Lenovo introduces two new tablets in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Lenovo yesterday (July 22) announced the arrival of two new ultra-portable tablets, ThinkPad 8 and MIIX 2 10”, in Singapore.

The new tablets aim to offer consumers an “exceptional and complete mobile computing experience”, said Mr Kevin Beck, the worldwide competitive analyst at Lenovo.

The award-winning ThinkPad 8 sports an 8-inch screen and boasts a 1920x1200 HD display. Built-in storage comes in either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, and the tablet is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera. Additional accessories to complement the ThinkPad 8 include the QuickShot Cover and a detachable tablet keyboard.

The camera is hidden when encased in the QuickShot cover, but peeling back a corner of it will expose the camera and automatically launch the camera app. The cover is embedded with magnets, and you will feel a satisfactory thud when you flip the corner open. You can take pictures without having to hold down the folded corner.

However, during a short hands-on session with the ThinkPad 8, the QuickShot feature felt “incomplete”. Flipping open the corner launches the app, but shutting it does nothing. It may still be an noteworthy upgrade, but Lenovo could have taken things further by having the app close with the cover.

THE LENOVO MIIX 2 10”

Lenovo’s other offering, the MIIX 2 10”, comes with a detachable keyboard.

The tablet sports a 10-inch screen, is less than 1cm thin and weighs only 580g. Users can also expect better audio quality with its integrated JBL-designed stereo speakers and subwoofer.

The MIIX 2 also touts an all-day battery life, but during my limited hands-on time I am unable to test this claim.

Both the ThinkPad 8 and MIIX 2 are powered by Intel processors.

It appears that Lenovo has positioned both tablets as portable and affordable laptop replacements, drawing attention to their portability. There are reports that the ThinkPad 8 has been discontinued in the United States over its unpopular size, but Lenovo believes that the Asian market may respond differently.

“Singaporeans today require products that are adaptable without compromising productivity and performance,” said Mr Beck, adding that Singaporeans are always digitally connected for both work and play.

Hence, the two ultra-portable tablets plan to “enhance the way people interact, consume information and create content anytime, anywhere”, he added.

The ThinkPad 8 is now available for purchase, and the MIIX 2 will be available by the middle of next month. They will retail at S$999 and S$599 respectively, in Lenovo and StarHub outlets in Singapore.