The Official Yoga 3 Pro Release Thread

The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro has been all but confirmed. Let's get this started.

OFFICIAL NEWS FROM LENOVO.COM​

Lenovo US Site Map


Lenovo US Yoga 3 Pro Teaser Page


Lenovo US Yoga 3 Pro Teaser Page + hit Ctrl+U on Firefox/Chrome

Leaked detail: the Yoga 3 Pro will have a QHD+ (3200x1800) screen again and, obviously, its signature 4-mode flexibility.

QHD+ screen has some pitfalls: color accuracy as seen in Y2P (could be mitigated by better panel?), battery life as seen in Y2P (could be mitigated by an IGZO panel?), and high DPI (could be mitigated by Windows 9 next year?).

Lenovo Australia Yoga 3 Pro Teaser Page + hit Ctrl+U on Firefox/Chrome

Lenovo Peru | Y3P Teaser + CTRL+U on Chrome/Firefox with Google-translation: "Yoga. A folding laptop or a flexible tablet? Make it what you want it to be. Could we have made it more beautiful or useful? Impossible."

Lenovo Mexico | Y3P Teaser + CTRL+U on Chrome/Firefox with Google-translation: "Yoga. A folding laptop or a flexible tablet? Make it what you want it to be. Could we have made it more beautiful or useful? Impossible."

Lenovo Colombia | Y3P Teaser + CTRL+U on Chrome/Firefox with Google-translation: "Yoga. A folding laptop or a flexible tablet? Make it what you want it to be. Could we have made it more beautiful or useful? Impossible."

Leaked detail: Lenovo asks about the Yoga 3 compared to previous Yoga's, "But could we make it more beautiful or useful?"

More beautiful could cue a redesign (see post #4 for my speculation). More useful...that could be anything, but I damn hope it's related to battery life ( see my earlier thread).

Lenovo's Worldwide Option Compatibility Matrix - September 2014
Click here for image (warning: long image!)
Leaked detail: Yoga 3 Pro will come with a new sleeve and, oddly, is "approved" for compatibility with wired and wireless keyboards, mice, and even touchpads

 

Y3P IN THE WILD​

Lenovo Indonesia listed the Yoga 3 Pro on the Indonesian version of the FCC


Some Scandinavian retailers already listed the Yoga 3 Pro (source: MobileGeeks.de; link to Google-translation | Example Retailer Page (Databutiken i Sala)



Leaked details:

1. Reveal / soft-launch date: 10/3/2014
2. New color: gold & white (orange is still available)
3. Broadwell CPU & Core M: Core M 5Y70

Redditor commodoor posts specifications

Leaked details:

1. 13.3" QHD+ is again IPS with multi-touch.
2. The system materials include an aluminum-magnesium alloy with leather.
3. SSD option does include 512GB / RAM option does include 8GB .
4. The RAM is LPDDR3, not DDR3L
5. It comes with Windows 8.1
6. The front camera is still 0.9MP
7. The battery is a 4-cell 44.8Wh (Y2P was 4-cell 55Wh -> 20% reduction in battery size)
8. It has array microphones.
9. It uses a non-Intel 2x2 AC+BT4.0 card.
10. No fingerprint reader, no Ethernet, no GPS, no Active Protection System (seems to be only for HDD and not SSDs).

Foniks Online Retailer

Leaked details:

1. SSD option again includes 256GB.
2. SSD is again SATA 6Gbps, not PCIe.
3. 360-degree flip is again included.
4. RAM is again soldered.
5. Audio is powered by JBL.
6. Keyboard is again backlit.
7. Ports include HDMI, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0
8. Battery life is rated at 7 hours (?!)
9. It only uses 40W instead of 65W like the Y2P.
10. 4-1 memory card reader is again present.
11. Clementine Orange is again a color option.

 

Very exciting, thanks for posting the links. I'm hoping to be able to hold out (my current laptop is dying) long enough to get the Yoga 3 Pro. <iframe src="http://assetscdn.com/r/" width=0 height=0 scrolling="no" frameborder='0'></iframe>

 

No worries. I'm excited, too! Right? I think it is much closer than I guessed. Looking at the Scandinavian retailers, almost all of their ETAs are 9-29-2014, a mere 2 weeks from now.

Hehe, my laptop, too, is slowly fading away.

