One of the things that were clear coming out of CES 2017 is the craze around 2-in-1 convertible laptops is not going away this year. Lenovo, whose Yoga line of laptops pioneered the hybrid concept, released a second-generation update to the X1 Yoga at CES in January. Meanwhile, at CES, Dell unveiled the first-ever 2-in-1 version of its popular XPS 13. For those in the market for a new 2-in-1, which is a better choice? Below are the quick breaks down how the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and the Lenovo X1 Yoga 2017 match up on specs and price.
The Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 which start at $999 for a full-HD touch screen, Powered by Core i5-7Y54 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Although we would step up to the $1,199 configuration as tested, that adds the latest 7th-generation Intel Core CPUs (Kaby Lake)and offers truly epic battery life endurance, that could last up to 13 hours and 49 minutes and a stronger Wi-Fi performance. This gives you 8GB of RAM and a spacious storage 256GB SSD. The $1,299 model has a faster Core i7-7Y75 CPU. Dell's Active Pen is sold separately from the laptop.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017)
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017) weighs 3.13 pounds. It's not the lightest in its category, however, considering the hardware you're getting, it's a worthwhile compromise. It comes with 16GB of memory (RAM) and can store up to 128 GB. The new X1 Yoga keeps the beautiful OLED display from last year's model and gains seventh-generation Intel processors up to Core i7. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017) has 16 hours of battery life. Price starts at $1,500. In addition, the pen is included with the laptop, and in fact, is stored on the side of the laptop's base.
The Verdict
The Dell XPS 13 became the top overall laptop by offering a 13-inch screen in a more compact package than its rivals, along with a winning combo of design, comfort, performance and battery life. While The 2017 X1 Yoga is light, durable, flexible design and with better battery life that will last a full workday whether you're banging out spreadsheets or drawing on the screen with a stylus. Both are amazing 2-in-1 laptops but each has different approach and functions depending on your needs.
