Canon Puts Efficiency On PressLenovo IdeaPad A1
Manufacturer: Lenovo Part number: 22282EU
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Lenovo A1 is a classic Android tablet, at an attractive price, but its subpar screen gives the competition an edge.
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CNET editors' review
Lenovo IdeaPad A1 price range: $186.63 - $218.99
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 02/17/2012
- Released on: 11/13/2011
The good: The Lenovo IdeaPad A1 includes front and rear cameras, Bluetooth, memory expansion, and a full-fledged Android experience, at a great price.
The bad: The screen has a bad viewing angle, the design is chunky, and the Android OS isn't the latest and greatest.
The bottom line: The Lenovo A1 is a classic Android tablet, at an attractive price, but its subpar screen gives the competition an edge.
The tablet market is quickly dividing into two camps: those competing against the iPad on the high end, and budget-minded products that compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Priced as low as $199, the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet clearly falls in the latter category. In fact, the spec sheet on this 7-inch tablet reads like the antidote to every complaint against the Kindle Fire. Lenovo's tablet packs more storage, more features, and offers a larger app store than any other tablet we've seen at this price.
So, is the Lenovo A1 the new king of budget tablets?
Design
The Lenovo A1 looks and feels an awful lot like the original Samsung Galaxy Tab from 2010. The paperback book-size tablet measures just under a half-inch thick and weighs 14 ounces.
Aside from the chimed Lenovo logo staring you in the face at the top of the screen, there's really not much to visually distinguish this tablet from any other 7-inch slate made in the last two years. The back is covered in a glossy black plastic that scuffs at the slightest provocation. Also, the backlit Android navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen only seem to light up after you touch them, somewhat defeating the purpose of lighting them up at all.
Another annoyance with the A1 is that Lenovo has locked the home screen orientation to portrait mode. It's not a big dilemma, but it can be annoying when you exit a landscape-designed app and are forced to reorient the tablet in order to navigate around.
For all of my peeves, Lenovo did make some great design choices on the A1. Just like the Apple iPad, the A1 employs a physical volume rocker and screen orientation lock switch on its left edge. As basic as that might sound, it's a feature you will not find on the Kindle Fire. Another convenience is the microSD memory expansion slot on the bottom edge, alongside the Micro-USB charging port and an integrated speaker.
Features and software
The Lenovo A1 does what the Kindle Fire doesn't. It can shoot pictures and video with its front and rear cameras (meager though they are). It can connect to wireless speakers over Bluetooth. It can find you on a map with its integrated GPS. And after filling the A1 up with all of your music and video files, you can simply buy a microSD card to give yourself more room. In many ways, the Lenovo A1 offers the features of a $200 Android 2.3 smartphone, on a $200 7-inch tablet.
But all is not as sweet as it seems. In particular, Lenovo's take on Android 2.3 is a bit maddening. The company's plopped two customized launchers on the home screen--one in the center of the screen, and the other in the dock. Neither of these customizations can be deleted. The central launcher can be personalized, at least, and defaults to useful apps for videos, e-mail, music, reading, and Web browsing. The dock launcher, unfortunately, lacks any customization options, offers a redundant link out to the Web browser, and acts as a home to Lenovo's own app store. For a platform that prides itself on its customization, Lenovo's permanent fixtures on the home screen are an unwelcome addition.
Performance
The screen quality on the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet isn't great. In a world without the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, and their gorgeous IPS displays, it would be easier to forgive a bad viewing angle in light of a low price. Unfortunately, the competition has already proven that display quality matters to consumers, even at the expense of cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, and even storage capacity.
Now, in spite of one hellacious viewing angle, the A1's screen isn't bad. Its brightness can be cranked to an impressive level, and the native 600x1,024-pixel resolution is no better or worse than the Kindle Fire's. Even e-books fare rather well on the A1's screen. Really, it's videos, photos, games, and image-heavy Web browsing that run up against the screen's viewing-angle issue. If your main purpose for the A1 is e-mail or reading, then it's a fine fit.
The A1's overall system performance is perfectly adequate. During my limited time with the device I experienced no crashes, and app launch time never tested my patience. Intense games such as Riptide GP ran with no issue, though the graphic quality was obviously scaled down compared with the experience on something like a quad-core Asus Transformer Prime.
