CES 2017: The Lenovo Miix 720 ready to make a big Splash

Lenovo have been borderline vocal about their desire to make their Miix 2-in-1 tablet series like the Microsoft Surface, from the 3:2 aspect ratio display to the integrated full-width kickstand to the snap-on keyboard cover. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing as the products are pretty decent overall. Lenovo do have a new one though and that is the Miix 720 which is to be unveiled at CES 2017 

This is practically an update to the Miix 700 which was introduced a year ago at CES 2016.

A lot of what was on the last Miix is here, from the 12-inch 3:2 form factor to the kickstand that's mounted via a small pair of Lenovo's iconic watchband hinges that fold back to 150 degrees. On the inside you'll see it's powered by the 7th-generation Intel Core i7 "Kaby Lake" processors along with Intel HD 620 graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and an SSD drive of up to 1TB. 

Naturally, the Miix 720 will run Windows 10, but unlike Lenovo's 2017 ThinkPad laptops, this won't be a bloatware-free Microsoft Signature Image — there's plenty of extra stuff pre-installed on this tablet.

So as a tablet, a lot of attention was given to the display and it's not half bad as it has a 2:3 aspect ratio 12-inch LCD panel with a dense 2880x1920 resolution and 400-nit brightness. 

As for the camera, you have a 1MP front-facing camera that offers IR support for Windows Hello facial recognition authentication (there's a 5MP shooter on the back). On the bottom of the Miix 720 is a magnetic mount for the keyboard cover, which features keys with 1.5mm of travel and backlighting — and it's included with the tablet.All of this is built into a 14.5mm-thick 2.4lb metal body. Lenovo includes a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port (also the tablet's charge port), a microSD card slot, and a pair of full-size USB ports — one of which is always-on so you can charge your phone off the Miix 720's battery even when the tablet's off. Speaking of the battery, Lenovo estimates up to 8 hours of battery life for the Miix 720.

In addition to the included keyboard cover, there's an updated Lenovo Active Pen 2 in the box. This AAAA-powered touchscreen pen offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity (double the first version) and has a built-in programmable shortcut button.

So in case you're in the market for a new tablet, the Miix720 might just be the way to go.