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Lenovo's latest gaming laptops pack 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs
Lenovo has announced two new gaming laptops, while it has refreshed some models in its Legion lineup -- all of which work with 9th-gen Intel Core i7 processors. The IdeaPad L340 Gaming laptop is a little more budget-friendly than other portable Lenovo gaming machines. It has blue lighting and options to switch between Gaming and Quiet modes. It's compatible with NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1650 GPU and features Dolby Audio, while Intel Optane memory is available as an option. The L340 will be available late May, starting at $870 for the 15-inch model and $920 for its 17-inch sibling.
Intel finally made a 10nm processor
Around two years later and Intel is finally shipping its 10nm Cannon Lake CPUs. The chip itself is a bit of a bore, but given its legacy of delays and how long Intel has been talking about it, that they're finally being found in the wild is worth mentioning. The 8th-gen i3-8121U is a dual-core, four-thread CPU with a base clock of 2.2GHz and boost clock of 3.2GHz. With a listed TDP of 15W, the i3-8121U is almost identical to the i3-8130U, a 14nm processor released earlier this year. The difference, at least according to Intel's spec sheet, is that the new 10nm processor doesn't have an integrated GPU. That either means Intel still hasn't worked out how to shrink its GPU tech down to 10nm reliably, and has disabled that part of the chip, or it's just bad at filling in specs in its ARK product database.
Lenovo's new PCs include a $189 Windows laptop
Today marks the start of IFA, Europe's largest consumer tech show, and Lenovo is kicking things off with a slew of product announcements. In addition to some new ThinkPad Yogas, the company just unveiled a handful of laptops in a variety of sizes and price ranges. Perhaps the most interesting is the Ideapad 100S, an 11.6-inch Windows machine that will retail for just $189. (There will also be a 14-inch version for $259). This isn't the first time we've seen a sub-$200 notebook, but it's interesting to see Lenovo, one of the world's biggest PC makers, enter the super-cheap-laptop fray. Like other machines in this class, the 100S cuts corners with a low-powered processor (an Intel Celeron N3050), minimal RAM (2GB) and little on-board storage (up to 32GB). Essentially, it's the closest thing to the Windows equivalent of a Chromebook. Speaking of the sort, Lenovo will also sell a Chrome OS version of the 100S, priced at $179. (That, too, is pretty cheap compared to the competition.)
The Daily Roundup for 03.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Lenovo announces the IdeaPad Yoga 11S with Ivy Bridge, Windows 8; arrives in June for $799+
That headline says it all, doesn't it? The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is like the Yoga 11, except instead of an ARM chip, it has a laptop-grade Ivy Bridge processor. That means it's more powerful, of course, but more importantly, since this is an x86 system it runs full Windows 8 instead of Windows RT. Hello, legacy application support! As a full-fledged PC, the 11S also steps up to a higher-quality display: a 1,600 x 900 IPS screen, compared with a 1,366 x 768 LCD on the Yoga 11. Other than that, this has fundamentally the same design as the other Yoga laptops, which is to say its screen can fold all the way around into tablet mode (with in-between options, like Tent and Stand modes). As you can see in those press shots, it has the same look and feel, too, including a soft-touch finish and a relatively cushy keyboard. As you'd imagine, though, it's a bit heftier than the lower-powered ARM version: it measures 0.68 inch thick, instead of 0.61. On the inside, it can accommodate up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state storage, with the top processor option being a dual-core Core i5 CPU. Just what you were hoping Lenovo would make? Today's your lucky day, but you'll still want to hold your horses: the 11S won't actually go on sale until June. When it does, though, it'll start at $799.