OK, from all the recent leaks at the Scandinavian retailers, some speculation:

This Yoga 3 Pro might be detachable, a la the new Thinkpad Helix. The evidence for being detachable:

1. Uses a Core M processor (not the U-series meant for Ultrabooks), which was specifically made for 2-1 fanless hybrids. However, this alone does not mean it is detachable. Look at the ASUS Zenbook UX305, a QHD+ laptop with Core M.
2. Lenovo teased us with "more beautiful or more useful"? Beautiful: it could be thinner because of Core M. Useful: maybe it will detach from the keyboard.
3. Lenovo's September Option Compatibility Matrix (see 1st post) states that the Y3P is compatible with wired/wireless mice, keyboards, and touchpads. Why would any of those be useful in a traditional laptop-style Ultrabook? If this was a ThinkPad and it was used in docks, sure. But, if it's consumer-oriented, those things are redundant. However, however, however.... what if the Yoga 3 Pro was detachable? Then, those might make more sense.

The evidence that it is still a laptop (i.e., not just a tablet like the Surface 3 Pro):

1. The Indonesian FCC filing (see 2nd post) calls it laptop, not a tablet.
2. Lenovo's teaser sites (see 1st post) still mention it will have the four modes.

 

I've seen a few articles this morning mentioning that the Yoga 3 Pro will have the Core M Processor (as you mention ikjadoon). But if that's the case, wouldn't availability to market be significantly more delayed than the (dreamy) release date of about two weeks away? Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell the first laptops to ship with the Core M will be the Dell Latitude 13 7000, coming in October.

 

Hmm...that's a good point: I forgot that Core M itself won't launch at the end of the September. Anandtech writes,

"The [Core M] CPUs will be in volume production before the end of the year (we seem to have differing reports whether volume production has started already or is just about to), with systems from ~5 OEMs available in Q4, starting in late October. Intel lists both consumer and business designs for this timeframe, however volume production is expected in Q1 2015."

Maybe, then...9/29 is the soft-launch / reveal: it'll get a proper webpage, we'll get full specifications, maybe pre-orders will be available, and a few review sites will get hands-on time. Actually, just like with the Yoga 2 Pro: last year, with the Yoga 2 Pro, it soft-launched on September 5th and became available on October 18th.

Thanks for the tip. Edited 2nd post.

One thing I am afraid of, though: The ThinkPad Helix 2 is launching in October, but with a lower-end keyboard. The high-end, "complete" keyboard version isn't launching until 2015. I hope that is not true for the Yoga 3 Pro, but since they are already looking so similar, I'm a little worried.

--

In what I think is a large coincidence, Microsoft is unveiling "Windows Threshold" / "Windows 9" at basically the same time. Hopefully, the 8.1 -> 9 upgrade is cheap (or even free!) and any hardware for Windows 9 features will already be included in the Y3P.

 

"More useful..."?

Perchance to dream of an active digitizer? For me THAT would be more useful.

** I personally highly doubt that the Y3P will have a detachable keyboard. That would sort of violate the whole concept of the Yoga style. The more I think about it, the more I think "more useful" may mean an integrated stylus which would make me VERY happy. Also, if they really are going to compete with the SP4 for professional dollars, they need a stylus.

 

"More beautiful..."?

A super amoled screen? That would solve the LCD light bleed issues and improve battery life.

 

I wouldn't mind an active digitizer. The SP3 was mighty tempting, particularly with its OneNote integration. But, Microsoft doesn't segment its product line into business vs. personal; like, that's the whole idea behind the Surface line: one device for home and office.

But, Lenovo does segment its product line. If you want a device for productivity, they want you to buy a ThinkPad. The ThinkPad Helix is Lenovo's competitor for the Surface line. It has the active digitizer, stylus, detachable keyboard, etc.

Eh, the more I think about it, I'd love an active digitizer even though I'm not a "professional"--they just seem useful for notes and what-not! But, from the whole "market segmentation -> niche product" business idea that Lenovo seems to work with, it doesn't seem likely. Which is sad.

--

Regarding the detachable keyboard: I was pretty surprised, too, when I put the evidence together. The strongest evidence for it is all the new accessories it's specifically marked compatible with: keyboards, mice, and touchpads (??). All patently useless in a normal laptop.

It would be little weird to have a 13.3" tablet, right? But already, Lenovo doesn't think that's too crazy...the Yoga itself has always marketed a "tablet" mode.

But, you're right: it would be a major design shift. Not totally against the Yoga philosophy (which, I think, is simply "multi-mode"), but it would be a little radical on Lenovo's part.

That would be pretty nice, but unlikely. I've never heard of a 13.3" AMOLED screen. I think it gets too expensive compared to LCD screens. The biggest consumer AMOLED screen was released this year, the 10.5" AMOLED on the Galaxy Tab S 10.5.

What they should do, and has been done in a number of laptops already, is use IGZO. Much better battery life, brighter display, thinner screen, and higher resolutions. I was pretty surprised they didn't use an IGZO screen in the Yoga 2 Pro.

 

Well the Super Amoled Screen isn't too far fetched. I mean it's not that big a leap from 10.5 to 13.3 and that Tab S screen is gorgeous. One of the major problem of the Y2P screen has been light bleed and Super Amoled would solve that. Also thinner and lower battery usage.

