Tecno Expands Product Portfolio with WinPad 10 2-in-1 Hybrid Launch in Kenya

At an early morning launch today at the Serena hotel in Nairobi, regional smartphone powerhouse, Tecno, partnered with global computing titans Microsoft and Intel to launch the WinPad 2-in-1 hybrid Windows 8.1 tablet for the Kenyan Market. The WinPad 10, revealed on Techweez earlier this week, is Tecno’s first foray into Windows powered devices. Up until this point in time, Tecno has built a strong brand presence in East and West Africa by focusing on providing a range of Android powered smartphone devices that are competitively priced against similarly spec’d devices from Samsung. The WinPad 10 is the result of Tecno’s strategy to utilize this formula in the PC space.

Speaking during the launch, Tecno Mobile General Manager for tablet business unit Steven Huang said, “Kenya is a key market for us and the launch of the Tecno WinPad 10 demonstrates our commitment to providing innovative products to our customers. We believe this product will allow users to transition smoothly from business to lifestyle increasing their productivity by giving them the power of a laptop and the freedom of a tablet.”

Supporting Tecno in this venture are Microsoft corporation who provide the operating system and Intel, who provide the chipset that powers this hybrid. Though the WinPad10 ships with Windows 8.1, it will be upgradeable at no additional charge to Windows 10 starting July 29^th 2015.  To ensure that owners of the WinPad10 are productive from the first day they purchase the device, Microsoft will include 1 year of Office 365 Personal at no additional fee. This includes the latest version of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and 1 TB of cloud storage on OneDrive. Microsoft Kenya’s country manager Kunle Awosika acknowledged it was an exciting time for the firm and its customers. “We are working with partners like Tecno and Intel throughout our expanding ecosystem to offer a great Windows 10 upgrade experience on existing devices and to build a wide range of innovative new devices Like the Winpad 10, across categories and price points, that bring Windows 10 capabilities and experiences to life for customers,”

The WinPad 10 runs on an Intel Bay Trail SOC that provides is able to run Windows x86 efficiently. An added bonus of this SOC is that it includes 2G/3G capability, allowing the WinPad 10 to be connected to internet in areas without WiFi. Commenting on the launch, Danie Steyn, General Manager for East Africa at Intel Corporation said, “Over the past few years, Intel’s advancements in processor technology have transformed the way we use computers and have led to an exciting array of sleek, responsive and powerful compute devices, at varying price points. TECNO WinPad 10 is proof of that. As a company we see a big opportunity working with TECNO to bring innovative, quality and affordable devices designed for emerging markets. This is just the beginning of our collaboration with TECNO.”

The WinPad10 will be available at a prices of KES 29,999 from June 25th in 40 key Safaricom outlets across the country.

Specifications

Hardware & Design

The 10.1” screen size is interesting for a computing device designed for the region, where most tablet Windows devices are under nine inches. This is to take advantage of the “zero dollar” fee that Microsoft’s license to device under 9 inches. However, as to be a productive device in the laptop form factor, the 10.1” screen size is the minimum size to work productively with an attached keyboard. The 16:9 IPS screen is bright and vivid with decent viewing angles.

On the front face of the WinPad 10, is a Windows Logo that acts as the home button for Windows 8. On the left edge, you’ll find a combination 3.5mm headphone and speaker port, the internal microphone, a full size USB 2.0 port, a microHDMI port and a charging port. On the right edge, you’ll find the power button, volume rocker and a microUSB port. The bottom edge of the WinPad10 has a magnetic port that allows easy attachment to the chiclet keyboard. The keys on the keyboard offer sufficient travel when pressed. The keyboard can fold in 3 different ways to provide a variety of support positions to hold the WinPad10.

The WinPad 10 features a metal surround and a dimpled plastic back. This provides grip when holding the device. The overall impression of the WinPad 10 is a sturdy and and functional device. The keyboard completely encases the WinPad 10 in an attractive faux leather case.

Though the WinTab 10 comes with 32GB eMMC storage, only half will be available for use by the user. This necessitates using the MicroSD card to expand the storage up to 64GB.

Tecno iterated that their extensive distribution and service network in Kenya, coupled with a 13 month warranty, will be able to ally any concerns for consumers that need after sales support.

Techweez will have a full hands-on review of the Tecno WinPad 10 2-in-1 hybrid tablet in the coming weeks.  If there’s anything that you would like us to test, please let us know below.