Tag: lenovo

Everything in the Lenovo K3 Note Makes it Better Than the Rest

Lenovo‘s offerings have been doing fairly well in the smartphone sector of the Indian market. The company recently claimed that it has sold more than 1 million 4G enabled smartphones in 2015 via Flipkart. Now, it is planning to launch their newest phablet in India later this month. Lenovo India has started sending out press releases for the launch of a new device on 25^th June and it is highly possible that the device might turn out to be the 4G-capable Lenovo K3 Note, which was launched in China earlier this year.

The Lenovo K3 Note flaunts a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080) IPS display and is powered by a 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor paired with 2GB of RAM. It offers 16GB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card. The phablet also stars a 13MP snapper at the back with a LED flash, 5MP front camera and a 3,000mAh battery, which the company claims is good enough for 36 hours of talk time on 3G, and up to 750 hours in standby mode.

Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 4G support on both SIMs, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The phablet runs on Android Lollipop 5.0 out-of-the-box, wrapped under Lenovo Vibe 2.5 UI.

The device was launched in China earlier this year for a price tag of Rs 9,000 approximately. Hence, it is safe to say that the device will come well within the Rs 10,000 range. The K3 Note will go against the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G and the Yu Yureka. The device may also come in a variety of colour options.

Check out the spec table below:

Specs	Lenovo K3 Note
Display	5.5 inches IPS capacitive touchscreen (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Processor	1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16 GB
Expandable Upto	32 GB
Main Camera	13 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Battery	3,000 mAh
Operating System	Android Lollipop 5.0 out-of-the-box, wrapped under Lenovo Vibe 2.5 UI
Price	Below Rs. 10,000 range

June 24, 2015

Top LTE-Capable Budget Smartphones Under 10K

4G LTE is deemed to be roughly 10-20 times faster than 3G standards. With the popular carriers embracing 4G LTE and offering attractive tariff plans, smartphone makers have come out with a handful of budget devices with LTE support.

Want a future-proof smartphone but don’t have the budget to shell out money for a high-end device? We are listing the top 4 LTE capable Smartphones under 10K:

Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) 4G

Priced at Rs 7,999, the Motorola Moto E is one of the highly recommended phones available in the market within Rs 10,000. This handset sports a 4.5-inch qHD display with 960×540-pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor paired with 1GB RAM. It can store 8GB of data internally and can be expanded via microSD up to GB. Other than this, the handset also features a 5-megapixel primary camera, VGA secondary camera, 2,390mAh battery, and connectivity options like dual-SIM card slots, LTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It runs on Android Lollipop.

OPPO Joy Plus

OPPO launched the Joy smartphone back in April 2014. After almost a year after, OPPO launched its successor, the OPPO Joy Plus. The dual-SIM smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat united with the company’s ColorOS 2.0 UI. Display features include a 4-inch WVGA IPS screen with 480x800p resolution and 234ppi pixel density. It equips a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT6572) coupled along with a 1GB RAM. The memory capacity of the device comprises of 4GB of internal memory, which can be extended up to 32GB via microSD card. It has a 3MP primary camera with LED flash and a 0.3MP front shooter and picks up power from a 1,700mAh removable Li-ion battery. On the connectivity front, the Joy Plus offers 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB and Bluetooth options and is priced at Rs 6,990.

Lenovo A7000

According to a source cited by Times of India, the Lenovo A7000 will cost users somewhere around Rs. 8,999 to Rs. 9,999. Talking about the specifications, the Lenovo A7000 sports a 5.5 inch HD display. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek True8Core processor with 4G LTE. It boasts 2 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage which is expandable through MicroSD. The smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. While looking at the camera, this device offers an 8 MP shooter on the back and a 5 MP front camera on the front. It gets its juice from a 2,900 mAh battery.

Yu Yuphoria

Not long after Micromax set up a new company by the name YU Televentures and launched a new device called the YU Yureka, the company launched the new YU Yuphoria. The device is the first to be designed by YU and is Made in India. It has been launched at a price of Rs. 6,999. It runs on a Qualcomm 410 64bit Chipset, with a 1.2 GHz Quad-Core CPU and Adreno A306 GPU, with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage and 64 GB expandability option. It has an 8MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. The battery is kept at 2230 mAh and is priced at Rs. 6,999

Click here to register for Yuphoria.