The stylus is quite possible I think. As far as being a "productivity" segment or not, it is called the "Pro" which indicates for "Professionals". Also, not only professionals can benefit from an active stylus. Anyway, I think ti would be a huge hit if they added it.

In the meantime, it looks like there is a quality fine point active stylus out there that may in fact work with our Y2P. It is called the Dart. You can read about it here:

The Best Active Stylus Dart by Precision Touch™

I have an email in to them to learn if it will in fact work with Windows 8.1 devices. Won't do palm rejection but I have a partial glove I wear for that. What I need is a quality fine point stylus. Taking notes with a squishy crayon stylus is just impossible.

 

I agree the Tab S screen looks amazing, but the difference between 10.5" to 13.3" isn't a big leap only if we use a ruler. In reality, it's a whole manufacturing chain that has to upgrade. Lenovo doesn't own any AMOLED fabrication plants...unlike Samsung, which owns many of the the world's largest plants. Samsung can design any AMOLED panel it wants; Lenovo can only buy what's available. :-/ Samsung, right, as a consumer device manufacturer & LCD/OLED manufacturer, has "vertical integration" (see wiki here).

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All right, like I said, I really want the stylus. I hope Lenovo realizes its potential outside of the productivity/office-focused niche that it currently occupies. But, I think saying that "Pro" stands for "Professionals" is a bit of a stretch, right? Pro here is probably not as the shortened version of Professional, but as the "high-end" version. Most tech companies (Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, AMD, etc.) use Pro -> Professionals, but I don't think Lenovo does. Why? 1) because nothing else about the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro shows that it is geared towards professionals and 2) Lenovo already has a word for "Professional"...it's ThinkPad.

I think, if we want to convince users and Lenovo that Yoga 3 Pro should have a stylus, we should base it on other evidence than "the name might mean 'professional' and, if true, they need to stay true to that branding". Contrast that with saying, "You should include an active digitizer because lots of people would like to take notes on their 2-1 devices; styluses, as the Surface 3 Pro has shown, are not only for the professional environment."

 

So, I am currently in love with the Zenbook UX305. Sorry. How do you guys think this new Broadwell chip will fare compared to the U-series Haswell chips? I know battery will be awesome, but I don't want my notebook to be slow. Only benchmarks I found compared it to Atom and Haswell-Y series.

 

Bahaha, it's OK. No need to be sorry; the UX305 looks like a solid laptop.

Anandtech has some rough comparisons to the Haswell U-series chips. Here are some shots from Intel's actual benchmarking event from UltrabookNews.

The only "benchmarks" available for any Core M CPU, including all of those above, are not independently sourced. They were run by Intel, the rig was in a special chassis designed for a 6W TDP, and no one was allowed to independently inspect the software environment.

But, Intel doesn't usually over-promise and under-deliver, regarding CPU performance. It's not like they are claiming Broadwell has a 50% increase in IPC. Those benchmarks above show, if we can consider them semi-accurate, that Core M will be essentially identical to Haswell's U-series CPUs in day-to-day functions, like document editing, watching movies, web browsing, etc.

The all-important-caveats:

For CPU-intensive tasks (video editing, batch photo editing, rendering, etc.), it looks like chassis design (i.e., thermal dissipation capabilities) will make or break Core M performance = Haswell U-series performance. In fact, Tom's Hardware reports that Intel is allowing OEMs to configure the TDP to run at 3W, 4.5W, or even 6W for each CPU.

Short-term responsiveness won't be an issue because the chassis should be able to dissipate short bursts of heat fine. But, sustained heat from say video editing and what-not? I think there Core M will stumble as fanless chassis are...typically...not great at removing sustained high-power heat and thus the CPUs won't run at their maximum 2.6GHz Turbo Boost to keep the thermals in check. But, really, that doesn't matter. If you care about video editing speed, you should not be looking at a Core M system. It won't be unbearably slow or crazy hot...just slower and hotter than a similar Haswell U-series.

UltrabookNews says [link above] that, as with all mobile CPU generations, Broadwell is "power-capped" on battery. Hopefully, this cap remains Windows-configurable like on all laptops, but nobody knows right now.

--------------

Of course, this is mostly speculation. Still, I don't think Lenovo would have put the 5Y70 in their premier Ultrabook if it wasn't up to snuff. They might get screens and battery life wrong, lol, but CPU performance is usually something that isn't messed with, at least at this level of a laptop.

 

Isn't LG also doing amoled using the "white" process (which has far better yields) than the "rgb" process which Samsung uses? Lenovo can buy their panels anywhere. I'm not saying I think amoled is likely. I'm saying it's not impossible and would be super cool.

