Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 700 Surface-Like 2-in-1 PC with Detachable Keyboard

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The Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 700 is a portable 2-in-1 PC with design heavily inspired by the popular Microsoft Surface Pro (3) and Surface (3). They all have adjustable kickstands on the back, proprietary detachable keyboard covers, support for active pen input, and dual cameras. The difference is that the Lenovo’s version by default comes the keyboard cover, included in the pricing which starts at $699.

Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 700 Detachable 2-in-1

Externally, the IdeaPad MIIX 700 is closer to the Surface Pro 3, since they have the same screen diagonals of 12 inches and an ultra-sharp resolution of 2,160-by-1,440 pixels. Their screens are based on IPS technology which provides wide viewing angles and they support active digitizer input using separately sold pens, besides finger touches and gestures. Both displays have a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is better optimized for working on documents than the usual multimedia-centric 16:9. The MIIX 700 units we’ve seen live had an exceptionally sharp, bright, and well-contrasted picture, as well as responsive multitouch input support.

Lenovo MIIX 700 Display

The keyboard cover with its ergonomically shaped keys and well-sized trackpad are another way of interaction with Windows 10 and programs. Whereas other keyboard covers have extremely short key travel and therefore lousy tactile feedback, the one included with the MIIX 700 is surprisingly good. It feels almost like a high-quality keyboard of one of the full-blown ThinkPad notebooks, known for their excellent keyboards. This practically means much a better overall typing experience than on the keyboard covers of other detachable 2-in-1s, including Microsoft’s Surface line.

Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 700 Keyboard

Lenovo MIIX 700 Keyboard Zoom

Performance-wise, Lenovo’s 2-in-1 is in the middle between the Surface Pro 3 with the Intel Core i-series processors and 10-inch Surface with the Intel Atom x-series. The MIIX 700 is based on the power-efficient Intel Core M-series from the latest Skylake lineup. Depending on a particular CPU model, performance of different MIIX 700 configurations will vary. So far, we only know the device will be available with up to the Intel Core M7-6Y75 with Intel HD 515 integrated graphics, which should perform similar to the previous-gen Core M 5Y70 with Intel HD 5300. This means good performance for the basic computing tasks like exploring the web, working in Office applications, high-definition multimedia playback, or low-end gaming. In more demanding scenarios like high-resolution photo and video production, the Core i-series chips generally have big advantage.

Lenovo’s IdeaPad MIIX 700 comes with either 4 or 8 Gigabytes of system memory, depending on your multitasking needs. Storing data is done using a solid state drive with a capacity of up to 256GB and way better read/write speeds than with the traditional hard drives.

Lenovo is vague when it comes to the sound system of the device. In their press materials, they say the computer has a “single stereo speaker”. Some single speaker devices are able to produce stereo sound, so we hope Lenovo opted for this instead of just a plain mono speaker. In the camera department, things are much clearer. Both front and rear shooters have 5-megapixel sensors. The rear cam supports auto-focus. It can be optionally replaced with a RealSense 3D camera, which unlocks some advanced Windows 10 features, such as Hello facial recognition-based logins.

As for networking and connectivity, the 2-in-1 PC offers a decent selection of network interfaces, ports and slots. To get you online, it uses an 802.11AC Wi-Fi module and optionally a mobile broadband 3G / 4G LTE module. There are also one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, a micro HDMI video output, microSD memory card reader, and Bluetooth.

Lenovo MIIX 700 Back View - Gold

Lenovo MIIX 700 Back View - Black

Lenovo claims the MIIX 700 provides a battery life of up to eight hours, measured by playing a locally stored video file. If you use the device for more power-consuming tasks like surfing the web via Wi-Fi, the battery life will be normally shorter.

The MIIX 700 is very portable, which is one of the main advantages of the 2-in-1s with keyboard covers. The system weighs in at 1.7 pounds and is 0.4” thin, but we’re not sure whether Lenovo has included the keyboard cover in these values.

The device will ship in two colors: black and gold.

Lenovo MIIX 700 Hinge Detail

Specifications of the Lenovo MIIX 700

Here are the specs of the Lenovo MIIX 700 with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.

Brand Lenovo
Screen Size 12-inch

This is a very small display size, given the most frequently used laptop screen size is 15.6".
Screen Resolution 2160x1440 pixels

This screen resolution provides a decent image sharpness and a lot of space on the display for the user interface and programs. It's slightly better than the popular Full HD. However, it isn't as good as the premium-class 4K Ultra HD and similar resolutions.
Touchscreen Finger multi-touch input

The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures.

Active digitizer pen input

The screen supports active digitizer pen input, besides the common finger multi-touch input. In comparison to simple capacitive pens you can use on any touchscreen, active digitizer pen input provides advanced features like pressure sensitivity. Check with the laptop seller whether the active pen is included in the package.
Other Display Specs IPS type

Displays based on IPS technology provide much wider viewing angles than the budget-class TN screens.
Processor (CPU) Intel Core M5-6Y54 (older power-efficient lower-mid-range CPU)

Intel Core M7-6Y75 (older power-efficient lower-mid-range CPU)
Graphics (GPU) Intel HD 515 integrated graphics (good only for the lightest gaming)
System Memory (RAM) Size 4GB RAM

4GB is a small RAM size for computing in 2023. For smooth operation of a laptop during everyday tasks, at least 8GB is recommended.

8GB RAM

The 8GB RAM size is the standard one in 2023. It provides comfortable multi-tasking for the most home and office users.
Data Storage 128GB SSD

128GB is a relatively small storage space. However, it is usable if you don't store a lot of large files like movies and don't install a lot of programs.

256GB SSD

256GB is a decent capacity. If you tend to download and store a lot of large files like movies and install many programs, 512GB or more is a better choice.
DVD Optical Drive None
Keyboard & Input Non-backlit keyboard without dedicated number pad

The keyboard has no backlit keys and no separate numeric pad you can usually find on the right side of the keyboard on many laptop models.

Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface

The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons.

Touchscreen

Active digitizer pen
Speakers & Audio Stereo speakers

As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers.
Camera Front + rear

Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This device additionally has a rear camera.

RealSense 3D
Wi-Fi Wireless 802.11AC

The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements.
Ethernet Network Port No

This laptop has no Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity.
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) Yes (Optional)
Bluetooth Yes

This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices.
USB Ports 1 x USB 3.0 + 1 x USB 2.0

A pair of standard full-size USB ports.
Video Output Ports 1 x micro HDMI

HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs. The laptop has a compact "micro" version of HDMI on its side.
Media Card Reader MicroSD card reader

The laptop has a slot for MicroSD memory cards. These are small SD cards commonly used in smartphones.
Other Features Detachable keyboard included

RealSense 3D Camera

Stylus pen
Battery "Up to 9 hours of video playback"
Weight 1.7 pounds
Height 0.4"
Width 11.5"
Depth 8.3"
Windows Version Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 Home is aimed at the regular home and office computer users. Only select business users need the Professional edition. Windows 10 Home users are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Home.
Warranty 1-year

A typical laptop warranty.

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