May 18, 2015

Lenovo Launches the Affordable A5000 With 4000mAh Battery in India; Price Revealed

The newest A-series smartphone to launch in Russia few days back, the A5000, was speculated to arrive in India soon. Today, the handset has finally made it to the Indian soil. The A5000 is introduced at a price of Rs. 9,999 and is currently listed on the company’s online TheDoStore. Lenovo is taking pre-orders for the A5000, which will ship by April 30, as mentioned on the website. The phone will be available in two colour options – white and black.

The A5000 flaunts a 5-inch HD IPS display (1280×720 pixels). Inside is a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor with 1GB RAM that provides processing speed to the device. The 8GB internal storage capacity of the device can be expanded up to 32GB via MicroSD card. The smartphone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

Optics includes an 8MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, while the front is a 2MP camera to click selfies. Connectivity options include GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802, GPS, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth 4.0. The dual-SIM device gets its juice from the massive 4000mAh battery.

At the price of Rs. 9,999, the new Lenovo handset will compete with Honor 4X, Redmi 2 and the new Moto E LTE.

Check the specs sheet of Lenovo A5000 below:

Specification	Lenovo A5000
Display	5-inch HD IPS (1280x720p) display
Processor	1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor
RAM	1GB
Storage	8GB
Expandable Upto	32GB
Main Camera	8MP
Front Camera	2MP
Battery	4000mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat
Price	Rs. 9,999

April 27, 2015

New Lenovo A5000 With a 4,000mAh Battery and 5-inch Display Coming Soon to India

Lenovo has launched its newest A-series phone, the A5000 in Russia and has priced the handset at RB 12,000 (roughly Rs. 14,500). Although, there are no details or dates mentioned about its release in other markets, Times of India has confirmed that the Lenovo A5000 will be arriving in India soon. The most attractive feature of this phone would undoubtedly be the 4000mAh battery which may play an important role in its marketing. According to the company, the battery gives 792 hours of standby on 3G.

Official listings show the phone would not support 4G LTE. The dual SIM phone comes with a 5-inch HD IPS display (720×1280 pixels) and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. It comes with 8GB of internal storage and 32GB of expandable memory. It has an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP FF front camera. Connectivity options include GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth. Measuring 140×71.4×9.98mm, weighing 160 grams, the phone comes in two colours; black and white.

Though there is no official date for the India release, the Chinese company has recently launched the A7000. With this new variant, it can be concluded that Lenovo is expanding its line of budget phones to cater different requirements of different groups in the country.

Specification	Lenovo A5000
Display	5-inch HD IPS (720×1280 pixels) display
Processor	1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor
RAM	1GB
Storage	8GB
Expandable Upto	32GB
Main Camera	8MP
Front Camera	2MP
Battery	4000mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4
Price	Rs. 14,500 (Tentative)

April 23, 2015

Lenovo’s New A6000 Plus Might Arrive in India Soon

The tussle to bring the best in the budget is getting stiff among Chinese smartphone producers. Lenovo recently enticed customers with the launch of the A6000. Now to keep ahead of its competitors, the Beijing-based firm has launched the successor of the previous iteration, Lenovo A6000 Plus.

Lenovo hasn’t reworked on the device from scratch, this one comes with a few modifications missing in the former model. The Plus moniker houses an enhanced 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage space, which can be extended up to 32GB. While the previous iteration, the A6000 holds 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage.

Other specifications of the device are untouched. The Plus moniker holds the same 5-inch display with 720p resolution. A 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor provides computing power to the device. The device runs on the KitKat version of Android OS.

The dual-SIM phone holds a battery of 2300mAh, which is sufficient for a device of these specifications. An 8MP rear shooter with Autofocus and LED Flash, and a 2MP secondary camera sits on the phone to capture selfies. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB port and audio jack.

The device will come in black, white, yellow and red colour options. The company has not decided its price, but it is speculated to cost a bit higher than the non-Plus variant; somewhere around Rs. 9,000. A final word about its price and availability will be given by the manufacturers soon. Although, according to India Today, the handsets should be arriving in India within the next few weeks.

April 16, 2015
Lenovo to Bring the Affordable A7000 with Dolby Sound to India on 7th April

Looks like Lenovo is all set to bring its newest smartphone to the Indian market. The company is hosting a launch event for their latest gadget, the Lenovo A7000. This handset was first unveiled at the MWC 2015, and it will hit the Indian market on 7th April.

