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Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE Convertible Review

Sketchbook for creators. Not satisfied with stylus inputting on a tablet? Lenovo now has the handy solution for all creative minds: Write with ink on paper and work digitally, anyway. The 10-millimeter Book is not an all-rounder, but it can do more than just digitize ink. Find out what this is in our detailed report.
Lenovo Yoga Book Windows YB1-X91L 64 GB LTE
Lenovo Yoga Book Windows YB1-X91L 64 GB LTE

For the original German review, see here.

Lenovo initiated a trend with its Yoga devices years ago, and today hardly a manufacturer does not have a 360-degree laptop in its portfolio. Lenovo now goes even a step further.

The Yoga Book introduces keyboard and handwriting input capability in an elegantly simple, unconventionally slender tablet design. We believe our unique design will offer tablet, 2-in-1 and traditional notebook buyers a first-of-its-kind option for evolving usage trends. - Jeff Meredith, vice president and general manager, Android and Chrome Computing, Lenovo.

Its key feature is inputting handwriting via paper. We now immediately see what the finger is drawing and no longer push a stylus over the sleek surface of a graphics tablet or all-round tablet. However, this does not function with every coloring pencil from a child's pencil case; it needs Lenovo's Real Pen that is included alongside a magnetic paper holder - Book Pad & Paper. The entire bundle is shipped in a very flat, elegant box that looks like two thin, black boards.

The competition makes an outdated impression in view of so much innovation - a comparable product does not exist here. Therefore, we will use 2-in-1 convertibles built like Microsoft's Surface and the 360-degree Yoga. The popular Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is at the top of the list, closely followed by HP's Spectre x2 12-a001ng. Both tablets with keyboard docks offer real subnotebook power (Intel Core), or at least almost (Core m, real SSDs). Dell's Latitude 11 5175/5179 and Huawei's MateBook follow the same concept. All four have styluses and claim to offer high Windows productivity. They make a coexistence with mobile tablets and high-performance laptops/desktops superfluous.

Is Lenovo's Yoga Book approach perhaps the better path to productivity? Back to coexistence, but with an extremely mobile and "natural" input facet and high-performance computing aspect (traditional laptop). We will describe the Yoga Book in detail in the following report so that you can decide for yourself.

Yoga Book Windows YB1-X91L 64GB, LTE (Yoga Book Series)
Processor
Intel Atom x5-Z8550 4 x 1.4 - 2.4 GHz, Cherry Trail, Cherryview
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Core: 600 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, 128-bit, 20.19.15.4424 WHQL
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR3 dual-channel
Display
10.10 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1080 pixel 218 PPI, On screen: Capacitive Touch and AnyPen Technology / CreativePad: Capacitive Touch and EMR Pen Technology, native pen support, nicht auslesbar, Farbgamut: 70% lt. Hersteller, IPS , Capacitive Touch with AnyPen Technology, color depth: 16.7 Million, Color Gamut: 70%, brightness: 400 nits , glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cherry Trail
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, Samsung CWBD3R 64 GB eMMC, 37.5 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC282 @ Intel Cherry Trail / Braswell SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm, Card Reader: micro-SD, supports up to 128 G, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Vibrator, G-Sensor, Hall-Sensor, GPS, Micro HDMI, micro-USB, nano-SIM card
Networking
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1, LTE
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.6 x 256.6 x 170.8 ( = 0.38 x 10.1 x 6.72 in)
Battery
32 Wh, 8500 mAh Lithium-Polymer, idle battery life: over 70 days according to manufacturer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 13 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: dual-camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix auto-focus
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix fixed-focus
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: keyboard + touchpad, create pad on second screen, Keyboard Light: yes, stylus with different tips, magnetic sketching tablet, Office Mobile: Excel, PowerPoint, Word, OneNote, ArtRage (Lite trial version), 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
695 g ( = 24.52 oz / 1.53 pounds), Power Supply: 87 g ( = 3.07 oz / 0.19 pounds)
Price
699 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

As thin as it gets - the stiffness of 9.6 millimeters is impressive
As thin as it gets - the stiffness of 9.6 millimeters is impressive

The Yoga Book comes in an aluminum-magnesium alloy. It is available in "Gunmetal Gray" and "Champagne Gold". Both the base and the lid are made as a closed tray; the lid is either the creative pad or the touchscreen. The build's torsional stiffness is very good - this is equally true for both the lid and the base.

