Lenovo’s new tablets are a promising pair of iPad alternatives

CNN
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Lenovo has a pair of promising iPad alternatives in the pipeline with the Yoga Tab 13 and Yoga Tab 11, and we obtained to scrutinize them up shut. These new Android tablets stand out with their slick fabric-coated designs as correctly as their handy kickstands that also allow them to be hung in your kitchen or living room ought to you’re reading recipes or checking the weather.

On top of these powerful new slates, Lenovo also took the wraps off of the Smart Clock 2, an $89 smart alarm clock that will probably be a suitable Nest Hub alternative, thanks to its integrated wi-fi charging dock.

Right here’s our first take a look at up on at Lenovo’s new tablets and smart devices slated for later this year, and why we assume you have to be exasperated about them.

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The Yoga Tab 13 (starting at $679) is a top class tablet constructed for each work and play, with a colorful 13-shuffle display and a stable amount of energy and connectivity alternatives. The Tab 13’s plan immediately caught our watch on two fronts: its attractive Alcantara coating, and a outlandish kickstand that also doubles as a hanger for ought to you want a small display in your wall.

It’s rare that we gawk a tablet with Alcantara, which is the same soft-contact coating that we adore the use of on Microsoft devices such as the Surface Laptop 4. It makes the Tab 13 comfortable to maintain whereas adding some good extra grip, and offers the tablet a obvious take a look at up on that fashions it apart from the all-aluminum backings of the iPad family.

This classy take a look at up on is complemented by a constructed-in kickstand on the rear, which has a neat U-shaped plan that also means that you can hang the tablet on a wall or board. This may approach in handy as soon as you’re following a recipe in the kitchen, or want an easy way to ascertain the weather or news in your bathroom or hallway — especially because you can command the Tab 13 along with your divulge via the Google Assistant.

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We were also impressed by our short time with the Tab 13’s display, which gave a good amount of shimmering pop to the tablet’s blue and purple background as correctly as the litany of shimmering app icons scattered around it. The 13-shuffle cloak has a 2K (2048 x 1080) decision and promises a excessive 400 nits of brightness, which appears ideal for watching movies or playing Android games on the drag. It also boasts a low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) cloak, which are constructed to be faster and sharper than a typical LCD display. We’re eager to test out the tablet’s quad JBL speakers, which feature Dolby Atmos toughen for immersive spatial sound.

Specs-smart, the Tab 13 ought to be able to energy via everyday tasks appropriate shapely. It’s working Android 11 with a Lenovo individual interface on top with Wi-Fi 6 toughen for use with the latest and speediest wi-fi routers (there’s no LTE option for connecting on the road, unfortunately). It even packs a microHDMI to USB cable, which allows it to double as a portable video display for correct about any laptop or desktop. The Yoga Tab 13 starts with 128GB of storage for $579 and scales to 256GB, plus it supports a microSD card for expansion. In our short time with Lenovo’s 13-shuffle tablet, swiping and tapping around the cloak to begin apps, folders and browsers felt instant and responsive.

Ought to you want a smaller, more affordable model of this tablet, there’s also the $319 Yoga Tab 11. This slate has many of its greater sibling’s key features care for the kickstand, Dolby Imaginative and prescient toughen on an 11-shuffle cloak and Google Assistant integration. This smaller Yoga Tab is powered by a more entry-stage MediaTek Helio G90T processor, and in contrast to its larger counterpart has LTE toughen for retaining you online when Wi-Fi isn’t available. It may serene race Android 11 with a Lenovo interface and ought to handle most everyday tasks.

You also gather a Storm Gray fabric coating on the back, and whereas it’s no longer somewhat as good as the Alcantara on the Tab 13, it’s serene a welcome addition — and again, one thing you acquired’t obtain on the latest $329 iPad. The Tab 11 is slated to start shipping in August 2021.

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For folk that favor their smart displays at bedside, the $89 Lenovo Smart Alarm Clock 2 that we obtained to ascertain out appears comely promising. This tiny contact-cloak clock looks care for a miniature hybrid of the latest Echo Present and Nest Hub devices, with a shimmering 4-shuffle display and an especially attractive mesh coating that comes in Shadow Black, Heather Gray and Abyss Blue.

The Smart Alarm Clock 2 packs Google Assistant toughen, so that you can queue up tune, living an alarm or pull up some Google Images along with your divulge alone. The small display regarded spectacular for the duration of our short time with it, exhibiting some good coloration when we regarded at an image of a waterfall or cycled via various vibrant clock faces. But the real kicker is the integrated wi-fi charging pad, which, in addition to charging the Alarm Clock, leaves ample room so that you can juice up your cellular phone, earbuds or any numerous instrument that supports wi-fi charging.

Lenovo’s Smart Alarm Clock 2 will ship this September for $89.

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We’re especially eager to gather our hands on the Yoga Tab 13, which is shaping up to be an spectacular top class tablet with a great display and an especially beneficial plan that can be propped up and hung in a variety of numerous ways. Its ability to double as a video display obvious doesn’t afflict both. And enchanting about it’s cheaper than the iPad Professional (starting at $799), iPad Air (starting at $599) and Galaxy Tab S7 (starting at $649) it may display to be a compelling alternative for folk who want a highly effective and vibrant slate for work and play. The Tab 13 is determined to launch in July — preorders aren’t up appropriate yet, however you’ll obtain it here in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Tab 11 (coming in August starting at $319) will probably be a stable value retract that takes on the base iPad, especially because it has the same versatile plan as the 13. We’re also eager to scrutinize the way it compares to the cheaper $149 Fire HD 10, which is powered by a similar processor. And we’re having a take a look at up on forward to attempting out the Smart Alarm Clock 2 (arriving in September for $89) to scrutinize the way it stacks up against the handiest alarm clocks as correctly as Amazon and Google’s smart monitors.