The wealth of ultraportable laptops continues to grow, and we’re seeing a more varied array of options than ever before. Be it 2-in-1s like Asus’ T300 Chi or a tablet-gone-laptop like Microsoft’s Surface 3, those in the market for a mobile computer have plenty of options these days. As manufacturers seek out their own differentiation, we’re seeing Lenovo carve out its own special space in the sector with their new LaVie Z series of ultralight notebooks.
The LaVie Z and LaVie Z 360 are similar machines, hence our doubled-up review here. The innards are identical, and their dimensions are too. The only marked difference between the two is the 360’s price tag (it’s $200 more than the standard LaVie Z), it’s glossy touch panel (compared to the LaVie Z’s anti-glare, non-touch screen), and it’s ability to flip completely over and convert into a fully-flat tablet like Dell’s Inspiron 13 7000, with the help of fully articulating hinges.
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| Processor | Intel Core i7-5500U (2.4GHz; 4MB cache) |
| Graphics | Intel HD 5500 Graphics |
| Operating System | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
| Display | 13.3-inch QHD Anti-Glare Display (2560×1440) on LaVie Z 13.3-inch IPS Multi-Touch Display (2560×1440) on LaVie Z 360 |
| Camera | 720p front-facing webcam |
| Memory & Storage | 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM Up to 256GB SSD SD Card Reader |
| I/O Ports | 2 x Full-size USB 3.0 1 x Full-Size HDMI output Headset/microphone combo jack Proprietary AC charging port |
| Wireless | 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Battery | Up to 9 hours |
| Weight | 1.87 pounds (LaVie Z) 2.04 pounds (LaVie Z 360) |
| Dimensions | 12.56″ x 0.67″ x 8.35″ (LaVie Z and LaVie Z 360) |
| MSRP | Base Price: $1499 (LaVie Z) / $1699 (LaVie Z 360) |
Despite being shockingly light and thin, Lenovo still manages to cram an awful lot of power under the hood of these machines. While we had assumed that a lot of corners would have to be cut in the performance department in order to make this form factor work, we’ve been pleasantly surprised. Still, having plenty of oomph doesn’t tell the whole story.