Lenovo Yoga vs Lenovo ThinkPad: What’s the difference?

Lenovo has several sub-brands. Some of these are drastically different from others, while some feature some crossover. Lenovo Yoga and Lenovo ThinkPad represent the pinnacle of the brand’s premium devices. But, the latter offers a business-focused slant. Let’s break down what this means.

Not only does Lenovo have plenty of sub-brands but they’ve evolved and changed over the years. Yoga was once synonymous with thin-and-light 360-hinge laptops while ThinkPad was the plain and simple business machine. But, now, Yoga has branched out and some ThinkPads offer quite the dose of style. Here are the key points in ThinkPad vs Yoga.

Price

The Lenovo Yoga and Lenovo ThinkPad ranges span a huge range of prices so there is no “cheaper” or “more expensive” set of products in simple terms. The Yoga range can comfortably exceed a couple of thousand pounds, dollars or euros with the likes of its Yoga Pro and Yoga Book devices. The ThinkPad has models across its X, T and P-series variants that can all reach just as high of a price, along with its foldable X1 Fold laptop.

The current cheapest ThinkPad on the UK Lenovo website starts at £637 for the ThinkPad E16, whereas the cheapest Yoga comes in at £649. The highest starting ThinkPad price is £4,389 for the X1 Fold, with the equivalent Yoga being the latest Yoga Book 9i at £2,011.50.

Taking a broad view at these ranges, ThinkPad models do often command an extra premium for the business-friendly features they offer, so those with standard consumer needs will typically find slightly more value in the Yoga. On the other hand, Yoga devices sometimes bring an added price for flashier features compared with the typically more functional ThinkPad.

Design and Screen

With such a broad range, prices and specifications can often line up quite a bit across Lenovo Yoga and Lenovo ThinkPad models, so it’s the design where the differences are most plain to see. The Lenovo Yoga typically offers all-aluminium finishes on its devices while the ThinkPad comes with that matte black look more often than not — and that signature red trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard too. The ThinkPad range focuses more on durability and reliability while Yoga brings the extra slice of luxury.

For a long time, “Yoga” meant you’d be getting a Lenovo laptop that was of the 2-in-1 variety, offering a 360-hinge. This even extended into a crossover between these two ranges with a ThinkPad Yoga, which added a 360-hinge to the more business-focused series. However, in recent times, there have been plenty of Yoga models that no longer offer the 2-in-1 design, with the sub-range broadening its remit to broadly represent a stylish yet high-end series of laptops.

Again, with such a large amount of choice across these ranges, there are few hard and fast differences across the series. But, Yoga models do typically err on the side of being thinner options than their ThinkPad equivalents that typically focus on function over form. But, both ranges offer plenty of lightweight picks.

Both the ThinkPad and Yoga ranges offer interesting display options, from standard IPS LED to glossy and matte options. You’ll even find some OLED models, however, only the Yoga Pro series offers up Mini LED display picks. As such, if immense brightness and high-end local dimming are your thing, then Yoga represents the best option.

Specs and Performance

Both the Lenovo Yoga and Lenovo ThinkPad ranges offer machines that have a productivity focus, a creative focus or a serious production focus. Previously, the ThinkPad would’ve been the go-to for graphically intensive work when choosing between the two, however, the introduction of the Yoga Pro series has added that dimension to the more stylish sub-range too.

Despite offering a wide choice of specifications that makes it hard to differentiate these series in that department, the ThinkPad does bring its business-focused offerings. As such, security and encryption are more of a priority. Along with more traditional chip options across the Yoga and ThinkPad series, such as standard AMD Ryzen and Intel Core picks, ThinkPad offers Intel vPro and AMD Ryzen Pro. These are aimed at businesses, with boosted encryption facilities.

Verdict

The Lenovo Yoga and Lenovo ThinkPad have become harder to separate in terms of raw specifications in recent years, with the Yoga becoming more performant while the ThinkPad has gotten more stylish and versatile.

However, the crux of the decision remains the same, ThinkPad will likely be the go-to for most business-focused users with enhanced security features as well as a typically more reliable and robust design. On the other hand, those considering a Yoga likely want something with that extra dose of luxury.