Lenovo intros four IdeaPad laptops, all with touchscreens; prices start at $699
Remember we said lots of PC makers were going to play it safe at this year's CES, introducing touchscreen versions of their existing laptops? That definitely applies to Lenovo: the company just announced four touch-enabled notebooks, and they all look pretty similar to its earlier offerings -- save for those touchscreens, of course. First up, there's the IdeaPad U310 Touch and U410 Touch, which have the same industrial design as the U310 and U410 Ultrabooks, just with a little extra heft (the U310 is 3.85 pounds / 18mm thick; the U410, 4.4 pounds / 21mm thick). Other than that, the specs closely match the current U310 and U410: up to 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage on the 13-inch model, and up to 8GB of memory and 1TB of space on the big guy. Both will be offered with a Core i7 processor, but only the 14-incher has a discrete NVIDIA GPU (the U310 gets by on Intel's integrated HD 4000 graphics). The U410 also offers four USB ports, while the U310 makes do with three. Finally, battery life is bound to differ: the U310 is rated for up to six hours, compared with eight on the U410. Whichever you choose, though, the screen resolution tops out at 1,366 x 768, and the hard drive can be paired with a 24GB SSD to help speed up boot times. The U310 will arrive in March starting at $779, while the U410 is slated to land in April with a starting price of $850. Additionally, Lenovo announced two mainstream laptops, the 14-inch IdeaPad Z400 Touch and the 15-inch Z500 Touch. Unlike with the U310 and U410 Touch, the specs here are pretty consistent, other than the difference in screen size. Both measure about an inch thick, even with an optical drive on board. They'll be offered with Core i7 processors (standard voltage), a 2GB NVIDIA GT645M GPU, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of HDD storage. Additionally, they'll come standard with backlit keyboards and will be available with optional 1,600 x 900 displays -- both nice-to-have features, we'd say. The two laptops will start at $699, according to Lenovo, but the Z400 will arrive in March, while the Z500 is scheduled to ship in April. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review
Make no mistake: Lenovo is taking this Windows 8 thing very seriously. The company's first-generation of Win 8 devices includes everything from a laptop / tablet hybrid to a classic convertible laptop with a swiveling display. Then there's the Yoga. This, too, is a convertible, in the sense that it can be used as a tablet. But it's not like any convertible you used back in the Win 7 era: the screen folds 360 degrees back, turning this Ultrabook into a giant, 13-inch slate. Because of that special hinge, though, you can also bend it into Downward Dog, to use a Yoga term ("tent mode," if you're nasty) or fold the keyboard underneath so that only screen is exposed. It was one of the most memorable things unveiled at CES, and it remains the most striking Windows 8 design we've seen to date. But what's it like to actually use it? And how does it fare as, you know, a plain old $1,000 Ultrabook? Let's find out.%Gallery-170641%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 shipping this month for $1,099, ARM-powered Yoga 11 coming in December
Lenovo is pulling back the curtain on several Windows 8 devices today, and among the bunch is a somewhat familiar face: the IdeaPad Yoga. We first got a look at the 13.3-inch device back at CES in January, where it stood out with a flip-and-fold design that lets it transform into a tablet from a notebook and vice versa. In addition to unveiling full spec and pricing information for the Yoga 13, Lenovo is announcing an 11-inch version. The IdeaPad Yoga 13 will go for $1,099 and up when it hits Best Buy and Lenovo's online store October 26th (Best Buy pre-orders will start Otober 12th.) The hybrid device will pack a Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of SSD storage. As we already knew from our preview earlier this year, the Yoga boasts a 1,600 x 900 IPS multi-touch display, and there's a 720p front-facing camera for video conferencing. At 0.67 inches thick and 3.4 pounds, this guy is a bit chunkier than some of the slimmest Ultrabooks, but it's certainly no hulk either. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, a media card reader and HDMI output. Lenovo rates the Yoga 13 for seven hours of battery life.
Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on)
Lenovo's IFA itinerary is marathon-length. It unveiled no fewer than three tablets yesterday, not to mention three new IdeaPad S Series notebooks, and today it's serving up more laptops. Let's hit the high-profile guy first: Lenovo's IdeaPad Series lineup of Ultrabooks is getting its first 15-inch model, the Windows 8-running U510. The machine weighs 4.85 pounds (2.2kg) and measures 0.83 inches (21mm) thin, which is hefty for an Ultrabook but gives it enough room for a DVD burner or an optional Blu-ray drive. The 15.6-inch display's resolution is a ho-hum 1,366 x 768, which is exactly what you'll find on the IdeaPad U310. The laptop will be available with up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive and optional 24/32GB SSD cache. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI, and there's an SD card reader as well. Lenovo rates the machine for six hours of battery life. The U510 will set you back $679 (for the entry-level configuration) when it goes on sale in September. For now, you can check out our hands-on photos below. %Gallery-163961% %Gallery-163899% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Lenovo expands IdeaPad lineup with Y400, Y500, Z400 and Z500: prices start at $549
Lenovo just unveiled its new IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook, yes, but it has a few new IdeaPad models further along in the alphabet, too. Today the company is introducing two new entries to its multimedia-focused IdeaPad Y Series. The 14-inch Y400 and 15-inch Y500 include an interchangeable HDD bay that users can swap out for dual graphics chips, extra storage space or an additional fan. Both models also sport dual-layer backlit keyboards, with a snazzy red tone peeking out from under the black chiclet-style keys. Processor options go up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge chip, and discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT650M graphics are a configuration option. Like virtually every other product announced at IFA, these notebooks will run Windows 8, and though the 1,366 x 768 displays aren't touch-enabled, Lenovo says its touchpad is optimized for the Metro UI. Storage space maxes out at a 1TB hard drive and up to 16GB of SSD cached, and the machines offer up to 16GB of RAM. Pricing for the Y400 and Y500 starts at $649, and the laptops will go on sale in October. Meet us past the break for a look at the Z Series models.
Lenovo announces IdeaPad S300, S400 and S405 notebooks for $499 and up
Lenovo is expanding its IdeaPad line to include some new S Series ultraportables. Today the company announced the 13.3-inch S300, the 14-inch S400 and the (also 14-inch) S405. These models sport a metallic finish, with color options including crimson red, silver grey and cotton-candy pink. All three models measure 0.86 inches (21.9mm) and weigh 3.97 pounds (1.8kg), and, aside from screen size, the main difference between them is processor type. The S300 and S400 will be available with Core i3 or Core i5 CPUs, while the S405 will ship with an AMD chip (up to a quad-core A8 processor). Storage options include a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive, and the S400 and S405 are configurable with a 32GB SSD. Lenovo says you can expect up to five hours of battery life from these machines. They'll go on sale in August (aka now) for $499 and up. Though all models will ship with Windows 7, they'll be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 8. Check out our hands-on below. %Gallery-163813% %Gallery-163812% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 review: a reasonably priced Ultrabook for the masses
More Info Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749 For a while there, the march of Ultrabooks was comprised almost entirely of halo products: skinny, relatively expensive things designed to help Intel and its OEM partners make a good impression on the general laptop-buying public. But with 110-plus models in the pipeline, they can't all be expensive, right? By now, you may have noticed that Ultrabooks are starting to look a little less uniform: there have been larger ones, heavier ones, some with optical drives, some with discrete graphics. Next up: cheaper ones. Just in time for back-to-school shopping season, we're seeing a wave of more reasonably priced Ultrabooks, many of them with traditional spinning hard drives and slightly heavier frames. One of these is the Lenovo IdeaPad U310, a machine that brings Core i5, 4GB of RAM and hybrid storage for $799. Oh, and its design is pleasantly reminiscent of the IdeaPad U300s, a higher-end Ultrabook we reviewed late last year. No doubt, then, it'll be a tempting option for people who can't afford to spend $1,000-plus on a laptop. But is it worth it? Let's find out.%Gallery-160172%
Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 review: a budget-priced ICS slate with a few too many quirks