The watchband hinge is an eye-catcher made of 130 mechanical parts. The sprockets are under pressure and rub against each other when opening the device. This is done in an exemplary firm manner. Despite the metal-against-metal sliding friction, we cannot imagine the material fatiguing. After all, it is not a gear that needs to be greased. The hinge runs without resistance in the end positions (approximately 0-5 degrees), and the screen and base attach magnetically. This connection is quite tight - very good! Consequently, it does not suffer from the issue of bigger 360-degree laptops where they open "on their own". There is no gap between the base and lid owing to the even property and the absence of a mechanical keyboard/stoppers.

Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE

The Yoga Book weighs 695 grams and is 87 grams more with its power supply. Such a lightweight and, above all, small 360-degree 2-in-1 presently does not exist. The opponents are at least 12-inchers and consequently much bigger and heavier. However, they are all fanless apart from the Core version of the Surface Pro 4. We listed the devices WITHOUT their keyboard docks, i.e. the sole tablet, and thus the rivals seem thinner than the Yoga Book. When looking at the entire unit in the comparison, they are all thicker than the Yoga Book.

Size Comparison

300 mm / 11.8 inch 213.5 mm / 8.41 inch 8.05 mm / 0.3169 inch 1.2 kg2.66 lbs292 mm / 11.5 inch 202 mm / 7.95 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 1.1 kg2.35 lbs279.8 mm / 11 inch 176.8 mm / 6.96 inch 10.78 mm / 0.4244 inch 710 g1.565 lbs278.8 mm / 11 inch 194.1 mm / 7.64 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 1.2 kg2.57 lbs256.6 mm / 10.1 inch 170.8 mm / 6.72 inch 9.6 mm / 0.378 inch 695 g1.532 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

USB flash drive via OTG adapter
USB flash drive via OTG adapter
Type-C? Nope!
Type-C? Nope!

The Yoga Book does not have many interfaces. A micro-HDMI port for connecting, for example, a projector via an adapter (not included), and a micro-USB 2.0 for USB peripherals via OTG to Type-A adapter and for recharging are present. Consequently, a USB flash drive / USB device cannot be used in AC mode.

The tester's micro-USB to Type-A adapter cable refused to work with a USB flash drive, mouse or the photospectrometer. However, readers report that simple OTG cables (USB OTG adapter, micro Type-B to Type-A plugs) allow connecting drives/peripherals.

Wireless Display is absent since a Broadcom BCM4356 Wi-Fi card is installed. A card reader is present, and the micro-SD can be inserted beside the USB port. It is meant for expanding the storage since it has to be removed awkwardly with the included tool. The nano-SIM slot is found on the tray that is then also ejected - if it is an LTE version of the Yoga Book. Inserting a photo-SD from an SLR is too tedious, and hot-swapping might even damage the SIM card.

Mini-watchband hinges; 130 mechanical parts ensure a strong joint.
Mini-watchband hinges; 130 mechanical parts ensure a strong joint.
Micro-USB 2.0, micro-HDMI
Micro-USB 2.0, micro-HDMI
Power button, volume, headphone
Power button, volume, headphone
SD Card Reader
maximum SDCardreader Maximum Transfer Rate
average SDCardreader Average Transfer Rate

Communication

The Broadcom chip (BCM4356 802.11ac) has two antennas that allow a gross of 866 MBs. However, that is in theory. The measured 496 MBs in the test should be more than sufficient in practice, though. The MateBook did not manage a much higher speed in our ideal test setup (distance of 1 meter to the Linksys EA8500 router; connected with 5 GHz AC). This test is not absolutely comparable due to iperf2.

