Lenovo's new Yoga 10 tablet has been released, and it's the company's most innovative Android tablet to date.
As soon as I unboxed the Yoga 10 tablet, the first thing I noticed was the unique design. The tablet features a clean slate, but the one end features a rolled up design, similar to a rolled up magazine. It's a nice and sleek design. You may worry that the rolled up design may cause the tablet to become pretty bulky in overall size, but the rest of the tablet remains really slim, coming in at 0.3 inches thin. The volume, microphone, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and microUSB are all on the edges the of tablet, which makes it a breeze to access the ports you need while operating it. The back of the tablet is built with a sturdy textured polycarbonate material, with a aluminum allow frame. The combo works well, and it gives the tablet a premium feel and look. The weight of the device can vary depending on what side you're hand is on while holding it. The curved handle is the obvious side where the heavier weight will lean towards, but the overall weight of the slab is still noticeably light. I compared it with my iPad 2, which isn't heavy, but the Yoga 10 felt slightly lighter. Just like the previous Yoga tablets, the device can be manipulated in a variety of different ways. Whether you're watching a movie or you're at your desk, the solid kickstand hinge always stays in place. The tablet also features a 5 megapixel camera, which isn't the best, but it's actually one of the better cameras featured in an Android tablet.
Performance and Quality:
The Yoga 10 tablet comes well equipped for a $300 device, but the where the device lacks is the lackluster display. The Yoga 10's display comes in at 1200 x 800, which produces only a measly 149 ppi. Yes that may seem a little low when you compare it too the other high end devices out there, but you aren't paying 200 hundred dollars more either. Lenovo always customizes their devices' UI, and the Yoga 10 features another altered version of Android 4.2.2 Jellybean. The designers got rid of the apps panel altogether, and it creates a bit of a hassle when trying to find certain apps. In order to meet its pricing criteria, Lenovo opted to outfit the Yoga Tablet 10 with an unfamiliar piece of hardware – a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek MT8125 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The 16GB internal storage is also a plus, especially for a device that's priced so low. The 5 MP camera doesn't pull any punches, the detail just their within the dozen or so pictures I took with it. All music is handled by the preloaded Google Play Music app, so there’s nothing more to say about its presentation and functionality, since it’s the same thing we find with most Android tablets and smartphones. I love the sound of the dual speakers, even though they don't get nearly as loud as I hoped they would. Out of the box, it supports all of the popular video codecs out there, and on top of that, it offers Dolby Digital Plus to give it a subtle surround sound feel. The battery life is outstanding, the 9000 mAh battery easily pumps out 18 hours of use, which is a godsend since I always have a tablet in my hand.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Terrific Battery Life
- Superb Design
- Lacking Display
- Poor Camera
Final Thoughts:
The Lenovo Yoga 10 Tablet is a great device if you don't wanna spend 4 to 5 hundred dollars just for a tablet. At only $299 for the base 16GB option, it’s a steal no doubt when I find a sturdy built tablet that has a very unique design. In the end, if you're on a tight budget, this is a no brainer.
S&S Rating: 8.5/10 @whatsPlay