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Lenovo is working on a successor to its unique Yoga Book convertible

Lenovo is working on a successor to its unique Yoga Book convertible

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What would a sequel to one of 2016’s most intriguing laptops look like?

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Lenovo seems to be working on a follow-up to the Yoga Book, the company’s 2016 convertible laptop that swapped out a regular keyboard for a configurable, touch-sensitive surface.

According to regulatory filings logged at the Bluetooth SIG website (and spotted by Liliputing), the Chinese tech company is developing two new products: one “Lenovo Pen Pro,” and one “YogaBook2 Pro.” Obviously we can’t say much about these devices from their names alone, but it does suggest sequels are on the way to the 2016 computer and digital pen.

The original Yoga Book was intriguing; an ultrathin convertible with a 10.1-inch screen that was available running Android (for $500) or Windows 10 ($650). You could use it as a straight tablet, a digital notepad (with a bundled pen), or as a laptop. However, while the Yoga Book’s design and flexibility were impressive, the device was underpowered and its touch-sensitive “Halo” keyboard left many reviewers cold.

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The Yoga Book’s ‘Halo’ keyboard replaced mechanical keys with one touch-sensitive surface.

The mixed reception to Yoga Book’s hardware meant Lenovo never released a promised variant running Chrome OS. But, it did launch a budget version in 2017, the Yoga A12, with prices starting at $299 for knocked-down specs included 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

But what would a Yoga Book 2 Pro look like? Presumably, it would keep the same basic design, focused around a lightweight form factor and 360-degree hinge. We’d most likely get some upgraded innards, too, like a new processor and more memory. (It wouldn’t be hard to beat the original, with its Intel Atom processor and 4GB of RAM.) The big question, though, is would Lenovo stick with the touch-sensitive keyboard? It obviously didn’t help sell the device, but perhaps the company has developed a new feedback mechanism to make using it more natural.

Hopefully we’ll find out later this year. In the meantime, you can check out our original review of the Lenovo Yoga Book from way back in 2016: