Lenovo has announced the launch of two Android-based 10.1-inch tablets - Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 and Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. The first is an entertainment and multimedia-oriented, Netflix-certified device, while the ThinkPad Tablet is tailored for the business market. Both devices are powered by dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processors and run Android 3.1 OS. Lenovo will introduce the tablets to the US market in August 2011.
Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1
Also known as Lenovo LePad, the IdeaPad Tablet K1 features 10.1-inch glare multi-touch display working at 1280 x 800 resolution, up to 1GB of DDR2 memory clocked at 600MHz and up to 64GB of SSD storage which is expandable through MicroSD card reader. The device is equipped with two cameras: a 5 MP unit located at the back and a 2 MP front-facing camera. The 2-cell Li-Po battery promises up to 10 hours of battery life and connectivity comes courtesy of WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, mini HDMI port (a 3G modem is optional). The device weighs 1.63 lbs (739 grams) and measures 10.4" x 7.4" x .5" (25.4 x 18.7 x 12.7 cm).
The IdeaPad Tablet K1 comes with 40 preloaded apps, which add-up to US$50 in value according to Lenovo. These include Netflix or Kindle apps, as well as Need For Speed Shift or Angry Birds HD games. The tablet offers full Adobe Flash support utilizing Adobe Flash Player 10.3 and deals with DRM-protected files. There's a K1-compatible docking station with physical keyboard and charging available.
K1 is priced at US$499 for the 32GB version and can be ordered online now. The shipping date of pre-ordered devices is estimated for July 30, 2011, while the tablet will be available in the US in August and worldwide during the third quarter of 2011.
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is a business-tailored device, equally spec'd as K1 in terms of hardware, display's size and resolution. ThinkPad Tablet's connectivity includes WiFi, mini HDMI, optional 3G modem, as well as a full-sized USB 2.0 port. It also has an SD card reader with encryption support and Lenovo offers an optional digitizer pen that is compatible with the tablet and can be used, for example, to take notes in handwriting or draw sketch pictures utilizing pressure sensitivity. Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet comes with the Documents to Go app preloaded to view and edit Microsoft Office files, provides Lenovo App Shop access and 2GB of cloud storage. There's also a Good for Enterprise app which allows to access the device via corporate network passwords and connect to corporate email. Estimated battery life is 8 hours with WiFi enabled and the device's weight is 1.65 lbs (748 grams).
The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is priced at US$509 for the 16GB version with digitizer pen (US$479 without the digitizer pen) or US$589 for the 32GB version with digitizer pen. A foldable ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio case is available as an optional accessory for US$99. The tablet will be available in the US on August 2, 2011 and worldwide in the third quarter of 2011.
Product pages: Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet