poor example - Lenovo has opted for keys that clack and provide real travel, so it's a comfortable typing experience with genuine feedback. And you won't miss a key.
Performance
- Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, up to 16GB RAM
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (15.6in only, not ranged in UK)
Being the top-end of the Yoga range, the Yoga C930 packs in the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i processors, and RAM can be tailored to your want - with 8GB, 12GB or 16GB options. (Confusingly the larger 15.6-inch model - and that's not reviewed here, as it's not available in the UK - offers 9th Gen Intel Core i processors, but can be paired with discrete graphics from Nvidia for extra power.
Being Windows, power can be tailored from best to most efficient, too, so if you don't want to be leaking battery life for no reason, that's no problem. We found the 2018 model lasted an age, at around 12 hours of video watching, so with the right selection of internals we should see similar results here.
Lenovo Yoga C940
To recap
Given the hinge potental to reposition this laptop in multiple orientations, this Yoga is the ultimate media powerhouse, ideal for marathon work or play sessions. It looks great thanks to smaller bezel than before, it sounds great thanks to that Dolby Atmos soundbar hinge. It's an accomplished laptop that's one step closer to perfection.