Lenovo is coming into the IFA 2014 show with new offerings that include an Intel-based Android tablet and two gaming systems.
The Tab S8 is the company’s first 8-inch tablet that is powered by a quad-core Atom chip, runs Google’s Android operating system and is aimed at users looking for an affordable device with its $199 starting price. In addition, Lenovo on Sept. 3 announced the Y70 Touch, a 17-inch touch laptop that includes the latest Core chips from Intel and Nvidia’s GTX graphics, and the Erazer X315 desktop that officials said comes with high-end graphics and storage.
Officials with Lenovo—the world’s top PC vendor with 19.6 percent market share in the second quarter, according to IDC analysts—are continuing to expand the company’s reach within the larger computing industry, stretching from consumer mobile devices to data center servers. The latest systems are examples of that effort, according to Andrew Barrow, director of consumer product marketing at Lenovo.
Lenovo is looking to the IFA show in Berlin, Germany, as a showcase for the breadth of the company’s portfolio, Barrow told eWEEK. The IFA runs Sept. 5-10.
The vendor is pointing to the Tab S8 as a tablet that gives consumers a range of features at an affordable price. The 8-inch display is a 1,920-by-1,200 infinity screen that is sharper than Full HD (FHD), the One Glass Solution touch-screen technology adds to the viewing experience, and a slim bezel enables the screen to merge with a dark front panel. There also is a 1.6-megapixel high-definition camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.
The Intel chip is an Atom Z3745 that runs at 1.83GHz and includes Intel’s Burst Performance Technology, enabling the system to optimize battery power by ensuring that the processing power being used matches the application the system is running. The tablet provides up to 7 hours of battery life, offers optional 4G LTE connectivity as well as WiFi, and measures 0.31 inches and 0.65 pounds.
The tablet will be available in September.
The Y70 Touch, aimed at the gaming community and also available in September, is powered by a 4th generation Core i7 chip from Intel and Nvidia’s GTX graphics, offers a 17-inch touch screen and comes with an FHD display. It also offers JBL-designed stereo speakers and subwoofer, Dolby Advanced Audio technology, and a backlit keyboard that glows in dimly lit locations.
It weighs in at 7.5 pounds, and comes with an external optical disk drive, 5 hours of battery life, and customizable storage and networking options. The Y70 also features up to 16GB of DDR3L memory and 1TB of stolid-state hybrid-drive (SSHD) storage or 256GB of solid-state disk (SSD) storage.
Lenovo’s Erazer X315 is the latest affordable gaming system, and includes Radeon R9 series graphics from Advanced Micro Devices, a quad-core AMD “Kaveri” or Intel Core-i7 processor, and up to 2TB of SSHD. The system also comes with a new chassis that offers LED lighting on the front and a profile that officials said apes the look of a knight’s armor. It offers up to 12GB of memory, four USB 3.0 ports, a one-touch cover to give users easy access into the system, and 7.1 channel support and Dolby enhancements for improved audio.