Lenovo Yoga C940 review

The Lenovo Yoga C940 is fast, well-designed, and well-balanced – it remains one of the market’s best 2-in-1 machines.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review
(Image: © Lenovo)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The updated Lenovo Yoga C940 looks good, has great build quality and smart, subtle design alongside a class-leading keyboard. On the inside, it’s faster than ever and has good screen options. Battery life has taken a bit of a hit, but this machine remains a superb 2-in-1 option.

Pros

  • +

    Consistently great 2-in-1 design

  • +

    Upgraded, faster internals

  • +

    Class-leading keyboard

Cons

  • -

    Battery life weaker than older machines

  • -

    Screen options involve compromise

  • -

    Slightly heavier and thicker than some laptops

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The Lenovo Yoga C940 is the latest 2-in-1 laptop from one of the companies that pioneered this versatile form factor and continues to build some of the best laptops in the world. This new flagship device tries to innovate when it comes to media and performance while maintaining the stunning design that put the Yoga range on the map.

While we have to say that we miss the snazzy watchband design from the older Yoga models, the Lenovo Yoga C940 is exceptional well-designed. If you’re looking for a stylish, robust, 2-in-1 laptop then the Lenovo Yoga C940 is a fantastic choice. With a decent range of customization options including either an FHD or 4K screen, you should be able to tailor the device to meet your needs too.

We’ve consulted experts, researched the specifications and delved into the tech to find out exactly how good the Lenovo Yoga C940 really is.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review: Design

Tech Specs

CPU: Intel Core i5/i7 10th Gen Ice Lake
Memory: 8GB/16GB LPDDR4
Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Display: 14in 1,920 x 1,080/3,840 x 2,160 IPS touchscreen
Ports: 1 x USB 3.1, 2 x Thunderbolt/USB-C, 1 x audio
Dimensions: 12.6" x 8.5" x 0.63"
Weight: 2.98 lbs
Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit

  • Easy to use in any position
  • Class-leading keyboard

There’s no denying it: the Yoga C940 looks fantastic. It’s made from sleek, sturdy metal, and it’s available in two colors – a brighter design called Mica and a darker Iron Grey.

The C940 is eye-catching and understated, with minimal branding. It’s equally comfortable at home or impressing people in the boardroom. Build quality is excellent, which is a relief on a machine that’s meant to be moved and handled so much. The hinge moves smoothly between the Yoga’s various usage modes.

The top of the screen features a small lip which houses the webcam and allows the machine to be easily opened – it’s like a reversal of the notch found on most current smartphones.

The Yoga tips the scales at 2.98lbs and is just under 0.63-inches thick. Those are good dimensions for a 2-in-1. As usual, though, the Yoga is a tiny bit thicker and heavier than laptops with the same sort of specification, like the Dell XPS 13. That’s a familiar price to pay for having a 2-in-1, but the figures involved are so small that most users won’t notice the difference.

Lenovo Yoga C940

(Image credit: Lenovo)

Lenovo has included neat design touches. In the back-right of the Yoga’s base is a recess for the 4,096-point stylus – and, brilliantly, the recess charges the pen. That’s one extra thing you don’t have to worry about.

There’s a fingerprint reader, and a full-size USB 3.1 port and two Thunderbolt 3 connectors alongside an audio jack. That’s a reasonable selection, but there’s no HDMI output and no SD or microSD card slot, which will limit creative use.

The keyboard is sensational. The buttons are large, slightly concave and feel incredibly comfortable – they’ve got ample travel and feel slightly cushioned. They’re quiet and consistent, too. It’s easy to type for hours on the Yoga unless you really abhor keyboards that feel a tad stiff and chunky.

The trackpad is good, but not as impressive as the keyboard. It’s large, smooth and precise, but the clicking motion is slightly inconsistent.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review: Performance

  • Improved Intel internals 
  • Can handle mainstream photo-editing

The Yoga C940 is kitted out with Intel’s latest mobile processors. The 10th gen Ice Lake chips are more efficient and powerful than their predecessors. Cheaper C940 models use the Core i5-1035G4, while pricier portables deploy the Core i7-1065G7. They’re quad-core chips with multi-threading, with clock speeds differentiating the two. The Core i5 chip peaks at 3.7GHz, while the Core i7 part tops out at 3.9GHz.

The Core i5 part will handle web-browsers, Office applications and work tools, including a bit of light photo-editing. Stepping up to Core i7 will unlock more pace, so mainstream photo-editing software and a bit of video work is possible.