Lenovo rates the A1 for approximately 7 hours of normal use, which is in the ballpark of the Kindle Fire, but less than the 9 hours you'll pull from a Nook Tablet. Here are our official CNET Labs-tested battery life results. More tablet testing results can be found here.
| Video battery life (in hours) | |
|---|---|
| Lenovo IdeaPad A1 | 4 |
Final thoughts
The Lenovo IdeaPad A1 is for all of those Android fans who were drawn to the Amazon Kindle Fire's $199 price tag, but couldn't take the plunge without a few more basic tablet features thrown in, not to mention a more conventional Android software experience. If you can look past the mediocre screen quality, the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 is one of the best tablet values around.
User reviews
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Absolutely fantastic; great value!
by Manuel-Morrison on April 5, 2012
Pros: 1). Very solidly built and the "perfect" size for portability
2). On screen keyboards are very responsive
3). Screen is a nice size, clear, and easy to read
4). Speaker quality is good
5). Built in GPS and Google maps
6). Light weightCons: 1). Lack of 3G support
2). Single processor while the others have a dual coreSummary: I've owned my Lenovo Ideapad A1 for about a month and it is absolutely fantastic! The tablet is much thinner than I had pictured, but is very solidly built ...
Summary: I've owned my Lenovo Ideapad A1 for about a month and it is absolutely fantastic! The tablet is much thinner than I had pictured, but is very solidly built and the "perfect" size for portability. The-on screen keyboards are very responsive (especially with the "click" sound), the entire interface is intuitive and simple to use, and the tablet allows full access to Android Market (over 400,000 apps!)
The processor seems more than adequate for this product; game graphics, streaming Netflix, and MP4 movies are fluid with no staggering. An important point to remember is: the Lenovo A1 Ideapad is not an iPad, nor is it a laptop. It bridges the gap between a smart phone and a computer. It's useful for web browsing, games, reading e-books, viewing PDF's, Docs, Excel Files, Powerpoint, etc. Some 3rd party software will let you create and edit Microsoft Office files, as well. (I've made some small edits to some documents, but find it easier to create documents on a device with a full-sized keyboard, such as a laptop or desktop; however, certainly having the ability to do so on the tablet is appreciated.)
Screen brightness is great (mine is set to about "1/3" brightness; I find this is the best mix of brightness/battery conservation--giving me about 5-6 hours of use per charge). The screen is not IPS and is best viewed within a 45 degree angle when the unit is in portrait orientation. In landscape orientation (i.e.: when watching a movie or playing some games), the tablet can be viewed at a greater than 45 degree angle without any noticeable cutoff. The screen is a nice size, clear, and easy to read.
Speaker quality is good (I believe there are 2 speakers, although very close together)--and adequate for listening to music or a movie. Headphone sound quality is good.
Micro SD card slot accepts up to 32GB Micro SD card and accepts High Capacity cards. For price reasons, I opted for a 16 GB Micro SD card and currently have 13 full-length movies I can access on my Lenovo A1 at al times. (very handy for waiting rooms, airports, hotels, or just sitting around at home) Video quality is great (ripped the movies using Freemake Video Converter @ 1024x600, Bitrate 1200, Audio 48000Hz/160 kbps--and played on MoboPlayer) with no noticeable stutters, delays, or choppiness; smooth.
The cameras are a nice touch (3mp rear camera and .3mp front-facing camera), but aren't going to win any awards. They're nice to have, though, and are decent quality. Pictures are best taken in good light, however, as there is no camera flash.
A better selection of accessories from Lenovo would be appreciated (most cases I found on-line were "generic,") however, so far, so good--very impressed and satisfied with the tablet itself. The only thing I would change would be to have an option for keeping the function, home, and back "buttons" on the tablet case backlit while the screen is on. (no one's developed a "fix" for this yet?) Battery life = minimum 5 hours (mixed use) so far; I turn-off WiFi, though, when I'm not using it and keep the tablet in "Airplane Mode" to help conserve battery power. Looking forward to installing more software and I wouldn't be surprised if I don't wind up taking the A1 with me on trips and leaving my laptop at home. So far, I haven't noticed much that can't be done on this tablet and love the ability to create/edit/access Microsoft Office files and PDF's for school.
