Lenovo took over NEC Corporation’s computing business back in 2016, and ever since then, it has been selling some products under the LAVIE brand. This year at CES 2021, Lenovo has come up with two Lavie branded devices - the Lavie Mini and Lavie Pro Mobile. The former is an 8-inch ultra-mobile PC, while the Lavie Pro Mobile is a more traditional-sized notebook. These releases come alongside the new Lenovo IdeaPad 5 series, the new Yoga 7 AIO PC, new monitors, and the new Lenovo Tab P11 launch as part of the company's CES announcements.

Lavie Mini PC

The Lavie Mini is technically a pocket-sized PC, but has a lot more of a 2-in-1 convertible concept PC vibe to it. The device features an 8-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) touch panel display, and can be configured with Intel’s 11th Gen Core-i7 mobile processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. There is a 256GB SSD on the inside with 16GB of LPDDR4 memory. With an overall weight of 579-grams, the LAVIE MINI is fairly easy to carry around and comes with a backlit keyboard as well. The tiny device also features an IR camera with Windows Hello for seamless login, up to a 26WHr battery, and Wi-Fi 6 onboard.

NEC LAVIE MINI product image

The device comes with a special optional Gaming Controller that transforms the mini laptop into a Nintendo Switch-esque portable gaming console. As per Lenovo, the device can handle ‘high-quality PC games such as battle royale and car racing games.’ The controller comes with all the necessary buttons and keys one would need for gaming along with vibrations, left/right trigger buttons, and analog thumbsticks. And, just like the Nintendo Switch, you can use its optional HDMI-connected Dock to play games on a large display.

NEC LAVIE MINI gaming controller

NEC LAVIE MINI with gaming controller

Pricing and Availability

The Lavie Mini is currently a prototype and Lenovo hasn’t shared any plans regarding a launch or a price. It does however remind us of the GDP Win 3 handheld gaming PC which somewhat offers the same functionality but with a unique sliding form factor.

Lavie Pro Mobile

The second product under the NEC portfolio is the Lavie Pro Mobile. It is pretty much an upgrade for last year’s model that came with the 8th-gen Intel Core processor option in a neat and lightweight package. This year, the company is introducing some welcoming upgrades including long-lasting battery life and an improved 1.5mm key travel for a better typing experience. The notebook also comes with a lift-up hinge function that tilts your keyboard to your personal preference. Weighing at about 889-grams with a thickness of 16.7mm, it is definitely one of the lightest notebooks on the market.

NEC LAVIE Pro Mobile product image

As for the rest of the specs, the Lavie Pro Mobile can be configured with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core-i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, a 13.3-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, and a claimed battery life of up to 10 hours.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for the notebook starts at $1699.99 in the USA, while availability details will be shared by Lenovo at a later stage.