Lenovo intros the S5000, a budget 7-inch tablet running Jelly Bean (update: video)
Lenovo's already outed a lengthy list of Ultrabooks to kick off IFA, but the company has even more up its sleeve today. Meet the new 7-inch S5000 Android tablet, which the company is billing as "thin and ultra mobile."
At 7.9mm (0.3 inch) thick and weighing 236 grams (0.54 pound), the slate is a bit thinner and lighter than the Nexus 7 and ASUS' MeMo Pad HD 7, though that slim profile seems to be the main standout feature. The display sports a rather standard 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution for enjoying Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and a 1.2GHz quad-core Media Tek 8389 processor runs under the hood. Beyond that, the S5000 offers rear (5MP) and front-facing (1.6MP) cameras, and you have the option to add 3G HSPA+ connectivity in select countries (excluding the US). Lenovo says the 3,450mAh battery nets up to eight hours of use over WiFi. In Europe, at least, this will start at 199 euros for the 16GB WiFi model, with the 3G version priced at 249 euros. As far US availability, though, "4Q 2013" is about all we have to share. For now, though, follow on for some first impressions.
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Lenovo wasn't kidding when it promised the S5000 would be thin and light: it feels utterly insubstantial in the hand. (And that's not even the first lightweight tablet we've handled today!) In particular, a finely textured plastic back makes it easy to hold -- not that anyone should have a problem gripping this diminutive tablet in one hand. (N.B.: This has the same look and feel as Lenovo's Vibe X smartphone, also announced today.) Also, we noticed that Lenovo stacked all the requisite ports and buttons (volume rocker, et cetera) on the sides, toward the top, so that when you're using it in portrait mode you won't accidentally press anything you didn't mean to.
As for how pretty a device this is, Lenovo also threw in some metal accents (perhaps so that it could say the tablet isn't entirely made of plastic) but we actually think the chrome bits take away from the design; whereas the plastic backing seems resistant to smudges and scratches, the metal end cap at the bottom is a veritable fingerprint magnet.
The IPS display has a resolution of 1,280 x 800, which is standard for 7- and 8-inch tablets, especially budget ones like this. Unfortunately, we can't say what it's like to use in direct sunlight -- not when we're confined to the Berlin Messe, anyway -- but at first blush the panel seems easy to read from off-kilter angles, even with the tablet lying face-up. Chalk it up to that relatively high 350-nit brightness rating.
This might actually be a good time to touch on the software experience. As we were describing the display just now, we were about to say something about how the screen makes colors pop, but what we really need to explain is that Lenovo's introduced a vibrant new Android skin reminiscent of Samsung's TouchWiz. The overall experience of getting around Android hasn't changed, but purists might resent that the standard operating system has been reborn here as something more... cartoonish.
As for performance, there's only so much we can do here at a press event to test the quad-core MediaTek processor, but we can report that we had a smooth time browsing in Chrome. Pages loaded quickly, scrolling was smooth, and we were able to zoom in and out with zero tiling. We also didn't observe any hiccups when launching apps and moving from one home screen to another. Seems like a good start to us.
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Lenovo Wraps Style and Intelligence into New Smartphone and Tablet
Latest PC Plus products combine elegant hardware with trendsetting photo capabilities and sharp screens
Vibe X smartphone, the newest member of Lenovo's premium smartphone portfolio, packs twin camera technology and amazingly brilliant display into sleek package
S5000 tablet takes thin and light mobility experience to new level
BERLIN, GERMANY – September 5, 2013: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today at the 2013 IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin announced the latest additions to its PC Plus portfolio: the Lenovo
Vibe X smartphone, the newest member of Lenovo's premium smartphone portfolio, and the ultra mobile Lenovo S5000 tablet. Both devices combine a sleek design with intelligent performance and a vibrant viewing experience.
Additionally, the remarkably thin and light Vibe X smartphone uniquely sports powerful front and rear cameras and a high resolution beveled edge glass display, while the S5000 makes its mark as one of the industry's slimmest and lightest premium seven-inch tablets available. Those who crave style and function will appreciate the devices' laser-engraved fabric-feel surface on the back covers and their attractive side chrome accents.
