Just as we expect a MacBook to be silver (or gold), we always picture a Lenovo ThinkPad clad in raven black. However, the leading PC vendor is shaking up its palette by offering a pair of new ThinkPad Yoga 2-in-1s in a choice of silver or black.
The 12-inch ThinkPad Yoga 260 and 14-inch Yoga 460 will bring a lot more than new color options when they launch in November with starting prices of $949 and $1049. These business-centric hybrids pack in Intel's latest 6th Generation Core series CPUs, speedy PCIe SSDs and active styluses.
Like other ThinkPad Yoga notebooks, the 260 and 460 have screens that bend back a full 360 degrees so you can use them in tablet mode, tent mode (both edges on the table, stand mode (screen facing backward) or notebook mode. As you bend the hinges back, the "lift n' lock" keys retract so you don't accidentally type on them while you're using the device as a tablet.
An active stylus called the ThinkPad Pen Pro pops out of a bay on the side and lets you write or draw on the screen with great accuracy and varying levels of pressure. The stylus charges itself within the bay and, in just a couple of minutes, can get enough juice for four hours of continuous use. The notebooks also come with Lenovo's WRITEit software, which lets you scribble directly into any text field, without launching Windows 10's handwriting keyboard.
Both Yogas are available with a choice of Intel 6th Generation Core i5 or i7 CPUs, up to 16GB of RAM and speedy PCIe x4 SSDs. The Yoga 260's 12.5-inch display comes in 1366 x 768 or 1920 x 1080 resolution while the Yoga 460's 14.1-inch display can be configured with a 1366 x 768, 1920 x 1080 or 2560 x 1440 display. Lenovo promises up to 10 hours of endurance on the 460 and hasn't published a precise estimate for the 260. Neither one has a removable battery, so that endurance number is going to be key.
Lenovo's new hybrids also come with a new-and-improved fingerprint reader, which allows you to log in with just one touch. The rectangular reader captures your entire fingerprint at once so you don't have to swipe over and over again before it gets an accurate scan.
At 2.9 and 3.9 pounds respectively, the 260 and 460 are more than light enough to carry in your bag or tote onto a plane. With a thickness of just 0.7 and .74 inches, these notebooks can slip easily into the lightest bag. Both models come in silver or black, with the silver color on the former carrying through to the touchpad, and TrackPoint buttons as well as the lid, deck, sides and bottom. Lenovo has offered silver-colored ThinkPads before, though not for several years.
ThinkPad diehards will appreciate having a new color option, but ultiamtely the success of the ThinkPad Yoga 260 and Yoga 460 depends on their performance, battery life and screen squality. We look forward to seeing how they fare on our tests when they ship later this year.
