Lenovo Yoga C640 review: A portable laptop with long-lasting battery

Lenovo Yoga C640 price in India: Rs 76,990

Lenovo Yoga C640 specifications: 13.3-inch FHD (1920×1080) IPS 300nits Anti-glare screen | Intel Core i5-10210U | Integrated Intel UHD Graphics | 8GB DDR4-2400 + 512GB SSD | 720p camera | fingerprint reader | One USB 3.1 Type-C x 1 + USB 3.1 Type-A x 2 | 802.11ac, 2×2, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.0, M.2 Card | 1.35 kg

What’s new about the Lenovo Yoga C640?

Well, the Lenovo Yoga C640 is a very portable laptop to start with. But there must be more if it sports the Yoga branding. Yes, this one has a screen that can fold back fully and become a tablet if the need arises. All of this is not really new. What is new, if you ask me, is the fact that such a device is now available at a more affordable price point.

Originally such convertibles were not great when it came to performance and sold themselves as mostly consumption devices. But the Lenovo Yoga C640 is powered by Intel Core i5 and should be capable of handling most tasks, as long as you are not going to edit video or make 3D graphics.

Lenovo Yoga C640 review: The 13.3-inch full HD touchscreen is quite crisp and bright at 300nits (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

Also, Lenovo is promising 22-hours of battery life with the Yoga C640. That is a gamechanger in every way. As we progress with 2020, we will see more of these devices offering full-day battery life. But for now there are not many that can take on the C640 on the battery front.

What could make you buy the Lenovo Yoga C640?

The Lenovo Yoga C640 is a portable device. You hold in in your hand and it feels almost as a thin as a magazine and lighter than what you would expect a laptop to be. No, it is not size zero and I have seen and used thinner laptops. But it is surely among the sleekest you can buy at the moment. The aluminium chassis makes this Yoga light, but at the same time giving it a very durable feel.

It is also a very flexible device, well literally. It can be the traditional laptop when you want to write something or work on an excel sheet. But it also morphs into a tent view when you want to present something to your team or clients. Then it can be a full tablet for when you are maybe in a flight binge-watching a Netflix show. It has something for all your use cases and that is a definite plus point.

The 13.3-inch full HD touchscreen is quite crisp and bright at 300 nits. Since the Yoga can be used as a tablet, it is essential that the screen has anti-glare. Yes, you can use this one in sunlight, but you will need to push up the brightness to higher level to enjoy the experience. But when using as a laptop with no light falling on it directly, you can keep the brightness at lower levels and stretch the battery life.

Lenovo Yoga C640 review: It can give about 12-14 hours of battery life on a full charge and without you compromising on performance or screen brightness much. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

The Yoga C640 is powered by an Intel Core i5-10210U. So it can handle most of the tasks quite well. I used it for a few work days, shuffling from WordPress filing to editing copies on Google docs and reading stuff on multiple websites. Even with many tabs on, this device had no issues. Also, even after a few hours of continuous work, the laptop stayed relatively cool and was not heating up. Lenovo has smartly put fans firing towards the rear of the laptop and even when warm doesn’t really bother the user.

The battery life is something that would be at the top of every buyer’s mind when considering this device. In my experience, the device can give about 12-14 hours of battery life on a full charge and without you compromising on performance or screen brightness much. You should be able to get more in the battery saver mode. But I was still short of the 22 hours of battery life Lenovo was claiming. Anyway, this is one of the best battery performances you can get in this form factor.

I have to say that the fingerprint scanner is a great feature to have for an enterprise user. Being used to the fingerprint scanner on the MacBook Pro, it was great to get the same feel on a Windows device. And it works like a flash and lets you not bother about typing the password every now and then.

What to keep in mind if you buy the Lenovo Yoga C640?

So if this is the device you are going to work on for long hours, then remember the 13-inch chassis means a slight smaller keyboard. Though well laid out, this is not great for those used to working on a desktop keyboard. You will get used to it though. But the keyboard does offer both good travel and backlighting and is great for writing quick copies and updating excel sheets.

The Full HD screen of the Yoga C640 does not have adaptive brightness. That would have been a great feature to have because now you need to go into setting and change brightness, almost every time you are using the device in tablet mode.

Lenovo Yoga C640 review: The Lenovo Yoga C640 is a great device for middle and upper management users who are on the move always. (Photo: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

There are two USB and one USB-C ports, which is more than enough for most of your needs. However, there is no card reader here and the photographers amongst us who are looking at this device need to keep this aspect in mind.

The Yoga C640 comes with Dolby Atmos and even with the YouTube demo videos I could feel the sound move around the device. In fact, it was the best Atmos experience I have had in a laptop. But the speakers themselves are not very loud and you will need headphones to enjoy your movies.

Who should buy the Lenovo Yoga C640 and why?

The Lenovo Yoga C640 is a great device for middle and upper management users who are on the move always. For these users the 1.35kg weight of this laptop will be a huge advantage, along with the tablet mode that makes it easy to consume content on the move. And there is literally nothing you can’t do with this device, though the 13.3-inch form factor does not make this a device that can be suggested as a desktop replacement. The convertible aspect makes this good for those who need to teach or present stuff all the time.

At a price point of Rs 76,990, the Lenovo Yoga C640 is a highly recommendable device for those who are looking for a high-end laptop. The portability, convertible form factor and long battery life give the Lenovo Yoga C640 more value than what the price tag might suggest.