Excellent value for money and extremely versatile. (and--a tablet from a reputable computer company I've heard of--for under $200!) Very useful for web browsing, e-mail, reading e-Books, Netflix/streaming video, movies, Microsoft Office file viewing, editing, and creating; games, Android Market apps, etc. Perfect for someone who wants to get their feet wet with a tablet but doesn't want to throw away $499+; but isn't just for beginners. Perfect combination of price and functionality; bridges the gap well between a smartphone and desktop/laptop computer. While it does use Android Gingerbread and a 1ghz processor with 512mb RAM, this is necessary to keep the unit at a $199 price-point--and is adequate for what this tablet was designed for. I find new uses for my A1 every day.
PS: for best price if you're will buy this Lenovo Ideapad A1, I suggest you have to compare prices before you decide at: Compare-lowprices.info/Lenovo-Ideapad-A1
Hope this review helpful.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Wow this was worth the wait
by neobayer on November 14, 2011
Pros: Price, Build quality, Offline GPS, IPS screen, Gorilla Glass,Two cameras,Android Market, Micro SD slot, micro USB 2,seven hour battery, and did I mention price?
Cons: Processor a little slow with multiple apps running
Summary: I don't understand why all of the naysayers try to compare Lenovo's A1 with Apple's IPad. That is kind of like comparing apples to fruit basket.This ...
Summary: I don't understand why all of the naysayers try to compare Lenovo's A1 with Apple's IPad. That is kind of like comparing apples to fruit basket.This was not designed as an Ipad killer. It was designed as a Kindle Fire killer, and it does that job well. Feature for feature this 7" tablet wins on all fronts with the Fire, except the (slower) single core processor. I love how it feels in the hand, and how smooth it functions. It is not a replacement for a laptop, nor was it intended to be. It is just plain fun to use. Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 work very well,if you really have to have Honeycomb then spend the extra dough
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best Tablet in 250$ range. Luv the product
by Amarender_Jannu on December 21, 2011
Pros: Battery Processor Look Touch
Cons: Front Camera
Summary: I brought from the US store though i reside in India. Probably I'm in top 100 users of Ideapad A1 in India , as the tab hasn't yet launched ...
Summary: I brought from the US store though i reside in India. Probably I'm in top 100 users of Ideapad A1 in India , as the tab hasn't yet launched here.
And of course I love the product. It is absolutely worth to your money.
I have compared lot many tablets and I say without any hesitation that this is the best in 250$ range. The touch is amazing and probably one of the slimmest tablets ever.
Front and rear cameras are addendum, which are not present in other tablets of its cost.
What I observed is, at 250$ range Ideapad is far better to Amazon Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet
Better than Reliance 3G tab ,Beetel magiq ,HCL Me,Kindle Fire, Nook tablets in all aspects2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Just got the Lenovo A1. My first impressions are mixed.
by Delezynski on November 10, 2011
Pros: So far, the run time is OK, not great. Have gotten over 7 hours on a charge and have more life still there, not a lot, but some. I have been doing a LOT of surfing and watching downloaded TV, CNET and others.
The screen seems to be very good and I can viCons: We normally live on a boat and use a number of GPS products. This pad seems very slow to lock on that sats!
As of now, Skype video will not work on it. It receives video just fine, but will not send from the front or rear camera.Summary: All in all it's looking like a good temporary tablet. Not one I would want to make my workhorse.
Summary: All in all it's looking like a good temporary tablet. Not one I would want to make my workhorse.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A bit underdeveloped ... and this system(old) :/
by Ant_Poland on January 25, 2012
Pros: *Good price-quality ratio
*Offline GPS (but very slowly)
*Rear cameraCons: *Sometimes it can lag
*Old Android version (update is not planned)
*Can't be used as an OTG USB slot (You can't connect pendrive or 3G modem to this tablet)Summary: As the price of the product as such, its performance is quite good. The workmanship is also satisfactory.
If you do not want complicated options and looking for the device ...Summary: As the price of the product as such, its performance is quite good. The workmanship is also satisfactory.
If you do not want complicated options and looking for the device for browsing or navigating, buy confidently.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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We love this newest version of 7" PC tablet!
by BeeTech on December 20, 2011
Pros: High def responsive screen. GPS which can be used as a Tomtom offline in car without connectivity (free worldwide maps). Front and back cameras with free Skype or Oovo video calls. 16GB which we easily expanded to 32! Robust magnesium allow sides.
Cons: No cons thus far!
Summary: We've had this for 2 weeks now, very happy with it! Thus far all good things, nothing bad. Just concerned on what we would do when battery dies, as ...