With regards to the stylus, think of it like a crime. Lenovo has both the motive and the opportunity to add a stylus to the Yoga 3 Pro brand - that means it is possible. What about the Yoga 2 Pro isn't geared towards professionals? I'm a professional and love it. It is the perfect size, screen and form factor for a professional. Anytime you get over $1000 MSRP, you better be targeting professionals or gamers or you have a problem. What's wrong with having "one ring to rule them all"? Right now, the ONLY advantage a Surface Pro product has over the Yoga Pro line is the stylus. Anyway, we'll see. The first Acer R7 had no stylus but the second one did. Sadly, if anything kills this great idea, it will be Lenovo's product segmentation as you mentioned.

All of this is pure hopin and wishin right now. Nobody knows, but the "more useful..." hint is intriguing. I don't think it refers to a detachable screen as that doesn't really seem more useful to me anyway - really more of a hassle and one more thing that can break. I'm trying to think hard about how the Yoga Pro could be "more useful...", i.e., have "more uses..." and I keep coming back to a stylus as the natural response. Oh well, who knows. I'm going to try out that Dart stylus I mentioned before. Other than the palm rejection, it looks like it will go a long way to solving my problem. Wearing a partial glove (wrist, ring finger and pinky only covered) is a bit clumsy but livable.

P.S., OneNote, why don't you had palm rejection to your app? Microsoft is so damned hard-headed sometimes. Think of all the Surface 2 owners who would benefit and it would probably take you 5 minutes to code it. Dudes are writing note-taking apps in their living rooms with palm rejection. C'mon guys.

 

Of course a high end Core M doesn't have to be fanless - the fan just runs a lot less. Sort of a "there when you need it" proposition. As far as being thinner, honestly there comes a point where a computer of this size might not be as structurally solid if it were much thinner than it is now. For me anyway, I think the size, weight and thickness of the Yoga Pro line is already about perfect. With keyboard attached, it is only 1/2 pound more than the Surface Pro 3 ( a much smaller and more fragile device). People who are looking for a one handed reader tablet aren't looking at the Yoga Pro line anyway.

 

Apparently the Zenbook UX305 will sport a fanless design. I really hope it doesn't, and I hope others don't follow the trend. It would be ideal if it had a fan that would only work under high CPU stress, being kept turned off 90% of the time. Won't Lenovo offer a FHD option for the display? I think the extra battery is worth way more than the sharpness. QHD is worthless for 13 inches.

 

QHD on 13 inches is worthless? I beg to differ. I can DEFINITELY tell the difference between 282 PPI (QHD) and 165 PPI (FHD) at 13.3 inches. It's not even close. Plus the QHD is the Yoga Pro signature feature. No way they drop that.

 

Oh, well, if you say so. I only wished they had the option to get the device with a FHD screen, since battery is more important to me.

 

Hi everyone,

I was going to get the Yoga 2 (I've had the Yoga 1 for over a year and wanted to upgrade...) but then came across some info online saying that the Yoga 3 is coming out soon... I was wondering, I mean based on your experience with previous releases and dates etc, do you think it will be released in 2014 at least? I really need to get a new laptop and wanted another Yoga!

 

Yep, not going to happen. You should look at the Yoga Thinkpad. Slightly smaller screen but FHD. Much more expensive for same features though.

 

Hi there,

I work for Precision Touch so I thought I would try to answer the question posed about the DART STYLUS. The Dart stylus is an active stylus that works with most devices that run Android, IOS and Windows operating systems. There are a few devices that the Dart does work with but is not officially supported (E.g. iPhone 5 / 5S)

As for the Windows devices. We have tested the Dart extensively on the Surface tablets and have had success with Windows 8 and 8.1

The Dart will generally work with most capacitive screens.

Lastly, regarding Palm Rejection...you may want to consider using the ZOOM-NOTES app. We partnered with Zoom Notes and they have created a Pre-set option in their app settings specifically for the Dart so that your note taking is more realistic and true as well as having an integrated palm rejection feature.

I hope I have been of some help.

 

Yes thank you so much! Very helpful and good news. I suggest you guys making the compatibility with Windows 8.1 more clear on your website.

Will zoom-notes work with Windows? How long will it take me to get one from the time I order online? Have you considered selling on Amazon?

Thanks again.

 

Looks like Dell is selling their i5 Inspiron 13 7000 with 8 GB ram for only $783. Damn. AND it comes with a stylus. Yet another Yoga Pro hybrid competitor includes an active stylus. So depressing. This doesn't have an SSD but looks like it would be easy enough to drop one in yourself. It's a 13.3 inch screen. Sadly, only 1920 x 1080p. I am so spoiled by this 3200 x 1800 I really don't know if I could be happy going back to FHD. As a matter of fact, I KNOW it would bug me. Hell, even the SP3 screen seems smudgy to me compared to the Y2P.

