Earlier, Lenovo Malaysia has unveiled its new range of affordable Android tablets, Windows 8.1 laptops as well as the Miix 2 two-in-one hybrid tablet. Sporting a mix of affordability and durability, these new devices should excite those looking for a reliable and inexpensive tablet or laptop.
With the exception of one Android tablet, all of the devices announced today are actually already available in the Malaysian market. The devices on display today are the Surface-esque Miix 2 hybrid tablet, the A7-30 and A8-50 Android tablets, as well as the G40-70 and G50-70 Windows 8.1 laptops.
Lenovo Miix 2
Yet another hybrid device from Lenovo, the Miix 2 gives users the best of both laptop and tablet worlds that make it an interesting option for those looking for a powerful tablet with a keyboard dock. The Miix 2 is powered by an Intel Core i5-4202Y 1.6GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. There’s also a 128GB SSD inside, as well as a microSD card slot for additional storage options.
The screen is a 11.6-inch Full HD display with 10-point multitouch, while the Miix 2 also sports 5MP rear and 2MP front fixed-focus camera sensors. This Windows 8.1 tablet also sports two USB 2.0 ports, a microHDMI port, as well as a micro-SIM card slot (though it isn’t usable). What makes the Miix 2 more impressive is the fact that it weighs only 800g and is 11mm thick.
The Miix 2 will also be bundled with a keyboard dock, which connects to the Miix 2 via a magnetic connector. The orientation-free connector also allows the Miix 2 tablet to be placed facing the keyboard into Laptop Mode, or away from it into Stand Mode, where the keyboard dock also sports a uniquely-placed JBL speaker at the back for a more immersive media experience. On top of that, there’s a feature called Lenovo Motion Control, that allows for the user to use hand gestures to navigate around certain apps. The keyboard dock adds in two additional USB ports, bringing the total amount to four USB ports. While we’re on the subject, the Miix 2 interestingly uses a USB power connector with a 20V/2A plug.
Lenovo A7-30
This highly affordable tablet sports a 7-inch 1024 x 600 IPS display, and is powered by a MediaTek MTK8382 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. There’s 8GB of internal storage, but the microSD card slot allows users to expand it by a further 32GB. In terms of imaging prowess, there’s a small 2MP fixed-focus camera at the back, and an even smaller 0.3MP front-facing sensor.
The A7-30 also packs stereo front-facing speakers, and has a 3500mAh lithium polymer battery that’s rated for up to 8 hours of usage time. This 327g , 9.98mm tablet runs on Android 4.2.2 for now, but Lenovo states that an update for Android 4.4 KitKat is coming soon.
Lenovo A8-50
Slightly higher up the price scale is the Lenovo A8-50 Android table. Featuring a larger 8-inch 1280 x 800 IPS display, the A8-50 runs on a similar MediaTek MTK8382 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. However, there’s double the internal storage at 16GB while the microSD card slot supports up to 32GB cards.
The rear and front-facing cameras have also been upgraded compared to the A7-30, with 5MP and 2MP fixed-focus sensors respectively. Besides WiFi, the A8-50 tablet also supports up to 3G connectivity, with a 4200mAh li-po battery slated for up to 11 hours of use on 3G and WiFi. And, like the A7-30, the A8-50 – which weighs 360g and measures 8.95mm thick – is currently running on Android 4.2 but Lenovo has promised that the KitKat update is on the way.
Lenovo G40-70
A refresh of Lenovo’s affordable G-series laptops, the new G40-70 sports a nice textured plastic lid with a steel palmrest and features a 14-inch 1366 x 768 LED display. Weighing in at 2.1kg, it measures 24.8mm thick and sports either an Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz processor or a higher-end Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz processor.
Both models feature 4GB of RAM as standard, as well as an AMD Radeon R5-M230 GPU. The G40-70 packs up to a 1TB hard disk, and comes pre-installed with Windows 8.1. Connectivity wise, the G40 sports three USB ports (1x USB 3.0), LAN port, HDMI port and a 2-in-1 card reader.
Lenovo G50-70
Essentially a larger variant of the G40-70, the G50-70 packs a bigger 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED display. The G50 also features a larger keyboard, incorporating a numpad – as is the norm with laptops of this size – and naturally weighs heavier at 2.5kg. Otherwise, the G50’s specs are the same as the G40’s: Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, 4GB of RAM, AMD Radeon R5-M230 GPU, a 4-cell battery, three USB ports (1x USB 3.0), LAN port, HDMI port and a 2-in-1 card reader.
The only differences here are with the storage (the G50 only sports up to a 500GB SATA hard disk), while the base model will ship without an operating system.
Prices and availability:
As mentioned earlier, most of these devices are already available in the market. Here’s a full list of their prices and availability:
- Lenovo Miix 2 (11-inch): RM2999, available now
- Lenovo A7-30: RM399 (PWP – folio case & screen protector @ RM29.90)
- Lenovo A8-50: RM699 (four colour options: Midnight Blue, White, Flamenco Red & Canary Yellow (3G only)), available mid-June 2014
- Lenovo G40-70: from RM1699, available now
- Lenovo G50-70: from RM1499, available now
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