The range of devices from the Voyo company includes several modifications of transformable ultrabooks under the common name “Voyo VBook V3”. The main difference between them is the installed processors, as well as the amount of RAM and ROM. In this review, we will talk about the version that is equipped with a Core i5-7200U CPU, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD drive.
Case materials, design features
The model is presented on the market in 4 colors: gray, blue, gold and rose gold. The case itself is plastic, with a matte, non-slip coating.
And only the hinges, the mechanism of which provides the ability to open the device 360 degrees, are made of metal. The hinges are tight and securely connect the screen and keyboard units, so you won’t be able to open the laptop with one hand.
Thanks to its convertible design, Voyo VBook V3 can be installed in almost any position. For example, in transport or during a lecture, the device can be transformed into a tablet for more efficient work. Which is most convenient to hold in portrait orientation, and use the included stylus for input.
Of course, it is not advisable to consider the VBook V3 as an alternative to compact hybrid tablets, due to its rather modest dimensions (33.2 x 22 x 2.0 cm) and significant body weight (1.75 kg).
Connectors and other housing elements
On the bottom panel you can find 4 rubber feet, providing good stability on smooth surfaces. surfaces, ventilation openings necessary for the operation of the cooling system, and 2 stereo speakers. The volume of the reproduced sound is acceptable, as for a laptop, the sound quality is the most ordinary, nothing remarkable.
Also striking is the additional grille placed on the rear edge of the bottom panel without maintaining symmetry with respect to the hinges and edges of the case. From a technical point of view, there is nothing wrong with this. However, symmetry in design is an important aspect that influences the visual component.
The side edge on the right is occupied by a DC connector for connecting to a power source, one USB 3.0 port, a slot for installing a microSD card (TF) up to 128 GB and a Micro HDMI connector, allowing you to connect your laptop to an external monitor and transmit a video signal in high permission. There is also a charging indicator light and a mechanical switch that will allow you to lock the hardware keyboard when you switch the device to tablet mode.
On the left side there is one USB 2.0 connector, a 3.5 mm audio interface, a slot for a Micro SIM card, a volume control and a power control button.
The front camera is located in the usual place, above the screen. Shoots photos with a resolution of 2 MP and video in HD, there is no autofocus. The video calling kit is complemented by a built-in microphone, the hole of which can be found on the inside of the keyboard compartment.
Keyboard, touchpad and fingerprint scanner
The laptop has a quiet and fairly comfortable island-type keyboard with full-size keys. The absence of the Cyrillic alphabet can be solved by purchasing stickers or using laser engraving. But backlighting the keys would definitely not hurt, although here, if necessary, you can find a compromise by using a compact USB LED lamp.
The touchpad is quite large and has acceptable response accuracy. The only caveat is that the buttons on it, simulating left and right mouse clicks, click noticeably loudly, in contrast to the keys on the keyboard with a quiet and soft action.
To the right of the touchpad is a fingerprint scanner, which is designed for biometric protection of system data. It does not work as quickly as on modern smartphones: to unlock you need to hold your finger on the scanner for about 3 seconds.
Due to the fact that the laptop body and its frame are made of plastic, the panel in the keyboard area may bend slightly when pressed. There is nothing critical about this, since this factor does not affect either the accuracy or speed of typing.
Display and stylus
Voyo VBook V3 is equipped with an IPS 13.3” display with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a fairly high resolution (1920 x 1080). Touch input is supported, the touchscreen has adequate sensitivity and recognizes up to 10 touches simultaneously. The screen has good viewing angles and good color rendition of the image.
Since the brightness margin is not indicative, and there is an air gap between the screen and the touch layer, image visibility may be difficult outdoors in clear weather. However, indoor visibility is excellent, the brightness is quite enough for both work and consumption of multimedia content.
In tablet mode, working with an active stylus is supported. Considering it as a replacement for professional solutions is pointless due to its limited technical capabilities (for example, pressure recognition is not supported). But as an auxiliary tool that can be used as an alternative input method to hit small elements in the interface of programs and websites, for creating notes, sketches and sketches - this is quite suitable option. The stylus, as well as a case for storing it, is included in the delivery package of the device.
