Lenovo’s Yoga 900 series has really impressed many with its design and performance. The 900 series is now on its 3rd generation, with the Lenovo Yoga 920. Lenovo has refined the design over the years and last year’s 910 suffered from poor battery life and half-sized shift key. The 920 returns with a full-sized shift key but what other improvements has Lenovo made? Find out ahead in our full review of the Lenovo Yoga 920 ultrabook.
Specifications
The Lenovo Yoga 920 sent to us has the following features and specifications:
- CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620
- RAM: 16GB DDR4 2400MHz
- SSD: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 13.9-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Multitouch with integrated camera
- Speakers: JBL speakers (Dolby Atoms with headphones)
- Battery: Up to 10.8 hours
- Keyboard: Backlit
- I/O:
- Power
- USB 3.0
- Two USB-C Thunderbolt, power delivery & DisplayPort
- Headphone/Microphone Jack
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0.5″
- Width: 12.7″
- Depth: 8.8″
- Weight: Starting at 3.02 lbs
What’s In The Box
- Lenovo Yoga 920
- Power cord and adapter
- Documentation and Manuals
Design
The identifying design cue of the 900 series is without a doubt the watchband hinge. When Lenovo introduced the watchband hinge I admit, I was impressed. So it doesn’t surprise us to see the hinge back on the Lenovo Yoga 920. In my opinion, this hinge is the sexist hinge on any laptop on the market and it’s still well made and sturdy. The hinge has plenty of flex and movement but doesn’t move when you don’t want it to. It is the centerpiece of the Lenovo Yoga 920 and people will ask you about it.
The hinge is also what makes this laptop a “Yoga.” It allows the laptop to be used in four different modes: laptop, tent, presentation, and tablet modes. Many other brands are also doing the convertible thing and Lenovo has been doing it for some time now. Some users may only ever use one mode but having the option is useful for some.
Flipping the Lenovo Yoga 920 over to look at the bottom, you’ll find the JBL speakers, rubber feet, and Windows branding. Flip it over and on the top, you’ll only find the Yoga branding. The whole machine is made of premium brushed aluminum. Lenovo added some nice design touches to the edges by polishing them, which contrasts nicely with the brushed look on the rest of the laptop.
Along the right side of the laptop, you’ll find one USB 3.0 port, power button, and microphone. Along the left side of the laptop, there are two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a headphone jack. That’s all you get for ports but those Thunderbolt 3 ports do support power delivery and DisplayPort and allow you to connect a USB-C docking station or hub for even more ports.
Opening the laptop up reveals the stunning 4K display with the webcam at the top center (more on the display later). The backlit keyboard has a nice medium travel to it, not too shallow and not too high, but comfortable. One thing we disliked about the 910 was the half-sized shift key on the right side. The Lenovo Yoga 920 now has a full-size right side shift key. That should make many happy.
The trackpad is also a joy to use. The 900 series has always had really nice trackpads, some of the best among PCs. I’ve made no secret that I really love Apple’s trackpads, Lenovo’s 920 trackpad is nearly on par with Apple’s, it’s that good. Finally, there is a fingerprint sensor just to the right of the trackpad and it works great.
Overall, the design of the Lenovo Yoga 920 is stunning and I really didn’t expect anything less. Lenovo has really put a lot of effort into the 900 series and it continues to show with the 920’s design.
Display
You can get the Lenovo Yoga 920 with either an FHD 1080p display or a UHD 4K display. Our review unit came with the UHD 4K display. The bezels along the left and right are 5mm thin and the top is also super thin. The bottom bezel is still rather large but it’s not noticeable, though it would be nice if they could shrink that too although it’s tougher with the webcam centered here.
Both the 1080p panel and 4K panel are touch enabled. Our panel’s touch responsiveness was excellent, it never missed a beat and taps registered even on the smallest area. The display also works with Lenovo’s Active Pen 2 (an optional purchase) making this a nice art tablet for creators.
