Final Thoughts

I like the concept behind the ThinkPad Helix: a powerful, portable, business-oriented tablet with a reasonably large display that can exist easily converted into a laptop on the go. With features like a fingerprint scanner and stylus, information technology's meant to present a good culling to other convertibles like the Asus Transformer Volume or Surface iii Pro.

However I tin't help merely feel similar Lenovo hasn't nailed the execution of this device, even in its second generation. Sure, there are numerous improvements in many areas, but it'south even so well short of beingness an ideal concern grade tablet-laptop convertible.

Virtually of the issues I have with this system revolve around the keyboard dock. The bones Ultrabook Keyboard is decent enough to type on, simply its lack of a hinge severely restricts its usefulness. The fixed bending of the tablet while docked, combined with the weak docking mechanism, makes the keyboard feel similar a cheap, tacked on add-on rather than an integral part of the Helix package.

The Ultrabook Pro Keyboard sounds like a much better option for the Helix, as it includes a hinged pattern alongside an extra battery for much greater flexibility. However I didn't get a run a risk to apply it for this review, and it'southward unclear how you lot'd really go about purchasing one. As far as I can tell it'southward an optional actress, with all Helixes coming with the standard Ultrabook Keyboard instead, though the Lenovo website doesn't brand this clear at all and offers no way to add in the Pro Keyboard to your purchase, or even buy it separately.

If yous were because purchasing a second-gen Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, I'd definitely wait to hear the verdict on the Ultrabook Pro Keyboard, and wait until it'south actually bachelor to buy.

There were a few other oddities about the Helix. I have absolutely no idea why the clock speed of the Intel Core Yard chip is throttled when the tablet is removed from the keyboard dock. The dock contains no secondary power source, so it'southward merely acting equally a USB accessory, and actually shouldn't activate a different power profile. While performance isn't really an issue while in tablet mode, an capricious 15-20% performance driblet exterior the dock seems completely unnecessary.

The proficient news is that the Cadre M-5Y70 was more impressive in the ThinkPad Helix than in the Yoga three Pro. Functioning was better in the Helix and then was battery life, which I suspect comes down to simply having to drive a 1080p display.

Battery life was very expert from this Broadwell-powered tablet, and for once Core One thousand should brand it terminal longer than the previous generation.

While the blueprint of the ThinkPad Helix is nothing to write home nearly, I liked getting a full-sized USB 3.0 port, and LTE back up will definitely come in handy to some. The included stylus was also very responsive and useful for annotating, and the fingerprint scanner worked well most of the fourth dimension. The 11.6-inch display complements the package with a decent 1080p resolution, good color reproduction and excellent brightness.

But equally a consummate package, I only tin can't recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix. The tablet part is a good option for business users, simply the keyboard dock that is supposed to make the device whole comes at error. Lenovo is making the Helix a disservice when it bundles a hinge-less, awkward dock with limited functionality instead of the should-exist-standard Ultrabook Pro keyboard, fifty-fifty when the $929 base price would otherwise be attractive.

Pros: Handy features include stylus support, full-sized USB, and LTE. Decent display and battery life.

Cons: Bundled keyboard dock is very substandard. Tablet performance gets unnecessarily throttled downwardly when removed from dock. Boring, bland blueprint.