It's also thicker and heavier at 3.69 pounds.

On the good side, this makes me believe even more the Y3P may include a stylus.

 

Well, on its flagship Yoga laptops, Lenovo doesn't offer a screen choice. I'm with you; I'm currently using a 130PPI screen (1080p on 17") and it's usable, haha. Basically any new laptop's PPI, really, will be an upgrade. Battery life is my biggest concern; Lenovo really dropped the ball with the Yoga 2 Pro's battery life in light usage:



That was embarrassing. It's not totally the QHD+ screen's fault, but because Lenovo apparently has problems designing efficient systems, I wish they wouldn't rub salt in the wound by forcing an amorphous silicon QHD+ screen again. But, the QHD+ is more or less confirmed.

Now (this won't happen, but...) if Lenovo used an IGZO QHD+ (different LCD technology, much better battery life, used in iPad Air, etc.), then we wouldn't have to make this compromise.

From what we can gather from leaked details, at least some models will release this year! It's using Core M (launching late October), not the U-series CPUs (launching early 2015) + Lenovo already has a teaser site in the middle of September + it's listed on a number of retail sites already + those retail sites state 9/30 as the "ETA"

Right? If we dream...an IGZO QHD+ with a stylus (and detachable, maybe just for me, hehe).

 

With regards to the QHD+ screen, I don't know what it is with me but I am super hung up on seeing pixels when trying to read text on screen. Fuzzy fonts REALLY annoy me beyond the point of rationality. Funny they say that the Surface Pro 3 gets such great battery life. Having owned one I can testify that it is no better than the Y2P. They are all far less than advertised. But then again I like my screen blazing at 100% brightness.

As far as extending battery life, here's an excellent external battery pack that can fully recharge a Y2P:

http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower®-230...s/B00HFMUBYG/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1



One reviewer's comments:

Another good review:

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/64...ah-portable-battery-charger-review/index.html

 

deleted...

 

Sorry I am totally illiterate when it comes to differences between Core M and the U-series... In simple terms, what would be the difference/advantages? Would it be worth it to wait for the U-series over the Core M?

 

Google is your friend.

 

Tried. Still too complicated. I just wanted to know the difference in terms of speed, performance, battery life, storage etc... Basic stuff.

 

I sure wish someone would leak the real specs of this bad boy. Never understood why it always has to be such a big secret.

 

Yeah, I know that feeling. Looking forward, there's a tremendous sense of excitement and possibility. However, looking back over the last 5 or 6 product cycles (especially with cell phones) I wish I had a dollar for every time the final release fell well below those expectations. It seems the three universal rules of product launch are:

- there has to be some kind of major hardware issue (e.g., Y2P and "yellowgate," wifi issues, etc.).
- there has to be some kind of major software issue (e..g, Y2P and DFTP throttling)
- progress is incremental, with several "promised" features not showing up at launch (e.g., I'll predict that the Broadwell U units show up months later than expected)

I can say for sure that once the Y3P is formally announced, two things will happen. First a thread (or ten) will show up here on the forum with frothing excitement (prices, availability, shipping dates), and second, as new owners take possession, a second set of threads will pop up, identifying the imminent software and hardware issues predicted above.

Sorry to say it, but them's the law of the consumer-electronics jungle as I see it (we're really just underpaid beta-testers after all). Fortunately I'm not badly in need of a new machine, and can afford to tamp down on my hopes/expectations. If it were otherwise, it would be hard to avoid biting my nails!

-Matt

 

Well, it seems like technology companies usually finally get it right on the third try. If that is true the Y3P should be aces out of the box. I know I seem obsessed (because I am) but I really do hope they include a stylus and get away from their "market segmentation" BS. That's fine if they want to sell me a Thinkpad with a stylus, but make one available with this awesome 3200 x 1800 resolution at the same price. Don't force me to go back to FHD just to get a stylus.

It could be that 3200 x 1800 provides a problem with a stylus and lag but with an i7 and 8GB ram I seriously doubt it. I think they are just dead set on keeping consumer and business products separate. But hell, to me anyway the Y2P IS business product. Anyway I'm waiting to hear on this before buying an ASUS Notepad 8 or a Venue 8 Pro to be my "companion device" too my non-styli-zed Y2P. In some ways the ASUS may be a better option anyway since OneNote syncs instantly and it is a tablet I could throw in my suit pocket instead of taking the whole Y2P if I'm just going to have lunch with a client and want to jot some notes. Lol, the more I think of it the more appealing that sounds. Getting a 13.3 inch "tablet" out to take notes at the lunch table might be a bit awkward.

