Available in 8-inch and 10-inch variants, the Lenovo Yoga tablet was recently announced with much fanfare in an LA event that included actor-turned-product-engineer Ashton Kutcher. With a unique rounded edge, the tablet is capable of three modes without the need of additional accessory.
This edge is certainly different from the flat design that we’ve become accustomed for tablets. Also known as the cylindrical handle of the Lenovo Yoga tablet, it allows three usage settings or modes—hold, stand, and tilt. The first is pretty much self-explanatory, as the edge provides enough grasp for the hand to hold. Stand mode, on the other hand, is done by rotating the cylinder 90 degrees. Lenovo claims this mode to be perfect for watching movies and making video calls. Lastly, tilt mode provides a comfortable viewing angle for playing games, surfing the Internet, and typing.
The cylindrical handle is not only designed for better usability; it’s also packed with dual batteries that are usually found in laptops. Battery capacity is quite large, allowing the Lenovo Yoga tablet to keep running for as long as 18 hours. The device can even charge other mobile devices via the USB.
Both 8- and 10-inch variants come with 1280×800 displays, meaning the larger version will come with a lower pixel density at approximately 151ppi. The weight is considerably light at 1.35lbs for the larger model and 0.88lbs for the other. Providing the processing power is a quad-core CPU by MediaTek. With up to 64GB internal storage available, the Lenovo Yoga tablet also comes with microSD expansion, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, front camera, optional 3G and Dolby DS1 audio.
Related: Lenovo Reveals Yoga 2 Pro, ThinkPad Yoga
Additional accessories include a WD100 dongle that allows streaming content from the tablet to a TV wirelessly, though that feature is only supported in some countries. For a productivity boost, an optional Bluetooth keyboard is also available.
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 and Yoga Tablet 10 are expected to sell in the US with suggested retail prices of $249 and $299, respectively. Already sold online in stores such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Newegg, no pricing and availability information have been released for the Philippines.