First Impressions: Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro sports an excellent design, but too expensive at Rs 1,14, 990

Lenovo today launched the Yoga 3 Pro laptop in India for a whopping Rs 1,14,990 onwards. The company had showcased the device at CES last month. Though the laptop does impress us with its beautiful and super-slim form factor, we wonder if it really is worth the exorbitant price.  At the same event, Lenovo also announced a partnership with Croma and stated that the product would be exclusively available at select Croma stores across India apart from Lenovo Smart Connected Devices stores. We spent some time with the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro during the launch and here are our first impressions: Design It’s safe to say here, that Lenovo has gone all out. Claiming to be the world’s thinnest convertible laptop at just 12.8mm (0.5) thick, the Yoga 3 Pro is also exceptionally light at just 1.19 kg. You will be able to literally carry this around with one hand and feel no discomfort. It’s also probably lighter than your regular 300 page book as well. This could also be the most adaptable PC we have seen in a while, as it offers users four different modes of use - Laptop, Stand, Tent or Tablet. The device also allows the screen to flip around 360 degrees -taken from its predecessor the Yoga 2 Pro. This means you can use it as both a laptop and a tablet, depending on how the spirit moves you. The Yoga 3 Pro’s watchband-inspired hinge is unique and adds a certain touch of panache look to the laptop which has a wonderfully simple and clean design. Lenovo says the hinges are crafted from 813 individual pieces of aluminum and steel. Lenovo has also added in premium JBL speakers to the laptop along with Waves Audio certification. The keyboard deck is quite comfortable and the track pad is extremely smooth and light. The only thing that looks out of place is a rubbery plastic finish along the keypad which does not look good. We’re guessing that its intended to be a place for a user to relax their hands after a long typing session. All the connectivity ports and necessary buttons go on the side. Display   The Yoga 3 Pro sports a high-resolution QHD+ (3200 x 1800) 10-point multitouch display. It might not exactly be 4K but it definitely comes close. The 13.3 inch display size gives us clear and crisp images. Videos seemed decent and also did not lag as such. The screen comes fortified with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The touchpad works well for two-finger gestures, and extreme viewing angles did not disappoint. A good feature about the display would be that it doesn’t look too cramped up. The company hasn’t unnecessarily gone with super-slim bezels. Well done there. Features and Performance The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro runs on an Intel Core M-70 processor with 8GB RAM. In terms of OS, it will come with Windows 8.1 64-bit or Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit operating system options. Lenovo says users will have access to everything in Windows 8.1, plus enhanced security features like trusted boot, improved biometric support, backup to SkyDrive, and more. The company’s Yoga Harmony adapts to users preference by intuitively optimizing settings, making app recommendations by mode, and sharing statistics about how users would use the device. Lenovo also offers usage statistics, breaking down how much time you spend in each mode and how that compares to all the other Yoga owners the world over. Interesting feature, but not necessary. It has a built in storage of 512 GB and has a 720p front facing webcam. In terms of connectivity, the laptop has two USB 3.0 ports, one DC-in with USB 2.0 function, 4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, SDXC, SDHC), micro-HDMI out and an audio combo jack. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The device claims to offer 7.2 hours thanks to the built-in 44 Whr Li-Polymer battery. Conclusion Apart from the fact that the device offers premium looks, it comes with a hefty price tag which might not attract a lot of customers. But if you’re looking for a premium device, then you should consider the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. However whether the device will be able to unseat Apple will be the question,  given that they also offer high-end laptops with high-end price tags. But in a market that is as price sensitive we can’t help but be a little bit disappointed.