Lenovo’s expanding its Yoga line of flexible products with two new Android tablets. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet doesn’t convert from a tablet to a notebook like its Windows-powered siblings, but Lenovo says you can use a Yoga Tablet in three modes: hold, tilt, and stand.
Lenovo will offer 8 and 10 inch models for $249 and $299, respectively. The 8 inch model is available exclusively from Lenovo.com and Best Buy starting October 30th, with the 10 inch model available from a wider ranger of retailers.
Lenovo is also offering a Bluetooth keyboard cover for the 10 inch model for $69.
While there’s no built-in keyboard, the tablet is designed to be used in your hands or on a tablet thanks to a small kickstand built into the side of the case. It doesn’t stick out as far as a normal kickstand, thanks to a design that places the center of balance on the tablet closer to the thick end where the battery hangs out (and where you’d most likely grip the tablet).
The stand lets you prop the tablet up on a table in stand mode — the stand is adjustable to let you fit angles from 110 to 135 degrees. You can also lie it down on a table, using the same kickstand to prop up the tablet at a gentle angle in tilt mode for gaming or typing.
And of course you can hold the tablet in your hands.
Both the 8 and 10 inch Yoga Tablets feature 1.2 GHz MediaTek MT8125 quad-core processors, 1280 x 800 pixel displays with 178 degree viewing angles, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of additional storage space and a microUSB OTG port. They both run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean software.
The tablets have stereo front-facing speakers, a 5MP rear camera and 1.6MP front-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a headset jack and built-in mic with noise cancellation. In some regions there will also be 3G capable models with a micro SIM card slot.
The 8 inch Yoga Tablet features a 6000mAh battery and measures 8.4″ x 5.7″ x 0.29″ at its thickest point and weighs 14 ounces. The 10 inch model has a 9000mAH battery, measures 10.3″ x 7.1″ x 0.32″ and weighs 1.3 pounds.
Lenovo says the tablets get up to 18 hours of battery life… in reading mode. That suggests you’ll have to disable WiFi and possibly some other features to get that kind of battery life. But that long battery life claim compares rather favorably with Amazon’s claim that you can get up to 17 hours of reading time on the latest Kindle Fire tablets under similar conditions.
You can also connect your smartphone to the microUSB port to charge your phone using the Yoga Tablet’s large battery.
While the Yoga Tablets are brand new in the US (and Lenovo is kicking off the launch with a webcast featuring Ashton Kutcher), they actually started showing up in Europe earlier this month.
I like the stand, the 8 inch size and battery life. Price is OK.
How is the UI? Stock Android?
The only dealbreaker in my next small tablet (i dont like the 10 inch form factor) was USB and SD inputs.
HDMI would have been a bonus. As would a 200$ price range.
I cant wait to give it a test run soon. The multiple stand positions look interesting and Im curious of the ergonomic handle will be confortable and feel solid.
This could be the next one.
What a gyp I was hoping for a new revision of the Tablet 2.
I hope they put really thought through the kickstand durability, I see a fantastic stress point.
Lenovo Yoga tablets have a very interesting design with the round holder on one of it’s longsides!
It can be stressful for a hands muscles to hold a tablet today but Lenovo solution is much more ergonomic.
Of course will Lenovo Yoga tablets be best selling Androids tablets with their ergonomic design and price!
Was the batterysize for the 8-inchmodel a typo? I really can’t see it have 600 mAh where its bigger brother got 9 000 mAh 😉
Alas, I was hoping this was going to be a Windows hybrid.
Yeah. I think they missed a great opportunity here.
Now its just another android tablet with mediocre specs.
Lenovo typically uses less than top tier components and experimental designs in its low end consumer (Idea___) Android line. It then takes the lessons learned and applies them into its flagship ThinkPad business line, which is all Windows (it no longer makes an Android ThinkPad device, AFAIK) and uses top-shelf components.
Unfortunately, it could be a while before you see a ThinkPad version, Lenovo seems to trail other manufacturers’ product introductions by 3 to 6 months, while charging an arm and a leg in the process. Waiting is excruciating, but good things come to those who wait.
coulda been cool with ubuntu touch