Lenovo's latest Android tablet is really a budget laptop
The Yoga A12 could be better than an entry-level PC in the right circumstances.
The tablet market is increasingly skewing toward laptop replacements, but what if you want a replacement for a low-cost laptop? Lenovo thinks it has the answer. It's introducing the Yoga A12, a 12.2-inch tablet that's really a budget convertible laptop for the Android crowd. Think of it as a lower-priced but larger alternative to the Yoga Book. You won't find the earlier model's pen input or Windows 10 option, but you'll still get a very portable design (it's 0.21 inches thick at its slimmest point) that can fold into a slate when you're watching Netflix, or a laptop when you need to get work done. The trick, as with the Yoga Book, is a flat touch-sensitive keyboard that eliminates some of the usual physical bulk. We found the Book's keyboard hard to get used to, but it might be easier on the A12's larger, more comfortable surface.
The A12 still has an Atom x5 chip powering things, although Lenovo has cut the memory and storage in half to 2GB and 32GB respectively. You'll also get a 13-hour claimed battery life. This is clearly meant more for browsing and the occasional productivity app than someone intending to use the tablet as their main computer. You might not mind so much when you see the price, though: the new Yoga will start at $299 when it goes on sale February 8th. That's just inexpensive enough that it could be a compelling alternative to a conventional entry-level laptop -- it doesn't have the performance or software of Windows portables, but it'll be easier to carry and more flexible.