Summary: We've had this for 2 weeks now, very happy with it! Thus far all good things, nothing bad. Just concerned on what we would do when battery dies, as there is no info on battery replacement options. But perhaps generic ones will become available!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great full Android Tablet!
by txrose72 on November 19, 2011
Pros: Fully functioning Android 2.3 with no need to root. GPS, Bluetooth, Android Market and twin cameras at under $250 for 16GB puts it at the top of the list IMO in that price range.
Cons: Single core processor, no G3 and some touch-screen problems.
Summary: I wanted a 7 inch color tablet after seeing the keyboard Eink Kindle reader my wife got a few months ago. I wanted to be able to have full Android ...
Summary: I wanted a 7 inch color tablet after seeing the keyboard Eink Kindle reader my wife got a few months ago. I wanted to be able to have full Android functionality including access to the Android Market without having to root the tablet. I also limited the price I was willing to pay up to $250 for an Android color tablet. I looked at every tablet in the price range including Pandigital, Kobo, Fire and Nook and then I saw the A1. At $200 from Lenovo I couldn't resist and have had the tablet for 3 days. I am very pleased with every aspect including the performance from the 1GH A8 processor. It is not an iPad but it is exactly what I wanted and would recommend it to any geek like me. The memory configuration of the A1 breaks the 16GB into three partitions. There is 2GB for the Android operating system, 2GB for program storage and 12GB for the internal SD drive. The external Micro SD card provides a fourth storage device which can be preloaded with media and document files or loaded over the Micro USB. The micro USB when connected to a computer provides access to both SD drives which show up as two separate devices on the computer.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Deal for the money.
by Edquesada2003 on March 1, 2012
Pros: easy to use, lite weight, bright screen,
Cons: Can't think of any since its my fist tablet
Summary: got a great deal by going directly to Lenovo webisite, just under 200
I still like mine. The GPS and maps application crash. Does anyone ...
Updated on Mar 31, 2012Summary: got a great deal by going directly to Lenovo webisite, just under 200
I still like mine. The GPS and maps application crash. Does anyone know why?
Updated on Mar 31, 2012 -
Excellent overall 7" Tablet
by william.e.ward on February 21, 2012
Pros: Price
Functionality
Full (or nearly so) App Store capability.
5 screens.
The central launcher
SizeCons: Heat
Some Stability Problems
Android 2.3 (not listed that it's getting Gingerbread)
Some issues with GPS (isolated to my unit)
Slow response to some inputs
Camaera quality
Lack of customization of home screenSummary: If you look above, you'll see that I listed a lot of Cons, which may lead you to believe I don't like the device. That's not true ...
Summary: If you look above, you'll see that I listed a lot of Cons, which may lead you to believe I don't like the device. That's not true at all, I love my IdeaPad A1. It's just that it's useful to see the warts of the device if you decide to purchase it. So I'll say this here: even though I'll probably turn mine around for a warrenty repair, I would buy the device again, and if I was told that my stability issues were not indicative of a faulty device, I'd still want it. However, my device is defective, and crashes 100% of the time immediately after activating any GPS enabled app. It also has some minor stability problems (especially with turning on after it's been unplugged from the charger; it goes into a weird freeze when I unplug it, that sometimes requires a reset). It's also been known to spontaneously reboot for no reason at all. But that's because my PERSONAL IdeaPad has a problem. Overall, the product, and the way it was priced and made, is GREAT.
When my pad is working, it's normally fairly snappy, without some of the odd stability problems on WiFi that my DroidX phone has. The apps that I run, even games such as Osmos, are crystal clear and easy to use (I don't have ANY problems with the screen not being clear and easy to use, except what I'll mention later). Movies play smoothly, and sound reproduction is fine.
There are some caveats, though. One is that if sound is turned on, but no sound is being played, there is annoying high pitched whine I can hear very clearly when it's in landscape mode (caveat: even though I have a hard time hearing other things, high frequency electronic noise is NOT something I miss; I can tell if a TV is on in a different room even if muted). Additionally, and more pressing for most folks, is that the screen automatically adjusts brightness based on the ambient lighting (it's using the cameras to determine that). When you hold the tablet in meaty hands like mine, in landscape mode you naturally put your hands over the light sensor.... so the screen dims. If you're in a bright area, that's annoying, because it makes the screen harder to see. Does not happen in portrait mode, obviously.
