Lenovo ThinkPad Twist review

Convertible tablets are nothing new in the business sector, but convertible Ultrabooks certainly are: the ThinkPad Twist is the first we’ve come across.

However, those expecting the usual ThinkPad build quality are likely to be disappointed. The Twist is plasticky, the central hinge is far more cumbersome than the Yoga 13’s double-jointed hinge, and when clipped into the base in tablet mode, the two halves separate at the slightest provocation.

That’s a shame, since the touchscreen is responsive, the 1,366 x 768 IPS panel’s viewing angles are superb, and colours are accurate. The measured brightness of 337cd/m2 keeps the glossy panel legible outdoors, and the contrast ratio of 702:1 is excellent by any standards.

Connectivity strikes just the right balance for business use, too. With two USB 3 ports, mini-DisplayPort, mini-HDMI, an SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet and a SIM slot for the model with 3G, the Twist is better served than most of the Ultrabooks and hybrids we’ve seen.

As well as a buttonless touchpad there’s also a red trackpoint set in the centre of the Scrabble-tile keyboard. Typing is a joy, but the buttonless touchpad isn’t great – we found the cursor was jittery and prone to jumping across the screen, so we disabled it and used the trackpoint instead.

Performance lowers the tone once again. The Core i5-3317U CPU is no weakling, but the sluggish 500GB hard disk struggles to keep Windows 8 feeling as responsive as SSD-equipped models. With a score of 0.53 in our Real World Benchmarks, and a result of only 5hrs 16mins in our light-use battery tests, the Twist is neither quick nor particularly long-lasting.

Apart from an excellent display and generous connectivity, then, the ThinkPad Twist provides little in the way of excitement. The pricier £999 model, which adds 3G and a speedier SSD, makes the Twist more viable for businesses, but it’s still no award-winner.