Lenovo’s long-promised Windows Phone might actually arrive
Like a dozing teenager promising to take out the trash, Lenovo’s been pledging to build a Windows Phone handset since November 2011. Microsoft, like a patient parent trying to motivate its offspring, has now tried to inspire its partner by giving Lenovo a very public deadline. In a post on the Microsoft Blog, Terry Myerson has revealed that ol’ Lenny will launch its first Windows Phone handset by the mid-year of 2015. The one-line announcement was buried deep in a story about Windows 10 upgrades, but there’s a sting in the tail for expectant westerners. Unfortunately, the devices will only be available on China Mobile, but we can always hope that Motorola might see what its new owner is doing and take the hint.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Lenovo
Via: CNBC
Source: Microsoft Blog
Buy the Moto X Pure Edition, get a free Moto E
Want to buy a smartphone for yourself, but also need to snag a cheap phone for family (or, let’s be honest, a backup for yourself)? Motorola might have you covered. It just kicked off an unusual promotion that gives you a free 3G version of the new Moto E when you buy a Moto X Pure Edition. That’s not so hot if you insist on LTE data for every device, but it’s a no-brainer if you were either set on getting a Moto X or don’t relish the idea of splurging on two phones at once. Don’t spend long deciding what to do, though — Motorola is only running the promo through March 24th.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Lenovo
Source: Motorola
Motorola’s best budget smartphone just got even better
It’s no surprise that the Moto G is the bestselling smartphone in Motorola’s history — it’s always had solid specs and featured a class-leading display. Perhaps the only complaint that can be levelled at it is the fact that neither the first or second generation handsets launched with 4G support. That isn’t to say Motorola isn’t including it, it’s just that it takes a while. Now, finally, the company is making the best budget phone you can buy even faster.
The Moto G with 4G comes unlocked and you can pick one up direct from Motorola’s website right now for £159. That’s nearly ten pounds less than its 3G counterpart. It’ll also be available to by from Tesco, Carphone Warehouse, Amazon, Argos, Sainsbury’s and Asda from March 16th. Although the second-generation Moto G is available to buy in the US, there’s no LTE support for now, meaning you’ll have to wait a little while longer to get your hands on Motorola’s bestseller.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Motorola
The biggest announcements of MWC 2015 so far (part 2)
After the glitzy, high-profile announcements of Sunday, Monday’s march to the convention center is a more business-like affair. There’s still lots to see though, including announcements from a bunch of household names, and a dancing robot. Jump in the gallery for more.
Don’t miss out on all the latest news, photos and liveblogs from MWC 2015. Follow along at our events page.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wearables, Sony, Google, Lenovo
Daily Roundup: MWC 2015 so far, Google+ splits up and more!
Mobile World Congress kicks off in Barcelona today and there’s already been a number of big announcements. Get the latest details about the new phones from Samsung, HTC and Lenovo. In other news, Google+ is splitting up and IKEA will sell wireless charging furniture. Head past the break to find out the top stories from MWC and more.
The biggest announcements of MWC 2015 so far
MWC technically starts today, but that doesn’t stop some of the industry’s biggest players trying to get a head start on the fun on Sunday. Besides the big launches, there are a couple of pre-show shows for those off-beat things that don’t need an auditorium to themselves.
Google+ is being broken into services you might want to use
It’s been the punchline to plenty of gags, and now it looks as if Google is finally ready to do something with its homegrown social network. The search engine has announced that the photography and social elements of Google+ are being broken into two separate products, one called Photos and the other named Streams.
IKEA will start selling wireless charging lamps and tables
After lots of perseverance from smartphone makers, wireless charging is finally starting to make an impact. Many big name phones now support the technology and companies like Starbucks are helping to bring it a wider audience. Now, it’s set to receive another big boost, after IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, announced the introduction of a new range of furniture that features integrated charging.
Tinder’s paid service launches with a pretty sleazy catch
If you didn’t think that your opinion of Tinder could go any lower, something new pops up to make you change your mind. The hookup app has reportedly launched its long-awaited paid tier, but in Europe, users will have to overcome something worse than left-swipes: ageism.
Lenovo’s 16-megapixel Vibe Shot is a smartphone that looks like a camera
Even though Lenovo unveiled new tablets a little over 12 hours ago, it isn’t quite done with Mobile World Congress announcements just yet. Now it’s taking the wrapper off some more devices. One is the Lenovo Vibe Shot, a superslim handset that looks eerily like a camera, while the other is the Lenovo A7000, apparently the world’s first smartphone to come with Dolby Atmos.
