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Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix returns with a thinner design and longer battery life
Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix Windows convertible was always a promising device. Here was a tablet that could fit into its keyboard dock with the screen facing forward or backward. It had a full HD display and an active digitizer for pressure-sensitive pen input. Best of all, it used proper laptop-grade processors, ensuring you'd get performance more in line with an Ultrabook than a standalone tablet. Sure, its weird cooling flap and pointy dock-guides made it cumbersome to use, but in spirit, at least, we were on board. We hoped Lenovo would try again with a refreshed design. At last, the company has done just that -- more than a year after the original first went on sale. The new Helix arrives later this fall with a thinner, fanless design, not to mention slightly longer battery life.
The Daily Roundup for 07.04.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix review
It's been six months since Lenovo launched the ThinkPad Helix at CES, but during that time we've never really stopped talking about it. Every time we've reviewed a comparable product -- a small-ish PC that could be used in some sort of tablet mode -- we've returned to the Helix as a beacon of what could be in this category. All told, the Helix has had a few things potentially recommending it: it rocks the same sturdy, well-spaced keyboard you'll find on other ThinkPads and a spec list that includes NFC, a Wacom pen digitizer and a high-quality, 11.6-inch, 1080p display. Best of all, the Helix can be used in three ways: not just in tablet mode, but with the tablet inserted either facing the user or pointed away, a design Lenovo is calling "Rip n' Flip." It's the sort of versatility we loved so much in Lenovo's Yoga line; only this is a more compact machine with a higher-res screen and pen input. Sounds lovely, right? Read on to see if it's as good in practice as it is on paper.%Gallery-192094%
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix starts shipping, Seton Hall University gets early units
Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix has had one of the rockier roads to the US market, having been promised for February only to be delayed to April. Things are getting smoother, however, as the first units of the are rolling off the production line -- and there are already customers waiting at Seton Hall University. Keeping up its recent practice of handing out gadgets to junior students, the school expects to test the dockable Windows 8 tablet within a few weeks, and then deliver about 2,000 units to newcomers starting in June. The turn toward a hybrid lets the university settle on one PC design for the fall rather than divide its attention between tablets and Ultrabooks, Seton Hall's Drew Holden says. As for the general public? Lenovo hasn't officially put the Helix on sale through its own store, but a handful of customers say they've already received theirs through other channels. In any event, keep a close watch on third-party stores if you're willing to part with $1,499 for a ThinkPad convertible.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix slated for April release in the US
Lenovo's still being vague about a release date for its ThinkPad Helix, but it's at least narrowed down the retail window somewhat. Though the 11.6-inch, 1080p Ultrabook had already been officially delayed and marked for a Spring release, the company is now confirming via its Twitter account that consumers can look for it to launch sometime in April. That's specifically for the US market, as no other word on overseas availability has been announced. When it does finally go on sale stateside, look for the reversible Windows 8 device to carry a $1,499 price tag and potential AT&T-friendly LTE.
Lenovo delays ThinkPad Helix, eyes a spring release
If you were biding your time until late February to pick up a ThinkPad Helix, we've got some bad news: Lenovo's revealed on Facebook that the convertible Ultrabook has been pushed back to a March or April release. For a refresher, the Helix packs an 11.6-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass display and carries a $1,499 price tag in its base configuration. Mum's the word on what's forced the flexible hardware closer to spring, but we've reached out to Lenovo for confirmation and more details. [Thanks, D]
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix official: 11.6-inch reversible screen, arrives next month for $1,499+
The Lenovo ThinkPad Helix has been a known entity for some time, first showing up on the company's Israeli website and more recently stopping by the FCC with AT&T LTE in tow. The device is no longer an enigma, as Lenovo is pulling back the curtain on the 11.6-inch convertible Ultrabook, which will go on sale in late February for $1,499 and up. Like the famously flippable ThinkPad Yoga, the Helix can be used in several different positions. Tablet and Ultrabook modes are a given, but users can also flip the tablet 180 degrees and snap it back in to the base, essentially providing a stand for using the device as a slate. In addition to supporting touch input, the Helix offers a bundled pen (complete with a slot for storing) for tapping away at the 1080p Gorilla Glass display. Speaking of the panel, it boasts IPS technology -- and Lenovo says it's "the brightest screen in the ThinkPad brand portfolio." Along with the just-introduced ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531, the Helix sports a new trackpad that forgoes the secondary buttons meant to be used with the TrackPoint. Instead, these buttons are built into the clickpad, though the pointing stick is still on board. We imagine this change will upset many ThinkPad devotees, but given that we haven't seen a final production unit, we're not ready to pass judgement on the update. The highest-end configuration will run a Core i7 processor, and Lenovo says you can expect up to 10 hours of battery life. Other specs include a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-MP front-facing shooter, NFC for tapping to share and -- as expected -- LTE connectivity. The tablet weighs 1.8 pounds on its own, and the whole Ultrabook comes in at under four. Take a closer look at this convertible in our hands-on video past the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix swings through the FCC with AT&T-native LTE
There have been doubts that Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix would ever arrive in the US, with even the past FCC appearance of a WiFi-only version offering no guarantees. An American launch now seems considerably more likely in the wake of a follow-up FCC approval. The dockable, 11.6-inch Windows 8 tablet has popped up carrying LTE both on an AT&T-specific 700MHz band and AT&T-friendly AWS (1,700MHz and 2,100MHz) bands -- with such explicit network support, we'll be surprised if it doesn't reach US shores. Little else is available in the filing that we don't already know, although it's clear that there's no real cellular access for Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon. We'd just like to know if and when Lenovo is ready to make the ThinkPad Helix official for this side of the world and give the upcoming IdeaTab Lynx some company.