I like the launcher (CNET complained about it, but did say they at least pulled in some of the top possible apps for it) as it makes it easy pull up the Android web browser, to get my non-gmail mail (Gmail is a seperate app) and pull up my Kindle books, etc. I don't have much music or store videos, though, so it would have been nice to be able to reassign those two buttons, though. And I'm not sure if it's me or not, but I'm not a huge fan of the way they modified the Bookmarks for the Android Browser from the more standard way my wife's pad and our phones do it.
Overall, this is a GREAT pad, and everyone who sees it and plays with it loves it. While MINE is defective with a defect in the hardware GPS, most people don't seem to have that problem, and there are ALWAYS a few problem chips in every batch. If you want a general purpose Android 7" tablet, and are willing to put up with Android 2.3, I HIGHLY recommend this pad.
Oh, and I've had the pad now for about 4 weeks, so I've had time to make it part of my daily life. -
Great offering at $199
by AZ1TEC on February 2, 2012
Pros: Price now at 199 its a great, It feels great the build quality, Offline GPS,Gorilla Glass,Two cameras,Android Market, Micro SD slot, micro USB 2,seven hour battery, and did I mention price?
Cons: Battery; Its rated for 7 plus hours but after day 4 its doing about 4.5 with a light load of apps running. GPS off but Wifi on.
ARM Cortex-A8 @ 1.0GHz is great on phones but it limits this great tablet by clocking and heating up under heavy loads.Summary: If you havent used a tablet this is a great entry device. I can't give it more then three stars however. If you can wait a year look for ...
Summary: If you havent used a tablet this is a great entry device. I can't give it more then three stars however. If you can wait a year look for the dual core Lenovo Ideapad A2 which will only improve on this solid build and idea. The only thing lacking on this device is the ARM Cortex-A8 @ 1.0GHz. I expect the Lenovo A2 to fly at $249 easy!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Lenovo
- Part number: 22282EU
- Description: Enter the tablet game with this affordable mobile entertainment device, featuring a 7" screen and optimized for multimedia, GPS, email and Web-browsing.
General
- Product Type Web tablet
- Operating System Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Display
- Type 7 in,
TFT active matrix - LED backlight - Display Resolution 1024 x 600
- Touchscreen Yes
Memory
- Flash Memory 2 GB
- RAM 512 MB - LPDDR2 SDRAM
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD
Processor
- Processor ARM Cortex-A8
- Processor Clock Speed 1 GHz
Camera
- Rear-facing Camera 3 megapixels
- Front-facing Camera 0.3 Megapixel
Communications
- Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g/n,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR Location
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Software
- Preloaded Software Google Play
Expansion and Connectivity
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x microSD
- Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB
Battery
- Installed Qty (Max Supported) 1 (installed) / 1 (max)
- Technology / Form Factor Lithium polymer
- Run Time (Up To) 7 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- Image Color Disclaimer The image of the product displayed may be of a different color
- Features Expandable memory ,
Bluetooth ,
GPS ,
Front camera ,
Rear camera Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.9 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 7.7 in
- Weight 14.1 oz
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Lenovo
Specs: Android 2.3 Gingerbread,
512 MB - LPDDR2 SDRAM,
ARM Cortex-A8 1 GHz,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11b,
4.9 in x 0.5 in x 7.7 in,
7 in,
TFT active matrix - LED backlight - Yes,
14.1 oz -
Manufacturer: Lenovo
Specs: Android 2.3,
512 MB - LPDDR2 SDRAM,
ARM Cortex-A8 1 GHz,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11b,
4.9 in x 0.5 in x 7.7 in,
7 in TFT active matrix - LED backlight - Yes,
14.1 oz -
Manufacturer: Lenovo
Specs: Android 2.3,
512 MB - LPDDR2 SDRAM,
ARM Cortex-A8 1 GHz,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11b,
4.9 in x 0.5 in x 7.7 in,
7 in TFT active matrix - LED backlight - Yes,
14.1 oz -
Manufacturer: Lenovo
Specs: Android 2.3,
512 MB - LPDDR2 SDRAM,
ARM Cortex-A8 1 GHz,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR,
IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11b,
4.9 in x 0.5 in x 7.7 in,
7 in TFT active matrix - LED backlight - Yes,
14.1 oz
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Lenovo products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Lenovo
- Address:
1009 Think Place, Morrisville, NC 27560 - Phone: 1-866-458-4465
