Lenovo LePhone seen again, Android skinned like Skylight
By Sean Cooper 
posted January 11th 2010 10:51AM
posted January 11th 2010 10:51AM
We've been graced with a stack of new shots of Lenovo's LePhone, and, beauty aside, another standout here is the similarity of this phone's Android / OPhone skin to Lenovo's Skylight OS. Of course, they're not the same UI exactly, but, between that and the optional keyboard accessory that mirrors the IdeaPad U1's detachable display, it looks like the beginning of a happy -- and winsome -- family. Wander on to the gallery for all the shimmering and glossy poses -- including one that looks suspiciously like HTC's typical exploded view of all angles.
@SolonLysander Yeah I'll never understand why Nokia has never caught on in the US. Because they make some great phones & I have been in love with them since I was thirteen, I'm eighteen by the way & currenly own a Nokia 6303 Classic. Very basic but nice phone.
The only thing worse than gloss black on the back of a cell phone is fake carbon fiber weave. Bad, Lenovo! Bad!
Is it too much to ask that lenovo make a product that isn't ugly? Their products are all amzing on the iside, and yet all of them look like they were designed in 2002.
Now this appears interesting. It seems like a no brainer that the "phone part would be reversible in the keyboard shell so that the phone can have a pure "touchscreen" form factor. Need to do heavy typing? Then open the keyboard "shell" pop out the "phone", flip it over and click it back into the shell to have a full qwerty clamshell form factor. Seems like a good compromise between those that like iPhone touchscreen simplicity vs those that prefer the full functionality of a Nokia E90. But these photos appear to have a contradictory element. The back of the "shell" appears to be open so that you can access the touch screen while the "shell" is attached to the "phone" in a reversed touchscreen for factor. But if you look at the edge of the "shell" there is a tiny hole that matches a small hole on the "phone" next to what appears to be a headphone jack. But if the "phone" was reversed in the "shell" with the touchscreen facing out then that hole would be covered. Any ideas?
@SolonLysander
What are you looking at? Imagine your laptop... imagine you could take the screen off the keyboard. That's what this is, You can have a clam style phone with a full qwerty keyboard or take the keyboard off and just have a touch phone. The "shell" is not attached to the phone, it's attached to the optional keyboard.
@Tes - Tes you have obviously not understood my terminology. There are two parts illustrated here. One is the phone piece that has a touchscreen. The second is what I called the shell. The shell is composed of two pieces joined by a hinge. One is the keyboard and the other is a plastic piece that is designed to hold the phone piece. My question is can that plastic piece hold the phone piece with the touchscreen facing in either direction. I.E. can the touchscreen be oriented the opposite as it is in the picture above - with the touchscreen facing away front the keyboard so what when you close the hinge the keyboard is concealed against the backside of the phone component. In this way the phone and keyboard shell can be carried togeather as a single piece and the phone touchscreen used (via the touchscreen) without opening the clamshell. If it cannot then in my opinion it has a pretty substantial design flaw. Because then you are faced with the following choice if you want to use the phone's keyboard component - either carry the two pieces separately (which most people would rather not do) or be forced to open the clamshell and remove the phone component to answer a phone call and answer the phone. Or awkwardly hold the entire contraption up to your ear. Remember the original Nokia N-gage "Taco" phone and how much fun was made of how you had to hold it to use the phone. This would be even worse. Imagine this. If you had the phone in the keyboard component - then every phone call requires you to use two hands to open the clamshell to see who is calling, then pop the phone component out of the keyboard shell, put the keyboard component back in a pocket or purse and then answer the phone. Reverse the process to put it away. See what I mean?
@SolonLysander
Ah yes...I see your point now. and from the video posted below it looks worse than you describe as it's very thick with the keyboard attached. Hmmm...not perfect by any stretch.
I think this is one sexy machine...like art. If the keyboard is true to its IBM/Lenovo esque roots (I bought a Thinkpad once purely based on the feel of its keyboard) then I am interested enough to part with plenty of greenbacks. I sure hope the UI will be well done, but with its history as a premiere business machine manufacturer then I'm optimistic some of that will trickle down here. One thing I noticed in those renders is no flash for the camera. I'd want an LED flash. Please stick in a memory slot too. That's the only reason I won't buy a Pre Plus. This whole package has serious potential here...please, please, please don't screw it up!
Oh and bring it to North America PRONTO!
That keyboard is a fucking fantastic idea. It seems so obvious now, but it really is smart. This way you keep the balance of the keys, so each thumb does as much work, but both can still reach into the middle to hit the d-pad. Wow. I want that on my next phone now, lol.
The Nexus One phone should have thought about the removable keyboard shell. I realize there's some people who don't like physical keyboards but for others it is necessary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvdYnvImlq0
Le Phone + Le Case + Le Keyboard = Le Awesome.