android

Lenovo says no to Windows 7 slates, waiting for Android Honeycomb

by ThinkPads on October 27, 2010

Lenovo has recently clarified their slate tablet plans, unequivocally stating they are skipping Windows 7 for slates and waiting for the upcoming release of Android codenamed “Honeycomb.”

The LePad, Lenovo’s revised slate PC, announced in September with intentions to ship in December, but only in China. Plans to release Android products outside of China were mum, but it now appears those plans may materialize by summer 2011.

Regardless, these timeframes are all dependent on the slate-specific version of Google’s Android OS, codenamed Honeycomb. Lenovo has no interest in shipping a slate with the current Android 2.2, aka Froyo, just as they wouldn’t use Windows 7. While Froyo is clearly a touch-optimized OS, it is not optimized for the larger screens in slates and would present a problematic experience.

Windows 7, on the other hand, is optimized around mouse and keyboard input. While recent changes make Windows 7 the most touch-friendly Windows OS to date, it is still far from ideal. In this market, with the sheer amount of competition in the slate space, one must have a well polished solution to have any chance of being competitive.

Source: [PCMag]

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Lenovo to release LePad in December, China only

by ThinkPads on September 17, 2010

Lenovo has apparently started spilling the beans on its Google Android powered slate tablet, the LePad.

They will release the slate in December, with the hybrid dock seen in the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid coming in January. There is no word on specs or hardware, so for all we know this could be the original U1 Hybrid as shown at CES 2010 and they just decided to sell the tablet by itself.

The bad news here is that for the time being this will be sold only in China. Lenovo’s CEO has already gloated that Apple is missing the boat to China and their decision to focus innovative new products in that region is no surprise. Add in the huge opportunity that Android has in China and Lenovo’s decision makes a lot of sense.

While this means the mature markets won’t get the sexy new LePad for a while, it could also mean we will get a more refined second generation device with fewer bugs.

Read more posts about Google Android, LePad, and the U1 Hybrid

Source: [Engadget]

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Lenovo to build Android apps in-house

by ThinkPads on September 16, 2010

In a bid to strengthen their upcoming Android products and current smartphone, Lenovo has announced their intention to develop smartphone applications internally.

The smartphone market, and indeed the entire Google Android industry, is extremely competitive. These days having a slick handset is a must, but Lenovo’s betting on unique, custom content to add value against competitor offerings.

While the Bloomberg story specifically only discusses smartphone apps, you can be assured that Lenovo will have apps for their upcoming Android devices like the LePad and whatever form their smartbook takes.

Source: [Bloomberg]

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Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon delayed to late 2011

by ThinkPads on September 10, 2010

We know Qualcomm has been working on a dual-core 1.5GHz Smartdragon chip for a while now, but it appears that chip will be extensively delayed.

Qualcomm is reported to have stated the new dual-core chip won’t be released until late in 2011, whereas previous reports placed it shipping late this year. The consolation prize is that they will be shipping 1.2GHz single-core Snapdragons in Q1 2011, with a dual-core version coming a few months later.

Lenovo is working on several Android-powered devices that we hope to see this year, including the slate LePad and some form of a smartbook. It looks like we won’t see them powered by a dual-core Snapdragon, but hopefully they will at least get the slightly faster 1.2GHz chip.

Source: [NetbookNews.de] via [Lilliputing]

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Lenovo moving away from netbooks, citing imminent demise

by ThinkPads on September 8, 2010

In an interview with UK tech pub Microscope, one of Lenovo’s directors spilled the company’s intentions to move away from the netbook market.

Competition is cited as a primary reason for their shift from netbooks, with both a crowded marketplace and new form factors coming that take market share away from netbooks. Starting with Apple’s iPad, the slate tablet device space is growing quickly thanks to Google’s ubiquitous Android operating system.

A slew of low priced Android slates are in or on their way to market, with more expected in time for the holiday season. Occupying a variety of form factors and price points, the Android wave seeks to compete with the iPad and even expand beyond its territory.

Another concern is weakening demand for netbooks, with consumers instead opting to purchase low cost “full-size” notebooks that don’t have the sometimes considerable compromises of a netbook.

Last but not least, Lenovo has an interest in the slate market with their temporarily delayed IdeaPad U1 Hybrid and Skylight smartbook. With some time being taken to enable a proper Android OS, hopefully Lenovo will have a slick chassis to go with it.

No surprise

Lenovo is on their third generation of netbooks, having gone through the S10, S10-2 and now S10-3. Also don’t forget the 12-inch netbook from their second generation, the S12. When the S10-3 announced, we had the S10-2 (with Intel or VIA processors), the S12 (with Intel or NVIDIA Ion chipset) and then the S10-3. Shortly thereafter we got the convertible tablet S10-3t, making for a whole host of netbooks and concern on my part around what Lenovo was doing with all of them.

In the end, netbooks are a zero-sum game at best. They exist solely as a low cost, high portability product with even thinner margins than the rest of the PC market. While there is a need for these products, this author’s perspective is that there are far more worthwhile, and profitable, pursuits than scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Source: [Microscope] via [PCR]

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon dual-core 1.5GHz processor to arrive by Q4

by ThinkPads on August 16, 2010

The chip that has taken smartphones, and eventually tablets & smartbooks, by storm is getting ready for a powerful refresh. Qualcomm expects to start shipping their new dual-core, 1.5GHz version of the Snapdragon processor.

Lenovo utilizes the current single-core, 1GHz Snapdragon in the Google Android-powered LePhone smartphone and intended to use it in the now delayed Skylight smartbook and IdeaPad U1 hybrid. Hopefully by the time Lenovo is ready to ship an Android-based, Snapdragon powered mobile internet device, the dual core Snapdragon will be available.

With the recent explosion of Google Android-powered competitors to Apple’s iPad slate tablet, it is no surprise that Qualcomm is moving aggressively with their competing chip. Android-powered phones are already selling more than Apple and will overtake RIM’s Blackberry in no time. There has also been a recent influx of low cost, low frills Android-based tablets and the fuller featured, iPad competitors will likely appear with Qualcomm’s new top chip.

Source: [ComputerWorld] via [Lilliputing]

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Google’s Android set to dominate in China, Lenovo at the ready

by ThinkPads on July 20, 2010

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Lenovo is all aboard the Google Android train of late, and one man’s analysis points to a huge swell coming for the ‘droid OS in China.

As we’ve seen numerous times of late, Lenovo is supporting Android full speed ahead. Their China-only smartphone runs Android, their two show-stopper products have been delayed to switch to Android and the hot-off-the-press LePad slate will feature…tada – Android! While Lenovo has had a long standing relationship with Google, their Android allegiance is well planned.

A report from a tech insider in China paints a convincing picture of Android’s dominance in China. Did you know that a gimped iPhone 4 costs $1285 in China? Add to this China-focused apps and preloads for Android along with Lenovo’s unyielding desire to keep their homeland market.

Finally, take all these tidbits and multiply them by the 957 million projected Chinese mobile internet users in 2014, giving you one helluva recipe for Android dominance in China.

If you’re interested in such topics, I suggest you give the article a read over at TechCrunch.

Source: [TechCrunch]

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Lenovo to develop Android based slate-only tablet, “LePad”

by ThinkPads on July 20, 2010

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Lenovo is not short of surprises lately, with the newest coming in the form of the just-announced LePad, a slate style tablet that will run Google’s Android operating system.

The LePad is slated to be released by the end of this year, though we have no additional details. It is safe to say this will be a China-only release, just like their Android-based LePhone.

With the recent delay of the Skylight and IdeaPad U1 hybrid smartbooks and news that Lenovo is looking at dual-core Snapdragon processors, we also expect that the LePad will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform.

This can also be seen as a move to ensure Lenovo’s dominance over Apple in China, given the recent discourse from a high ranking Lenovo official.

Source: [PC World]

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Report: Lenovo dropping dual core Snapdragon into Skylight, IdeaPad U1 Hybrid smartbooks

by ThinkPads on June 30, 2010

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A new report from DigiTimes says that while Lenovo is adapting their smartbook products to Google’s Android OS, they are also upgrading the hardware to Qualcomm’s latest dual core Snapdragon processor.

Not only will smartbook shoppers get an improved OS at the end of the year, they’ll get a speedier system. Other reports indicate the dual core Snapdragon will also clock higher at 1.5GHz, making this a definite win-win situation.

DigiTimes also mentions that ODM Wistron will be building the smartbooks for Lenovo.

Source: [DigiTimes]

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Lenovo hoping to move 1 million LePhone smartphones this year

by ThinkPads on June 28, 2010

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A Lenovo executive recently shared that they hope to sell 1 million of their new LePhone smartphones in China this year.

The LePhone is the company’s smartphone announced at CES 2010 in January, running a customized version of Google’s Android operating system. On the hardware side, the LePhone sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform and a very slick chassis.

While 1 million units in a year won’t come close to matching any of the iPhone’s records, it should handily beat sales of Google’s own Nexus One. Lenovo’s COO Rory Read recently discussed the LePhone a bit, and reiterated that they would not be bringing the Lenovo smartphone to U.S. shores anytime soon. It seems they want to vet it in China, ensure sales success and then form an expansion strategy.

Source: [Local Tech Wire]

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