Lenovo's current Miix 710 is a great choice for detachable buyers who want the flexibility of a Surface at a lower price. However, starting in April 2017, Lenovo is going to have a refreshed version of its mid-range detachable called the Miix 720 sporting a 7th Generation Core Series CPU and some handy -- though not necessarily game-changing -- new features.
What's New
For 2-in-1 users who love good stylus support, the Mixx 720's biggest upgrade is its new Active Pen 2, which features twice the pressure sensitivity of the old stylus for a whopping total of 4,096 levels of sensitivity. The Miix 720 will also feature a new USB-C port with support for Thunderbolt 3, which means you it can be used for super speedy data transfer, video output and charging.
MORE: Best 2-in-1s (Laptop/Tablet Hybrids)
Hands-on Impressions
The design of the Mixx 720 is largely unchanged from previous generations, which isn't a bad thing, and with its increased pressure sensitivity and new Thunderbolt 3 ports, the new model is more flexible and future proof than the previous generation.
The new Active Pen also has a nice grippy tip that feels more like a felt tip pen than a ballpoint pen or pencil, which makes writing or sketching feel really smooth. And with the Miix 720 able to accommodate up to an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, it won't be hurting for performance or storage.
Pricing and Availability
The Miix 720 should be available sometime in April 2017 starting around $999.
Outlook
With new ports and improved pressure sensitivity, as long as Lenovo can keep the Miix 720's battery life near or better than the 8 hour and 55 minute mark we got on last year's model, we could be looking at a really solid mid-range 2-in-1.