Bluetooth 4.1 is just as available as an LTE modem for broadband Internet. The Windows/LTE version of the Yoga Book is the most expensive version at a current price of just below 700 Euros (~$779). Roughly 600 Euros (~$668) is demanded for the Android/LTE version, which is also the price for the non-LTE Windows model. The non-LTE, entry-level Android version is the cheapest for prospective buyers, at almost 500 Euros (~$557).

Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps)
534 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps)
453 MBit/s
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps) (jseb)
496 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps) (jseb)
455 MBit/s

Cameras

The Yoga Book sports two cameras - a front-facing webcam for chats (the quality is not suitable for more) and an 8 MP auto-focus camera for tablet mode. It is situated above the keyboard. The latter takes quite attractive photos that even have some depth of field and balanced colors.

The primary camera finds nostrils interesting
The primary camera finds nostrils interesting
Primary camera: Good details and focus even upside down
Primary camera: Good details and focus even upside down
Webcam/front-facing cam: Intense noise, unnatural colors
Webcam/front-facing cam: Intense noise, unnatural colors
Reference: EOS 1100D
Reference: EOS 1100D

Accessories

All Yoga Book models come with the same accessories: A power supply, Real Pen with three ballpoint tips and one plastic tip, and a paper holder with some paper. All kinds of paper can be used here.

No US Letter Paper Size

Users who do not want to buy Lenovo's relatively expensive paper (five replacement pads x 75 sheets for 10 Euros, ~$11), and do not mind punching holes will have to buy pads in a 29.3x16.6 cm (1.6 cm height) as replacement. However, this will not be easy to find since it is not a US Letter size. We did not find alternative paper online. DIN A5 is a bit shorter and wider but would do nicely. The punched holes correspond to the DIN standard.

Software

Lenovo does not install commercial full versions of software. Users can also try the office suite or also ArtRage Lite (trial). We also found Candy Crush, Farmville 2, and Pics Art.

Power supply for the USB port; max. 24 watts
Power supply for the USB port; max. 24 watts
Real Pen - plastic tip or ballpoint
Real Pen - plastic tip or ballpoint
Book Pad & Paper - magnetic paper holder
Book Pad & Paper - magnetic paper holder

Warranty

Only a 12-month warranty is included. The retailer's warranty of 12 months is also valid. Lenovo offers diverse extensions that can be selected after entering the serial number at shop.lenovo.com. An additional Depot warranty/CCI upgrade, shipping costs 32 Euros (~$35), and two years cost 74 Euros (~$82).

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard - Halo Keyboard

Typing on the touch-keyboard is accompanied by an immediate vibration followed by a click noise. The latter is the acoustic feedback when the finger releases the key. The keyboard has a two-level backlight that cannot be influenced actively. Level 1 is enabled when inactive, and the brighter level 2 lights up as soon as a finger touches the touchpad or keys. Unfortunately, the first letter is then also inputted when the user only wants to light up the keys. Using the touchpad for this intention prevents this.

We are overall satisfied with the keyboard's feedback and workflow; it is sufficient for Skype, file names, logins or short emails. However, typing longer texts will become torturous because the annoying feedback is set quite loudly.

Cleaning the keyboard - as easy as never before!
Cleaning the keyboard - as easy as never before!
Keyboard layout (fixed backlight)
Keyboard layout (fixed backlight)
Detail - Graphics tablet surface
Detail - Graphics tablet surface

Creative with the Real Pen

When the keyboard is turned off, the included Create Pad and Real Pen give you the precision and control you expect from a traditional pen on paper.

...is how Lenovo describes this feature and the tester can confirm this. The keys are enabled by default but can be disabled via the pen key. This activates the creative tablet and the user can start using pen and paper. Place a notepad on the magnetic clipboard, open the application and start. The following examples illustrate our outcomes using ArtRage.

The Real Pen responds to 2048 pressure levels, which enables capturing the slightest differences in a drawn line. The Real Pen never has to be recharged. It is based on Wacom's feel IT technology; an EMR (electromagnetic resonance) finish on the multi-mode keyboard ensures real-time digitization.

