Hy-Tech

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

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.
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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 hands-on

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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro

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.
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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 Pro

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.
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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2

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.