The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 has been cropping up in rumors a lot lately, so we weren't taken off guard by the early press release, despite the very real and very intriguing feature set.
Lenovo didn't have to put too much effort into the software. After all, Microsoft did all of the work on the Windows 8 operating system. Thus, it could dedicate most of its resources to creating the optimal hardware combination.
Whether or not it succeeded in covering all the bases satisfactorily will be decided when sales finally begin and reviewers have their say.
And here is the main issue with the product launch: it is only a “paper launch,” where a device is officially released by a company but sales aren't about to commence for months.
Microsoft will release Windows 8 and Windows RT in October, so Lenovo won't get to ship the ThinkPad Tablet 2 before then.
That said, the central processor at the heart of the 10.1-inch consumer electronic device belongs to Intel's Atom line (32nm Clover Trail).
Said chip is accompanied by 2 GB of RAM, up to 64 GB of NAND flash storage space, integrated 3G/4G – (with both HSPA+ and LTE options), NFC, WiFi and two cameras (8 MP at the back, 2 MP on the front), plus the regular I/O (USB, video outputs, card slot, etc.).
Moreover, Lenovo will sell an auxiliary docking station with HDMI, three USB ports and Gigabit Ethernet.
Finally, the 10-inch IPS LCD features a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels and, though it should go without saying, multi-touch support.
We cannot say what price Lenovo will want buyers to pay when sales finally get the green light two months from now. We suppose it might try to stay close to the so-called $499 / 470 Euro standard, but the 10-hour battery life and everything else could push it closer to ultrabooks in that respect ($699 / 565-670 Euro).
"Customers want a versatile device that fits their lifestyle and the many ways they use technology. Our new ThinkPad Tablet 2 marries incredible hardware and software to give consumers a great device for office, home or travel while also offering companies and IT managers the oversight they need to help secure and manage their company's networks and data," said Dilip Bhatia, vice president and general manager, ThinkPad Business Unit.
"For the next generation of Lenovo PCs, designed to be great with Windows 8, we're working closer than ever with Microsoft Corp. and our silicon partners. Today we are excited to reveal the fruit of this collaborative co-engineering, the ThinkPad Tablet 2, a joint effort between Lenovo, Microsoft and Intel."
