Lenovo Updates ThinkPad 10 With Intel Atom x5 Processors, Reveals $49 ‘Cast’ Streaming Hub
Earlier this morning, Lenovo covered its bases in the consumer space with three new notebook lines. Tonight, the company has turned its attention to the business-oriented ThinkPad 10 tablet (you can read our review of the previous model here), which has received a thorough makeover with improved performance and admirable battery life.
Front and center is the 10.1-inch 1900x1200 IPS display that supports 10-point multi-touch and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 (an optional Anti-Glare Film is a $30 option). Powering ThinkPad 10 is either the brand spanking new Intel Atom x5-Z8500 (1.44GHz base, 2.24GHz burst) or a Z8700 (1.6GHz base, 2.4GHz burst). As we talked about more in depth in a previous HotHardware article, the new Cherry Trail-based Atom x5 processors are built on a 14nm manufacturing process and can be paired with Intel’s XMM 726x and 7360 LTE modems. The Atom x5 processors can be paired with 2GB or 4GB of LPDDR3-1600 memory and the ThinkPad 10 can be equipped with either 64GB of 128GB of internal storage. Your storage can of course be expanded via an integrated microSD slot.
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
Other features of the revised ThinkPad 10 include 1W stereo speakers, a triple-array microphone, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a 5MP rear camera, a 1.2MP front-facing camera, and optional dTPM encryption. In addition, an integrated 32 WHr battery provides up to 10 hours of runtime.
“Best in class, the ThinkPad 10 highlights our extreme focus on innovation and responding to the diverse needs of our customers and tablet usage scenarios,” said Luis Hernandez, VP of Lenovo’s ThinkPad Business. “Now the most mobile of users can enjoy the best of both worlds with the convenience of a tablet and the function of a full-PC style experience without compromising mobility, connectivity and security.”
Lenovo’s 1.36-pound will come standard with Windows 10 rather than Windows 8.1, which explains why it won’t be released until August 2015. When it does arrive, it will be priced from $549.
Lenovo Cast
But the ThinkPad 10 isn’t the only device that Lenovo has on tap this evening. It is launching the Lenovo Cast, which is the Chinese OEM’s first entry into the media casting market. The Lenovo Cast — like the Amazon Fire Stick, Roku Streaming Stick, and Google Chromecast — plugs directly into a free HDMI port and can playback content from a Miracast or DLNA-enabled smartphone or tablet.
The Lenovo Cast will also be available this August for a relatively low price of $49.
