China's Lenovo unveils 'game-changing' tablet in LA
Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher unveiled the Yoga Tablet at a Los Angeles event which had been shrouded in mystery, with teaser videos and social media hints tagged #betterway.
The device, which has 18 hours on a single battery charge and goes on sale immediately, has three modes: hold, tilt and stand. A cylindrical hinge on one side can either be held, or opened to produce a stand, similar to the kick-stand on Microsoft's Surface tablet.
"Watching and discovering that people frequently use tablets in three main ways allowed us to break the mould on the current sea of sameness designs," said Lenovo senior vice president Liu Jun.
Teaser videos ahead of the event had included some suggesting that it could somehow be attached to furniture or household appliances. But the product appeared less radical.
Streamed event launches Yoga
"For this me is a risk," Kutcher said in a live streamed event from Los Angeles, praising Lenovo for realising that the risk is to be taken now because this is happening in the world now.
"They understand that they have to take risks and lead," added the "Two and a Half Men" actor, who is known as a technology investor, and who donned a "Lenovo product engineer" badge for the presentation.
The device comes in 8- and 10-inch models, priced at US$249 and US$299 respectively. An optional bluetooth keyboard - which doubles as a cover - is available for the larger model.
It enters a hugely crowded tablet market still dominated by Apple's iPad, but with rivals including Samsung vying to attract customers in the run-up the all important US holiday gift-buying season.
Tablet market still sizzling
Observers noted that the extra space in the hinge/handle allows Lenovo to boost the battery charge to last longer than that of many competing tablets. The devices run on Google's Android operating system, and have relatively low-resolution 1280 x 800 screens.
Technology review site CNET said the Yoga tablets were reminiscent of the Sony Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S, with their cylindrical edge offering a solid handle.
"These tablets feel well-balanced and light when held this way -- especially true with the lighter 8-incher -- and the cylinder gives your hands something smooth and easy to grip," CNET said in a review.
"Overall the tablets feel pretty well-built," it added.
The new Lenovo tablets were unveiled exactly a week after Apple released its new iPad line as it moved to fend off rivals which have eroded its dominance in the tablet market.
A slimmer version of its top-selling full-size tablet computer, dubbed the "iPad Air," was announced last week along with a revamped iPad Mini that has an improved high-definition display.
Source: SFP via I-Net Bridge