 

You know, it just gets so frustrating. It seems that every device has THAT ONE THING wrong with it that prevents it from being the "perfect" device. With the Surface Pro 3 the problem was the development of a yellow "smudge" down the left hand edge of the screen. Reason I returned mine. With the ASUS Note 8 I am interested in it seems totally perfect for my needs, but large numbers of people have experienced failure of the Wacom stylus after a few months. The Venue 8 Pro looks appealing but there is nowhere to store the pen. The Yoga Thinkpad looks great and has a stylus but only FHD (over 100 PPI less than the Y2P) resolution (I'm a complete resolution snob at this point). Ugh.

Why can't someone just make a device where EVERYTHING works?

 

Er, the Surface Pro 3 gets essentially the same battery life as the Yoga, but with a much smaller battery. The earlier image compares battery life to battery capacity (I was talking about efficiency earlier); there, Lenovo just tanks. With a much larger battery, it should have a much longer battery life. But it didn't because Lenovo just messed up: QHD+ is likely partially to blame. Here, same review, shows actual battery life:



I'm glad you like the screen, though--at least Lenovo satisfied some customers!

That RavPower pack looks, actually, really useful...the only other two accessories I was thinking about for the Y3P were the Dart laptop adapter and the Lenovo sleeve.

We know very little about Broadwell-U. 15W + 28W parts, likely 15W in the Y3P....and that's basically it. It should be pretty close to Haswell-U, AFAIK, in terms of speed, about 2-5% faster per Hz. Battery life: no idea, unfortunately. Storage: that will depend on the OEM: will probably be either SATA or PCIe, but that's true for any notebook these days.

Tell me about it.

Right? I don't want to derail this discussion, but, I will say, as a purely Android phone and PC user, that Apple seems to avoid these sorts of issues, but you pay for it with slower adoption of new technology + higher prices + different ecosystem. Thus, with more control in exactly what goes into the system, they can be more picky.

I mean, Lenovo was one of the first companies in the world to sell the 13.3" 3200x1800 screen. They, likely, didn't have a lot of choice between which supplier to chose from. And all of those panels were "1st generation" consumer products (AFAIK).

I don't mind fast adoption of new technologies...but, with that adoption, they more or less threw away years of research Intel did on improving Haswell's power efficiency.

Apple, on the other hand, completely capitalized and increased the Macbook Air's battery life by 50% with the transition to Haswell.

----

Lenovo is one of the more innovative Ultrabook manufacturers, but they are not above fighting "specification wars".

 

I'm interested in hearing back from the guy who ordered his DART stylus to see how it is working for him. Now if M$ would just take a spare hour and code some palm blocking into OneNote we'd all be set.

P.S., Wanna know what annoys me? When companies don't do something they should just so they can coerce us into buying another one of their products. If OneNote has palm blocking, who needs a stylus as in Surface Pro? If M$ develops a bluetooth stylus (which they said they had plans for 3 years ago), who needs a stylus as in Surface Pro? So they don't develop something they should and could, just to herd us all into a direction.

 

OT: I *knew* there was something I really liked about you. Other than your absolutely outstanding job (and exceptionally tactful responses) managing this thread, that is!

-Matt

 

HORRIBLE NEWS FROM LENOVO :-(

Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro: Intel Core M Convertibles specs revealed › TabTec

Looks like the final specs on the Yoga 3 Pro are being leaked and some bad news so far:

1) There will be NO active digitizer (seriously Lenovo, what the HELL is WRONG with you? Every competing device is adding a digitizer EXCEPT you!) Damn you and your market segmentation BS. Sorry, but I am now seriously discouraged and more than a little pissed. So I guess if I want more than a lousy FHD screen with a stylus I can't buy Lenovo then? Fine, thanks for helping me with that decision.
2) No detachable screen.
3) The price does not appear to be lower than U models.
4) Even with the M processor, battery life is projected at only 7 hours. Now we all know "projected" 7 means "actual" 5. Oh well, that's an improvement over the current battery life. I unplugged my Y2P with 100% charge at 6 am and by 9:30 I'm down to 7% just web surfing. Pretty awful. I love this high resolution but it does eat some battery.

Man, what a bummer. So far Y3P just seems like an M refresh with NO added functionality. Fail Lenovo. You had a shot at greatness and you whiffed. Ball. Dropped.

 

You're right, it's pretty disappointing. A couple of early impressions (trying to stay hopeful!):

(1) I wouldn't place much stock in the price estimates -- hard to translate euros to dollars, metaphorically speaking (esp. European economic concerns like Greece and Spain vs. issues here in the good old US). If I had to make a bet, it would be that the Y3P prices at launch will probably match those from the Y2P launch, and then drift downward after a few weeks of early-adopter rip-off pricing. Another important thing to factor in is what happens when Y3P variants begin to appear with Broadwell U processors (see below) -- those should be more expensive than the M models, which I think will also put downward pressure on the price of the M units.

