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CES
January 10, 2012
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Lenovo K800 is the world’s first Intel-based smartphone

By on January 10, 2012 at 7:59 PM.

Lenovo K800 is the world’s first Intel-based smartphone

Lenovo and Intel took the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday to announce the world’s first Intel-based smartphone, the Lenovo K800. The device features a 4.5-inch HD 720p display and is heading first to China’s Unicom network during the second quarter of this year. Additionally, the K800 sports a 1.6GHz Intel processor and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Lenovo hasn’t announced when or even if the device will be available stateside.

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News
January 8, 2012
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Lenovo introduces new tablets, first Android 4.0 smart TV

By on January 8, 2012 at 11:14 PM.

Lenovo introduces new tablets, first Android 4.0 smart TV

Ahead of the company’s Consumer Electronics Show keynote, Lenovo announced a flurry of Android-based devices on Sunday evening. First up is the new S2 smartphone, and while it doesn’t feature a much anticipated quad-core chipset, the specs are more than suitable. The S2 sports a 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor with a VGA front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear shooter. The device will run Android 2.3 on a 3.8-inch display with Lenovo’s custom skin on top. The company also announced a new Android 4.0 tablet, the IdeaTab S2, featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 IPS display. The IdeaTab will be released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and have a docking ability similar to what ASUS has done with the company’s Transformer tablets. When connecting the tablet to the keyboard dock, the IdeaTab gains 9 hours of battery life for a total of 18 hours, access to two USB 2.0 ports, a multitouch trackpad and an SDHC card reader.

Lastly, the company announced the 55-inch 3D K91, the world’s first smart TV running Android 4.0. The K91 features a dual-core Snapdragon processor, HDMI, Wi-Fi, an SD card slot, and a 5-megapixel front facing camera. The K91 is not considered a Google TV device, however, but it has access to the Android Market and Lenovo Store for thousands of apps. The IdeaTab S2 tablet, S2 smartphone and K91 smart TV are currently available in China, with worldwide availability coming at a later date. Lenovo’s press release can be found after the break.

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Tablets
January 2, 2012
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Windows 8 ‘Clover Trail’ tablets reportedly due from Acer and Lenovo in Q3

By on January 2, 2012 at 8:00 AM.

Windows 8 ‘Clover Trail’ tablets reportedly due from Acer and Lenovo in Q3

Top personal computer vendors Acer and Lenovo are each preparing to launch Windows 8 tablets in the third quarter, a new report claims. Citing anonymous sources from within Asia-based component suppliers, DigiTimes on Monday reports that the PC makers are working on new tablets powered by Windows 8 and Intel’s upcoming “Clover Trail” chipsets. Intel is set to show off a variety of Medfield-powered smartphones and slates as the Consumer Electronics Show next week, but its Clover Trail chips are reportedly being eyed by PC vendors as a more powerful option offering better performance and more efficient power consumption. DigiTimes reported last week that devices utilizing Intel’s Clover Trail chips would not launch until the fourth quarter this year, but the site now points to a new timeline for Intel’s new platform. More →

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Business
December 30, 2011
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Chinese vendors form alliance to battle Apple and other patent predators

By on December 30, 2011 at 12:40 PM.

Chinese vendors form alliance to battle Apple and other patent predators

Handset makers in China have formed an alliance to prepare for possible patent battles with Apple, Microsoft and Nokia. Coolpad, Konka, TCL, ZTE and Lenovo were among the companies named in a report by DigiTimes on Friday. The number of lawsuits filed in China is expected to increase as Microsoft, Nokia and Apple try to increase market share there, the report says. Nokia has already filed patent infringement suits against several Chinese phone makers and Microsoft has gone after Huawei to try to secure a patent licensing deal. Huawei responded to Microsoft’s threats in early November and explained that it has 65,000 patents worldwide. “We have enough to protect our interests,” Huawei Devices chief marketing officer Victor Xu said. “We are a very important stakeholder in Android.” Each of the Chinese companies reportedly has a large patent portfolio and, combined, they could create enough of a force to stave off at least some of the patent-related lawsuits that have plagued other companies. More →

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Computers
December 6, 2011
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Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba will be major ARM-based Windows 8 partners

By on December 6, 2011 at 7:15 AM.

Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba will be major ARM-based Windows 8 partners

Microsoft’s next operating system, Windows 8, will be the first Windows desktop OS capable of running on both x86 and ARM-based processors. However, a report from DigiTimes on Monday suggests that major Taiwanese vendors such as ASUS may not have a role in developing the new machines at all. It was originally thought that ASUS may have had plans to release an ARM-powered Windows 8 machine in 2013. Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA, three ARM processor builders, are reportedly allowed to choose two notebook partners each, one major and one minor, DigiTimes explained. Qualcomm will work with Samsung and Sony, Texas Instruments plans to team with Toshiba and Samsung, and NVIDIA apparently said it will build ARM-based machines with Lenovo and Acer. The three major computer partners are Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba. Pegatron, Winstron, Compal and Quanta have each initiated research and development in an effort to woo big ARM-based Windows 8 contracts from the aforementioned vendors. More →

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General
November 30, 2011
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More than 50 ultrabooks expected to debut during CES

By on November 30, 2011 at 7:15 AM.

More than 50 ultrabooks expected to debut during CES

Last year more than 100 tablets were unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show and this year it appears the focus could shift to Intel-powered ultrabooks. Demand for ultrabooks — devices defined as powerful thin and light notebooks with long-lasting battery life — is expected to begin to heat up following the holidays and January’s Consumer Electronics Show. More than 50 new ultrabook models will be displayed during CES and the category is expected to be one of the hottest consumer electronic segments on the show floor, Taiwan Economic News said Tuesday, citing insights from a show organizer. Intel, which invested $300 million in the utltrabook platform, also said that there will be more than 60 different ultrabook models available during 2012, and the chip maker’s upcoming Ivy Bridge processors will power many of them. Initial reports suggested that ultrabooks are off to a slow start, with just 50,000 units shipped so far from Acer, ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba combined. Additionally, weak sales of the first models from Asus and Acer forced both firms to scale back production by as much as 40%, another report suggested. More →

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Tablets
November 14, 2011
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Lenovo may unveil quad-core Tegra 3 tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich this year

By on November 14, 2011 at 11:45 PM.

Lenovo may unveil quad-core Tegra 3 tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich this year

Lenovo may unveil a tablet powered by Google’s brand new Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system by the end of the year, Engadget has learned. Reportedly, the device will also utilize NVIDIA’s brand new quad-core Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.6GHz, arguably the most powerful mobile processor currently available. The tablet will also reportedly be equipped with a 10.1-inch display, 2GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 RAM, a fingerprint scanner that may also be used as an optical controller, a rear-facing camera and a USB port. The device is said to tout a “Fusion-Skin Body” as well, though we’re not quite sure what that means. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear an official announcement in the coming weeks if Lenovo wants its new tablet on store shelves in time for the holidays. More →

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Business
November 10, 2011
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Thailand floods may hurt shipments, increase prices for PC makers

By on November 10, 2011 at 10:00 PM.

Thailand floods may hurt shipments, increase prices for PC makers

The devastating flooding in Thailand could hurt HP, Lenovo, Dell and Microsoft during the fourth quarter of this year, IDC said in a recent report. The research firm originally projected shipment growth of 5.1% for the PC industry during the quarter but it now expects PC shipments to fall between 2.2% and 3.4%. Moving into 2012, IDC said shipments could drop as much as 13.4%. “A lot of these plants are still under water, and it’s unclear how much damage they will find when the water recedes,” IDC analyst Loren Loverde explained in an interview with Bloomberg. “It’s also unclear how quickly the cleanup can begin and how much time it will take to bring in replacement parts to rebuild.” A recent report from Goldman Sachs also suggested that PC shipments could drop 8.5% during the first quarter of 2012. Hard drive manufacturers Western Digital and Seagate Technology both have plants that were flooded in Thailand. Seagate’s CEO Steve Luczo told Bloomberg that hard drive prices from his company could jump $10 to $25. “If you’re thinking of buying a laptop for Christmas, I’d buy it now,” Luczo suggested. More →

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Business
October 12, 2011
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Gartner: Global PC shipments jump just 3% in Q3 2011

By on October 12, 2011 at 9:15 PM.