More Info Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 teased by FCC, launching with 9.7-inch display this month? Lenovo's IdeaTab S2109 unveiled on YouTube, shows off 8.9mm-thick unibody shell Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 makes a splash stateside, offers a lightweight slice of Android for $349 Lenovo got the memo: it's high time the company released a new tablet. With products from Acer, ASUS and Samsung keeping us plenty busy these last few months, Lenovo can hardly expect to stay relevant with the IdeaPad A1 and ThinkPad Tablet from 2011. So the IdeaTab S2109, a $350, 9.7-inch slate running Ice Cream Sandwich, comes in the nick of time. That's not to say we were surprised when the tablet launched in June. The S2109 made its grand debut at the FCC in March, and Lenovo teased its arrival with a YouTube video highlighting the 8.9mm-thick unibody shell and the 1,024 x 768 IPS LCD display. What the company wasn't so quick to point out, though, was that this device packs a TI OMAP 4430 CPU rather than the Tegra 3 processor that's quickly becoming the new tablet norm. So how does the performance stack up? Does this go toe to toe with all those other mid-range, 10-inch slates we've seen lately? Let's take a look.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 goes on sale melding quad-core Ivy Bridge and GeForce GTX 660M
The Y580 led the avalanche of Lenovo IdeaPads unveiled at CES; its dependence on both Intel Ivy Bridge processors and Kepler-based NVIDIA graphics kept it out of the spotlight for some time, but it's now ready to ship out. The finished 15.6-inch laptop skews very clearly to gamers and other performance mavens. The range starts off with a quad 2.3GHz Core i7, a GeForce GTX 660M and 8GB of RAM. Any heavier outlays of cash upgrade the display resolution, optical drive and storage to as much as a 1080p screen, a Blu-ray combo drive and a 1TB hard drive with a companion 32GB SSD for good measure. None of them will win a contest for sheer portability, but a tight official price spread between $1,299 and $1,549 ($1,039 and $1,239 on sale) guarantees that it won't be hard to get exactly the PC you need to play Spec Ops. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 review
More Info Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU Lenovo unveils six mainstream consumer laptops (and one desktop replacement) Dell XPS 14z review When it comes to business-friendly features and comfortable keyboards, Lenovo is king. And while the PC maker is no stranger to powerful systems (here's looking at you, ThinkPad X220), it's not necessarily the first brand that comes to mind when you're in the market for HD video streaming and a little gaming. But those are just the sorts of things Lenovo hopes you'll do with the IdeaPad Y480, which ups the multimedia ante with a new GPU from NVIDIA, along with a quad-core Ivy Bridge processor. The notebook complements that power under the hood with an elegant, understated design and flourishes such as JBL speakers -- all for a reasonable starting price of $849. At 5.1 pounds, it may not be the lightest 14-incher around, but it packs some of the most robust internals in its class. Less forgivable, though, is the notebook's middling 1,366 x 768 display; when you have that graphics oomph, you want the high-res visuals to match. Can its amped-up insides and bang for the buck make up for that less-than-premium screen? Join us after the break as we make that determination.%Gallery-155853%
Lenovo IdeaPad U300e Ultrabook available now, pricier than we thought
Back when we first quietly met the IdeaPad U300e at CES, we were told it'd be carrying a $799 price tag; but contrary to that statement, Lenovo's put the 13.3-inch Ultrabook up for grabs starting at $959 on its site. That near-grand amount will get you Intel's Core i5-2476m CPU and HD3000 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a hybrid drive (32GB SSD mixed with 500GB HDD), as well as a Premium copy of Windows 7. More importantly, the machine wouldn't gracefully fall under the "Ultra" category if it wasn't flaunting a relatively slim form factor, in which it tightly squeezes through the standards at 0.7-inches in thickness. It's also about half a pound heavier than its pricier, better specced sibling. Need some additional visuals to decide if it's worth adding to your cart? Be sure to check out our photo gallery here.
Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU
Who knew a "p" packed so much punch? Just weeks after Lenovo cut loose with a boatload of new machines, the outfit has quietly slipped out an even newer model tailored for gamers. The 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p looks just about like the existing Y470, but swaps out the middling NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for a far more potent Radeon HD 7690M. (For those wondering -- yep, that's the same chip in HP's new Envy 15.) There's also a 2.2GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an optional 1TB HDD, JBL speakers and a native 1,366 x 768 screen resolution. The unit tips the scales at 4.85 pounds with a six-cell battery, which is supposedly good for up to four hours of usage (in presumably ideal conditions). Other specs include a Blu-ray Disc drive, a two-megapixel webcam, HDMI out and USB 3.0. For now, at least, it looks as if eager beavers can get one headed their way for as low as $799, but the more specced-out models are reaching well over $1,200.