ISIS threatens Twitter employees after account was blocked
Middle Eastern terror group ISIS has apparently threatened the lives of Twitter’s employees, as well as that of its chairman, Jack Dorsey. The threat was reportedly made as a response to the service’s policy of blocking accounts that directly encourage acts of violence or illegal activities such as terrorism.
These ‘privacy glasses’ make you invisible to facial recognition
You’re going out with friends mid-week, and you don’t want the boss/significant other/parole officer to find out. But it’s a birthday celebration, and Facebook’s auto-tagging the pictures your buddies upload like a dirty snitch. The first piece of advice: never “friend” your parole officer. The second? Maybe grab a pair of these “privacy” glasses from software security firm AVG.
Filed under: Misc
Lenovo Tab 2 A10 hands-on and first impressions
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We’re here at MWC 2015 where Lenovo just unveiled two new budget-friendly Android tablets. We scored some hands-on time with the bigger of the two, dubbed the Lenovo Tab 2 A10. This 10.1-inch tablet is one of the first tablets to feature Dolby ATMOS 3D Cinema audio enhancements, which aims to make your audio experience much clearer. For the price, this tablet has great specifications and a solid build quality. So, is it worth the money? Let’s find out in our hands-on and first impressions of the Lenovo Tab 2 A10!
Design
The A10 has a very minimal design no matter which way you look at it. The majority of the tablet is made of a soft-touch plastic, which will likely be plenty durable for most users. The front bezels have a glossy finish and are very quick to pick up fingerprints. The back design is quite understated, only showing a Lenovo logo in the center. Up top is where the rear-facing camera sits, flanked by the Dolby ATMOS-enhanced speakers. We got hands-on time with the Midnight Blue variant, and there will also be a Pearl White version available at launch.
Display
As the name suggests, the Tab 2 A10 features a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with a 1920×1200 resolution and offers 218ppi. The display has been offering up great viewing angles and clear color reproduction so far. Bottom-line, just about anything you watch or read should look pretty good, even if there are other tablets out there that certainly offer higher resolution displays.
Performance and hardware
The Wifi-only model features a 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit MediaTek MT8165 processor, and the LTE model brings a 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit MediaTek MT8732 processor. Both tablets are backed by 2GB of RAM. In our time with the device so far, these processors have not slowed down a bit. Moving through Lenovo’s software is lag-free, and switching between multiple apps didn’t give us any problems.
One of the biggest reasons to buy this tablet is for the speakers. Both variants feature Dolby ATMOS 3D Cinema audio enhancements which has actually worked out quite well so far. The speakers are rear-facing, which isn’t the most ideal location on the tablet. With that said, the speakers are difficult to cover up when holding the tablet either in landscape or portrait, which is nice to see. The Dolby ATMOS-enhanced speakers really give off quality surround sound no matter what audio we listened to. The audio tech also works well with headphones, so you’ll get a great audio experience no matter which way you like to listen.
The tablet features a 7200mAh battery, which Lenovo says will allow the tablet to last up to ten hours of use. Obviously we haven’t tested the battery in full yet, but the 7200mAh capacity should be enough to make it through multiple days of use on a single charge. The tablets also come with an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. Don’t expect anything groundbreaking in terms of image quality, but the cameras are there if you need to snap a quick picture.
You’ll also get 16GB of on-board storage with both variants, though there is room for MicroSD expansion up to 32GB. Overall, if you can get past the low storage amount, this seems like a great tablet for viewing all types of multimedia content.
Software
The software is similar to what we’ve seen on many other Lenovo products in the past. The software is minimalistic and easy-to-use. In turn, it’s much easier on the processor so the UI and apps will run smoothly. The current software is running Android 4.4 KitKat, though Lenovo promises a software update to Android 5.0 Lollipop sometime in June.
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Wrap up
That was our quick look at the Lenovo Tab 2 A10! Overall, the device is simple, fast, and features great audio quality across the board. The Wifi-only version will launch in April starting at $199, and the LTE model will start at $279. This isn’t the most feature-packed tablet we’ve ever used, but if you’re looking for a great multimedia-centric tablet at a reasonably low price, you may want to consider this one.
Lenovo launches two new Android tablets for under $200
Lenovo has just launched the Tab 2 A10 and the Tab 2 A8 during its event before the MWC officially kicks off. The devices are budget oriented and carry a price tag of under $200.
