Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet 2

Lenovo's first Windows 8 Tablet to give iPad a run for its money ...
Depending whose figures you believe, Lenovo is now the largest PC maker in the world so their new Windows 8 Tablet should be taken very seriously. From the specs below it will provide a very creditable contender in the Tablet Trilogy (iPad, Android & Windows 8).



Lenovo's been teasing the Windows 8-equipped ThinkPad Tablet 2 for some time and now a mysterious source leaked the device's official specs sheet to the internet at large. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet successor will run Windows 8 and come packed with a pen stylus, an optional physical keyboard dock much like the Microsoft Surface's Type Cover keyboard. The Tablet 2 also sports an Intel dual-core Clover Trail processor, a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. And, in case the specs themselves don't make it clear enough what Lenovo is going for, one leaked chart even compares Lenovo's tablet side-by-side with Apple's iPad.

Stiff competition

The chart, titled "Best in Class," compares the ThinkPad Tablet 2 and iPad in categories including OS, available apps, resolution, input methods, speakers, cameras and more. The tablet comes out on top in more areas, although even Lenovo has to admit that the iPad's 2048 x 1548 resolution is superior to the ThinkPad's 1366 x 768 ratio, and that Siri is leagues ahead of Windows Voice Control. But Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet 2 includes HSPA+/LTE compatibility and optional NFC and fingerprint reading, as well as Mini HDMI, microSD and USB 2.0 connectors, propelling it further ahead of the current iPad's offerings. The ThinkPad 2's cameras are also superior to the iPad's, at 8MP for the rear and 2MP for the front, both with LED flash. Its stereo speakers also trump the iPad's mono noise emitter while, on the opposite end of the spectrum, it offers a dual microphone with digital noise reduction. Size-wise, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 measures 262.6 x 164 x 9.8mm and weighs 650g.

Biting the Apple

Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet 2 compares favorably with Apple's current iPad, but what about the Apple tablet's yet-unrevealed fourth iteration? The next iPad could blow the ThinkPad Tablet 2 out of the water and Lenovo might never see it coming. Then again, who knows when Apple will actually announce a new tablet? A Lenovo spokesperson declined TechRadar's request to comment on ThinkPad Tablet 2, saying only that the company hasn't announced any new products.