Lenovo to ship business-oriented Android Honeycomb tablet

ThinkPad with stylus and keyboard coming in July

Lenovo is the latest manufacturer gearing up to release an Android Honeycomb tablet aimed at professionals on the move.

The ThinkPad/ThinkSlate will ship with a 10.1in 1,280 x 800 resolution display with in-plane switching technology and HD playback, according to specifications obtained by Thisismynext.com.

The device will be powered by an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and come with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Front and rear-facing cameras will be included to facilitate videoconferencing and picture taking.

Connectivity-wise the ThinkPad will offer Wi-Fi, 3G, mini-HDMI, micro and standard USB ports and an SD card slot.

An optional 'true pen' stylus will allow business users to take notes on the move, while a keyboard attachment will convert the device into a netbook much like the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Acer Iconia Tab W500.

A number of business-friendly software features are set to be included, such as Citrix Receiver and remote desktop tools. Lenovo is also touting the ‘zero touch' deployment within the enterprise, stating that the device can be provisioned with policies and settings over the air after deployment to staff.

IT administrators will be able to remotely control the tablet to disable USB ports and remotely wipe data, for example. The tablet will also offer data and SD card encryption and anti-malware software.

Lenovo aims to start shipping the tablet in July with a starting price of $499, according to the leaked documents.

The manufacturer is also planning on refreshing its ThinkPad range, and claims that the forthcoming laptops have a battery life that is three times longer than devices currently on the market.

The ThinkPad X1 will incorporate RapidCharge technology, allowing the battery to reach 80 per cent in 30 minutes.