Now to creativity: One hand uses pen and paper beside the device while the other selects tools, rotates the content or pinches and pulls images with the fingers on the screen. Thus, something is now created in one step where multiple steps were needed before. This is the Yoga Book's advantage: the hand used for sketching does not obstruct the screen.

ArtRage Lite: with canvas surface; i-dots or small letters are often omitted
ArtRage Lite: with canvas surface; i-dots or small letters are often omitted
ArtRage Lite: constructing with a ruler or tracing a drawing pattern
ArtRage Lite: constructing with a ruler or tracing a drawing pattern
ArtRage Lite: taking notes with this tool is not a good idea...
ArtRage Lite: taking notes with this tool is not a good idea...
MS OneNote, writing is displayed razor-sharp without effects and canvas (written on paper)
MS OneNote, writing is displayed razor-sharp without effects and canvas (written on paper)
 

Touchscreen and Real Pen

In addition to capacitive touch, the surface supports AnyPen technology as also used in Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2. The latter allows making inputs with any pointed object/material. However, AnyPen did not really function well with various objects in the test. In return, the Real Pen's plastic tip delivered outstanding outcomes.

The Real Pen can be used on the touchscreen and creative tablet. Of course, the plastic tip has to be inserted for the first option. EMR allows 100-degree angle detection, and thus the program knows how the pen is being held. The pen is refilled with traditional ballpoint refills.

Display

Yoga Book subpixels
Yoga Book subpixels
Black screen max. brightness, minor backlight bleeding below
Black screen max. brightness, minor backlight bleeding below

Full HD on 10.1-inches equals a high-resolution 218 PPI on the screen. The 1920x1080 pixels not only shine brightly, they are also well-recognizable from every side thanks to IPS technology. The contrast derived from the low black level of 0.37 cd/m² is nevertheless quite high. We discovered pulse width modulation (PWM) from the screen, but this first turns up at minimum brightness, i.e. 2.5 cd/m². Since no-one would seriously look at the screen at this brightness, we deem this phenomenon insignificant here.

388
cd/m²
382
cd/m²
348
cd/m²
384
cd/m²
382
cd/m²
323
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
329
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
nicht auslesbar, Farbgamut: 70% lt. Hersteller tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 388 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 363.3 cd/m² Minimum: 2.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 314 cd/m²
Contrast: 1032:1 (Black: 0.37 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.61 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.77 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.43
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
nicht auslesbar, Farbgamut: 70% lt. Hersteller, , 1920x1080, 10.10
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Samsung SDC3853, , 2736x1824, 12.30
Dell Latitude 11 5175
YJ0MP-TV108FM, , 1920x1080, 10.80
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
LG Philips, , 1920x1280, 12.10
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
TMA 1200 Unknown Vendor, , 2160x1440, 12.00
Display
Display P3 Coverage
67.5
63.4
53.8
65.8
sRGB Coverage
96.6
81.1
73.7
96.2
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
69
59.3
53.8
66.8
Response Times
-22%
-12%
12%
34%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36 ?(18, 18)
46 ?(17.2, 28.8)
-28%
46 ?(19, 27)
-28%
33.2 ?(15.2, 18)
8%
25 ?(9, 16)
31%
Response Time Black / White *
27 ?(6, 21)
31 ?(6, 25.2)
-15%
26 ?(7.2, 18.8)
4%
22.8 ?(10.4, 12.4)
16%
17 ?(4, 13)
37%
PWM Frequency
50 ?(50)
200
Screen
12%
-1%
-27%
-53%
Brightness middle
382
389.2
2%
462
21%
322
-16%
451
18%
Brightness
363
392
8%
449
24%
319
-12%
425
17%
Brightness Distribution
83
92
11%
86
4%
97
17%
80
-4%
Black Level *
0.37
0.27
27%
0.45
-22%
0.42
-14%
0.37
-0%
Contrast
1032
1441
40%
1027
0%
767
-26%
1219
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.61
3.61
-0%
4.4
-22%
6.02
-67%
11.04
-206%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.92
9.21
-16%
10.06
-27%
14.92
-88%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.77
3.8
-1%
3.49
7%
6.29
-67%
10.45
-177%
Gamma
2.43 91%
2.16 102%
2.55 86%
2.4 92%
2 110%
CCT
6760 96%
5969 109%
6256 104%
7712 84%
8849 73%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
63
53.21
47.8
74
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
97
80.76
73.2
100
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-5% / 5%
-7% / -3%
-8% / -19%
-10% / -35%