According to the price and spec ratio, it has been speculated that it can match against the Yu Yureka and Redmi Note. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek True8Core Processor with 4G LTE and sports a 5.5-inch HD display. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which can be expandable through microSD.

Measuring up to just 7.9mm thick and weighing 140g, it is easily one of the lightest phones to carry around. The smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The camera specification offers an 8MP primary camera and a 5MP front shooter. Specs aside, the main attraction of this phone is its Dolby Atmos sound. This technology will tweak the audio of the content to make it sound like it is coming from all directions. You will, of course, require a pair of headphones to get the true Atmos experience.

Lenovo A7000 will be priced at $169 (about Rs.10,500). Until now we don’t have a confirmation about its price or availability. We’ll make sure to update you about the same on 7th April.

April 3, 2015
Lenovo A7000 with Dolby Atmos Technology Expected to Cost Below Rs. 10,000

When Lenovo unveiled its latest offering, the A7000 at MWC this year, it was evident that the smartphone can stand against the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G and YU Yureka. The smartphone is expected to come to Indian shores on April 7 and the company has sent out invites for the same. Along with its all-round specification, users have one more reason to own a Lenovo A7000.

According to a source citied by Times of India, the Lenovo A7000 will cost users somewhere around Rs. 8,999 to Rs. 9,999. The price range will put it directly at odds against the Yu Yureka and the Redmi Note. This is the first commercial handset to boast Dolby Atmos technology. Interestingly, the company has chosen a Dolby Atmos sound equipped movie theatre as their event venue.

Talking about the specifications, the Lenovo A7000 sports a 5.5 inch HD display. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek True8Core processor with 4G LTE. It flaunts 2 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage which is expandable through MicroSD. The device is 7.9 mm thick and weighs just 140g. The smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

On the camera front, this budget device offers an 8 MP shooter on the back and a 5 MP selfie camera on the front. It gets its juice from a 2900 mAh battery that might just cut it for its massive display.

The USP of the device is the Dolby Atmos sound, the technology make the content sound like it is coming from all directions. You will, of course, require a pair of headphones to get the true Atmos experience.

Keep checking iGyaan for more updates on the Lenovo A7000.

March 27, 2015
Lenevo.com Hacked in Response to Superfish

Lenovo has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Cyber-security experts reported that the a pre-installed adware called on Lenovo computers made them vulnerable to hacking. Lenovo is also facing a class action lawsuit after admitting that it willingly installed the adware on their systems. The company seems to have really touched a nerve as a group of hackers called Lizard Squad have taken over their website.

The Message currently showing on Lenovo’s website

When some users went to visit the site in the morning, instead of the usual content they just found a slideshow. The slideshow had webcam pictures of kids with a Twitter link claiming to be members of Lizard Squad. If you visit the website, now all you get is an apology page stating that the website is unavailable and will come online soon.

We’ll comb the Lenovo dump for more interesting things later.

— Lizard Squad (@LizardCircle) February 25, 2015

The hackers have also gained access to Lenovo’s emails and data. The group is claiming that it will be combing through all the data that it has captured. We might even anticipate leaks like the previous Sony hack.

Superfish removal bricks some devices? Great work Lenovo pic.twitter.com/phXiBS3KzO

— Lizard Squad (@LizardCircle) February 25, 2015

The hackers have already released screenshots of emails that say that some devices got bricked when users attempted to remove Superfish adware themselves. Superfish has become a major bone in the throats of Lenovo. The company had till now enjoyed a healthy fan base, but the adware seems to have the potential to severely tarnish the company’s image. Come back to iGyaan for more updates on Lenovo.

February 26, 2015
CES 2015: Lenovo A6000 Attempts To Take An Aim at Xiaomi

Xiaomi hasn’t faced a lot of adversaries who could hold out a real challenge against it in its short duration of existence. The company creates a havoc in the minds of smartphone makers wherever it launches its products. Many companies have tried to take a shot at Xiaomi with their own products, but they haven’t been successful in causing a real dent in Xiaomi’s armour. Now Lenovo is attempting to take a shot at challenging Xiaomi’s dominance in the sub-Rs.10,000 smartphone market with the new A6000.

