LAS VEGAS, NV - Lenovo has been mighty busy. In addition to its usual lines of laptops, the company is teaming with NEC to launch a line of Lavie devices. Available in March 2020, the partnership is yielding a laptop: the Lavie Pro Mobile (starting at $1,599) and an all-in-one system, the Lavie Home All-in-One (available in March, starting at $1,799).
Lavie Pro Mobile pricing and specs
The $1,599 Lavie Pro Mobile is outfitted with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor, which might mean the companies are looking to incorporate Intel’s vPro technology. The laptop also has 8GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD and an integrated Intel UHD 620 GPU.
Lavie Pro Mobile design
At 13.3-inches, the 12.1 x 8.5 x 0.6-inch Lavie Pro Mobile is the latest laptop to enter the featherweight mobile professional line. Weighing a mere 1.9 pounds, the Pro Mobile is lighter than all our faves -- including the Dell XPS 13 (2.7 pounds, 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches), HP Elite Dragonfly (2.5 pounds, 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches), Apple MacBook Pro (3 pounds, 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches) and HP Spectre x360 (2.8 pounds, 12.2 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches).
And how did Lenovo and NEC manage to make such a slim notebook? By using ultralight components. The laptop’s lid is made from racing car-grade carbon fiber with the rest of the system being constructed from magnesium-lithium alloy. And to further boost the design, the laptop is colored in a striking Bordeaux.
I’m not particularly fond of the logo, but it doesn’t detract from the overall design.
Lavie Pro Mobile ports
For such a slim system, the Lavie has a nice amount of ports, including a USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2 port, a USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 1 port, a USB 3.1 Type-A Gen. 2 port, an HDMI 1.4 and a microSD slot. There’s also a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button.
Lavie Pro Mobile display
The Lavie Pro Mobile has a 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display which Lenovo claims averages 300 nits. It’s brighter than the Spectre x360 (287 nits), but not the Dragonfly (373 nits), XPS 13 (382 nits) or MacBook (408 nits).
Lavie Pro Mobile keyboard
Like the majority of the notebook, the keyboard is made of magnesium-lithium. The laptop features a lift-up hinge to slightly raise the keyboard for a more comfortable typing experience. However, I’m hoping that the keyboard is better than the last time Lenovo created a Lavie laptop, the Lavie Z. While I initially liked the feel of the Lavie Z’s keyboard, I was quickly frustrated by the undersized island-style keys with their undersized key travel.
Lavie Pro Mobile battery life
With a 49 watt-hour battery, Lenovo and NEC are claiming the Lavie can last 15 hours on a charge. I’m definitely eager to put that to the test in the Laptop Mag labs.
Lavie Home All-in-One
In addition to the Lavie Pro Mobile, Lenovo and NEC are also releasing an AiO system, the Lavie Home. The all-in-one PC targets families looking for an entertainment system. At 23.4 pounds, 24.2 x 11.3 x 13.5-inches, the Home AiO is a bit one the heavy side. But, since it is an all-in-one, you’re not really going to be moving it around that much anyway.
The system has a 27-inch, 1920 x 1080 display with integrated speakers and Yamaha audio software. For ports, you have three USB 3.1 Type-A (Gen 1) ports, a USB 3.1 Type-A (Gen 2) port, Gigabit Ethernet, a microSD slot and a headphone/microphone jack. And if you actually still own any, there’s a DVD burner.
It’s a solid system that we’re looking forward to testing when it launches in March.
Bottom line
Teamwork makes the dream work. At least it does when it comes to Lenovo and NEC. Their latest collaboration, the Lavie Pro Mobile is positioned as a formidable competitor to the likes of the ultralight premium business-friendly laptops. At 1.9 pounds, it might just be the lightest laptop to launch this year. I’m not thrilled that the laptop only has an 8th Gen processor, but all signs point to the addition of Intel vPro, which I guess is a fair trade off for an extra layer of security.
But I’m reserving judgement on the Lavie Pro Mobile until it arrives in our labs.
