Lenovo today unveiled the ThinkPad 8, a tablet with best specifications to date in the 8-inch Windows 8 category.
The most improtant highlights are a full HD 1920×1200-pixel display with actually 8.3″ diagonal, instead of common 1280×800 8.0″, and a slightly faster Intel Atom “Bay Trail” CPU. The Lenovo ThinkPad 8 comes with a 2.4GHz quad-core Atom, whereas other similar tablets ship with a 1.8GHz variant. Although Lenovo hasn’t listed the exact CPU model, we assume it’s an Atom Z3770 series chip. Compared to the 1.8GHz Z3740, the Z3770 brings a speed bump from 1,100 PassMark CPU points to about 1,230, but in both cases these provide enough oomph for normal daily web and office tasks, but without video / photo editing and gaming potential of the Intel Core series.
Back to the visuals, besides 1080p resolution it brings IPS screen technology to ensure unchanged picture from all viewing angles. If you want to connect the tablet to a larger monitor or TV in your home or office, you can do it via the included micro HDMI-out port. The built-in screen supports 10-point multi-touch input.
RAM amount is 2GB, while internal storage space is either 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB, depending on model. You can further expand storage via the microSD card slot.
The slate has dual cameras. The frontal one is based on a 2MP sensor, while the rear unit is an 8MP shooter with auto-focus and flash. For audio, the tablet boasts stereo speakers with SRS sound technology, while for getting you online there’s built-in Wi-Fi plus optional 3G / 4G mobile broadband connection. There’s also Bluetooth 4.0 and micro USB 3.0.
The ThinkPad 8 is also the first 8″ Windows tablet aimed at business users, so Lenovo has provided some advanced enterprise-class features which are missing on other similar tablets. These are a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) security chip, Mobile Device Management, Workplace Join, and an auto-triggered VPN function.
Another “industry’s first” feature among 8″ Win slates is the lid made of aluminum instead of plastics. The tablet is 0.34″ thin and weighs 0.9 pounds. The PC maker will also release an optional Quickshot Cover for the device, which works in conjunction with software. “Simply flick back the corner flap to expose the lens, and the Windows 8.1 camera app will open automatically. The magnetic closure also triggers and wakes the tablet from sleep mode,” Lenovo describes.
According to Lenovo, the provided 20.5Whr battery should last up to 8 hours on a single charge.
The ThinkPad 8 is expected to start shipping by the end of January for a starting price of $399.
Not sure why a 2.4GHZ Z3770 is reported to have a passmark of 1230 in this article, while a 1.46GHZ of the same CPU is rated at 1233 in passmark.
Actually, a Z3770 CPU runs at 1.46GHz and 2.4GHz and frequencies between these two values. The clock speed changes on-the-fly depending on usage.