Lenovo launched the A6000 at CES 2015 which is being held in Las Vegas. The company has tied up with Flipkart for an exclusive partnership to sell the device. Flipkart is slowly and steadily becoming the primary destination to launch exclusive handsets online. The Indian price of the device hasn’t been declared yet but expect it to be close to the price of the Xiaomi Redmi Note.

The A6000 sports a 5 inch HD IPS display. It will get its processing from a 64-bit 1.2GHz, Snapdragon 410 processor. It holds 1GB of RAM and offers 8GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB. It runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat and gets its juice from a 2300 mAh battery.

On the camera front, the device offers an 8 MP camera on the back and a 2 MP camera on the front. The specs offered on the A6000 also seem to challenge a recent arrival in the Indian smartphone market, the Yu Yureka.

Overall on the spec sheet, the A6000 looks like it could be quite a formidable opponent to the Xiaomi and YU. But both these companies have the advantage of customizable UI such as MIUI and Cyanogen, which are fast gaining popularity. So Lenovo is not going to have such an easy run in the market. But we still want to see it try because ultimately it’s the Indian consumer who wins from these affordable smartphone wars.

January 9, 2015
CES 2015 : Lenovo Launches Two Smartphones and a Fitness Band

Lenovo has added two new smartphones, an accessory and a wearable to it portfolio. The company pulled the wraps of the a couple of Android 4.4 KitKat-powered droids dubbed Vibe X2 Pro and P90 along with a unique selfie-flash accessory.

Lenovo P90, the highlight of the show, is workhorse with an enormous battery. It is also the first phone running on Intel’s 64-bit Atom 1.8GHz quad-core processor, and supports LTE-Advanced (FDD and TDD), which offers theoretical download speeds of 150Mbps.

Lenovo P90

The Lenovo P90 sports a 5.5-inch 1920×1080 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 13 megapixel rear camera with OIS (optical image stabilization), front-facing 5 megapixel camera and a massive 4,000 mAh battery which, according to the company, will last for 2 days on a full charge. The Lenovo P90 will be available in February for $369

The second offering from the Lenovo’s portfolio is a limited edition Vibe X2 Pro. The beautiful dual-sim smartphone sports a striped design similar to the Vibe X2 that debuted at IFA last year. However, the X2 Pro is thinner, has a bigger display, and is more powerful than the X2. The X2 Pro comes with a 5.3-inch display, up from the 5 inch display on the X2. It also comes with a 64-bit 1.5GHz Snapdragon octa-core processor, and a 13MP rear camera with optical image stabilization. Even with those advancements, the stand out feature of the X2 Pro is the 13MP rear camera, and a matching 13MP front facing camera.

Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro

There’s no flash, however, for the front unit as on the HTC Desire Eye, but Lenovo has designed a cool flash accessory for the Vibe X2 Pro, called VIBE Xtension Selfie Flash, that plugs into the 3.5mm audio jack and provides nice even illumination courtesy of its 8 diffused LEDs.

And last but not least is the the company’s first ever wearable called the VB10 Band. It sports an E-ink display and long battery life which can last more than a week on a single charge. The Band features full fitness tracking functions and works with a phone via always-on Bluetooth. It warns you when the phone moves too far away from the Band. The Vibe Band will be available in April 2015 for $89, making it one of the cheaper wearables to date.

January 6, 2015
CES 2015: Lenovo Unveils Robust and Compact ThinkPad Stack Accessory System

Accessories are meant to make life easier. If you are a normal computer user and don’t require add-ons together with your system then this might not sound interesting to you. But for frequent commuters, it’s quite tedious task to pack and unpack different accessories like external hard drives, battery pack, Bluetooth speaker, wireless hotspot and others along with cables to connect them. For them, laptop bags are more of a heavy, stuffed pack without an option to lighten it.

The Chinese multinational computer technology giant Lenovo remains on the forefront in taking initiatives for bringing out comforting technology for users. This time again, the company has come up with ThinkPad Stack keeping in mind regular travellers. Just pile the modules on top of each other, and share power and data. The list of peripherals includes a 10,000mAh battery pack, which is of $50, a 1TB USB 3.0 hard drive of $200, a Bluetooth speaker of worth $90 and an LTE data hotspot costing $200.

The pricing might open your eyes wide for a second, but it’s hardly a big deal for a cable-free and compact accessories’ pile at this price. The company has spotted the nerve of its potential consumers and said that people will be willing to pay extra to save space and time. The modular system will be up for grabs in mid-April.

Along with this, Lenovo rolled out one more surprise. The company has built up a programme called WriteIt, which is an app through with you can write down anything on your tab with a pen. The app taps into the accessibility layer of Windows 8, allowing users to write in any text field. The feature is, for now, restricted to Lenovo tabs only. You can get an idea of the app from the below picture:

January 5, 2015
CES 2015 : Lenovo Refreshes Its ThinkPad Lineup With New Offerings

PC maker Lenovo has announced a whole new range ThinkPad laptops at Consumer Electronic Show 2015 at Las Vegas. The company has refreshed the ThinkPad line along with a new accessory system, ThinkPad Stack which is aimed to let the enterprise-focus units be a mobile solution.

The company has added some iterations based on users review of previous gen ThinkPads. The physical function keys are back in the refreshed version which were removed in the previous gen X1, leaving users with an “adaptive” panel whose touch-sensitive buttons changed depending on the task at hand.

The physical function keys are back in the refreshed version which were removed in the previous gen X1

Additionally, Lenovo undid some of the changes it had made to the touchpad. Whereas the last-gen model had a clickpad with zero buttons, this year’s model returns the two right and left clickers that used to sit at the top of the pad, the ones meant to be used with the signature red pointing stick.

Both the flagship Ultrabooks in Lenovo’s offering are getting updated for 2015. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a portable 14-inch laptop with a high-resolution touch screen (optional) with a thin and light rugged case.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2015)

Also launched is ThinkPad X250, a 12 inch laptop that works with the company’s Power Bridge technology for flexibility while traveling. The X250 is only 0.8 inches thick and 2.88 pounds. Power Bridge is a dual battery system that allows the user to configure it on the fly for maximum battery life or lowest weight.

Lenovo added 4 new ThinkPads in the 450 series, the T450s, T450, E450, and the L450. The T450s is a 14-inch laptop that is larger than the two flagship models noted above (0.83 inches, 3.5 pounds). It is also a Power Bridge compatible notebook for extending the battery life when needed. The T450 is another 14-inch laptop that is larger than the T450s (0.88 inches, 4.0 pounds). The L450 is a 14-inch laptop that does not have a touch screen option (the others do have touch available). It is a thick notebook and heavier than the others (0.96 inches, 4.25 pounds).

Lenovo ThinkPad T550

Among these, Lenovo also launched T550, addressing users who prefer large screen size, sporting a 15.5 inch screen with high-resolution display (2880 x 1620). It comes with up to 16GB of memory, up to a TB of HDD (or 512GB SSD). The company has added a number of ports and jacks to turn it into a true desktop alternative. The powerful laptop is also portable and travel friendly at 0.88 inches thick and around 5 pounds.

The E ThinkPad lineup has been refreshed with the announcement of the E550 and the E450. The E550 boasts a 15.5 inch screen while E450 stands at 14 inch. Neither of the ThinkPads comes with the touch screen variant, however, there is an option of optical drives. Both models can be configured with up to 1 TB of HDD or 128GB of SSD. The E550 and E450 are 5.2 pounds and 4 pounds, and 0.94 inches and 0.87 inches thick respectively.

Lenovo ThinkPad E450 and E450

Lenovo announced all the ThinkPads will be available in February except for X1 Carbon which will be available later this month. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts at $1,249, X250 at $1,149 and L450 at $699. The T450s, T450 and T550 starts at $1,099, $849 and $999, respectively. While starting price for the E450 and the E450 is $449.

January 5, 2015

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 830LC Review

In today’s highly competitive tablet market, manufacturers are bound to offer an interesting set of specs just to have that slight edge over their rivals. Lenovo recently launched its Yoga Tablet 2 in an attempt to make a mark in this overcrowded tablet market. Does it have what it takes to compete against the big boys including the likes of iPad Retina, the Galaxy Tab 4 or for that matter, the wildly popular Nexus 7. Based on an entirely different form factor, a decent set of specs and a Full HD display, the Yoga Tablet 2 was dying to come to our test lab for a review, and we did not disappoint it.

SUMMARY

Strategically priced at Rs. 20,990, the 8-inch Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 packs a rather interesting set of specs along with a very innovative design. But does it packs enough punch to become a tablet worth shelling out your hard-earned cash? Let’s find out:

HARDWARE

The Yoga Tablet 2 830LC is powered by an Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor clocked at 1.86 GHz. It has a massive 6,400mAh battery that should provide enough juice, while optics includes an 8MP f/2.2 rear camera along with a relatively docile 1.6 MP front snapper.

