Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review: One Flexible Ultrabook

Exterior: First Impressions Are Important

Unboxing And Accessories

Once the monochrome, environmentally-friendly outer shipping box is opened, a higher-quality, color, photo-printed Yoga 13 system box is revealed. The multi-mode Ultrabook itself is wrapped in a clear, protective, anti-static sleeve.

Tucked away next to the core system is a slim, compact, and internationally-compatible 110-220 VAC power adapter, which successfully compliments the size and style of the system it powers (output: 20 VDC/3.25 A/65 W).

Other than a few additional Lenovo brochures and our region-specific one-year warranty reference material, the entire contents of the retail packaging are pleasantly accounted for, without the need to weed through mountains of unrelated and unsolicited third-party marketing materials.

With the Yoga 13 completely unpacked, we are finally able to get a good look at the overall fit and finish of the system.

Exterior Tour

Overall, the IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a very clean and professional-looking notebook. The touchpad size appears ideal, the chiclet-style keyboard flows well with the rest of the system design, and the capacitive multi-touch glass screen is very sleek-looking with excellent color reproduction. The exterior of the Yoga 13 clearly projects a minimalist design concept without disclosing any of the transformer-like capabilities harnessed within its novel display hinges.

The palmrest assembly that surrounds the chiclet-style keyboard and massive touchpad is made from a rigid polycarbonate material with an anti-fingerprint coating. While the surface is intended to reduce fingerprints, it also gives it a nice, soft, rubber-like feel.

The Yoga 13’s satin-finished aluminum shell is very high quality. It assists in preserving the superior look of the machine by resisting everything from daily wear and tear, to those Ninjitsu moves that would normally leave visible scuffs and scratches on less flexible systems. 

The smooth underside of the Yoga 13 further demonstrates the non-user-serviceable persona that the system appears to be presenting.

Buttons, Ports, And Indicators

The Yoga 13 maintains its minimalist Ultrabook design by offering just the basics insofar as physical buttons, interface ports, and status indicators. Fortunately, Lenovo does an adequate job deciding which basics to include.

On the Yoga 13’s left side, we find an HDMI port (v1.4a), USB 3.0 port, 2.5 mm headphone/mic combo jack, an embedded pin-hole microphone, and a rocker button for volume control.

The system’s front edge hosts Lenovo’s exclusive NOVO (system boot/restore menu) shortcut button, a backlit power button, and a mini-LED battery status indicator.

The right side of the Yoga 13 holds the display orientation lock button, SDHC UHS-1-compatible multi-card reader, a USB 2.0 port, and the proprietary DC power jack.

Lastly, a physical Windows 8 button is nicely integrated into the lower touchscreen display bezel, with the 1.0 MP 720p HD webcam sitting atop the upper display bezel.

The Yoga 13 lacks an integrated Ethernet port, and while many low-cost USB dongles exist, it would be nice if Lenovo offered or bundled a verified Ethernet solution with such a premium-priced Ultrabook. It should be noted that the Yoga 13 also lacks a Kensington Security Slot.