Lenovo has been considerably expanding its presence in the smartphone market but its Android tablet lineup hasn't exactly left a mark yet. That, however, could soon be changing now that its Tab S8 is out. This tablet, the first from the company to bear an Intel processor, combines a decent set of specs with a price to beat.
Lenovo's previous Android tablets, like the more recent "A" series, ran on MediaTek's affordable chips, making this new Tab S8 a new venture for the company. Lenovo has put in an Intel Atom Z3745, a quad-core chip that runs at 1.33 GHz but can be pushed to 1.86 GHz in burst mode. This is the very same chip that is now being used by more recent tablets from ASUS and Acer. Intel's track record in the mobile market isn't exactly record breaking, at least compared to Qualcomm for example, but it has been making considerable strides especially in tablets.
In addition to the processor switch, the Tab S8 also marks a considerable upgrade from Lenovo's previous Android tablet line. The RAM, for one, has been bumped up to 2 GB, though data storage is at a rather lowly 16 GB, most likely remedied by a micro SD card slot. Lenovo's tablets has also finally entered the FHD age, with the Tab S8's 8-inch screen sporting a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. This panel employs Lenovo's One Glass Solution, which eliminates the gap between the touchscreen and the display to deliver a clearer view. The tablet also has a standard pair of cameras, 1.6 megapixels on the front and 8 megapixels on the back, the latter toting an aperture of f2.2. Dual Dolby-enhanced speakers flank the front of the tablet, giving a better listening experience even when the tablet lies flat on a table. The Tab S8 runs Android 4.4 out of the box, weighs only 0.65 lbs (295 g) and is almost as thin as a pencil at 0.31 inches (7.87 mm).
The upgraded specs would perhaps justify a slightly upgraded price tag. The Lenovo Tab S8 is slated to launch this September, available from various retailers, with a price tag of $199. Lenovo mentions an optional 4G connectivity in addition to WiFi, though it doesn't say how much that model would cost.
And speaking of stepping up its game, Lenovo is also unleashing two gaming computers this IFA 2014. The Lenovo Y70 Touch is a 17-inch touchscreen laptop that bears a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU and an equally powerful NVIDIA GTX graphics card. On the other hand, the Erazer X315 is billed as an affordable gaming PC running on a quad-core chip and driven by an AMD Radeon R9 GPU.