based laptops always excel is
battery life, and the Lenovo Yoga
C630 achieves some of the best
results we’ve seen. In our battery
life benchmark test, which involves
playing a looped 1080p video with
the screen set to 50% brightness,
the Yoga C630 lasted a truly
impressive 23 hours and 46
minutes. That’s easily one of the
longest battery lives we’ve seen in
a laptop.
If you’re looking for a
productivity laptop that can last
multiple days on the road while
connected to the internet, the
Lenovo Yoga C630 is definitely
worth considering.
As with other Snapdragon
laptops, the inclusion of 4G
connectivity is incredibly useful,
and its integration within Windows
10 is flawless. Being able to open
the laptop, have Windows 10 start
instantly, and browse the internet
without having to connect to Wi-Fi
still feels genuinely innovative –
and the Yoga C630 manages it all
with aplomb.
A more pressing issue is the
relative lack of programs that can
run Windows on Snapdragon. This
limits the apps you’re able to use,
and the problem won’t get fixed
until either developers create a
version of their software that runs
on ARM processors (which takes
money and resources), or Microsoft
improves emulation that allows
Windows on Snapdragon to run
normal Windows 10 programs
without too much of a performance
hit – but who knows when that day
will come. QThe Yoga C630 finally delivers on
the promises other Windows-on-
Snapdragon laptops made.on them easy and comfortable,
even if you type fast. Key travel isn’t
that deep, but it’s a price you have
to pay if you want a device this thin,
and there’s enough tactile feedback
for the keys not to feel too soft
when you’re typing.
The trackpad beneath the
keyboard is large enough to use
comfortably, and only requires light
taps to register as clicks. It features
a glass surface that lets your fingers
glide smoothly over the trackpad as
you use it. To the right of this
there’s a fingerprint scanner that
enables you to quickly and easily
log into Windows 10.
Performance anxiety
The biggest issues we’ve had with
previous Snapdragon-powered
Windows laptops is that their
performance has often fallen well
short of what we’ve come to expect
from laptops in their price range.
The benefits of the mobile platform
have been overshadowed by a
sluggish and frustrating experience
when using Windows 10.
It’s not going to match the
performance of a laptop toting the
latest Intel or AMD CPUs, but for
day-to-day work, including web
browsing and word processing,
C630 managed to keep up,
although there was sometimes a
slight pause when loading apps.
There are some performance
caveats, however, that could impact
on how useful you find the Lenovo
Yoga C630. For a start, it comes in
Windows 10 S mode that limits you
to only being able to install
programs and apps through the
Microsoft Store app. Microsoft
claims this mode boosts the
security of your device, as you can’t
download and run any dodgy files
from the internet.
If Microsoft manages to achieve
what it’s long failed to do, andexpand the amount of apps
available in the Microsoft Store,
then Windows 10 S Mode wouldn’t
feel so limiting. Until then, however,
you can at least upgrade from S
Mode to the full Windows 10
experience – this is done through
the Microsoft Store, and it’s quick,
easy and free.
However, even when you leave S
mode, you’re still limited as to what
programs you can use. This is
because most Windows 10 apps are
designed for Intel and AMD CPUs,
and Snapdragon devices have a
different architecture, which means
developers have to make special
version; so, while you can still
download the programs, you may
not be able to install and run them.
One area where Snapdragon-“It lasted 23 hours and 46 minutes – easily one of
the longest battery lifes we’ve seen in a laptop”
Upgrade
Lenovo Yoga C630
August 2019 | |^79
KEYFEATURES
Lenovo Yoga C630
Supplier http://www.lenovo.com
Operating system Windows 10 Home
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 850
Storage 128GB, configurable
RAM 4GB, configurable
Graphics Qualcomm Adreno 630
Connectivity 4G LTE, Wi-Fi AC,
BLuetooth 4.2
Weight 1. 2kg
Screen size 13. 3 - in ch
Display resolution 1920 x 1080