Lenovo Yoga Tablet Launches with Curved Handle

Lenovo has launched two new Android tablets, the Yoga 8-inch and Yoga 10-inch. The Lenovo Yoga 8-inch tablet comes at $249 (Rs. 15,200 approximately) while the Lenovo Yoga 10-inch tablet has been priced at $299 (Rs. 18,300 approximately) weighing in at 0.88 pounds and 1.33 pounds respectively.  The tablets have been launched in the US, and for now, no global availability details have been released.

Both the newly announced tablets sports Lenovo's multimode feature, offering  three modes: Hold (for, well holding the tablet), Stand (for propping it up, say, for a video) and Tilt, which may be the best way to enter data with your fingers. The tablet is designed with a kickstand on the back and a cylindrical battery that Lenovo claims can last up to 18 hours, at least when you're reading.

Both devices have an MT8125 SoC, usually seen in budget tablets, which run Android 4.2.2 on a modest quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 with 1GB of RAM. Lenovo has chosen a strange Android skin that more closely resembles iOS than Android, with apps covering the home screens rather than tucked inside an app launcher. Almost surprisingly, the OS feels fast and responsive, with impressive scrolling rendering in both the default browser and Chrome. Both tablets have low-res 1280 x 800 resolution screens, although both colors and viewing angles are fairly impressive.

The machines come with 16GB or 32GB of memory, which can be expanded via microSD. Each has a 1.6 megapixel front camera along with a 5 megapixel rear camera.

Lenovo also roped in Ashton Kutcher as its new brand ambassador. Commenting on the launch, Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Lenovo Business Group, Lenovo said, "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. 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."