Lenovo’s new ThinkPad is convinced it’s a tablet and an Ultrabook

By Andy Boxall Updated May 13, 2014

Lenovo continues to explore the strange crossover land of Windows tablets that think they’re small laptops, and has announced the ThinkPad Tablet 10. The company says it’ll satisfy users both in the office and at home, regardless of whether you’re tapping away on the keyboard dock, or on the tablet’s touchscreen.

The tablet has Windows 8.1 installed, pitching it against rivals like Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2, rather than the 8.1 RT-equipped Surface 2. Lenovo has chosen a quad-core Intel Z3795 Atom processor to power the new ThinkPad 10, and equipped it with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and your choice of 64GB or 128GB internal storage space.

A 1920 x 1200 pixel, 10.1-inch LCD display covered in Gorilla Glass dominates the front panel, and is encased in an 8.9mm thick aluminum body shell. The standard Wi-Fi model weighs 598 grams. For comparison, the Surface 2 is heavier at 675 grams, but it does have a slightly larger display, and manages to share exactly the same thickness.

The feature list continues with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera, the option of selecting 4G LTE rather than only Wi-Fi, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a Micro HDMI, and a MicroSD card slot. Lenovo promises a battery which will last for 10 hours.

Digital Trends Deputy Editor Jeffrey Van Camp spent a few brief moments with the device, which appears to operate just fine. Like the ThinkPad 8, the power and volume buttons blend in so much that they are a little hard to find in the dark, and the screen does appear to retain fingerprints more than we’d like. Still, the range of accessories is impressive. Lenovo has learned a lot since the original ThinkPad Tablet and the ThinkPad Tablet 2.

The company is also releasing a selection of accessories for the ThinkPad Tablet 10:

$60 Quickshot cover, where the corner can be folded back to reveal the camera lens
$120 Tablet Dock
$130 Ultrabook Keyboard accessory
$70 rugged case
$120 Surface-style keyboard touch case

Lenovo has confirmed a digitizer pen, a finger-print reader, and a smart card reader will be sold, but hasn’t confirmed any other details.

Although the final release date has yet to be confirmed, it’ll be sometime in June, and prices for the ThinkPad Tablet 10 will start at $600.

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps

The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far

Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Mobile

Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.