Lenovo Launches New Android And Windows Tablets For Penny Pinchers Starting At $129
Having built itself up to be the world's top supplier of PCs, Lenovo's long-term strategy is to continue leading the PC market while also making a strong run at mobile. In the short-term, that means the release of three new consumer tablets, including a pair of A Series Android slates, the Lenovo TAB 2 A8 and A10-70, and a Windows tablet, the IdeaPad MIIX 300.
In a nutshell, the new A Series Android tablets are designed to deliver entertainment on 8-inch and 10.1-inch displays with high-speed LTE connectivity and Dolby Atmos technology, while the 8-inch IdeaPad MIIX 300 brings Windows users a productivity tool in a pocket-sized form factor.
Moving beyond the Cliff Notes, we'll start with the TAB 2 A10-70, which measures just 8.9mm thin and weighs 509 grams (1.1 pounds). With regards to the Dolby Atmos sound, it's supposedly the first 10.1-inch Android slate to include the cinematic sound technology for richer and more powerful sound.
Other features include a Full HD 1080p IPS capacitive touchscreen display, MediaTek 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB of eMMC storage, microSD card slot, SIM slot, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 8MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera, 7,200mAh non-removable battery for up to 10 hours of run time, and Android 4.4 KitKat (a Lollipop update is scheduled for June) all wrapped in a polycarbonate shell.
Next on tap is the TAB 2 A8, essentially a smaller and slightly toned down version of the A10-70, though it will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. It will also feature an HD (1280x800) IPS display, MediaTek 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 8GB (black only) or 16GB (blue, white, and pink) of eMMC storage, microSD card slot, dual SIM support, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 5MP/2MP front/rear cameras, and a 4,200mAh non-removable battery.
Finally, Lenovo is throwing Windows users a bone with its IdeaPad MIIX 3000. This one sports a "premium" WUXGA (1280x800) 8-inch IPS display, and unspecified Intel Atom quad-core CPU based on Bay Trail T, up to 2GB of DDR3L memory, up to 64GB of internal storage, microSD card reader, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0 port, audio combo jack, 2MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing camera, and Windows 8.1 with Bing. Also included is a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365.
None of the spec sheets spank your bottom and yells "Who's your daddy!," though they're overall decent, especially at the asking prices -- the Lenovo TAB 2 A10 will be available in April starting at $199 for Wi-Fi models and $279 for LTE models; the TAB 2 A8 will ship in June starting at $129 for Wi-Fi and $179 for LTE; and the IdeaPad MIIX 300 will go on sale in July starting at $149.
In a nutshell, the new A Series Android tablets are designed to deliver entertainment on 8-inch and 10.1-inch displays with high-speed LTE connectivity and Dolby Atmos technology, while the 8-inch IdeaPad MIIX 300 brings Windows users a productivity tool in a pocket-sized form factor.
Moving beyond the Cliff Notes, we'll start with the TAB 2 A10-70, which measures just 8.9mm thin and weighs 509 grams (1.1 pounds). With regards to the Dolby Atmos sound, it's supposedly the first 10.1-inch Android slate to include the cinematic sound technology for richer and more powerful sound.
Other features include a Full HD 1080p IPS capacitive touchscreen display, MediaTek 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB of eMMC storage, microSD card slot, SIM slot, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 8MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera, 7,200mAh non-removable battery for up to 10 hours of run time, and Android 4.4 KitKat (a Lollipop update is scheduled for June) all wrapped in a polycarbonate shell.
Next on tap is the TAB 2 A8, essentially a smaller and slightly toned down version of the A10-70, though it will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. It will also feature an HD (1280x800) IPS display, MediaTek 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 8GB (black only) or 16GB (blue, white, and pink) of eMMC storage, microSD card slot, dual SIM support, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 5MP/2MP front/rear cameras, and a 4,200mAh non-removable battery.
Finally, Lenovo is throwing Windows users a bone with its IdeaPad MIIX 3000. This one sports a "premium" WUXGA (1280x800) 8-inch IPS display, and unspecified Intel Atom quad-core CPU based on Bay Trail T, up to 2GB of DDR3L memory, up to 64GB of internal storage, microSD card reader, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0 port, audio combo jack, 2MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing camera, and Windows 8.1 with Bing. Also included is a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365.
None of the spec sheets spank your bottom and yells "Who's your daddy!," though they're overall decent, especially at the asking prices -- the Lenovo TAB 2 A10 will be available in April starting at $199 for Wi-Fi models and $279 for LTE models; the TAB 2 A8 will ship in June starting at $129 for Wi-Fi and $179 for LTE; and the IdeaPad MIIX 300 will go on sale in July starting at $149.