On the memory front, the Yoga Tablet 2 offers 16 GB of inbuilt storage expandable up to 64 GB via MicroSD bundled with 2 GB of RAM.

KEY SPECS

Specifications	Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Display	8-inch Full HD IPS display 1920X1200 pixels
Processor	Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor clocked at 1.86 GHz.
Storage	16 GB + microSD
RAM	2 GB RAM
Camera	Front 1.6 MP HD, Rear 8 MP
Battery	2 Cell 6400mAH Li-Cylindrical
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN

The 8-inch form factor of tablets is always considered rather comfortable, so the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 comes across more of a paperback. It allows easy one-handed usage and comfortably slips into your briefcase making it ultra portable.

To kick things off, the first thing that will grab your attention is the tablet’s all metal-magnesium alloy body. Perfect balance of right build and design is what you can expect from this tablet. There’s something intriguing about holding the Yoga Tablet 2; the alloy body gives it a very niche look, being lightweight at the same time.

The real kicker is the nifty stand that flips out in three positions, offering great comfort and viewing angles, no matter which way you want to use it. Whether you’re lazing around or sitting upright at your desk or for that matter even while working out, it truly emanates that hands-free experience. In addition, there’s also a hinge hand that makes it very comfortable to hold on to.

Certainly, it is one of the most innovative designs at the moment from the usual rectangular slab we’re used to. Be it catching updates from IGN or watching Homeland, you’ll simply love the hassle-free usage.

However, there’s only one USB port in the entire device with no HDMI slot, which is kind of lame and can certainly put off prospective buyers.

DISPLAY AND MULTIMEDIA

Given the price of the tablet, it is quite remarkable to have a Full HD display at this price point. The 8-inch screen renders vivid colours and excellent viewing angles. It’s a great device with a gorgeous display whether you’re watching movies, browsing and even gaming. We were quite impressed with the tablet’s 8-inch display.

Playing games or watching your favourite TV sitcoms on the Yoga Tablet 2 is no doubt fun. In addition, the front-facing Dolby stereo speaker packs enough punch that further enhances the whole multimedia experience. Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 is an entertainment powerhouse.

CAMERA

The camera on the Yoga Tablet 2 is apparently its only weaker link. Optics includes an 8MP primary camera. Meanwhile, the 1.6 MP front camera is only decent enough for video chats. There seems to be some issue with our review unit’s battery, so we were not able to take camera samples as the camera unit was detecting low battery backup. Going by the specs, it’s safe to assume that the camera is one of the weaker links of the tablet.

Eventually, we had to give the camera a very low rating which has affected the tablet’s aggregate score.

OS and UI

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 runs on a forked version of Android 4.4 KitKat with a highly customised UI on top. The UI is very reminiscent of the iOS with the same dropdown menu including the home screen.

Hence, there’s no app tray which some of us would not be comfortable with, but overall, the UI is quite user friendly with nicely laid icons. It will depend on users whether they find Lenovo’s tweaked UI useful. The new layout and icons would need getting used to, though there are some nifty pre-loaded apps that will certainly come in handy for users. Have a look at the screenshots below:

PERFORMANCE

The 8-inch tablet has a relatively powerful Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor clocked at 1.86 GHz. The chipset is perfectly capable of handling multiple apps and runs graphically intensive titles like Asphalt 8 without any hassles. The chipset combined with a hefty 2 GB RAM further bolsters the tablet’s performance, leaving enough room to run multiple apps at the same time.

The tablet’s benchmark scores are quite impressive and translate into real time performance. Yoga Tablet 2 can handle everything thrown at it from 1080p flicks to graphic intensive games like Asphalt and Real Racing. Have a look at the benchmark scores below:

TABLET NETWORKS AND BATTERY

In terms of connectivity, the Yoga Tablet 2 offers great mobility with 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities including support for 4G LTE. There’s also a SIM slot just in case you’re not in a mood to switch devices. As there’s no internal speaker, one needs to find a suitable place to have a conversation apparently. And of course, you have other options like Bluetooth, earphones etc.