* ... smaller is better

We could not calibrate the screen for the lack of a USB port. However, the DeltaE rates of colors and grayscale are quite good in delivery state. The DeltaE of 3.6 could be a bit better, but color shifts in images are barely visible to the naked eye at this value. The screenshot of CalMAN grayscale shows that there is no bluish tint. The shifts in colors are also within tight limits, and Saturation Sweeps present a minor irregularity only in red. ColorChecker, however, finds a maximum DeltaE of just below 8 in red-yellow (orange) mixtures.

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
Best view thanks to high brightness and contrast
Best view thanks to high brightness and contrast
Photos taken in overcast conditions
Photos taken in overcast conditions

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 21 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Yoga Book's viewing angles are superb, as we had expected in a 2-in-1 made for this purpose. The viewer will always experience a clear and high-contrast image from every position.

Lenovo Yoga Book Windows YB1-X91L viewing angles
Lenovo Yoga Book Windows YB1-X91L viewing angles

Performance

Intel Atom x5-Z8550, 4 x 1.44 GHz
Intel Atom x5-Z8550, 4 x 1.44 GHz

Lenovo furnishes its Yoga Book exclusively with Intel's Atom x5 Z8550. 4 GB LPDDR3 is also standard. Like the Android version, it is soldered. 64 GB of eMMC storage is also normal for the Yoga Book, which is also true for the Android version. Thus, buyers can only choose between non-LTE and LTE.

The Atom x5 Z8550 comes with a typically slow eMMC (but at least with 4 GB of RAM support) made for basic office tasks. This SoC does not even come close to the performance of its 15-watt siblings from Intel's Core series. But it does not have to anyway because focus is on a long battery life in conjunction with the lowest possible temperatures. More information about the Atom x5-Z8550 can be found in the spec sheet.

System info CPU-Z CPU
System info CPU-Z Motherboard
System info CPU-Z Memory
System info CPU-Z Cache
System info HWinfo Summary
System info GPU-Z
Latency Monitor - Error found

Processor

Prime95 @2.4 GHz after 3 minutes at 82 °C@SoC
Prime95 @2.4 GHz after 3 minutes at 82 °C@SoC

We then see the Atom's performance lag in the comparison. Even a Core m3 is 54 or 144% faster depending on single-CPU or multi-CPU load. That is the reason why the all-in-one approach of the competition relies on a Core m (4.5 watts) or sometimes on Intel's Core i (15 watts, Surface version).

Turbo is maintained quite well; the SoC still computes at 2.4 GHz even after several minutes. Consequently, Turbo is utilized relatively well, but this is not of much use against the "high-performance" rivals. "High-performance" has to be seen in relation here since traditional laptops based on 15 or 45-watt Core i CPUs are light-years ahead of the Yoga Book. This would be like comparing a bicycle with a Mercedes. Positive: The same Cinebench scores are achieved in battery mode (also OpenGL of the GPU).