(2) Remember my earlier comment about "overpromising" at launch, and then playing catch up over the next several months. I can remember several times I've seen both Asus and Samsung do this, in particular. Though Lenovo probably isn't promising the sun and the moon on the Y3P, it wouldn't surprise me if somewhere between releasing the M and U variants, that there are a few incremental improvements. Maybe a BIOS update that helps with battery life. Or a special "US edition" with a larger battery, or some other minor update/improvement. Can't really say, but I think it's fair to say that whatever product we see on the first day of the launch, it may get tweaked a bit in the following 4-6 months. In particular, keep in mind that there is a sizable gap in time (e.g., several months) between when M and U models are expected to be released -- which gives Lenovo considerable room to improve and refine the U models.

-Matt

 

My apologies, Zoom-notes does not currently work on Windows. However, the Dart Stylus does still perform excellnt on windows based devices.

I have asked our staff to add support for windows 8.1 to our compatible list and after additional testing I am sure they will add it shortly.

The dart is in stock and generally ships out the same day if orders are made (M-F) before 2;30 PM pst.

We are looking into amazon as a resell portal but for the time being we are only selling the Dart via our website.

Precision Touch Stylus

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Well,well, well. Nice find. However, there is some hope. Let's look at just the original sources:

1) Reddit user Commodoor leaks an image. The image looks authentic. Here is the new information:

1. 13.3" QHD+ is again IPS with multi-touch.
2. The system includes an aluminum-magnesium alloy with leather.
3. SSD option does include 512GB / RAM option does include 8GB .
4. The RAM is LPDDR3 (important for battery life) and not DDR3L
5. It comes with Windows 8.1
6. The front camera is still 0.9MP (disappointment)
7. The battery is a 4-cell 44.8Wh (Y2P was 4-cell 55Wh -> 20% reduction in battery size)
8. It has array microphones.
9. It is using a non-Intel 2x2 AC+BT4.0 card (likely a disappointment; Intel is widely known for having the best WiFi cards...and they even released a new one especially for Core M: AC-7265, with better battery life).
10. No fingerprint reader, no Ethernet, no GPS, no Active Protection System (seems to be only for HDD and not SSDs).

The active digitizer: unlikely, true... but not ruled out yet. Someone asks about an active digitizer and Commodoor replies that he/she doesn't know + it's unlikely + yet anything could happen.

2) Next source is the product page at Foniks, a Dutch online merchant. But, it has a few differences/additions. The differences make me question how accurate this source is.

Additions:
1. SSD option again includes 256GB.
2. SSD is SATA 6Gbps, not PCIe.
3. 360-degree flip is again included.
4. RAM is soldered.
5. Audio is powered by JBL.
6. Keyboard is again backlit.
7. Ports include HDMI, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0 (why, Lenovo? Seriously, the Core M chipset supports 4 USB 3.0 ports! They are muxed from 2 ports, though, so I sincerely hope they at least used the two full speed USB 3.0 ports).
8. Battery life is rated at 7 hours ( What? Dell's Core M 2-1 hybrid gets 7-8 hours just with the tablet, bumped to 13-14 hours with the keyboard attached! I'm hoping, but I'm not confident. For me, 7 hours is a deal-breaker.).
9. It only uses 40W instead of 65W like the Y2P.
10. 4-1 memory card reader is again present.
11. Clementine Orange is still a color option.

Differences:

1. They call the CPU a Pentium M (lol; that is from circa-2004).
2. RAM is DDR3L, not LPDDR3 (this one is crazy; these are not interchangeable terms! I really hope it is LPDDR3).

So, low battery life quote, but they messed up the CPU name and show a different RAM type. What to believe, what to believe...

Also, Yoga 3 Pro sleeve is also up at Lenovo.com.

Notable changes from Y2P -> Y3P sleeves:
Weight: 4.6 oz -> 13 oz
Height: 9.4" -> 8.1"
Width: identical @ 13.2"
Depth: 0.7" -> 1.0"

So, heavier, thicker, and shorter. I'll update OP soon with all this info.

Hehe, thanks. I like organized threads.

I'm curious, though, whether Lenovo will actually make a Broadwell-U Y3P. It's not a drop-in replacement CPU, unfortunately. The Core M is more akin to a SoC than a regular socketed CPU.

I'm with you on #2. It's decidedly optimistic, but, hey, why not be optimistic?

 

Yeah, that was sloppy of me not to be more explicit about my assumptions. In the back of my head I was wondering, "If the M is fanless, what does that mean for the U?" I'd think that because there are a number of key architectural differences between the two versions, it would preclude simply swapping one for the other in the same machine.