Platform, performance and memory
Voyo VBook V3 is equipped with a 2-core Intel Core i5-7200U processor. Depending on the intensity of the load, its clock frequency can range from 2.5 GHz to 3.1 GHz. At the same time, the CPU i5-7200U is considered a fairly energy-efficient solution, thanks to the use of a 14-nm process technology. The device is equipped with an integrated graphics module Intel HD Graphics 620, which is compatible with DirectX 12, and also provides hardware support for HEVC (H.265) and VP9 encoding and decoding in 4K resolution.
The laptop has 8 GB DDR4 RAM. The memory operates at 2133 MHz and has a fairly high bandwidth. To install software and store user data, an SSD (M.2 2280) solid-state drive manufactured by Samsung is provided. Its capacity is 256 GB, and the read/write speeds are quite high (approximately 540 and 520 MB/s, respectively).
The total power of the device’s hardware configuration is sufficient to ensure high OS loading speed, good interface responsiveness and decent performance when working with a browser, the Microsoft Office office suite, as well as graphic editors Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc. d. The gaming potential of the laptop is quite modest, but the VBook V3 can handle games like CS: GO without any problems. When setting the resolution to 1280 x 720 on medium or high graphics settings, CS: GO produces 55-65 FPS, and 45 FPS on medium settings, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
When idle, the VBook V3 operates as quietly as possible, but when the load intensity increases, the active cooling system comes into play with automatic adjustment of the cooler speed. At maximum speed, the cooler can create noise comparable in volume to that heard when a MacBook is running. But the use of active cooling solves problems with overheating: the laptop body is almost always cold under standard loads.
Hardware upgrade options
Despite the fact that Voyo VBook V3 is positioned as a “2 in 1” transformable ultrabook, it has such a feature of classic laptops as the ability to upgrade some internal components.
For example, inside the case there is a free M.2 connector, to which you can connect a separately purchased compatible 3G/4G module. Next, after installing the drivers and installing the SIM in the appropriate slot, you can freely use the mobile Internet. If a modem is not needed, you can attach an additional SSD drive of the M.2 Type 2242 form factor with a capacity of up to 512 GB to the same connector. And finally, the user has the opportunity to increase the amount of RAM up to 16 GB by replacing the SO-DIMM module.
Software
The transformer comes with a multilingual, licensed Windows 10 OS (64-bit). The manufacturer has equipped the device with the ability to boot in UEFI mode and support for regular BIOS from AMI. Therefore, the user is free to install any third-party OS at his own responsibility.
Wireless network
Wireless connectivity options include support for Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-channel Wi-Fi (2.4 + 5 GHz). In the 5 GHz frequency range, Wi-Fi network throughput ranges from 433 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s. Optionally, it is possible to install an internal 3G and 4G LTE modem manufactured by Huawei.
Battery Capabilities
Autonomous operation of the laptop is ensured by a built-in battery with a capacity of 12000 mAh (3.7V). In mode of moderate intensity use (web surfing, working with office software), the charge lasts for about 7-9 hours. With active use of the device, the battery life will be about 4-5 hours. To charge the battery, a 9V, 2.1A power adapter is included.
Advantages and disadvantages of Voyo VBook V3
Pros:
- transformable design (2 in 1);
- touch screen with FullHD resolution;
- compatible with active stylus;
- excellent performance for home and office use;
- adequate amounts of memory, high speed RAM and SSD;
- modernization of individual configuration elements is supported;
- There are no restrictions on self-installation of third-party OS.
Minuses:
- the plastic panel in the keyboard area bends when pressed;
- there is no keyboard backlight;
- one of the ventilation grilles is placed without taking into account symmetry;
- The frames around the screen are not narrow enough by modern standards.
conclusions
Voyo VBook V3 combines convertible features such as a rotatable touchscreen display with pen support, and the benefits of ordinary laptops, which support hardware upgrades due to a free M.2 connector and the presence of an unsoldered slot for installation SO-DIMM. In addition, the user has the opportunity to use any preferred OS instead of the preinstalled one.
The Voyo VBook V3 is the most affordable convertible laptop on the market today. There are no cheaper ones, even refurbished ones! The tested modification on the i5-7200U may seem expensive - $770. But this is exactly half the cost of a similar device on the Russian market!
Plus, Voyo offers a ton of other options, both more expensive and surprisingly affordable:
- the most powerful with i7-6500U - for $870;
- with i7-6500U and double the memory for $970;
- with m3 mobile processor and incredible battery life for $470;
- economical option with Pentium 4200 for $390.