As the name aptly suggests, the Tab 2 A10 is a 10 inch tablet while the Tab 2 A8 is an 8 inch model, catering to the large and medium sized tablet segment respectively. Both tablets pack speakers with Dolby Atmos technology on board, so they’re quite capable as far as multimedia options are concerned.
The Tab 2 A10 comes with a HD IPS display, so don’t expect pixel density to be very high here. It’s packing a thickness of 8.9mm while weighing 509 grams. There’s an unnamed MediaTek chipset on board here, an 8-megapixel camera on the back, Android 4.4 KitKat (Android 5.0 update soon) and a 7,200 mAh battery which according to the company will last 10 hours. The American markets will also get an LTE model of the tablet. The device will be available for purchase starting next month in pearl white and midnight blue for a sticker price of $199.
The Tab 2 A8 is essentially a smaller variant of the Tab 2 A10 carrying most of the same internals. The display resolution is the same here, which should mean improved pixel density. There’s a 5-megapixel camera on the back, a MediaTek made quad core chipset and an expandable storage card slot.
Unlike the Tab 2 A10, the 8 inch model comes with Android 5.0 Lollipop by default, which could boost performance to a great extent. The tablet will be LTE capable much like its bigger sibling, but will also be capable of making voice calls. The Tab 2 A8 has been priced at $129. The tablet will be sold in pearl white, ebony, midnight blue and neon pink for $129. Availability of the tablet is slated for June.
Lenovo also launched a budget Windows 8.1 tablet called the Miix 300 which has a price tag of $149. This tablet will be available for purchase from July this year.
Come comment on this article: Lenovo launches two new Android tablets for under $200
Lenovo announces the Tab 2 A10 and Tab 2 A8 tablets at MWC 2015
Lenovo has released a steady stream of Android-powered products over the last year or so. Specifically, the Yoga Tablet 2 (8-inch and 10.1-inch) and Yoga Tablet 2 Pro devices really stuck out to us, offering great build quality at an exceptional price point. Today, Lenovo adds two more tablets to their list: the Tab 2 A10 and Tab 2 A8.
The Tab 2 A10 offers a big 10.1-inch display for an affordable price point. It’s the first 10-inch tablet to offer Dolby ATMOS 3D Cinema Sound technology to enhance sound quality while listening through headphones. The Tab 2 A8 comes with the same Dolby ATMOS audio enhancements as the first device, though the A8 comes with an 8-inch screen and a much lower price. Check out the rest of the post for more details.
Lenovo Tab 2 A10
The Lenovo Tab 2 A10 is one of the first tablets to feature Dolby ATMOS 3D Cinema audio enhancements, which is said to greatly enhance the way you hear audio when listening through headphones. Its big 10.1-inch HD display paired with the MediaTek processor and 7200mAh battery should offer up a great multimedia experience no matter if you’re listening to music or streaming Netflix. Although the tablet is running Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, Lenovo assures us that it will get the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop in June. The A10 is also offered in Wifi or LTE-enabled variants, so you can have data on the go if you’d like.
Lenovo Tab 2 A10 specifications and features
- 10.1-inch Full HD IPS LCD display with 1920×1200 resolution
- Wifi model: 1.5GHz quad core 64-bit MediaTek MT8165 processor, LTE model: 1.5GHz quad core 64-bit MediaTek MT8732 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of internal storage, MicroSD expansion up to 32GB
- 171 x 247 x 8.9mm, 509g
- 8MP rear-facing camera
- 5MP front-facing camera
- Non-removable 7200mAh battery
- Android 4.4 KitKat (Lollipop update coming in June)
- Dolby ATMOS 3D Surrond Sound
- Available in Pearl White and Midnight Blue
Pricing and availability
The Tab 2 A10 will be available beginning in April, with Wifi models starting at $199 and LTE models starting at $279.
Lenovo Tab 2 A8
The Lenovo Tab 2 A8 aims to offer a similar multimedia-centric experience to the A10, but in a more affordable, slightly smaller package. The 8-inch screen is not to big, and not too small. And with the Dolby ATMOS Surround Sound enhancements, watching movies will likely be very enjoyable. This tablet is running Android 5.0 Lollipop, so you’ll be able to take advantage of the most recent software improvements Google has to offer. And just like the A10, the A8 tablet is being offered in both Wifi and LTE-enabled variants.
