A tablet with a built-in projector? Lenovo's got you covered.
Lenovo's latest trio of Yoga tablets includes a model with a built-in pico projector and booming speakers.
How's Lenovo's Yoga practice going? Not too shabby. Along with a slew of other products, the company unveiled three new Android tablets at IFA 2015 in Berlin.
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is more than a tablet -- it's also a projector. Found on its grip-friendly rounded spine, the pico projector can rotate 180 degrees and display an image up to 70 inches big. Using the built-in kickstand, you can adjust the positioning of the tablet, along with the angle of the projector to easily play a movie on whatever wall or ceiling your eyes desire.
What's the catch? At an 854x580-pixel resolution, the image quality isn't very sharp. On the bright side, the 10.1-inch QHD 2,560x1,600 screen is spectacularly crisp and vivid. We've seen a projector on a Lenovo tablet before, but this model is smaller, adds the rotation functionality, and features Lenovo's AnyPen technology, which allows you to use any metal object as a stylus.
To complement the theater-like setup, the Yoga Tab 3 Pro has booming sound quality. Thanks to a JBL sound bar and four front-facing speakers -- also built into the rounded spine -- the tablet is great for sharing video with an entire room. Fine-tuned with Wolfson Master Hi-Fi technology, the speakers deliver clear audio, while Dolby Atmos technology provides an immersive 3D experience by replicating the way sounds move in real life.
Additionally, the 10.1-inch Lenovo sports a premium design. It's made of aluminum and feels solid, though it's fashionably sleek and slim, and the leather-like finish on the back makes it comfortable to hold. It also has an IP21 splashproof rating, meaning it can withstand a minor spill.
Not to be outdone by the Yoga Tab 3 Pro, the 8- and 10-inch Yoga Tab 3 models also have something unique to offer. Similar to the Pro model, they boast the signature Android Yoga design with a built-in kickstand and feature Lenovo's AnyPen technology, but instead of a rotating projector, they have an 8-megapixel camera on the rounded spine that can rotate 180 degrees.
Running on Android Lollipop, both have 1,280x800-pixel resolution IPS screens, Qualcomm quad-core processors, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. They also have microSD card slots, but the 10-incher is only expandable up to 32GB, whereas the 8-incher can crank it up to 128GB.
Lenovo's Android tablets are notable for their innovatively useful designs, so much so that competitors even started to copy the unconventional look. Add the unique, new features on top of the quirky construction and Lenovo's latest lineup is responsible for some of the most attractive slates around. In a time where interest in tablets is waning, it's refreshing to see at least one manufacturer stepping up its game.
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is expected to hit stores in the US in November with a retail price of $499 (converts to £325 or AU$701). The 10-inch model of the Yoga Tab 3 is also expected in the US in November for $199 (converts to £129 or AU$280) or and the 8-inch model will hit stores earlier in October for $169 (converts to £110 or AU$237). International pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed. We'll update with the information as soon as details are released.