Gartner: Global PC shipments jump just 3% in Q3 2011

Global shipments of PCs grew slightly but less than analysts had predicted during the third quarter of 2011, Gartner said recently, citing preliminary findings of a new research report. 91.8 million PCs were shipped during the quarter, a 3.2% jumped from the same quarter of last year. The figures are lower than Gartner’s original estimate, which suggested PC vendors would ship 5.1% more units during the quarter. Gartner said the lower sales can be attributed to a weak Western European PC market. Read on for more. More →

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Business
September 6, 2011
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Initial Intel Ultrabook shipment volume below 50,000 units, report suggests

By on September 6, 2011 at 10:45 PM.

Initial Intel Ultrabook shipment volume below 50,000 units, report suggests

Fearing the notebook market will not bounce back during the fourth quarter, Intel’s Ultrabook partners Acer, ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba will initially ship fewer than 50,000 units of the new thin and light notebooks DigiTimes reported on Tuesday. Intel, which will invest $300 million in Ultrabooks during the next three to four years, will also hold a conference on September 14th in an effort to attract new partners to the platform. The new notebooks are manufactured by Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics, and are expected to ship in September for launches in October. Sources speaking to DigiTimes also suggested that the notebook market may not bounce back enough for Intel to achieve its goal of owning 40% of the notebook market with its Ultrabook devices. More →

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Business
August 25, 2011
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AMD hires former Lenovo president as CEO

By on August 25, 2011 at 11:30 PM.

AMD hires former Lenovo president as CEO

AMD hired former Lenovo president and chief operating officer Rory Read as its president and chief executive officer on Thursday. Read will replace interim leader Tom Seifert, the company’s chief financial officer, and former CEO Dirk Meyer. Meyer resigned from the chip maker in January after the company’s board decided that AMD could be more profitable, and no doubt more competitive against Intel, with a new head. “I’m very pleased to be joining AMD at this important time in its history,” Read said in a statement. “I’m excited to be joining AMD’s employees as we write the next chapter not just for the company, but for the industry and consumers around the world.” Read worked at IBM for 23 years before moving to Lenovo. The move is effective immediately. Read on for the full press release. More →

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Computers
August 23, 2011
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China steals top spot as world's largest PC market

By on August 23, 2011 at 7:25 PM.

China steals top spot as world's largest PC market

China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest PC market during the second quarter of 2011 according to a new report from IDC. PC shipments in China totaled 18.5 million units during the second quarter, more than the 17.7 million units shipped in the United States. The research firm is projecting that Chinese PC shipments will total 85.1 million units next year, compared to just 76.6 million units shipped in the U.S. The influx of new tablet devices and advanced smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone and iPad, may be driving consumer interest away from notebooks and traditional desktop PCs in developed markets, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. “The center of gravity of the PC industry has shifted away from the developed world,” Wolf Group Asia CEO David Wolf said. China’s growth helped Lenovo become the third-largest PC maker, behind HP and Dell, with a 12.2% of global PC shipments. HP’s share of the Chinese market dropped from a 16.6% during the third quarter of 2009 to 8.5% during the second quarter of 2011. The decline has been partially blamed on buggy NVIDIA chips that shipped in HP devices last year. HP recently announced that it is considering a partial or full separation from its personal systems group.

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Tablets
August 22, 2011
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Lenovo sets sights on Apple in tablet PC race

By on August 22, 2011 at 3:30 PM.

Lenovo sets sights on Apple in tablet PC race

Apple recently moved more products in China than Lenovo, but Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanquing isn’t afraid of Apple or its popular iPad tablet. One HSBC analyst recently said that Lenovo would have to boost its sales by $1 billion to be on a par with Apple’s revenue in China. According to the Financial Times, Mr. Yang doesn’t think HSBC’s analysis is fair. “That is not an apples to apples calculation,” he said. “[HSBC's] calculation includes the phone business but Lenovo’s main focus is in PCs, our phone business isn’t that strong even in China. If you compare the PC business we still have a lead far ahead of any of our competitors. Our aspiration is to gain market share and to continue to outgrow the market,” Mr. Yang said, noting that his company will focus on creating devices for all segments of the tablet market, including low-priced devices. “We will be one of the strongest players in this arena,” Mr. Yang said. “We want to become the leader in this industry and I believe that is definitely achievable, that is our aspiration.” Lenovo currently offers tablets powered by Google’s Android operating system and Microsoft’s Windows 7 platform. More →

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