Lenovo Tab 2 A8 specifications and features
- 8-inch IPS LCD display with 1280×800 resolution
- Wifi model: 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek MT8161 processor, LTE model: 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek MT8735 processor
- 1GB of RAM
- 8GB of internal storage (Ebony model only), 16GB of internal storage (Midnight Blue, Pearl White and Neon Pink models), both with MicroSD expansion up to 32GB
- 125 x 210 x 8.9mm, 360g
- 5MP rear-facing camera
- 2MP front-facing camera
- Non-removable 4200mAh battery
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Dolby ATMOS 3D Surrond Sound
- Available in Pearl White, Ebony, Midnight Blue and Neon Pink
Pricing and availability
The Tab 2 A8 will be available beginning in June, with Wifi models starting at $129 and LTE models starting at $179.
Lenovo rolls out new sub-$200 tablets, two with Dolby Atmos
Lenovo might still be a little sore from the Superfish scandal that recently rocked its PC division, but thankfully the company’s mobile arm has remained unharmed. And that’s a good thing, because it’s kicking off Mobile World Congress with the announcement of not one, not two, but three new tablets, in both Android and Windows flavors. The Lenovo Tab 2 A10 and the Lenovo Tab 2 A8 are from the budget-friendly Android A series, while the affordable Lenovo MIIX 300 is for those who prefer the operating system from Redmond. The overarching theme of all three of these is simple: Value.
But just because they’re affordable doesn’t mean these tablets are shy on features. The highest end of the lot is the Lenovo Tab 2 A10, which is also the one that’s most focused on entertainment. Not only does it has a nice 10.1-inch full HD IPS display for watching movies, but it’s also equipped with Dolby Atmos technology and a multi-speaker soundbar to really give you that theatre experience. In a brief demo of the tablet, I thought the surround sound was remarkably good considering its compact size — it’s not too hefty at 509 grams and it’s about 8.9mm thin. The speaker soundbar sounded far richer than most tablet speakers, though using headphones would still result in better audio quality. It ships with Android 4.4 KitKat (it’ll be upgradeable to Lollipop later this year), runs on a quad-core MediaTek processor, has dual-band WiFi and a 8-megapixel camera. Markets outside the US will get a LTE version of the tablet as well. As for the battery life, Lenovo is promising up to ten hours of charge thanks to the 7,200 mAh battery.
Next on the list is the Tab 2 A8, which is very similar to the A10 except it’s, well, smaller. It has an 8-inch HD IPS display instead of 10 and is of course lighter at 360 grams. The Tab 2 A8 also comes with Dolby Atmos, but it would be better to experience it through headphones since the A8 lacks the A10’s powerful speakers. Other features of the A8 include a MediaTek quad-core processor, a microSD card slot that accepts up to 32GB cards, a 5-megapixel rear camera and dual-band WiFi. Interestingly, the international variant of the Tab 2 A8 comes with a dual SIM card slot for those who like to hop between carriers and it supports both voice and LTE. Yes, that means you could potentially use the 8-inch A8 as a phone. Holding it in my hand, I don’t think I could imagine hoisting this next to the side of my face, but I imagine you’d only make calls with this thing with a headset. It has quite a bit of bezel surrounding the display which I’m not a huge fan of, but the sharp and colorful high-def screen makes up for it. Another great feature of the A8 is that it ships with a pure version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, which could be why performance was relatively zippy when I played around with it.
Last but not least is the MIIX 300, which almost seems like the last kid picked for teamsports in this particular grouping — it’s not just quite as cool as the other two. Then again, the MIIX 300 is intended to be the most budget-friendly Windows tablet (a lower end version of the MIIX 2) from Lenovo yet and its humdrum design reflects that. Still, it has a decent 300-nit 8-inch HD IPS display, an Intel Atom quad core processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera, 64 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and, of course, WiFi. You also get a free one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 as part of the package. It ships with Windows 8.1, and a Lenovo spokesperson tells us that it should be upgradeable to Windows 10 when that rolls around later in the year.
The Tab 2 A10 will be available in Pearl White and Midnight Blue and will ship for $199 starting in April. As for the Tab 2 A8, that comes in Pearl White, Ebony, Midnight Blue and Neon Pink and will be available in June for a starting price of $129. International models with the dual SIM card slots will cost roughly $179. Finally, the MIIX 300 lives up to its affordability promise with a low low price of $149, which makes it the cheapest Windows tablet in Lenovo’s lineup. The MIIX 300 will be available in July.
