Skip to main content

Rumor: Lenovo ThinkPad tablet due for summer release

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although there’s been no official announcement from Lenovo itself, the This is my next website claims to have come into possession of some PowerPoint slides indicating that the Chinese computer company may be adding the final touches to a new tablet due for a summer release.

Called either the ThinkPad Tablet or Think Slate (both names appear on the slides) and billed as “a great consumer device with additional features for business professionals,” the tablet looks like it could pack a punch with its rather nifty, albeit rumored, specs.

Although it looks like the tablet will be running Honeycomb, Lenovo will customize it with its own “Lenovo Family UI.” The 1.6-pound mobile device will incorporate a 10.1-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. And here’s an interesting part: It’ll come with a “true pen” option for “sketching and note-taking.” Recording the minutes of business meetings may never be quite the same again.

There’ll be front and back cameras on the device — great for video calls but as with other tablets of this size, we can’t imagine too many people using it on vacation as their main camera. The slides don’t appear to make any mention of the megapixel count. Ports include a USB 2.0, micro USB, and mini-HDMI. There’ll also be a full-size SD card slot. It’ll have Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity too.

Under the hood you’ll find a powerful dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, and for storage there are three options: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Battery life is put at eight hours.

An optional keyboard looks highly likely, ideal for those who like their tablets to be more, well, like a laptop. This will be of interest to the aforementioned business users, as will its slew of security features, along with its claim to offer “seamless integration with your existing IT infrastructure.”

The PowerPoint slides refer to a July or August release for the US, with a “target starting price” of $499, which sounds pretty competitive when you consider its impressive specs. For a tablet only 0.55 inches thin, there certainly appears to be plenty going on inside.

It should be pointed out that some of the slides have 2009 printed on them. This is my next has put this down to “a mistake on Lenovo’s part, considering there was no such thing as Android 3.0 two years ago.” Make of that what you will…

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of MWC 2023 Awards
MWC 2023 Awards

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is one of the biggest yearly showcases for the ever-changing world of mobile tech. Whether you’re an avid smartphone fan, are fascinated by smartwatches/wearables, or love strange tech that doesn't really fit in a specific category, MWC is the place to be.

MWC 2023 was no different in this regard. Despite Samsung and OnePlus already launching their major flagships earlier this year (the Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11, respectively), MWC 2023 was still home to numerous smartphone announcements — many of which push the foldable industry forward in big and exciting ways. In addition to peculiar wearables, new satellite technology, and a whole lot more, MWC 2023 gave us plenty of reasons to be excited about where the mobile tech industry is headed.

Read more
OnePlus wants to tempt you back to Android tablets with the OnePlus Pad
The back of the OnePlus Pad tablet.

OnePlus has made an iPad Pro-bothering tablet called the OnePlus Pad, an 11.6-inch monster that expands the brand’s product line beyond its core phones and earbuds, joining other peripheral devices like the OnePlus Watch and OnePlus TV. It’s OnePlus’s first foray into the world of Android tablets, and it’s not taking the commitment lightly — providing plenty of tech to tempt you away from the Apple iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.

The 11.6-inch screen has an unusual 7:5 aspect ratio (most iPad tablets have a 4:3 aspect ratio, for example), and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, plus Dolby Vision certification. It’s compatible with OnePlus’s Stylo stylus (which comes in the box) and attaches to a keyboard or protective case accessory using magnets. The early press details state the keyboard comes with the OnePlus Pad, meaning you won’t have to buy anything extra to enjoy all its abilities.

Read more
Tablets at CES 2023 are beating the iPad in big and unexpected ways
Holding the Lenovo Smart Paper.

CES 2023 happened this week, and it’s usually when we see a bunch of interesting new tech — like Withing’s new health tracker that you pee on, and L’Oreal’s eyebrow printer for your face. Tablets aren’t a huge part of the show, but we still got some interesting options coming from TCL and Lenovo later this year.

Though Apple’s iPad is still the dominant choice in the tablet market, some of the coolest tablets at CES 2023 offer something that Apple doesn’t yet make itself. And that got me thinking; perhaps it’s time for Apple to consider branching out with its tablet lineup to do something new.
Paper-like displays are the way to go

Read more