The inaugural day of the Mobile World Congress witnessed the launch of new devices and services from global IT vendors.
Lenovo introduced two new consumer Windows 10 PCs – YOGA 710 and 510 convertible laptops and the ideapad MIIX 310 2-in-1 detachable tablet, an Android tablet and a new global wireless roaming service called Lenovo Connect.
The new 11-inch YOGA 710 is designed for travelers and mobile workers who are productive on the road. It is powered by a 6th Gen Intel Core i7 processor on the 14-inch model and up to Core m5 processor on the smaller 11-inch model.
The YOGA 710 comes with Windows 10 and is one of the most powerful and portable convertible laptops available. The14-inch model is its bigger sibling. Both models are slim and light and offer up to 8 hours of battery.
Similar to the YOGA 710, the YOGA 510 delivers a smooth transition between laptop, stand, tent, and tablet modes. It is powered by up to 6th Gen Intel Core i7 processors with optional AMD Radeon R7 M460 2GB GFX. It delivers up to 8.5 hours of battery life.
Price of the YOGA 710 11-inch laptop starts at €799 and it will be available in May 2016. The 14-inch model of the same is priced at €899. The YOGA 510 14-inch laptop will be available in April for €479 and the 15-inch for €699.
Another product displayed was ideapad MIIX 310 tablets. The 2-in-1 detachable device has optional 4G LTE that caters to data junkies who want the freedom to work and roam the web from any location.
Starting at just €269, this 10-inch tablet combines both tablet and PC in one. Unlike many of its rivals, it comes with a detachable keyboard as standard.
Offering more battery life than before, the ideapad MIIX 310 boasts up to 10 hours of battery life with an optional FHD display. It has up to 64GB eMMC storage and 4GB DDR3L of memory.
Lenovo also unveiled the TAB3 10 Business, an Android tablet engineered for business use, and the TAB3 7 and TAB3 8, Lenovo’s first series of family-friendly tablets.
The TAB3 10 Business offers full support for Android For Work and boasts an array of security and encryption options to help users keep these devices and the work-related data on them safe and secure.
The TAB3 7 and 8 series of tablets are designed to make sharing easier for families with multi-user modes and similar features. These tabs run on 1.0GHz Quad-Core processors, featuring 2MP front and 5MP rear cameras and Dolby Atmos cinematic moving audio. They’re also available with 4G LTE optional-support for ultra-fast Internet connectivity.
Pricing and Availability: The TAB3 10 Business is available starting in July 2016; TAB3 7 starting at €119 from June 2016; and TAB3 8 starting at €149 from June 2016.
At MWC, Lenovo also announced a new global wireless roaming service called Lenovo Connect that works across devices, networks and borders for customers in China and EMEA.
Lenovo Connect eliminates having to buy a separate SIM card and offers benefits such as low-priced global roaming and enhanced customer engagement by leveraging Lenovo’s Big Data and cloud services.
It provides a simple, fast and cost-effective connectivity solution for companies of all sizes and mobile professionals to stay always connected.
Lenovo Connect will be available in China starting this month for select smartphones and later this year for select tablets and laptops. It will be available in EMEA starting in Q1 2016 for select ThinkPad laptops.
Another announcement was from Samsung. The company announced a series of initiatives targeting enterprise mobility, focused on security, productivity and choice.
Samsung said it is committed to helping businesses with their mobility and productivity needs, ranging from hardware to business applications as well as creating a set of unique solutions secured by Samsung’s KNOX platform. These solutions will be available starting with the Samsung Galaxy S7.
At the event, ZTE Mobile Devices unveiled the Spro Plus portable smart projector designed for high level of entertainment and business opportunities.
Spro Plus helps business associates and friends meet anywhere at any time, with its voice conference, projection, touch-screen and visual design features. The external USB camera also allows for multi-party video communication via applications like Skype.
It will be available globally by summer 2016.
Another telecom device provider, Huawei, launched the HUAWEI MateBook, a 2-in-1 device designed to meet the evolving demands of modern business users.
Starting at $699/€799, the MateBook features a 6th Generation Intel Core m-series processor to handle the most rigorous business demands in a stylish, thin and lightweight fanless design. It is powered by Windows 10.
Huawei promises that its 33.7Wh high-density Lithium battery provides enough power for nine hours of work, nine consecutive hours of Internet use and 29 hours of music playback.
The MateBook will be available in Asia, Europe and North America in the coming months and will be available in two colors: grey and golden.
Arya MM