IFA: Lenovo rolls out budget 7in Android tablet

$199 IdeaPad Tablet A1 comes with high-end specifications and offline GPS

BERLIN: Lenovo has announced a 7in Android tablet designed to offer an affordable entry-level device without compromising performance.

The IdeaPad Tablet A1 is touted as a companion device and features a Cortex A8 1GHz processor together with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The 7in screen comes with a resolution of 1,024x600 and 170PPI, which Lenovo claims will make the A1 one of the brightest 7in tablets on the market.

Other key features include micro USB and micro SD connectivity, a 3-megapixel camera on the rear and a 0.3-megapixel camera on the front, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The A1 tablet also comes with offline GPS to navigate maps when not connected to the internet, explained Nick Reynolds, director of marketing and strategy at Lenovo.

"This is a unique feature as there is no need for users to be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular networks. GPS is integrated into the chipset and we provide navigation in conjunction with Navdroyd," he said.

The manufacturer has chosen to stick with Android Gingerbread, instead of going with the tablet-specific Honeycomb operating system, making the A1 very similar to the HTC Flyer.

Lenovo will also ship the A1 with a specific overlay, similar to the Flyer. Lenovo Zone and Social Touch will allow users to customise shortcuts to apps, unify inboxes and provide 'smart alerts'.

Reynolds claimed that the tablet can be used all day, and touts seven hours of battery life when browsing the internet. He also confirmed that the A1 will be upgraded to Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich early in 2012.

Lenovo aims to attract buyers by offering the A1 for $199, but it remains to be seen whether this will be low enough. The HP TouchPad sold out only after retailers slashed the price to £89.

It also remains to be seen how the A1 will stack up against other tablets showcased at IFA. Sony is set to release the Tablet S and Tablet P models, and Samsung announced plans to launch a 11in Windows 7 slate.