Lenovo’s new ‘Yoga’ tablets run Android and Windows, one has a built-in projector

Lenovo’s original, kickstand-toting Yoga Tablet was kind of a flop, thanks to a poor display, sluggish performance and heavily skinned version of Android. (Naming Ashton Kutcher as a “product engineer” probably didn’t help either.) Not to be deterred, the company is going all in: Lenovo just announced new versions of the Yoga Tablet, including a big-screen model with a built-in projector, and two that run Windows (it’s also still available with Android). Starting with that weird projector edition, called the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro, it’s not the first gadget we’ve seen with a built-in lamp, but it’s the first we’ve seen in quite some time. In this case, what we have this time around is a 13-inch Android tablet with a 2,560 x 1,440 screen sharp enough to play movies on its own, though you could also use the in-built Pico projector to create a 50-inch image on the wall.

Speaking of the sort, the tablet is about as flexible as other Yoga tablets, which is to say it has a rotating hinge that doubles as a kickstand. Here, though, there’s also an option to hang it from a wall while you project, if that’s somehow more convenient than standing it upright. On the inside, the tablet makes use of an Intel Atom processor, helped by 2GB of RAM. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear camera, along with dual 1.5-watt speakers a 5-watt JBL subwoofer. For storage, you get 32 gigs built in, along with a microSD card capable of supporting cards as large as 64GB. The battery, meanwhile, which is built into the hinge, is rated for up to 15 hours of runtime. So is something this innovative worth a second look? Depends: How do you feel about spending $500-plus on your next tablet? We’ll give you a few weeks to think on that — this won’t actually go on sale until the end of the month.

If you’re just fine with a regular tablet, thank you very much, the refreshed Yoga Tablet 2 still comes in 8- and 10-inch sizes, just like the last version. Now, though, it’s available with either Android 4.4 or Windows 8.1. All told, this is a pretty iterative upgrade — the design is fundamentally the same — though there are nonetheless a few welcome spec bumps. For starters, Lenovo upgraded from a MediaTek processor to an Intel Atom chip, which should hopefully address those performance issues. Two, all of the tablets in the series, even the 8-inch models, now have 1,920 x 1,200 screens, a step up from the 1,280 x 800 on the last-gen models. Additionally, the kickstand is said to be sturdier on the 10-inch model, while all of the models now have that same new “Hang” mode as the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro. Finally, there’s a 4G option for all the Android models, along with the 10-inch Windows version.

If you do buy one of the Windows configurations, you’ll also get a free one-year subscription to Office 365. Unfortunately, Lenovo didn’t make many changes to the Android version, which is to say it still runs a heavily skinned version of KitKat. In particular, Lenovo’s take on Android is so heavy-handed, that it’s actually more like iOS in some ways — there isn’t even an app drawer! Just all your apps, hanging out on the various home screens. In any case, if you are interested in the Android version, that’s available today starting at $250 for the 8-inch model and $300 for the 10-incher. The two Windows models will arrive throughout the fall, with the 10-inch model going on sale later this month for $400, and the 8-inch edition landing in November for $300.

Nicole Lee contributed to this report.

Filed under: Tablets, Lenovo

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Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro Ultrabook brings a thinner and lighter design

Remember how Intel recently unveiled a new family of chips designed to make 2-in-1 laptops much thinner and much lighter? Of course you do. Anyway, get ready to see lots of machines coming out this holiday season with extra-compact designs. Case in point: Lenovo’s new Yoga 3 Pro Ultrabook, which launched today with a chassis that’s 14 percent lighter and 17 percent thinner. All told, it weighs in at just 1.19kg, or 2.62 pounds. That’s impressive even for a 13-inch Ultrabook, and it’s definitely an improvement over the last-gen Yoga 2 Pro, which came in at 3.06 pounds.

Otherwise, the Yoga 3 Pro is similar to the last model: It still has a 3,200 x 1,800 display, and the industrial design and keyboard layout have barely changed either. Of course, too, this is fundamentally still a Yoga, which is to say it has a 360-degree hinge allowing you to fold the screen back into tablet mode (and also “Stand” mode, and “Tent” mode). As before, the battery life is rated for up to nine hours, not that we ever got close to that on the Yoga 2 Pro. Hopefully Lenovo actually means it this time. As for performance, this is an ultra-low-voltage Intel Core M processor, which means in exchange for slimmer designs and long battery life, you may experience a slight dip in performance versus a standard-voltage system. That said, it shouldn’t stop you from using the machine as your daily driver.

Additionally, in less important news, Lenovo announced the ThinkPad Yoga 14, the company’s first convertible Ultrabook with that particular screen size. Like the original ThinkPad Yoga, which has a 12.5-inch screen, this newer model has a self-flattening keyboard that locks up when the machine is in tablet mode. As a relatively big-screen Ultrabook, the specs are a bit more heavy-duty than you’d otherwise expect from an ultraportable, including discrete NVIDIA GeForce 840 graphics, 1TB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Despite that horsepower, though, Lenovo says you can still get up to eight hours of runtime on a charge. Both laptops arrive at the end of this month, with the Yoga 3 Pro priced from $1,349, and the ThinkPad Yoga 14 starting at $1,199.

Nicole Lee contributed to this report.

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

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