Lenovo’s affordable new laptops give you the choice of AMD or Intel CPUs

Lenovo has revealed a clutch of new laptops over at MWC, including a wallet-friendly convertible, as well as a fresh all-in-one PC, and an interesting 7-inch tablet which boasts phone functionality.

The IdeaPad C340 convertible is pitched as an affordable 2-in-1 notebook sporting a 360-degree hinge and a choice of 8th-gen Intel and AMD Ryzen processors.

On the Intel side, there will be 14-inch and 15-inch variants available with a choice of Intel’s Pentium 5405U, Core i3-8145U, Core i5-8265U or Core i7-8565U processors. They will be backed up by 4GB to 16GB of system RAM, and up to a GeForce MX230 graphics solution (or you can stick with the integrated GPU).

Or if you prefer the AMD route, then your only choice will be a 14-inch model which can be powered by an AMD Athlon 300U mobile CPU, or a Ryzen 3 3200U, Ryzen 5 3500U, or a Ryzen 7 3700U at the top end. All of those come with integrated AMD Radeon Vega Graphics (although with Ryzen 7 you get integrated Vega RX), and you can choose between 4GB or 8GB of system memory.

Lenovo’s IdeaPad C340 in tent mode (Image Credit: Lenovo)

You’ll be able to pick either a Full HD or HD (1,366 x 768) touchscreen, whichever machine you plump for, and battery life is rated at up to eight hours, with a rapid charge mode available that juices up to 80% in an hour flat.

Lenovo notes that the bezels are nicely slimmed down on three sides (save for the bottom bezel), and the top cover of the notebook is glass fiber. You also get a privacy shutter for the webcam, and there’s an optional fingerprint reader for added security, too. Pricing for the IdeaPad C340 starts at $450, or $500 for the 15-inch version, although all models start at €599 (around £520) in Europe.

More IdeaPads

Lenovo also unveiled the new IdeaPad S540, an ultra-slim notebook crafted with premium materials.

As with the C340, the manufacturer offers a choice of 14-inch and 15-inch models powered by up to Core i7 8th-gen Intel CPUs, a 14-inch laptop driven by AMD processors, again up to a Ryzen 7 3700U.

The Intel flavors can be equipped with up to 12GB of system RAM, and integrated graphics or a GeForce MX250 – with the option of a GTX 1050 on the 15-inch laptop. On the AMD front, you can also have up to 12GB of system memory, but you can’t specify a discrete GPU, so you’ll have to live with Vega integrated graphics.

These laptops carry the same slim bezels, webcam privacy shutter, and rapid charge tech for the battery as the C340, with the Intel models increasing battery longevity to up to 12 hours (it’s up to eight hours on the AMD side).

As for the price here, the IdeaPad S540 starts at $730 or €799 (around £695) for the 14-inch AMD model, $850 or €899 (around £780) for the 15-inch Intel offering, and finally, $880 or €899 (around £780) for the 14-inch Intel variant.

Lenovo’s IdeaPad S340 (Image Credit: Lenovo)

If that wasn’t enough for you, Lenovo also showed off the IdeaPad S340, which has been refreshed with new Intel and AMD processors, and a slimmer profile, with a choice of striking colors including abyss blue and sand pink.

With this laptop, you can choose both 14-inch and 15-inch versions with either Intel or AMD processors, with Core i3, i5 and i7 options for the former, and up to a Ryzen 7 3700U when it comes to the latter.

All machines can be specified with up to 12GB of system RAM, with Vega integrated graphics for the AMD notebooks, and either integrated or a GeForce MX250 on the Intel side.

There’s an optional touchscreen and backlit keyboard with the IdeaPad S340, and again you get that webcam privacy shutter and rapid charge technology. Pricing starts at $370 or €549 (around £480), although note that the 14-inch AMD model will only be available in Europe and not the US.

In Europe, all of the Intel-powered laptops launch in March, and the AMD notebooks will follow in April, with the exception of the 15-inch IdeaPad S540 with Intel CPU which won’t appear until April.

For the US market, all the notebooks will arrive in April, save for the 14-inch IdeaPad S540 with Intel processor which will be delayed until June.

Lenovo’s IdeaCentre AIO A340 (Image Credit: Lenovo)

All-in-one PC plus Tab V7

Lenovo also revealed the IdeaCentre AIO A340, a slim all-in-one PC which comes in 22-inch or 24-inch spins, with an optional touchscreen, up to an Intel Core i5-8400T processor, with AMD Radeon 530 graphics and up to 8GB of system memory.

Pricing starts at $500 or €499 (around £435) for the 22-inch model, and $680 or €599 (around £520) for the larger version, with the machines going on sale in March for Europe, April for the US market.

The firm’s Yoga ANC headphones also got an airing at MWC, sporting a premium finish, with noise cancellation and support for USB-C and Bluetooth 5.0.

The Yoga ANC also benefits from a boom-less microphone, and quick charge technology (charging in under two hours). They will be priced at $170 or €158 (around £138), and are due to arrive in June for the European market, and July for the US.

Lenovo’s Tab V7 (Image Credit: Lenovo)

Finally, Lenovo’s Tab V7 was wheeled out, although note that this will only be available in Europe, Asia and Latin America – it won’t see a US release.

It’s a 6.9-inch tablet that carries phone functionality, built around a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chip, and boasting an 18:9 aspect ratio IPS screen with a Full HD resolution and narrow bezels.

The Tab V7 can carry 3GB or 4GB of memory, 32GB or 64GB storage, and benefits from twin front-facing speakers with Dolby Audio. There is a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facer, and you get a fingerprint sensor plus facial recognition on the security front. It also has dual-SIM capability, and a 5,180mAh battery.

The V7 will carry an asking price of €249 (around £215) and will hit the shelves in April (and as noted, won’t be available in the US).

  • MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest showcase for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2019 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone.

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