Lenovo has officially revealed the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro, a 13in tablet designed in partnership with movie star Ashton Kutcher which is the first of its kind to include a built-in pico projector. Built to join the likes of the Yoga Tablet 8 and Yoga Tablet 10, the new addition to the range is Lenovo's biggest yet, with the specifications to match.
The pico projector has been added into the tubular hinge that has become a trademark of Lenovo's tablets, making room for a very useful kickstand that lets you prop up your tablet, turn it around to share with others, or create a comfortable position to grip it when reading ebooks. Like the Yoga Tablet 2, also announced tonight, the Tablet 2 Pro's kickstand has been strengthened so it lets you hang your tablet for displaying content as well as prop it up.
It is paired with another first; an 8w sound system complete with a subwoofer, which should make it ideal for impromptu movie nights and pop-up YouTube music playlists at parties. With Android 4.4 Kitkat running the show, you will be able to install all your favorite on-demand and catch-up TV apps for watching on the big screen too.
Even without the projector, videos and images should look fantastic on the 13in, QHD 2560x1440 resolution display. It's one of the largest tablets around, and comes at a time when Apple is rumoured to be working on a 12.9in iPad Pro, so it will be interesting to see how the public reacts, but according to Lenovo it should appeal to the 88 percent of people watching large amounts of digital content on tablets at home, of which more than half watch TV several times a week through a tablet.
Powered by a fourth generation Intel Atom processor, with 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for adding up to 64GB of extra space, a battery that should last up to 15 hours and optional 4G connectivity, the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro should be a potent device when it comes to performance. There's also an 8-megapixel camera on the back, which should be capable of great quality images for a tablet.
“The YOGA Tablet 2 Pro is the culmination of the most extensive research and feedback we’ve ever undertaken, and Ashton has been with us every step of the way, bringing new ideas to the table, challenging us and always advocating for users,” said Jeff Meredith, vice president, Mobile Business Group, Lenovo. “As a result, we’ve preserved the best features of the original YOGA Tablet – the modes and the long battery life – and now we’ve raised the bar completely with technologies like the projector that keep changing the way we think of tablets.”
The Yoga Tablet 2 Pro is set to go on sale from the end of October onwards here in the UK in platinum colours, directly from www.lenovo.com with prices starting from £449. We'll be taking a closer look as the reveal event unfolds, so make sure to check back later for some hands-on first impressions and more detailed specifications.
