52 PCWorld APRIL 2019REVIEWS LENOVO IDEAPAD 730S
multiple networks. Lenovo’s suggested
fix involved installing a newer Wi-Fi driver
(go.pcworld.com/e480) for a different
laptop. This solved the problem, but the
company hasn’t said when it will officially
release those drivers for the 730S.PRICE AND SPECIFICATIONS
Lenovo sent us the $1000 version of the
730S, which includes an 8th-generation Intel
Core i5-8265U (1.6GHz) processor, Intel
UHD 620 graphics, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a
256GB solid state drive. You can save $100
by opting for 128GB of storage, and you can
upgrade to a Core i7-8565U (1.8 GHz)
processor—in either storage configuration—
for $200 more.
In all cases, you’ll get a non-touch IPS
display with a resolution of 1920x1080. The
maximum brightness we measured of 317 nits
is surprisingly good for the
price: not far behind the 337
nits we measured for
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 2
(go.pcworld.com/mlp2), and
well above the 250-260 nits
that we consider to be
average. The viewing angles
are great.DESIGN
Unlike some rival thin-and-
light laptops, the 730S
doesn’t stamp a logo in themiddle of the lid or underneath the display.
The only sign that you’re using a Lenovo
laptop—once you remove the obligatory
stickers, of course—is a tiny embedded logo
on the lid’s upper-left corner.
Combine that tasteful approach with
edge-to-edge display glass, narrow bezels
around the screen, some distinctive shield-
shaped keycaps, and a dark-gray aluminum
frame, and you end up with a pretty slick-
looking laptop. Lenovo even shaved a
millimeter off last year’s IdeaPad 720S design,
so the new model measures just 0.47-inch
thick, and a very portable 2.4 pounds.
Given the absence of a touchscreen, the
IdeaPad 730S’s lack of a 360-degree hinge
makes sense. Still, the display does fold back
180 degrees to lay flat on a table. I’m not
sure why you’d want to do this, but in theory
you could prop up the laptop on a stand,The lack of a large logo in the middle of the lid is a refreshing change
from the showy stamps on other laptops.