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel Core m5-6Y54
111 Points +208%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel Core m5-6Y54
107 Points +197%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Intel Core m5-6Y57
95 Points +164%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
88 Points +144%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Intel Atom x5-Z8550
36 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel Core m5-6Y54
255 Points +90%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel Core m5-6Y54
232 Points +73%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
206 Points +54%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Intel Core m5-6Y57
171 Points +28%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Intel Atom x5-Z8550
134 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
36 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
134 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
13.98 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 Home Details
PCMark 8 Home Details
PCMark 8 Work Details
PCMark 8 Work Details

What conclusions can be made on application performance? PCMark 8 basically says the same as Cinebench. Driven by the more or less fast SSDs, the rivals are as much as 215% faster. Thus, the points computing power and slow eMMC cause the Yoga Book to lag behind to such an extent.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, Liteon L8H-256V2G
2983 Points +130%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027
2717 Points +110%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
HD Graphics 515, 6Y57, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
2641 Points +104%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe
2426 Points +87%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Z8550, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1296 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, Liteon L8H-256V2G
3932 Points +215%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
HD Graphics 515, 6Y57, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
3720 Points +198%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe
3186 Points +155%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027
2721 Points +118%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Z8550, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1247 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1296 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1247 points
Help

Storage Device

We have now reproached Samsung's CWBD3R 64 GB eMMC enough, but rightly so. The storage-device benchmarks pull the onboard storage to pieces. It is even slower than spinning hard drives in sequential write! Both CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD say this, although the latter could only be performed in parts due to errors.

Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
64 GB eMMC Flash
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Liteon L8H-256V2G
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
466%
620%
715%
667%
Read Seq
120.5
663
450%
472.6
292%
501
316%
512
325%
Write Seq
34.39
158.2
360%
296.8
763%
297.2
764%
462.1
1244%
Read 512
102.6
313.1
205%
383.8
274%
351.7
243%
376
266%
Write 512
26.58
158.2
495%
296.8
1017%
295.7
1012%
295.2
1011%
Read 4k
13.34
30.14
126%
30.89
132%
28.31
112%
31.83
139%
Write 4k
11.56
68
488%
71.4
518%
90.3
681%
64.5
458%
Read 4k QD32
33.6
243.7
625%
243.9
626%
285
748%
269.6
702%
Write 4k QD32
13.79
149.2
982%
198.6
1340%
268.4
1846%
178.2
1192%
64 GB eMMC Flash
Sequential Read: 120.5 MB/s
Sequential Write: 34.39 MB/s
512K Read: 102.6 MB/s
512K Write: 26.58 MB/s
4K Read: 13.34 MB/s
4K Write: 11.56 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 33.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 13.79 MB/s

Graphics Card

Intel's HD Graphics 400 (Braswell) is designed for efficient handling of energy. It has fewer shader units and lower clock rates than the iGPUs in the Core m or Core i SoCs. The Boost reaches up to 600 MHz. Its performance is located at the lower end of the scale; the HD 515 integrated into the Core m is 170 and 190% faster.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
1206 Points +189%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
1200 Points +187%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y57
863 Points +106%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
781 Points +87%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Intel Atom x5-Z8550
418 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
6597 Points +169%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
6308 Points +157%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
5638 Points +130%
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y57
4904 Points +100%
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Intel Atom x5-Z8550
2455 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
810 Points
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
797 Points
Dell Latitude 11 5175
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y57
601 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
478 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2087 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The bundle does not have enough power for up-to-date (Rise of the Tomb Raider 2016) or even older standard PC games (Skyrim 2011). On the other hand, videos are rendered smoothly even in 4K/H.265. Casual gamers should limit themselves to the offerings in the Windows Store; this should prevent jerky gaming sessions.

low med. high ultra
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 19.8 9.5
Tomb Raider (2013) 24.8 10 ()
BioShock Infinite (2013) 19.5 7.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 5.3

Emissions

System Noise

The fanless system is noiseless.

Temperature

Stress test CPU@480 MHz
Stress test CPU@480 MHz

A thin base of almost 5 millimeters must lead to high temperatures, mustn't it? Not at all: We measured just 42 °C on the base plate. The reason for this is simple: The SoC throttles massively in the stress test where we take the heat-map photos and measure the surface temperatures. Only 480 MHz of the initial, maximum possible 2.4 GHz is left after one hour, which remains stable.

We nevertheless confirm the Yoga Book's good Turbo stability. The clock rates are at 2.4 GHz even after 120 seconds. The frequencies first drop after that. Thermal throttling to 480 GHz sets in at 84 °C on the SoC. Consequently, the Yoga Book can deal well with short load periods.

