Lenovo Creates Separate Unit To Handle Smartphones, Tablets, Home Devices

If you had any lingering doubts that tablets and smartphones were the wave of the future, this should probably quell them. Lenovo, a major notebook and PC maker, obviously sees the importance and potential growth in mobile computing. Convergence is still happening in a bit way, and the need for full-blown computers is shrinking with each and every mobile innovation from CPU, GPU, and mobile broadband manufacturers. Tablets are more powerful than ever, as are smartphones, and neither trend seems to be slowing. In fact, Lenovo is getting real serious about focusing on those two areas. The company has just created a separate unit for tablets and phones, a unit that will focus solely on wild new products like the U1 Hybrid and LePad.


The newly created Mobile Internet and Digital Home Division will focus on creating new tablets, smartphones, and web-connected home electronics like HDTVs. The new group will be headed by Liu Jun, who has worked for Lenovo's product development group in the past. Peter Hortensius will be taking Jun's old post, and had this to say about the move: he noted that the decision to spin-off tablets, smartphone and other home devices was made so that there "is a clear focus on these electronics at Lenovo's senior level," also saying that "these seem different enough from PCs that it's worth focusing on them separately."


We couldn't agree more. The only real way to compete with the iPad and Galaxy Tab is to be incredibly focus and innovate more quickly in the tablet space than your closest competitors. With a dedicated group, Lenovo's definitely on track to being one of the companies to watch in smartphones and tablets in the months ahead. The LePad and U1 already rank as two of our favorite devices based on design alone -- we can only image what's coming next.