Lenovo Yoga C940

(Image credit: Lenovo)

The Intel Iris Plus graphics chip will handle those basic creative tasks, and it’ll run older games and low-end, modern titles – but don’t expect to play the biggest blockbusters on the Yoga. Elsewhere, cheaper Yoga models have 8GB of memory, with that amount upgraded to 12GB and 16GB in pricier versions. If you want to get more serious work done, aim for 16GB.

Storage is handled by SSDs that range from 256GB to 2TB, and connectivity is covered by 802.11ac wireless on low-end models and future-proofed WiFi 6 on Core i7 machines. It’s a shame that the better wireless couldn’t be included on the cheaper options.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review: Screen and Audio

  • Both screen options are excellent
  • Soundbar included in the hinge 

The C940 is available with two touchscreens: a 1080p model and a 4K variant. They’re both IPS displays. No matter which screen you get, you’re going to have superb quality – great contrast, accurate colors and enough brightness to handle virtually any task. When it comes to touch functionality, the screens are precise and consistent.

There are differences between the two, though. Users have noted that the 1080p display renders around 104% of the sRGB color gamut with a brightness level of 339 nits. That’s still good, and still means that movies, games and web content will look great.

Lenovo Yoga C940

(Image credit: Lenovo)

There’s no denying that the 4K option is brighter and more vibrant, though: it hits an sRGB gamut coverage level of around 139% and a brightness level of 394 nits. There are brighter screens around, but the Yoga is an excellent example of overall quality.

The C940 has innovative speakers. The entire hinge is occupied by a soundbar, and two more speakers are installed in the front of the laptop, in the base. This new design produces superb sound, with great volume and quality – the Yoga’s speakers are clear, detailed and punchy, with some bass and no sign high-end distortion at the high end. They’re easily good enough for YouTube, box-sets, music and gaming, even if you can get better laptop audio from a machine like the MacBook Pro 2019.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review: Battery Life

  • 1080p screen offers better longevity than the 4K 
  • Will last a working day

The Yoga’s increased power means that its battery life is a little worse when compared to previous iterations of Lenovo’s flagship. As usual, the Yoga’s 1080p option is better for longevity. With this screen, expect about 12 hours of life if you’re running conventional office tools, web browsers or video, with this dropping by two hours if you really push the components.

If you need that 4K panel, expect battery life to drop to around eight hours in a similar test. For most people, then, the C940 will get through a day in the office – especially with the 1080p screen. Just don’t expect it to necessarily last the commute, too.

Lenovo Yoga C940 review: Value for Money

  • 1080p options offer better value
  • Extra storage and memory can be added

The most affordable Yoga C940 costs $880, and it includes a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and the 1080p display. The next model up costs $1,100 and includes the Core i7 CPU and 12GB of RAM alongside the same components elsewhere.

The priciest pre-specced model arrives at $1,320. At this level, you get the 4K screen, Core i7 CPU, 16GB of memory and the 1TB hard disk. Specifications can be customized, and the top machine costs $1,480 – that figure is reached by adding a 2TB SSD to the most expensive pre-specced machine.

Lenovo Yoga C940

(Image credit: Lenovo)

They’re not bad prices at all. If you need these components then it’s certainly possible to find them a little cheaper in conventional laptops, but the price difference between those machines and this more innovative 2-in-1 are modest.

We’d also recommend sticking with the 1080p screen unless you absolutely need 4K – the higher-resolution screen is brighter, but it hinders battery life and adds cost, and the 1080p display is still good.

Should I Buy the Lenovo Yoga C940?

The Lenovo Yoga C940 is excellent. It looks fantastic, it’s robust and smooth enough to work well as a laptop and a tablet, and it’s only a little heavier than more conventional notebooks. On the inside, the upgraded internals are fast and both screen options are good. The keyboard is a class-leader. The move to upgraded Intel hardware means battery life is good rather than great, though, and you’ll have to make a decision about the screen – do you need the better battery life, or the 4K option?

No matter what, though, the Lenovo Yoga C940 is a top-tier hybrid – it’ll handle almost anything with aplomb. Lenovo was one of the first companies to move into this market, and it continues to lead.

Mike Jennings

Mike Jennings has been a tech journalist for more than thirteen years, and he covers a wide range of topics, from gaming laptops and graphics cards to consumer software, business machines and high-end desktops. He’s written for PC Pro, TechRadar, Wired, Stuff, TrustedReviews, Custom PC, IT Pro, and many more outlets. He lives in the UK and is interested in gaming, writing and motorsport.