The GPU clocks at 400 MHz during the stress test. Positive: 2.4 GHz is again reached directly after stopping stress; the Cinebench score is the same as after a cold start (R15 Multi: 133 points).

 24.2 °C
76 F
25.7 °C
78 F
24.9 °C
77 F
 
 24.1 °C
75 F
24.8 °C
77 F
24.3 °C
76 F
 
 23.3 °C
74 F
23.8 °C
75 F
23.8 °C
75 F
 
Maximum: 25.7 °C = 78 F
Average: 24.3 °C = 76 F
25.1 °C
77 F
27.1 °C
81 F
26.2 °C
79 F
24.5 °C
76 F
25.6 °C
78 F
24.7 °C
76 F
24 °C
75 F
24.4 °C
76 F
24.1 °C
75 F
Maximum: 27.1 °C = 81 F
Average: 25.1 °C = 77 F
Power Supply (max.)  29 °C = 84 F | Room Temperature 21.2 °C = 70 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.3 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.2 °C / 79.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+1.9 °C / 3.4 F).
Idle: base upper side
Idle: base upper side
Idle: base underside
Idle: base underside
Load: base upper side (without keyboard)
Load: base upper side (without keyboard)
Load: base underside
Load: base underside

Speakers

Loudspeakers are also installed into the slim chassis, including a Dolby application for optimizing sound.

Dolby Atmos® speakers give you an immersive, cinematic sound—putting you at the center of the action. - Lenovo Website

Well, we did not really feel put at the center of action. The small drivers could not reproduce any deep tones; the focus is on mids and trebles. The latter are rendered quite widely and loudly, which would not be expected from the tiny openings. They do not distort at maximum volume.

The microphone does a satisfactory job - not more but not less, either. Voice recorded at a distance of 50 to 100 cm from the device (on a desk), is recorded with low noise but also a bit tinny. The more the speaker moves away or turns (i.e. does not speak in the Yoga Book's direction) from the device the stronger the metallic sound is and sound distorts audibly. The dual-array microphone is in the display's upper edge.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.332.831.32529.532.529.53130.136.930.14028.329.928.35026.631.226.66326.826.326.88026.726.326.710026.526.626.51252824.72816031.224.131.220032.622.232.62503021.53031537.120.737.140053.22053.250053.819.253.863056.618.556.6800541854100056.71856.7125059.517.559.5160060.317.260.3200053.917.553.9250055.917.455.9315063.217.663.2400060.617.860.650006117.861630050.117.950.1800050.117.950.11000055.917.855.91250053.417.753.41600040.722.140.7SPL70.430.270.4N25.31.425.3median 53.8median 18median 53.8Delta10.51.510.533.532.233.53231.73235.131.835.131.631.431.632.430.432.430.326.830.328.526.828.529.526.129.533.52633.536253638.224.338.238.922.738.947.22247.25621.35652.520.652.561.419.661.46819.16865.118.865.158.918.658.963.718.863.762.618.362.663.418.663.466.218.666.265.118.765.158.318.858.355.918.955.956.719.156.750.81950.844.818.844.836.318.736.374.931.274.9331.633median 56median 19median 5610.71.310.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTEHuawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 83% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (14.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (28.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 84% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption is lower than that of the competition. This should also be the case in view of the much lower performance. Load average and load max are identical due to thermal throttling. HP's Elite x2 1012 G1 presents the highest power consumption, but it is also the 2-in-1 with the highest-performance processor in this test.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 3.8 / 2.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2 / 4.6 / 5.7 Watt
Load midlight 11.5 / 11.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Z8550, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), 64 GB eMMC Flash, IPS , 1920x1080, 10.10
Dell Latitude 11 5175
6Y57, HD Graphics 515, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 10.80
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, Liteon L8H-256V2G, IPS, 1920x1280, 12.10
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027, IPS, 2160x1440, 12.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB
6300U, HD Graphics 520, Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe, IPS, 2736x1824, 12.30
Power Consumption
-30%
-92%
-128%
-89%
Idle Minimum *
2
2.7
-35%
3.7
-85%
7.4
-270%
4.4
-120%
Idle Average *
4.6
5.8
-26%
6.8
-48%
11.6
-152%
9
-96%
Idle Maximum *
5.7
6.6
-16%
7.6
-33%
11.6
-104%
10.7
-88%
Load Average *
11.5
15.2
-32%
22.5
-96%
16.8
-46%
19.6
-70%
Load Maximum *
11.5
16.1
-40%
34.5
-200%
19.1
-66%
19.9
-73%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