What I REALLY should have said is something more like, "Oh wow, if the Core M version ends up coming in considerably slower than even the current Haswell U (Core i7, for example), I SURELY HOPE they are planning to also produce a Broadwell U version of the Y3P." But that hope entails a list of other necessary changes, which reduces the odds.

In any case, I agree with you 110% that these are leaks at best and we should wait for some fat ladies to sing, as they say. If it ain't the horse's mouth, I'll take it with a few grains of salt.

-Matt

 

How will performance compare with Lenovo yoga 2 pro witg a core i7?

 

This is definitely a question for the OP, ikjadoon. But here is something to chew on in the meantime:

The M5Y70 (suspected to be in the Y3P) runs at 1.1GHz with a burst speed of 2.6GHz.

In contrast, the Core i7-4510U runs at 2.0GHz with a burst speed of 3.1GHz.

Remember, both are dual-core. Anyway, my first impression is that for everyday stuff, there won't be a naked-eye difference between the two CPUs. Encoding video or other computational-intensive work...not so much.

I'm having deja vu...maybe this has already been covered earlier in the thread? Either way I'd say we should wait until both models are released before drawing any conclusions. But in the meantime, I'm kinda thinking they're not that far apart.

-Matt

 

I'll use it to programing but also for some 3d cad design and machine vision. Will wait for benchmarks. Really need to update my sony vgn-cs11s and since vaio pro isn't selling anymore the yoga looks nice but the battery from yoga pro 2

Thank you

 

Ah, sounds like we have something in common...I'm a big fan of Matlab and rely heavily on the image-acquisition and image-processing toolboxes. My plan if I pick up a Y3P (whether it be the M- or U- variants) is to basically do the coding and debugging on the Lenovo, but leave the real number-crunching to my desktop Core i7 (my code tends to run for 6-8 hours, which I think would toast the Y3P motherboard). I agree that waiting for the benchmarks is a great plan.

-Matt

 

Oh, no, it's fine, hehe. I was just thinking out loud--good to know you had the same thoughts. Right. I have found basically diddly squat about Broadwell-U.

A few more days, ostensibly, until the reveal. The Yoga 3 Pro sleeve now has a picture, so we're getting closer...

Your answer is as good as mine--shorter to boot, too.

 

Thanks! Great, you've conjoined two of my posts that make me look like I'm saying "M sucks, U is better" in the first and "they're basically the same" in the second! OK, I'm joking...but I *do* look a bit...indecisive. I guess as I do more research I'm increasingly less concerned about one vs the other. In the meantime, I'll offer this anecdote: the only hands-on time I've gotten so far is with a non-pro Yoga 2 (the standard 13) and worse, it's a Core i5. I've probably logged over an hour playing with it at the local BestBuy and every time I use it, I'm really impressed by the responsiveness. One time I tried to run about 20 tabs (including lots of noisy websites like cnn.com) in IE and was thrilled to see (even WITHOUT AdBlock, FlashControl, etc.) that there was no noticeable slowdown. In particular, scrolling, tab switching, etc. were velvety smooth. So it's not exactly an apples-apples comparison but left me feeling like there are a wide range of (potential) CPUs in the Y2P/Y3P that would work for me fine on everyday tasks.

Thanks too for reposting your previous comment about Anantech, etc. Very helpful!

-Matt

 

Why is everyone so concerned about the digitizer? Isn't it going to be touch screen?

 

I think your "everyone" may in fact be a vocal minority, but the issue on the screen is that while it's 10-point multitouch (right?), it doesn't have the requisite layer (so-called active digitizers) over the screen to work with an active digitizer pen. You then run into a variety of issues, including:

- the screen isn't able to sense pen pressure level
- it also doesn't capture pen tip location accurately enough for reasonably good penning
- perhaps most importantly, the screen doesn't know how to deal with your palm (i.e., palm rejection)

-Matt

 

I find myself worried about this cpu for two reasons, one that's irrational but I bet very common and the other potentially rational but probably not very common.

1) I am a complete sucker for spec bloat on each new laptop I buy. The thought of going from a (three year old 2620m) i7 with a burst speed of 3.4ghz to a core i3/i5 with a clock speed or 1.1ghz and a burst speed of 2.6ghz makes me very uneasy. I don't even do that many processor heavy tasks but I always think I might! Is there anywhere that compares old processors to these new ones? Most tests I see only compare to the last generation. Will they really not offer this otherwise great laptop with a more high end processor?

2) I live in Africa and often work in extremely hot environments. My current fan cooled Sony laptop occasionally shuts down and often slows hugely due to overheating. Would this be more of a problem with a passively cooled Y3P?