The 8-inch tablet powered by a Li-ion 6400mAh battery looks quite superb on paper. The battery unit is much larger as compared to the iPad mini and Nexus 7 2013 which come with 4490 and 3950 mAh units respectively. Once fully recharged, Lenovo claims that the battery can last for 18 hours. Though, we would not be able to give you an accurate measure of the tab’s battery performance as our review unit always shows the battery level at zero percent. Still, we could use the tablet for two days in a row after charging it once. The screenshot below might give you a general idea of the tablet’s battery performance.

So eventually, this has affected the tablet’s overall rating as we had to give a 5 on 10, which otherwise would have been at least 7.5.

VERDICT

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 hits the right spot in terms of performance, a Full HD display, innovative design and ease of use. The tablet features one of the best designs in the tablet market, compliments to the nifty little kickstand that significantly increases its usability.

Apart from the relatively docile camera unit and lack of HDMI connectivity that is rather surprising, the Yoga Tablet 2 has all the attributes you would look for in a mid-range modern day tablet. If you are planning to invest in a mid-range tablet with a great display and top-notch performance, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 should suffice all your needs. It has the attributes to give serious competition to the iPad mini 16 GB and Nexus 7 2013.

[tw-column width=”one-half”

GOOD THINGS

Innovative Design
Ease of Usage
Sharp FullHD Display
Impressive Performance
Great Build Quality

[/tw-column]
[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS

Weak Camera Unit
No HDMI Connectivity
No Bundled Headset

[/tw-column]

November 27, 2014

With Moto-Power Lenovo Becomes the Third Largest Smartphone Company in India

The acquisition of one of the most adored brands, Motorola by Lenovo was met with a wide negative response in India. But this acquisition did more for Lenovo than just being the owner of an awesome brand. It took an enormous leap in the Indian smartphone market. The Chinese electronics company now is the third biggest smartphone company in India.

Lenovo acquired Motorola from Google for a sum of $2.9-billion. The deal was finalized this Thursday, the 30th of October, and it will give Lenovo the boost in the Indian market that it was looking for. The deal got Lenovo in the third spot in India and many other markets globally.

This may also mean a bit of a pull back for Xiaomi. According to data research by IDC, the company will move down to the fourth spot after just recently hitting the podium stand. Seems like celebrations didn’t last long for the company. This will be a neck and neck competition because both Motorola and Xiaomi are stars of the low-cost markets. This is a market where the maximum amount of sales takes place. Lenovo has a good market stand in the offline channels and combined with the high online demand for Motorola product it can easily set a flag post at the third spot.

The top spot in India is still in the hands of Samsung, that has come up to become an alternative recognizable brand after the demise of Nokia. It holds 23.8% of the mobile phone market and is distantly followed by Apple with a market share of 12%.

Lenovo says that it considers India as an important market, and it will continue its original market plan. It will definitely benefit from the brand recognition of Motorola, especially in the youth market. Since its return to Indian shores, the company has sold over 2 million products from its catalog.

The Lenovo-Motorola partnership plans to sell about 100 million smartphones and tablets globally by march of next year which is an audacious task. The part of this acquisition that will be appreciated by most folks casting doubts on the future of Motorola products is that Lenovo and Motorola will continue on as separate entities. So you can expect your next Moto buy to still hold the Moto experience that you have come to love and appreciate.

November 1, 2014
It’s Done! Lenovo Now Officially Owns Motorola

Today, Motorola officially announced that Lenovo has completed the acquisition of Motorola Mobility and the company is now a part of the Lenovo family.

Lenovo Group Ltd has finally closed its $2.91 billion acquisition of the Motorola handset unit from Google Inc and is preparing itself for a fresh attack on the U.S smartphone market. The purchase comes as Lenovo, the world’s leading PC maker, is trying to integrate its business into various segments and establish itself as a smartphone maker with global appeal.

Back in 2012, Google acquired Motorola Mobility and its patent for $12.5 billion but was unable to revive the company to its old glory.

“The iconic Motorola brand will continue, as will the Moto and DROID franchises that have propelled our growth over the past year,” explains Rick Osterloh, Motorola President, “We will continue to focus on pure Android and fast upgrades, and remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems.”

“Google will maintain ownership of a majority of the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio, while Motorola will receive a license to this rich portfolio of patents and other intellectual property,” says Lenovo. Google’s CEO Larry Page said, “Motorola is in great hands with Lenovo, a company that’s all-in on making great devices.”

October 30, 2014

Tag: lenovo

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Lenovo K3 Note

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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2

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