Lenovo says the Yoga Book is the world’s thinnest and lightest convertible tablet. It aims to blend creativity and productivity through a radical new design. The Yoga Book consists of two panels that open up like a traditional notebook. When closed, it measures up at just 9.6mm thick, tapering to 4.05mm at its slimmest edge.
This portability has been achieved through what Lenovo calls the “Instant Halo” keyboard. It’s a full touchscreen backlit keyboard that is displayed on one of the Yoga’s glass panels. Lenovo has done away with the physical keyboard to create a thinner design. However, the company insists the halo keyboard offers an experience akin to that of real keys.
Lenovo’s Yoga Book
Lenovo
The glass of the keyboard tray has been specially selected for its rough, matte feel that emulates key caps. The keys themselves are displayed as solid white outlines on the Yoga Book’s second display. When not needed, the keys simply fade away. When they are, the Halo Keyboard appears. It offers haptic feedback and built-in text prediction and suggestion technology.
The keyboard is one of two primary input devices. Lenovo has designed the Yoga Book with a heavy emphasis on its role as a note-taking tool. The Yoga Book is designed to mimic physical notebooks in every conceivable way. When closed, it looks like a traditional paper-bound medium notebook, even down to the design of its metal hinge.
Lenovo’s Yoga Book
Lenovo
The tablet comes with a unique dual use stylus, dubbed Real Pen. Lenovo describes it as an “acknowledgement that we all still love to write and draw on paper.” Real Pen is a Wacom stylus that can be used to create digital notes on the Yoga Book’s screen, much like any other stylus-accompanied tablet.
However, the Real Pen’s tip can be removed and replaced with a real ink cartridge. This allows you to use it to write on paper. That’s not all though, as Lenovo has sought to blend paper and apps together for a seamless writing experience. The Halo Keyboard houses a layer of electromagnetic resonance film which enables real-time digitisation of handwritten notes.
You can write using the Real Pen on paper and the screen simultaneously. If you place your physical notebook on top of the keyboard, the Yoga Book will be able to detect your writing as the real ink flows onto the pages. Powered by Wacom technology, it can convert your writing into a digital page in real-time.
Lenovo’s Yoga Book
Lenovo
It’s a unique way to write and one that’s likely to appeal to note-takers. It will be especially useful to people who prefer to write on paper but benefit from the convenience of digital notes. By placing a stack of paper on top of the keyboard, you can do both simultaneously. Real Pen doesn’t require batteries and only ever needs refilling with new ink cartridges.
“We set out to redefine the tablet category conundrum, namely that consumers no longer separate their activities into productivity and entertainment – it all blends together, and so should the device they use,” said Jeff Meredith, vice president and general manager, Android and Chrome Computing, Lenovo. “The Yoga Book introduces keyboard and handwriting input capability in an elegantly simple, unconventionally slender tablet design. We believe our unique design will offer tablet, 2-in-1 and traditional notebook buyers a first-of-its-kind option for evolving usage trends.”
Lenovo’s Yoga Book
Lenovo
The innovative technology is accompanied by capable core hardware. The 10.1-inch 1080p touchscreen is powered by an Intel Atom X5 processor and 4GB of RAM. There’s 64GB of storage and an 8-megapixel camera. The Atom processor isn’t an especially new chip. It’s an indication of how long Lenovo has been perfecting the Yoga Book’s technology for.
Two different operating systems will be available, Android or Windows 10. Android models will be available in Gold or Gunmetal for €499. The Windows version will come in Carbon Black for €599. Exact pricing will vary by region. The Yoga Book is set to launch worldwide in September.