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 10-inch review
Lenovo’s newest tablet is finally here and is very much a tablet we’ve seen before. Every year Lenovo takes its tablet and gives it some incremental upgrades that help improve the experience and this year’s edition is no different.
The last tablet that I reviewed from Lenovo was the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+. Throughout this review I’ll be referencing the previous a bit, so if you want to check it out, you can view it here.
Hardware
The Yoga Tablet 2 looks like just its predecessors. The only real visual difference is that now there is no longer a Lenovo logo on the bezel. I don’t recall prior versions having this, but there’s a grippy plastic piece on the back, which while plastic, makes it a bit easier to hold and grip the device. The volume rocker was moved to the other side of the device, now above the power button and the port for the USB cable.
In terms of other changes to the hardware, the biggest changes include the screen, the processor and a new feature with the kickstand. Starting with the display, while the Yoga Tablet had an HD screen with a 1280 x 800 resolution, Lenovo upped its game this year with a 1920 x 1200 resolution display. Just to note, the HD+ that we reviewed in July had a display with a1920×1080 resolution, so the HD plus bests that tablet as well. The colors on the display seem more true and it has much better viewing angles than the previous models. Moving on to the processor, the Yoga Tablet sported a MediaTek quad-core processor then the 10HD+ a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The new tablet has a quad-core Intel Atom Processor Z3745 (2M Cache, up to 1.86 GHz), featuring Intel Burst technology that dynamically matches processing power depending on what you are doing to maximize battery life. Even with the new display and processor, the tablet still has excellent battery life. Lenovo claims you can get 18 hours of battery life, but if using at 40% screen brightness and using Wi-Fi, you should get almost 13 hours out of it. Overall, the tablet is very snappy and has handled all the games that I’ve tried with it with no real issues such as Modern Combat 5, Hearthstone, Goat Simulator and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. As I mentioned earlier, the tablet has a new mode with its kickstand. While previously you could either use it in stand, hold or tilt modes, now you can use it in “hang” mode, basically rotating the stand until it’s flat and then there’s a hole in it so that you can hang it anywhere such as in your kitchen, bedroom , office, etc.I’d just be sure to use a hook that is securely in the wall before hanging, you don’t want to break you brand new $300 tablet.
A few other highlights of the hardware upgrades is an improved rear-facing camera, now up to 8 megapixels from 5 megapixels, larger front-facing chamber speakers with Dolby Audio surround sound and Wolfson Master Hi-Fi audio processing. I forgot to mention but it also has 2 GB of DDR3 RAM as well as 16 GB of built-in storage that is expandable, supporting MicroSD cards up to 64 GB.
Software
Moving on to the software, the Yoga Tablet 2 is running Android 4.4.2 KitKat, just like the 10 HD+ was and has a slightly different version of the Lenovo LauncherHD.
The launcher still doesn’t have an app drawer, so it has an iOS feel to it, but I think this is Lenovo’s way of trying to make the UI their own and simplify the experience. If you read my last review, you may remember that I mentioned a Smart Side Bar that could be accessed by swiping from the bezel onto the screen on either side. This side bar gave you quick access to your videos, photos and books, recently used apps and sound and visual modes. It is now nowhere to be found. The closest thing to it in the software is called the “Bottom Switch.” This can be accessed with a swipe upwards from the bottom and it gives users the ability to quickly turn various functions on or off as well as access to advanced settings. You can also access Lenovo Smart Switch to change different display and audio modes, as well as access the camera, take a screen shot and and lock your screen. Although it doesn’t give you quick access to your movies, photos and books like the previous iteration had, I think it that it has to and this actually is a nice experience. It seemed like previously it was trying to do too much and you no longer have that.
Aside from these changes, there is really nothing else different about the software. You can still run apps in multiple windows and the way to close apps is reminiscent of MIUI, also telling you the amount of available memory.
Overall
I still think that the Yoga Tablet 2 is a good choice for the general consumer. It may not be a powerhouse like the NVIDA Shield Tablet or the Nexus 9, but it’s not trying to be. The Yoga 2 excels where it always has and that’s offering a great user experience, a unique design and a decent price tag. I think that the kickstand adds a lot of it since you don’t need a case to stand it up to watch a movie or tv show or to prop it up on your lap to type. If you wanted to have it hanging on your wall, you could possibly make it like an interactive calendar or an easily accessible computer in the kitchen to play music while cooking or to display recipes.
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