Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptop series has been in the market for a while now with several variants that are meant for different types of individuals. By combining the characteristics of the Yoga 2-in-1 laptops and the premium features like the keyboard of the ThinkPad series, you get the Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga. We take a look at how the laptop fares for business and casual users and also explore what it has to offer.
Design
When the word ThinkPad comes to mind, we often think of laptops that are robust with a unique keyboard for the road warriors. And while Lenovo has different series of ThinkPad models, there are only a few that feature a thin-and-light design such as the expensive and premium X1 series and certain T-series ThinkPads. Here we have the ThinkPad L13 Yoga that brings the goodness of a 2-in-1 convertible laptop.
While most of the 2-in-1 laptops are generally light, the weight ranges around 1.6kg. However, the ThinkPad L13 Yoga weighs around 1.43 kg, which is lighter than most convertible laptops out there. The L13 Yoga comes in either silver or black, and we got the latter to try out. The laptop is also 17.6mm thick.
The L13 Yoga features a 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1920 X 1080. The viewing angles of the display are good as expected from an IPS panel. The display also comes with 300 nits of brightness which is decent enough for you to use in outdoor situations. The colors are fairly decent and don’t appear to be washed out as compared to some ThinkPad laptops. The bezels of the display are also quite thin. There is a hinge that lets you turn the laptop to tent mode or tablet mode. So those who would like to see a movie or use it as a tablet can convert the laptop to their liking.
There is also the 720p camera on the front that can be closed with the ThinkShutter if you are worried about your privacy. This is no surprise as most of the Lenovo laptops nowadays have a camera shutter implemented
Since the L13 Yoga is promoted as a business laptop, it’s obvious that users will get a lot of connectivity options. On the left side of the laptop, you will find the USB-C port that serves as the power input, another USB-C Gen 1 port, a network extension for Ethernet connectivity, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port that will remain always on, and a headphone jack. On the right side. there is the slot for the pen, the power button, a MicroSD card reader, another USB 3.1 Gen1 port, a full-sized HDMI port, and a Kensington lock slot. Lenovo has placed a smart card reader on the front part of the laptop.
The ThinkPad Active Pen Pro is rechargeable when garaged so you don’t need to worry about the device running out of juice. And it’s quite easy to remove the pen when needed and the pen slot sits in a convenient place where we can comfortably reach it.
ThinkPads are generally known for their amazing keyboards (especially the premium models), and the L13 Yoga is no exception in this regard. While I usually do my editorial work on a mechanical keyboard or on a Surface Laptop 2, I was able to get used to the keyboard of the L13 Yoga quickly. And while the keyboard may not be as good as a ThinkPad X1, the typing experience on the L13 Yoga is very good and comfortable to use. It’s the clicky feel of the keys that get us to keep typing. The keyboard also features spill-resistance. There is also the age-old Trackpoint that lets you move the cursor around the display. The touchpad of the laptop features a smooth surface and is very responsive. It’s also wide enough to move your fingers. There is also a fingerprint scanner that sits on the right side of the touchpad. The laptop also features a smooth material around the portion where you rest your palm during typing.
There are two speakers located on either side (bottom of the laptop). The speakers bring support for Dolby Audio Premium. The L13 Yoga also comes with noise-canceling dual-array far-field microphones so you don’t have to compromise on audio quality during business video conferences. The laptop also features air vents on the bottom and also on the backside, where most of the air gets pushed out.
Specifications and Features
The Lenovo L13 Yoga isn’t just a laptop with a good keyboard but also comes with the latest specifications on the market. Users will be able to get configurations up to the 10th generation Intel i7-10610U with vPro. Our test unit came with the same 4-core chip that has a base speed of 1.8 GHz and can shoot all the way up to 4.9 GHz speeds with Turbo Boost. The system also sports 16GB of onboard DDR4 2667 MHz RAM, which unfortunately cannot be upgraded so you will need to make sure that the model you’re choosing has enough memory for your needs. Adding to the performance is a PCIe NVMe SSD that can be swapped if you require to upgrade at a later date. Lenovo already ships L13 Yoga models that have 1TB of NVMe SSD storage. The performance of the Windows 10 Pro and applications is very snappy, thanks to the blistering fast SSD and the vast amount of RAM.
Lenovo has equipped some security features in the L13 Yoga, such as the Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0 chip that is embedded in the laptop to store RSA encryption keys for hardware authentication, and the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) authentication to protect online credentials when you attempt to sign in to websites or payment portals. The laptop also has the fingerprint scanner that we had already discussed before and there is also an IR camera for Windows Hello login capabilities. The ThinkShutter is for those who worry about the webcam being misused by any rogue application.
The L13 Yoga also sports a 4-cell 46Wh battery with Rapid Charge fast charge capability. The Rapid Charge feature requires a 65W AC adaptor. While we had only limited time with the laptop, the L13 Yoga was able to last for almost a day, but depending on what you are doing. Surfing the internet or doing editorial articles isn’t a power-hungry activity unless you are doing something like streaming Netflix movies.
Verdict
Lenovo ThinkPads are usually considered as one of the best when it comes to premium keyboard typing experience and adding a thin profile with 2-in-1 capabilities is an added bonus. The Lenovo L13 Yoga is considerably thin and light to carry around with different connectivity options to use that is well suited for business users. The build quality of the laptop is sturdy and almost premium. The device also features the latest 10th generation chipset with enough memory and SSD storage space, along with some unique security features and the battery life is fairly decent. The L13 Yoga is also a cheaper alternative for those who are not able to afford the high-end ThinkPad models such as the expensive X-series laptops.
