Lenovo's Yoga 900: Champagne, in a new way

Lenovo's Yoga 900 convertible is sexy and smart in equal measure. Sexy because of its sleek, champagne-gold finish, and watchband hinge, which allows it to rotate easily between different modes. Smart, because it is, as Lenovo claims, the thinnest Intel Core i7 convertible. At its price (Rs 1,23,690) you could buy a thinner laptop-notepad or a machine with a better processor, but not both.

It is thicker than its predecessor, the Yoga 3 Pro and is sleeker. The magnesium panels and the faux leather hand rest are carryovers. But the most striking feature is the watchband hinge, made of 813 individual pieces. It keeps the screen secure, and cleverly concealed vents keep the machine cool. Like other Lenovo devices, the keys on the keyboard are backlit and comfortably shaped. There are dedicated buttons for brightness and audio as well. Typing was comfortable. So was scrolling through a website, with the device never confusing between a right and a left click.

The 13.3-inch display screen is rich with pixels (3,200x1,800p). Watching films or videos or playing games on it was a delight. The brightness, however, was a little low. Its weakness is its audio. The speakers are at the bottom, so, depending on the surface it is resting on, the volume and sound experience can vary.

For a home or business user, its performance would be more than satisfactory. With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, it can keep multiple videos and documents running without a lag.

Its battery life is better than Yoga 3 Pro, and easily runs for seven hours, with regular use. But it's not as good as other similar convertibles, with Microsoft's Surface Book running, reportedly, for 12 hours.

For those who prefer a detachable model, maybe this is not the right machine. (Yes, it does become a little unwieldy if you are planning to use it as an e-reader in your bed.) But its performance and design make it irresistible.