Lenovo IdeaPad S2 7 with integrated WHDI mirroring hands-on (video)
With inconvenient HDMI cables and half-baked wireless solutions, HD streaming from a tablet or laptop to an HDTV has been clunky, at best. And while WHDI has improved the experience drastically by minimizing lag and providing a standard platform, dongles went out of style long before the first slim tablet made its debut several years ago. A near-perfect solution may be on the horizon, however. Amimon has teamed up with Lenovo to integrate WHDI technology in the new IdeaPad S2 7, enabling wireless streaming without the need for an external transmitter -- you'll still need to attach a receiver to your TV for now. We had a chance to go hands-on with the tablet and TV at the company's suite at CES, and were quite impressed with how it performed. Because all of the necessary hardware is integrated, there's not much to speak of on that front, though it's worth noting that adding WHDI functionality doesn't translate into a larger footprint. It's also very efficient, using "a few hundred milliwatts" of power to mirror the tablet's display to an HDTV, according to the company. There was no noticeable lag, and the picture appeared very sharp and consistent, both when playing back video and while mirroring apps and the interface to the connected Sony TV. Unfortunately, Amimon reps were unable to confirm that the technology will be included with upcoming Lenovo tablets -- or those from other manufacturers -- but judging by what we saw today, we wouldn't be surprised to see WHDI making its way to a variety of devices in the not-so-distant future. Jump past the break to see it in action.
Lenovo quietly outs the IdeaPad U300e, a $799 Ultrabook with a hybrid hard drive
We thought we'd seen everything Lenovo had to show here at CES. We thought wrong. In a tour of the company's showroom / trailer today, we spotted that gray laptop up there, hiding amid the X1 Hybrid, T430u Ultrabook and S200 netbook. That, friends, is the IdeaPad U300e, a cheaper, lesser-specced version of the U300s we reviewed last fall. Check our gallery below: it has the same aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboard and sprawling trackpad, though the ports appear to have played musical chairs. The only differences? For one, we're seeing the U300e (top, above the U300s) adds an Ethernet jack, something the U300s is missing. More importantly, though, the U300e costs $799, not $1,200, and instead of an SSD it sports a hybrid drive pairing a 500GB HDD with 32GB of flash storage -- essentially, the same setup you'll find in the $800 Acer Aspire S3. We're also told it'll run "next-generation" Intel processors, though Lenovo's stopping short of calling it Ivy Bridge, which Intel has yet to reveal. Not a bad deal, though we might still prefer the new U310, which has the all-important SD slot the U300s was missing, but still costs a hundred bucks less than this here U300e. Disagree with us? The U300e is expected to go on sale this month.
Lenovo unveils six mainstream consumer laptops (and one desktop replacement)
Not content to stop at a netbook and a pair of Ultrabooks, Lenovo just a slew of mainstream laptops (and even a desktop replacement) to fill out its consumer IdeaPad line. Starting at the high end, the Y480 and Y580 are both multimedia machines with brushed metal lids and palm rests, JBL speakers, an optional Blu-ray burner and Intel's Wireless Display technology. With either model, you can get up to 8GB of RAM and a Core i7 processor, though the two start to look a lot different when you take screen resolution and graphics muscle into account. While the 14-inch Y480 has a 1366 x 768 panel and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics, the 15.6-inch Y580 steps up to a 1080p pixel count and a 2GB GTX660M card with DirectX 11. Look for these in April, starting at $899. Give up that metal design and high-res screen, and you're left with the mid-range Z series. The IdeaPad Z380 (pictured), Z480 and Z580 are also available with a Core i7 processor, optional Blu-ray player, WiDi, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB in storage. Whether you choose the 13.3-, 14- or 15.6-inch version, the pixel count is fixed at 1366 x 768, though you at least don't have to settle for Intel GMA graphics: NVIDIA's 2GB GeForce GT640M card is also an option. Expect these to hit shelves in April for $599 and up. Even at the supposed low end the specs aren't too shabby: the G480, G580 and G780 will also be offered with up to 1TB of storage, up to 8GB of RAM and an optional Blu-ray drive, along with a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT630M card in tricked-out models. These will go on sale in June for $399-plus. Sean Cooper contributed to this post