Lenovo states 13 hours (MobileMark 2007), but we recorded a good 8 hours in the Wi-Fi test using the web browser. So, 10 hours will sometimes be possible when using the device economically. We deem 13 hours deceitful even when using a medium brightness of 150 cd/m². The 19 hours that we established are theoretical since no-one will use their Yoga Book at only 2.5 cd/m². That is next to an absolutely black screen. However, some input scenarios where the user is busy writing on paper and sets the screen to minimum brightness might exist. The keyboard does not have a display-off button.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
19h 13min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 18min
Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE
Z8550, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), 32 Wh
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
6Y30, HD Graphics 515, 38 Wh
Dell Latitude 11 5175
6Y57, HD Graphics 515, 35 Wh
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, 37 Wh
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, 33 Wh
Battery Runtime
-17%
-23%
-24%
-53%
Reader / Idle
1153
791
-31%
793
-31%
732
-37%
478
-59%
WiFi v1.3
498
488
-2%
426
-14%
443
-11%
263
-47%
Load
138
172
130
106
H.264
411
432

Pros

+ design and stability
+ firm hinge
+ touch keys' good feedback
+ touchpad very comfortable to use
+ sketch & write on paper
+ battery's all-day runtime
+ bright, high-contrast panel
+ decent 8 MP camera

Cons

- few interfaces
- no DIN A5 paper size
- sluggish eMMC
- no maintenance options

Verdict

Sketchbook for creators: Lenovo Yoga Book 2016. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.
Sketchbook for creators: Lenovo Yoga Book 2016. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.

Open, take notes, and think creatively: The Yoga Book, in fact, seems like a home run since so many input options in one device and pen inputs via paper was not invented until now.

Can I now throw away my laptop seeing that I can also use my Outlook, etc. on it being a Windows 2-in-1? No, because the Yoga Book is primarily meant as an input interface. In lectures, technical internships, at regular meetings or when sighting convention booths: Open the Yoga Book, take notes or sketch something creatively on "paper" and store it on OneDrive. Larger editing tasks or combining them in powerful DTP tools, such as Adobe inDesign or Photoshop, is then performed on a high-performance laptop/PC.

The Yoga Book is attractive thanks to the natural writing input via paper on the one hand. On the other hand, it is a full-blown Windows device. Users can forward their creative workings or notes to their habitual desktop apps or edit them to a limited degree.

A dissertation will still be written on a good laptop or desktop keyboard. However, the Yoga Book can simplify the way. The user is no longer tied to the restrictions of specific tools or input devices.

Buyers presently do not have any options. No 2-in-1 device on the market offers this combination of extremely high mobility (runtime, weight, chassis), input methods as preferred (touch and AnyPen on the screen, touch or paper pen on the creative pad, keyboard/touchpad) and Windows apps (known office tools).

Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE - 10/25/2016 v5.1(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
91 / 98 → 93%
Keyboard
72%
Pointing Device
76%
Connectivity
46 / 80 → 57%
Weight
80 / 35-78 → 100%
Battery
91%
Display
87%
Games Performance
46 / 68 → 68%
Application Performance
38 / 87 → 44%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
71 / 85 → 83%
Average
73%
86%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo Yoga Book 2016 Windows 64GB LTE Convertible Review
Sebastian Jentsch, 2016-11- 5 (Update: 2019-04-21)