Microsoft has unfortunately missed its deadline of late 2017 for Windows 10 on ARM, but it's not all bad. Lenovo will be joining HP and Asus by offering a device with a Snapdragon 835 processor, branded an ‘Always Connected' PC.
That means full LTE capabilities on the 2-in-1, as well as a significant boost to battery life. The Miix 630 offers a completely detachable keyboard and a kickstand, making it a solid device for professionals.
The device comes with a 12.3-inch WUXGA+ 1080p touchscreen display with a 4 or 8GB of RAM. It's paired with up to 256GB of storage, Windows Hello compatibility, a MicroSD slot, and one USB-C port. It also has an integrated Adreno 540 GPU.
The Performance Question
Despite those specs, it will have an impressive battery, mostly thanks to that ARM processor, but also due to its use of Windows 10 S. Lenovo reports a battery life of up to 20 hours, though it's not clear how that will change if users make use of Microsoft's free Windows 10 Pro upgrade.
Though initial reviews note no problems with performance, only Windows 10 S models have been tested. The emulation of win32 apps on ARM is bound to have a performance impact, but we don't know how significant it will be.
Either way, at $799, the Miix 630 is looking encouraging. The main drawback is the lack of ports, the single USB-C port meaning no room to plug in accessories while charging. Its pen also offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, so it may not be a good pick for artists.
Lenovo is planning to launch the device as early as April, and hopefully, we'll see some benchmarks before then. Despite the large bezels, it's looking like a solid, portable workstation.
