Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 review: A great value Surface Pro 4 opponent

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 review: Performance and battery life

The driving force behind the Miix 700 is one of the most potent of Intel’s Core m processors: the dual-core Intel m7-6Y75. Faced with Expert Reviews’ tough 4K benchmark suite, the Miix 700 reached an overall score of 38, which is exactly what you’d expect for a system with these specifications.

As ever, the Core m processor rarely struggles. It’s lightning fast in general web browsing and word processing scenarios and only starts to struggle when you present it with sustained, intensive workloads such as video editing or hefty photo processing in Photoshop CC. Don’t expect it to run the latest games at highest fidelity either: it scraped just over 30fps in Dirt: Showdown at 1,280×720 resolution, and that was with the graphics settings dialled right down to Ultra Low.

Sadly, the low voltage processor and fanless design don’t do much for battery life. As ever, the quest for a super-lightweight chassis has left the Miix 700 struggling to last as long as slightly heavier Core m devices. In our battery life tests, the Miix 700 expired after 6hrs 40mins in our continuous video playback test. By comparison, the Surface Pro 4 lasts over an hour longer in the same test.

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 review: Ports and connections

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet was sorely lacking when it came down to ports and connections, and the Miix 700 is no different. You get one USB 3 port, one USB 2 port, microSD and Micro SIM slots, plus a 3.5mm headset jack.

As far as network connectivity goes, there’s 802.11ac wireless built in, along with Bluetooth 4.0, but that’s your lot. There’s no Ethernet adapter supplied in the box, either.

And unlike the ThinkPad X1’s optional productivity module, which offers a little more flexibility, there’s no way to expand upon the Miix 700’s connectivity without resorting to third-party USB hubs.

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 review: Speakers

The dual side-facing speakers provide a decent enough listening experience, provided you don’t whack the volume up to full. Audio is tinny at high levels, but keep the volume in check, and the speakers are just about  good enough for watching Netflix in bed. The only quibble is that, in landscape orientation, it’s all too easy to cover the speakers and inadvertently muffle the audio.

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 review: Verdict

The Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 ticks lots of the right boxes. It’s lightweight and portable and pretty nippy compared with its similarly priced rivals. It’s still lacking the all-around refinement of the current hybrid leader, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, but it’s a solid all-rounder.

It’s the price that swings it, though. The Miix 700 is cheaper than rivals, not to mention Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Tablet, yet you’re getting a very similar specification, and that’s a big bonus. Indeed, if you were tempted by the charms of pricier hybrids, but can’t quite justify the price, the Miix 700 could prove to be the perfect alternative.

Still undecided? Check out our rundown of the best laptops you can buy in 2017.