Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsBest mid-range 13" 2-in-1 on the market
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2018
Almost every major laptop manufacturer has a 2-in-1 with the same size, specs and price as the Yoga 730, but an above-average port selection and a few other extra features give this laptop an edge on the competition:
- Battery life averages an hour or two better than others in its class
- Super-thin bezels
- A sleek design with tapered sides makes it seem much thinner than it actually is, and its sharp edges line up neatly when the screen is closed or folded backward
- A fingerprint scanner, a feature normally only found on more expensive laptops in this size range
- Two USB Type C ports with Thunderbolt data transfer speeds and one Type A (traditional USB) port instead of the usual two Type A's and one Type C, making it more forward-looking than others but still backwards compatible
- Charges via one of its Type C ports, meaning that its charger also works with your phone if you use a recent Android and that your Android's charger will keep the laptop alive in a pinch. You'll only need to carry one charger for both when you leave home.
- Its one Type A port can charge other devices even when the laptop is turned off, so you can charge things with it without taking it out of your bag
- The touchscreen digitizer is made with tech by Wacom, a professional digital art device manufacturer, instead of by Microsoft
Cons:
- The downward-firing speakers are a little weird with the screen upright in a traditional laptop configuration
- The top section is flimsy and flexes a little if you're not careful with it
- The fingerprint sensor can really only handle one or two prints, and Microsoft's fingerprint settings menu is garbage: to fix or delete one fingerprint, you have to delete them all and start over
- No HDMI port, though you can buy an adapter and you shouldn't need one once monitors move on to Type C
- Not compatible with active styluses that work using Windows tech and not Wacom tech
