Lenovo have made a range of tablets over the years, a few of which have been Android and a few have been Windows 8 based. The focus of this week’s announcement has been the multimode tablet that has a unique kickstand allowing you to position in a variety of different poses.
The Yoga Tablet’s innovation lies in the unique handle design of its cylindrical battery, enabling three different usage modes – hold, stand and tilt, each offering a unique and beneficial way for users to interact with their tablet. The battery lasts up to an incredible 18 hours, taking the tablet experience to the next level. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet is available with both 8- and 10-inch screen sizes along with built-in multimedia features for entertainment on the go.
So it seems that a manufacturer is willing to try and create something a little different, I guess it’s all down to pricing and specifications.
Lenovo have said the following about pricing:
Estimated price of Lenovo Yoga Tablet is £199 and £249 VAT included for the 8-in and 10-in, respectively. For 3G models, estimated price is £229 and £279 VAT included for the 8-in and 10-in, respectively. Models will be available in EMEA starting in November. Estimated price of Lenovo Yoga 10 Bluetooth Keyboard Cover is £79 VAT included.
Which all sounds good, how about the specification? They’ve got the following to say:
The 10 inch and 8 inch models run on MT8125 for Wi-Fi models and MT8389 Quad Core processors for 3G models with 16 or 32 GB capacity and feature Android 4.2. Also equipped with Dolby® audio, Yoga Tablet’s front-facing speakers create a powerful surround sound experience through the device speakers and with headphones.
Extremely mobile, both models are featherweights weighing in at 605 grams for the 10-in model and 400 grams for the 8-in model. They feature high definition 1280 x 800 displays, a 5 MP auto focus rear camera plus an additional front camera, a micro SD expansion slot, allowing up to 64 GB of total storage, Wi-Fi and optional 3G in select countries and a micro USB connection and Dolby DS1 for rich audio. Lenovo offers an optional Bluetooth keyboard for the 10-in model that functions as a cover and even wakes up the tablet when it’s removed and puts the tablet to sleep when it’s attached. Users can also opt for a WD100 dongle in select countries to stream video content from the tablet wirelessly to a TV.
For me the MediaTek processor rings alarm bells, it will be usable, it’s just MediaTek equipped devices normally have some quirky stuff going on. This different form factor is intriguing though, I’d certainly like to try these out and at the prices quoted I might just do that.
Debuts three innovative modes and up to 18 hours of battery life
MILAN, ITALY – October 29, 2013: Multimode computing leader Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today debuted its first multimode Yoga Tablet at a livestream launch event with Ashton Kutcher, the company’s newest product engineer. Known for pioneering innovative multimode devices like the Yoga convertible laptop, Lenovo now brings people a new way to get the most out of their tablet experience.
The game-changing Yoga Tablet features three unique modes, giving consumers a better way to use a tablet. With hold, tilt and stand modes, the tablet adapts to the way people use it instead of forcing people to adapt to the technology. Additionally the Yoga Tablet has an amazing up to 18 hours of battery life1 to truly fit users’ ultra mobile lifestyles.
“Watching and discovering that people frequently use tablets in three main ways allowed us to break the mold on the current ‘sea of sameness’ designs, giving them a better way to read, browse, watch and interact with content,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Lenovo Business Group, Lenovo. “As consumers’ continue to demand innovative multimode designs we’re thrilled to have Ashton Kutcher on board with us to help further develop the immersive and complementary hardware and rich content experience.”
Yoga Tablet: Three Modes And Longer Battery Life Give Tablets A Better Way
One size does not fit all, especially when it comes to tablets. Lenovo designers and engineers identified three challenges tablet users face: fatigue when holding and using the tablet; no self-supporting mechanism when laid on a flat surface; and an inadequate viewing angle when set on a table. These scenarios inspired Lenovo to break the mold on the “sea of sameness” design and to create Yoga Tablet’s unique modes.
With its exclusive cylindrical handle, hold mode is designed to fit an individual’s hand, so the Yoga Tablet is easier to hold and offers more control over the device whereas other tablets require two hands. Hold mode makes reading, checking social media and browsing the web easy and parallels how people hold magazines when reading.
To convert the Yoga Tablet into stand mode, simply rotate the side cylinder 90° so that the tablet stand deploys, allowing the tablet to stand by itself on a desk or table. Users can change the viewing angle to fit what’s comfortable for them from 110° to 135°. Stand mode makes it easy for users to comfortably watch movies, place video calls and interact with the ten-finger touchscreen without having to rely on add-on accessories.
Users can lay the Yoga Tablet down in tilt mode to type directly on the tablet, play games and just surf the Internet with a better viewing angle. To further enhance the rich content and multimode tablet experience, users can enable the tablet’s auto-detection software that automatically brings up frequently used apps in hold and stand modes.
The Yoga Tablet’s multimode design not only provides a better usability experience, it offers dramatically longer battery life of up to 18 hours1, which is significantly more than the amount of typical tablets. Its cylindrical handle packs in powerful, dual batteries and unlike most tablets, it uses batteries typically found in laptops. The Yoga Tablet can even charge other devices such as smartphones via its USB on-the-go2. The 10 inch and 8 inch models run on MT8125 for Wi-Fi models and MT8389 Quad Core processors for 3G models with 16 or 32 GB capacity and feature Android 4.2. Also equipped with Dolby® audio, Yoga Tablet’s front-facing speakers create a powerful surround sound experience through the device speakers and with headphones.
Extremely mobile, both models are featherweights weighing in at 605 grams for the 10-in model and 400 grams for the 8-in model. They feature high definition 1280 x 800 displays, a 5 MP auto focus rear camera plus an additional front camera, a micro SD expansion slot, allowing up to 64 GB of total storage, Wi-Fi and optional 3G in select countries and a micro USB connection and Dolby DS1 for rich audio. Lenovo offers an optional Bluetooth keyboard for the 10-in model that functions as a cover and even wakes up the tablet when it’s removed and puts the tablet to sleep when it’s attached. Users can also opt for a WD100 dongle in select countries to stream video content from the tablet wirelessly to a TV. Lenovo also offers a portfolio of services solutions for the Yoga Tablet including warranty extensions, upgrades and premium technical support.
Pricing and Availability3
Estimated price of Lenovo Yoga Tablet is £199 and £249 VAT included for the 8-in and 10-in, respectively. For 3G models, estimated price is £229 and £279 VAT included for the 8-in and 10-in, respectively. Models will be available in EMEA starting in November. Estimated price of Lenovo Yoga 10 Bluetooth Keyboard Cover is £79 VAT included.
