Lenovo IdeaTab S2109

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 pairs old iPad screen with Android 4.0

Lenovo has officially outed its latest tablet, the IdeaTab S2109, an Ice Cream Sandwich slate measuring 8.9mm thick. Spotted crossing the FCC recently, the IdeaTab S2019 takes a page from the iPad 2, with a 9.7-inch 4:3 aspect display; unfortunately, it’s using a 1024 x 768 IPS panel, rather than the double-resolution Retina Display on the new iPad.

The unibody shell has a “gunmetal” finish, though there’s no mention of whether it’s actually metal or not. Inside is a battery good enough for a quoted 10hrs of runtime, though we still don’t have confirmation on what processor is keeping the IdeaTab S2019 running: Lenovo has previously looked to NVIDIA’s Tegra 2, so it’s possible that the newer Tegra 3 is under the hood here. Update: There’ll be a TI OMAP inside, though which we don’t know

It’s Ice Cream Sandwich that should make the biggest difference, though, and we’re glad to see tablet manufacturers finally waking up and packaging the newest version of Android. Both regular Android Market access along with Lenovo’s own app store are on offer for third-party software.

No word on pricing or availability at this stage.

ET Review: Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 13

Rs 79,900 onwards 

NEW DELHI: Dell has been silent on the Ultrabook front for a while - until the XPS 13 came and taught everyone a lesson that is. 

Dell's XPS 13 is a stunner from every angle - plus it uses the most premium materials, offers great performance and is sturdy enough for everyday use. 

What sets it apart from the usual Ultrabook is that it's noticeably smaller - about the size of an 11-inch notebook - but it still manages to fit in a 13-inch screen. The entire screen is covered with a layer of Gorilla Glass for added ruggedness.  

The top lid is machined aluminium while the base is moulded from carbon fiber. It's also noticeably thinner with a tapered shape - 6mm at the thinnest and 18mm at the thickest. 

Open it up and the island-style backlit keyboard stares back at you - the contrast between the black palmrest, keyboard & aluminium lid is appealing. 

The screen is great quality too, but a bit too reflective outdoors. 

Performance is as you would expect - handles everything with ease, except high-end 3D gaming. The solid state drive and numerous tweaks ensure ultra-fast boot and sleep from wake. Battery life is a heady 5 to 7 hours, depending on what work you do. 

While it is undeniably fantastic to look at and hold, the XPS 13 also has to make do with only two USB ports (one is USB 3.0), a display port and 3.5mm audio out. 

There is no Ethernet, HDMI out, SD card slot or VGA out. In a sense, it takes a minimalist approach, quite like the MacBook Air, which offers a similar arrangement. 

The limited number of ports could be a deal-breaker for someone who often needs to connect to larger displays via HDMI, to wired Ethernet or for someone who regularly uses a lot of USB peripherals. But for anyone looking at a non-Mac headturner, your search is over.