Lenovo Yoga C940 review

Laptops are more than just productivity machines — for the premium category, that is. It has cemented itself in our lives in different ways; a portable entertainment hub, a statement piece, and an avenue to a connected lifestyle.

For the upper-middle class and above, laptops aren’t just tools. They’re also accessories complementing their way of life. Such is the case for the Yoga C940 — one of Lenovo’s promising flagship consumer notebooks meant to suit anyone’s upscale lifestyle.

Lenovo’s most premium convertible

The thought Lenovo puts in crafting and presenting a beautiful package for a premium laptop is quite impressive. My expectations rose.

Lenovo’s Yoga lineup has a distinct aesthetic and it’s present in both the C and Y series. The Yoga C940 has a striking resemblance to the Yoga S940 — Lenovo’s other flagship Yoga that doesn’t flip. You might even wonder what’s so premium about it when it looks similar to another laptop?

Like a touch of your favorite designer clothes

The unit I have comes in Iron Grey. Some will argue it looks bland, but I beg to differ. This laptop knows its position in your life; complementing and elevating your style. It wasn’t meant to stand out with flashy colors or gimmicky features.

Rather, it shines through its intricate design and well-thought out details. Similar to the Dell XPS 13, it’s always the little things that make a big difference.

For instance, its engraved name shines when light hits from an angle. Its metal shell lids invites the gliding of your fingertips. It’s like brushing your fingers off a Valentino wool-silk scarf or Givenchy cashmere sweater.

There’s a certain high when your senses meet its light chassis; it’s like touching someone you’re passionate about for the first time.

“Lenovo” is also inscribed on the extra space found on the edge of the soundbar. Yes, you read it right. This convertible used a soundbar for its speaker, built into the actual hinge of the laptop in place of using knuckles on opposite sides. It’s a step-up compared to its predecessor.

All the essential connection and protection you need

Moving to the left side, the Yoga C940 carried all the essential ports for your daily grind: a USB 3.1 Type A, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a headphone jack. Thankfully, Lenovo was polite enough to keep the USB Type-A, unlike what Dell and Apple did.

Meanwhile, its right side carried only the power button and nothing else. How I wish there’s a dedicated HDMI port or at least, an SD card reader. On the other hand, Lenovo’s “Active Pen” is garaged on its little silo behind the power button.

Another branding can be found on the laptop’s top. The “Yoga 9 Series” is etched on a small protrusion housing the laptop’s camera. It’s more noticeable when the lid is closed.

Lenovo is also high on security and privacy. If worse comes to worst and your camera is being remotely used to monitor you through spyware, you can protect yourself with its physical cover.

It’s highly becoming an essential, nifty feature among premium laptops, although Lenovo already had it on its ThinkPad laptops.

Simply exceptional

Holding the Yoga C940 invoked feelings of holding someone precious to you. There’s something about it that just felt like it demanded extra care. As my fingers caressed its gunmetal-looking body, I found myself being more gentle and soft with how I used it.

Everything in the Yoga C940 simply screams premium. Its fingerprint scanner found on the bottom right side of the keyboard works like The Flash. It instantaneously recognizes your finger and unlocks at a lightning speed. Astonishing!

Moreover, the keyboard is breathtaking to use. I enjoyed writing my articles in one sitting, simply because I loved typing on this handsome gizmo. As I’ve said before, it’s always the little things.

It’s the way every key felt like a cushion whenever I pressed my fingers, silently transcribing the words I want to say. The spacing, the travel, it’s… sensational. Honestly, I’m out of words. That’s how exceptional it is.

Unfortunately, the trackpad failed to be as remarkable. It was just like any Windows trackpad. While it’s large enough to offer wider tracking, its touch sensitivity isn’t as seamless nor smooth as its premium rivals such as the MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 13.

Keeping it loud and vivid

The Yoga C940 sits parallel to the Yoga S940. Both are flagship laptops bearing similar looks, yet designed distinctively to indulge different consumers. The Yoga S940’s slim and flagship prowess made it the perfect companion for business travelers and creators on the go.

Meanwhile, the Yoga C940’s convertible design accommodates a wider range of consumers. For starters, Lenovo integrated a soundbar, simplifying its hinge while promising stellar audio experience.

This proved helpful in playing clear and loud sound freely. Especially in Tent mode, where the speaker faces upwards and there are no blockages that would cause muffling.

Despite sporting Dolby Atmos’ speaker system, it wasn’t a treat to listen to at max volume. I found it more pleasing when I lowered the volume, keeping my space harmonious.

Firing up a loud and clear speaker doesn’t equate to impressive sound quality. We’re talking premium here, and it must at least replicate an immersive experience as if it’s your own, portable IMAX cinema.

Luckily, the Yoga C940 has a stunning 14-inch 4K Dolby Vision display which can go as high up to 500 nits. It’s vibrant and produces deep blacks, even though it’s just an IPS LCD.

Convertible for the flexible

Aside from using the laptop for style and entertainment, it’s a useful tool for leisure and business. With a 360-degree hinge, you can lay the laptop flat, flip it like a tablet, or make it stand with the keyboard facing down.

It’s easy to show-off your works and/or presentation, and there’s a huge chance of impressing your clients and colleagues.

It easily switches to Tablet mode when flipped, too. You can read and sign documents, particularly when you use the “Active Pen.”

Your work-life balance companion

Lenovo’s Yoga C940 isn’t necessarily your portable high-powered  workstation. However, this laptop is powerful enough to make everything work, at least to the best that it can.

It sports an Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor and it’s equipped with 16GB Soldered LPDDR4X-3733 RAM, 512GB of M.2 PCIe SSD storage, and an Intel Iris Plus graphics card.

As an associate creative director, my work involves multitasking: Running multiple tabs on Google Chrome while using creative software such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom. It even runs Adobe Premiere Pro decently until you push it to its limits.

On top of everything I use for work, I either have Spotify on to stream my favorite tunes or put Netflix in the background to serve as white noise. Living and working in a fast-paced environment requires me to have a gear that won’t slow me down or worse, give up on me.

The Yoga C940 proved more than capable and it helped me balance work and life. I might even say, it acted like my life support, especially during my busiest days.

Too hot to handle

Though it seemed perfect for an ultra notebook, the Yoga C940 had one problem: Heat. The laptop is relatively thin and small, and there’s no way you can put multiple fans and perforations to help dissipate heat.

When it’s running, it just isn’t advisable to use even if you’re just typing. It’s highly uncomfortable, and I worry about its hardware melting from too much heat. A bit of an exaggeration on my part, but that’s my anxiety talking.

More importantly, you can feel the heat further when you use Tablet mode. How are you supposed to carry it when it’s blazing through your skin? If you place the laptop on a surface while in tablet mode, clean or not, it risks scratching the body and the keyboard since there are no rubber feet to protect it.

Even though there’s a heating issue, it didn’t affect the Yoga C940’s long battery life. During my stint, it lasted for eight hours with heavy and memory-consuming usage. This laptop’s predecessor lasted from eight to nine hours.

In conclusion, it doesn’t have major changes in its battery although the laptop would probably last longer if I’m not a power user.

The Lenovo Yoga C940 is a flagship, premium convertible that lives up to its billing. It prides itself on its sleek, intricate design that helps elevate one’s style while. It does this while offering flagship prowess to accommodate various users: artists, content creators, businessmen, entrepreneurs, rich kids who want to show-off, and power users.