We’ve reviewed our fair share of Lenovo tablets and are presently testing two more of them. One opinion common to all the models is that they lack something physically outstanding. They are, by and large, Android slates with a Lenovo skin. In a field full of Android slates, manufacturers need to do something to stand out. In Lenovo’s case, the stand out feature is a stand, that pops out.
“Microwho Surwhat? You’re just making things up.”
Taking branding from the Yoga tablet line, Lenovo unveiled two new tablets today. The new Yoga Tablet comes in 8″ and 10″ forms, priced at $249 and $299 respectively. If you’re thinking that’s not bad for a quad-core device with a 1280 x 800 resolution and 16 GB of storage, you’re not wrong. The screen doesn’t have resolution quite as high as the Nexus 10 or Kindle Fire HDX (both rock a 2560 × 1600 screen), but unlike those other two great devices, the Lenovo Tablets have an SD slot, allowing you to add more storage space. Then again, Lenovo isn’t focusing on graphics to push the device, but the tablet’s ability to be configured in three modes: stand, tilt, and hold.
Strike a pose!
Hold mode, in which the tablet is held as a typical slate, is the most obvious position. Tilt is ideal for multimedia and browsing. Stand is best for teleconferencing and video calls and using with a Bluetooth keyboard. Incidentally, Lenovo offers a Surface-esque keyboard cover for the 10″ model for an additional $69. Of course, the three forms mean you can always find one that’s right for your own personal workflow.
Hold on, there’s more.
If a kickstand was a killer app, the Microsoft Surface would do a lot better. What makes Lenovo’s stand so impressive is what’s inside that cylindrical area, and that’s the dual batteries. Furthermore, Lenovo has put laptop battery cells in there, giving both form factors an estimated 18 hours of battery life. That’s pretty impressive, and with the USB on-the-go port on the Yoga, you can actually charge your cellphone or other device off of your tablet.
It can’t be used as a touchpad though, despite looking like one.
In terms of software, the Yoga runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). There’s no news yet on what sort of skinning Lenovo has done, but you should probably expect that as well as a whole bunch of bundled apps.
Lenovo has managed to do something here that the company has not managed to do since the ThinkPad tablet, which is catch our eye with an intriguing design and impressive specifications. We’re on a wait list for a review unit and can honestly say we’re looking forward to putting this puppy through the gauntlet.
If you don’t want to wait, you can find the 8″ exclusively at Best Buy and Lenovo’s website and the 10″ at Lenovo, Best Buy, Fry’s, and Newegg as of October 30. Having a device in stores the day after an announcement is a welcome change from any manufacturer. If you do get one, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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