Hey Android OEMs, there’s reason to be worried again! And no, its not another iPad.
Lenovo just let the curtains off its new Miix 2 tablet several hours ago. While many will be quick to point out what its accompanying capacitive stylus can and cannot do, there’s something else: the tablet’s pricing! $299 for a tablet or any other device for that matter may not be cheap but for something as solid as full fledged Windows goodness accompanied by Office at such a price is something to put a smile on any face, and a frown on any Android OEM that is interested in the tablet market. Most Android tablets come with a $300+ pricing and this new guy should make the manufacturers and their retail teams rethink their offerings.
The Lenovo Miix 2 is the Chinese device maker’s follow up up of the first generation Miix tablet and it packs the following specs:
- Dimensions: 5.18” x 8.48” x .32”
- 8” HD display (1280×800) with multi-touch and 178 degree wide viewing angle; 16:10 widescreen
- 2GB LP-DDR3 memory
- 32/64 GB eMMC storage
- An Intel Bay Trail-T Quad Core processor
- Integrated Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and 3G-GPS3 connectivity
- 2MP front camera / 5MP rear camera
- Up to 7 hrs. of battery life
- Cover and stylus available for an additional $20
Things worth noting about the Lenovo Miix 2 tablet
- Favourable pricing. Sub $300 is bound to get heads rolling in its favour.
- Comes with Windows 8.1 out of the box. The full Windows capabalility on a slate.
- Comes with a license for Microsoft Office and Student 2013 as part of the package. That’s full fledged Office right there at no extra cost.
- More portable and suitable for on the go content creation and consumption since it is just 8 inches
- Good specs. The spec sheet just shows you that the tablet should be capable of handling just about anything you throw at it
- Talking of specs, you notice you have the Intel Bay Trail quad-core processor. This is the latest iteration of the Atom family and is designed to run faster and longer than previous generations.
The tablet obviously has its own shortcomings too.
By the way, this is first Windows 8.1 8-inch tablet.
The $299 pricing is for the 32 GB version of the tablet. The 64 GB version will set you back some $349.
I hope we will see this tablet available locally sometime soon. It could stir things up a bit.