The 4K display has vibrant and a clean color spectrum with crisp whites and deep blacks. Watching movies 4K UHD movies on Netflix is simply amazing as well as 4K YouTube content. It is one of the best panels on any 14″ laptop currently on the market.
I will say this about 4K display’s on laptops this small. Video and entertainment are simply amazing on them but I find that setting it at 4K to do productivity work is not useful to me. Because of the high pixel count, everything becomes rather small and hard to read, old eyes I know. I find myself kicking the resolution down to 2K so I can actually see the content on the screen.
This isn’t to say the 4K display isn’t worth it, it absolutely is. I just find doing productivity work is easier at lower resolutions. Photographers and videographers will love the display for editing photos and 4K video.
Overall, the display is excellent. It’s vibrant, crisp, and no one will be disappointed using it.
Software/Ecosystem
The Lenovo Yoga 920 is running Windows 10. I have no complaints about Windows 10 as it continues to be my favorite version of Windows yet. This laptop is also compatible with Windows Ink, so long as you have the Lenovo Active Pen 2 (not included). Also included are Cortana and a microphone that can hear you from up to 13-feet away.
Lenovo also has a new “cleaner preload.” Lenovo App Explorer allows you to choose only the apps you want when you boot up the PC for the first time. Of course, McAfee is still here, hanging in for the long haul.
Overall, Windows 10 performs outstandingly well here. Other than McAfee (which can obviously be uninstalled), I don’t have any complaints here.
Performance
Our review unit is rocking the Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620, and 16GB of RAM. This configuration is a screamer for such a small and light ultrabook. Everyday tasks are a breeze including, browsing, light gaming, email, word processing, multi-tasking, and more.
I also loaded up Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro to see if this machine could handle the task. I’m happy to report that Photoshop operated without a hitch, though you’ll have to be mindful of how many files you have open. Premiere Pro also ran well, though again, heavier files will probably task the CPU and GPU heavily. Battery life will also suffer when using these heavier programs.
Having been able to use Photoshop and Premiere Pro on the Lenovo Yoga 920. I think it’s safe to bet that this little guy should handle some moderate gaming just fine. Most likely not heavy gaming but light to moderate gaming shouldn’t be an issue.
Overall, if you spec out the 920, you’re going to get one of the more powerful ultrabooks on the market.
Speakers/Sound
The speakers on the Lenovo Yoga 920 are actually fairly decent. They’re made by JBL and provide a nice sound that isn’t as tinny as many laptops. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t great for listening to music as they lack bass response but they’re not horrible either. Surprisingly, they don’t distort at max volume but they also just don’t have a big low-end. Overall, the speakers are better than average but still laptop speakers at the end of the day.
Camera
The webcam, as with most all other laptops, it’s a webcam. You’re not going to take pictures with it and it works well with Skype, Hangouts or any other video service.
Battery Life
Our Lenovo 910 review showed Lenovo was off the mark significantly when it came to battery life. The Lenovo Yoga 920 claims up to 10.8-hours of battery but we did not get to that point. The best we got was just over 8.5-hours and it was even worse when using Photoshop and Premiere, to be expected. Your battery life will vary though and the 920 is an improvement over the 910 in battery life. So Lenovo has made improvements and, as with any laptop, your battery life will vary based on usage.
Overall, battery life was acceptable considering how small this machine is. You have to remember that everyone’s results are going to vary as the machine is used in so many different ways.
Price/Value
With the premium build and an amazing display, the Lenovo Yoga 920 doesn’t come cheap. The base model starts at $1199.99USD and can go upwards of $2,000USD from there, depending on configuration. While it is expensive, it’s a premium machine with premium materials, build, and components and well worth the money.
Wrap Up
If you have the cash, you really can’t go wrong with this laptop. Maxxing it out is the way to go. It’s a stunner in terms of looks even meeting and exceeding a MacBook Pro in that department. It’s powerful and capable and given the right configuration, can handle just about anything you throw at it.
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