Following the latest Apple event, and the release of the much controversial iPhone 4S, 3 completely new tablet computers have also been released, featuring Android operating systems, and ahead of the much awaited iPad 3. Apple are not expected to announce the iPad 3 until 2012, therefore, companies such as Lenovo, are capitalising on the [...]
Following the latest Apple event, and the release of the much controversial iPhone 4S, 3 completely new tablet computers have also been released, featuring Android operating systems, and ahead of the much awaited iPad 3. Apple are not expected to announce the iPad 3 until 2012, therefore, companies such as Lenovo, are capitalising on the Christmas season, and the market Apple has now left wide open, as consumers cannot now get a brand new iPad 3 for Christmas, so would be opting for something else.
Lenovos clever play on the iPad name, dubbing their tablet the IdeaPad A1, which is then followed by the Nextbook Premium8 and the Pandigital SuperNova.
It has to be said Lenovo are now offering a 7 inch IdeaPad a follow up to their previous 10 inch ThinkPad Tablet and their IdeaPad K1. The Lenovo A1 is expected to retail at $199 for a basic 2GB WiFi version, but users can also upgrade to a whopping 16GB version for $249. Already installed with Android 2.3 or Gingerbread to you and me, it seems its one of the best priced tablets available right now.
Furthermore, the Lenovo is powered by a 1GHz TI OMAP 622 single-core processor, sporting a microSD slot to expand storage. Alongside this, it has inbuilt GPS ready to be used, a micro USB to connect to your mobile phone. It has a 1024×600 display, with the front facing camera being 2MP whilst the back is 5MP.
Possibly, it will knock the iPad 3 out of the park, if it functions properly, and at $249 for the 16GB version, the new Amazon Kindle Fire will be competing for the same market.
Our next model in contention with the iPad 3 is the Nextbook Premium8. It has an 8 inch screen, although only 4GB of storage, at an astonishingly $299. It features the more traditional 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi,the same front facing 2MP camera found on the Lenovo. The same Android 2.3 operating system, a microSD slot and a mini-usb slot. Alot cheaper then the iPad 3, but still features the same software found on the Lenovo, with the Kindle Fire, possibly undercutting the NextBook due to the pricing and storage capabilities.
Last but not least there is the Pandigital SuperNova retailing at $229, and is the only Pandigital attempt at gaining ground in the tablet market. Featuring the same 8 inch display as those found in our previous tablets, cameras on the front and back, yet they havent released the specs for those yet. Alongside having a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor.
If you squint, and its not hard, it feels and looks like the IdeaPad A1 but with an improved display. But what differentiates the IdeaPad is that it has 16GB worth of storage, whereas the Pandigital only has 4GB. Although you can expand the SuperNova storage up to a maximum of 32GB using microSD.
Overall the low, level cheap tablet market will always be compared to the iPad 3, however, to be honest their main competitor would be the Kindle Fire released by Amazon, which already has generated a massive preorder response. However, now Apples got a massive stranglehold on the market, and with retailing at such high prices, the Kindle Fire, or any one of these tablets, now have the chance of appealing to customers with lower budgets, yet who want the same quality as those found on the iPad 2, iPad 3.
