Here at MWC 2015, Lenovo is continuing its tradition of offering affordable choices for consumers who want or need a mobile device on the go. This year, it is outing two new Android tablets, the 8-inch Tab 2 A8 and the 10.1-inch Tab 2 A10-70. Don't let the lower price tags fool you, however. These budget beasts have been designed and equipped to deliver a more than decent multimedia consumption experience, thanks to their HD or Full HD screens and the addition of Dolby's Atmos technology.
The larger of the two, the Lenovo Tab 2 A10-70 stands 8.9 mm thick and weighs 500 g. It is powered by a MediaTek MT8165, a 64-bit quad-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz max. This is assisted by 2 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The screen is a decent 10.1-inch Full HD one with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. It has an 8 megapixel auto-focus rear camera and a 5 megapixel fixed focus front camera. The large 7200 mAh battery is advertised to handle up to 10 hours of continuous usage. The Tab 2 A10-70 only runs Android 4.4 out of the box. Storage is sadly a measly 16 GB. The tablet will be available in colors of Pearl White or Midnight Blue.
The Lenovo Tab 2 A8, on the other hand, has a screen measuring 8 inches with a 1280x800 720p resolution. It runs on slightly slower 1.3 GHz 64-bit quad-core MediaTek MT8161. RAM is also lower at 1 GB. For cameras, it has a 5 megapixel autofocus sensor on the back and a 2 megapixel fixed focus one for the front. The 4,200 mAh battery is said to last for an eight-hour work day. Unlike the Tab 2 A10-70, this one will arrive with Android 5.0 running on it already. The Tab 2 A8 also features a dual SIM slot setup. And though it is just as thick as its larger sibling, it is lighter at 330 g. There is more variation here too, with colors including Pearl White, Midnight Blue, Ebony, and Neon Pink. Storage space differs depending on the model, with 8 GB available for the black variant while all the rest get 16 GB.
Despite their differences, the two tablets share some things in common. Perhaps the biggest of them all is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos technology. This promises a more cinematic experience when it comes to enjoying audio from videos, whether you are listening over headphones or through a soundbar. This feature is quite rare for mobile devices of this price range. Both also come in Wi-Fi only and 4G LTE models, giving users their choice of connectivity, for a price, of course.
The first to arrive on the market will be the Lenovo Tab 2 A10-70, which will go on sale starting April at $199 for the Wi-Fi model and $279 for the LTE version. This will be followed by the Tab 2 A8 in June, which will come with price tags of $129 (Wi-Fi) and $179 (LTE).
With a capable MediaTek processor, decent quality displays, Dolby-certified audio, connectivity of your choice, and a price tag that won't burn a hole in your wallet, these two new Lenovo tablets are definitely welcome additions to the growing Android family.