Seriously, we wish every Windows 8.1 laptop could do this: rotate to the point where the keyboard is facing down, propping up the screen like a pseudo AIO touch-based PC. That’s what Lenovo’s new Flex 10 “Bay Trail” based laptop does for a decent starting price of around $550. The screen even has a ten-point touch input, making it ideal for painting programs and playing games.
"When you're relying heavily on the keyboard — drafting documents or working on a spreadsheet, for example — keep your Flex 10 in the classic laptop mode for maximum productivity. But when you're focusing on touch applications, web chatting, or enjoying a film or video, flip the screen 300 degrees to enter stand mode. The Flex 10's unique design means it adapts to whatever you choose to do," reads the product page.
According to the specs, the laptop features a 10.1 inch screen with a 1366 x 768 resolution, backed by a choice of four processors: the quad core Intel Pentium N3510, the quad core Celeron N2910, the dual core Celeron N2810 or the dual core Celeron N2805. The Pentium model can handle memory up to 4 GB DDR3L, and the Celeron models can handle memory up to 2 GB DDR3L.
Configurations also include up to 500 GB of storage, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI output and an audio combo jack. There’s also Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, stereo speakers, integrated graphics, and a 720p webcam. The device weighs a mere 2.64 pounds and measures just 0.82 inches thin.
"Lenovo Energy Manager protects the long-term durability of the battery and uses advanced energy-saving technology to increase time spent between charges," reads the product page. "You can log in without typing on the Flex 10, thanks to Veriface Pro, face recognition software that uses the integrated webcam to log you in."
If the form factor looks familiar, it’s because Lenovo already provides larger Flex notebooks with beefier specs and Windows 8. Lenovo has also borrowed the Flex design for its just-announced Android laptop called the Lenovo IdeaPad A10, which features an ARM-based chip instead of a processor supplied by Intel.
Unfortunately, the actual pricing and availability of the Flex 10 is unknown at this point, so stay tuned.