Lenovo Vibe X: Ready to Capture Life's Precious Moments
The Lenovo Vibe X smartphone comes encased in style with a premium polycarbonate body and an advanced mold, laser-engraved 3D tactile finish. Its slim, featherweight frame continues its focus on premium design by measuring just 6.9mm, as thin as a pencil, and it weighs in at less than other smartphones its size - just 121 grams (0.26 lbs), about the weight of five AA batteries. The dazzling five- inch 20/20 Vision display1 boasts a 1920x1080 full HD resolution, an IPS panel for wide-viewing angles and ultra-sharp 440 pixels per inch (PPI). The 20/20 Vision Display sits under a scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 screen beveled at the edges.
The Lenovo Vibe X packs two advanced cameras to capture great-looking photos and videos. The front- facing camera offers one of the highest megapixels in the market today, at five megapixel (MP), and together with a wide-angle 84° lens, effortlessly captures high-quality self-portraits. Users can also use pinch-to-zoom gestures easily and effectively to adjust their shots. It also includes a built-in software editor to help enhance facial features. The 13MP auto-focus rear-facing camera comes enhanced with a back-illuminated sensor for sharper images and also has an LED flash.
The Vibe X comes preloaded with a full-featured photo application that gives users a fresh way to view and organize pictures, including creating unique custom tags or folders, as well as fun and fresh display arrangements on the screen. Users can also create puzzles and customize specific games from the photos. The camera application makes it easy to choose custom settings and filters, as well as edit and share any photo or video instantly.
The Lenovo Vibe X runs on the AndroidTM 4.2 operating system and on a Quad-Core MTK 6589T 1.5GHz processor for advanced performance to enjoy the latest games, apps and videos. With 2GB of memory and 16GB of internal storage, users can download and install dozens of apps, listen to hundreds of music tracks and snap thousands of digital photos.
Additionally, Lenovo continues to refine its smartphone portfolio by updating its popular premium Lenovo K900 smartphone2 with several new features including choices of new colors in either black or orange as well as storage options of 16GB or 32GB.
S5000 Tablet: Stay Mobile, Stay Stylish, Stay Connected
Measuring just 7.9 mm, the S5000 is one of the slimmest tablets in the market. It weighs in at just 246 grams (0.54 lbs), nearly one-fifth lighter than many of the premium tablets being sold today. Inside this thin and light frame resides plenty of horsepower, starting with a seven-inch 1280x800 resolution, 350 nit brightness and full HD wide-viewing angle display to make it easy to share photos and videos with family and friends.
The S5000 camera gives tablet users an ideal high-definition photo experience. The 1.6MP front-facing camera boasts a sharp high definition experience for crystal clear video chatting while the rear-facing 5.0MP camera takes quality photos and videos and can also scan QR codes and capture photos from long distances.
The S5000 tablet runs on the Android 4.2 operating system (Jelly Bean) and on a Quad-Core Media Tek 8389 1.2 GHz processor and features optional 3G HSPA+ connectivity3. The S5000 relies on its "On the Go" USB port for storage expansion or charging other devices and 3450mAh battery for up to eight hours of non-stop WiFi web browsing or six hours of HD video viewing to keep up with the demands of mobile users.
Lenovo Smart Apps for Secure Sharing and Saving
The Lenovo Vibe X and S5000 come preloaded with custom applications that allow users to conveniently share photos, videos, and documents, protect their device from malicious software, as well as backup and restore important data. On the Lenovo Vibe X, users can also launch the preloaded Facebook app enhanced with additional screensaver and notification functions.
Quotes
"Lenovo continues to bring head-turning innovations to the PC Plus marketplace with the Lenovo Vibe X smartphone's uncompromising hardware design, its rich display and memory-making camera technologies," said Wayne Chen, vice president and general manager, mobile business unit, Lenovo. "Along with the S5000 tablet, these carefully crafted devices unleash a powerful blend of beautiful and smart technology to improve people's lives."
Pricing and Availability4 The Lenovo Vibe X smartphone will be available in China starting in October and in countries where Lenovo smartphones are sold beginning in December. The Vibe X smartphone is not for sale in Europe. The K900 smartphone in black and orange with 16GB/32GB storage is available beginning immediately in China and will be available later this year in countries where smartphones are available. The S5000 tablet will be available in 4Q 2013.
Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
