If you’re on the lookout for a full-featured Android tablet with decent specs and a low price tag, say hello to the Lenovo IdeaPad A1. Priced just a little bit more than Android-powered devices like the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Nook Color e-reader tablet, the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 offers a lot more features from the get go. And it also comes in a highly portable form factor, to boot.
The A1 tablet’s features include a 7-inch 1024x600 pixel resolution touchscreen display that’s held inside a casing that measures 12mm thick. It has dual cameras, with the main one having a 3-megapixel sensor on it, and comes with built-in sensors to detect motion and the amount of ambient light. Hardware-wise, it is fitted similarly to some entry-level Android smartphones released in the past two years, so it’s a sure bet that you are going to find plenty of useful, albeit dated, hardware functions.
And as for the software, the A1 tablet from Lenovo comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread pre-installed. Unlike similarly-priced e-book readers that also have some form of the Android sofware installed on them, it offers unlimited access to the Google Play app store. That means you can download as much software as you like. That includes the ability to install all manner of official downloadable software, of course.
As feature-rich as the IdeaPad A1 is, however, it simply is not powerful enough with its weak processor and meager amount of RAM. It can still function quite well for most tasks such as Web browsing and document viewing on Android, but if you’re looking to purchase and play the latest 3D games or do some really complex computing, you need to look elsewhere for your tablet.
Need To Know: Lenovo IdeaPad A1
1. 7-inch form factor makes the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet very portable and easy to use. (The Good)
2. Default operating system will let users enjoy plenty of official and third-party software support. (The Good)
3. Comes with relatively low amount of user available RAM. (The Bad)
4. No upgrade path to later versions of the Android software. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Adam Mills, GottaBeMobileThe Lenovo IdeaPad A1′s $199 price point makes it an exceptional value. It has specifications that while not mind-blowing, get the job done.It’s not going to deliver a full-blown experience like Apple’s iPad, but it’s perfect for those that want to check their email, play a game, or surf the web on...
- Vince Font, TabletPCReviewIf the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 were the only budget tablet on the planet, it would be easy to recommend it simply for its affordable $200 price tag. But it isn’t, and the fact that you can get the Kindle Fire for the exact same amount of cash will likely result in many buyers opting for name recognition o...
- Lisa Gade, Mobile Tech ReviewThe Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet is by no means a bad product; in fact it's a good alternative to those no-name tablets we see at Fry's and MicroCenter (Azpen, ChinaMart, even some Coby's aren't so hot). But the tablet's OS and CPU are already dated, and that means you'll get no future-proofing here. In...
- Eugene Kim, PC MagazineIf you're sold on the 7-inch form factor and want an affordable, capable tablet, the Kindle Fire or the Nook Tablet, which is now available in an 8GB version for $199, are better (and less-expensive) bets. Below-average performance, an older OS, and a subpar screen make the A1 a tough sell.
- Nermin Hajdarbegovic, FudzillaThe Lenovo A1 is a mixed bag to say the least and frankly I’m not sure what to make of it.Just looking at the price and spec sheet would make me slap a Top Value award at the end of the review and get it over with. A brand name Android tablet with 16GB of storage, great battery life and GPS for €154...
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Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Lenovo IdeaPad A1 Manual (PDF)
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