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Last Updated on March 29, 2020
If you are looking for a smaller tablet, then the Lenovo Ideapad A1 may well suit your needs. Made by a company that is the merger of IBM’s old personal computing division and China’s largest PC technology company, this is a well built and well thought out tablet. Lenovo are growing rapidly and their Thinkpads took the PC world by storm. The Ideapad range comes in various sizes and specifications; this version is aimed at the user always on the go, needing a durable but well functioning tablet slim enough to carry in their pocket or purse.
IdeaPad Tablet PC Features
The IdeaPad A1 runs on the Android 2.3 operating system with a Texas Instruments 1 gigahertz single core processor. You get 16 gigabytes of solid state drive storage plus 512 megabytes of memory and it is fully Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. Ultra-portable, the Ideapad A1 weighs less than a pound and is only half an inch thick. It is, however, extremely tough due to its inner magnesium alloy roll-cage protecting its workings from bumps, jolts and mishaps! For connectivity you have a micro SD card readers and a mini USB port. You can video chat using its rear 3 megapixel and front 0.3 megapixel cameras and enjoy fully flash supported movies and videos.
Tablet Usability
The battery life of the Ideapad A1 is around 7 hours for normal use, but drops when watching movies. It has a 7 inch capacitive screen, with glare reduction and multi touch usage. There is an offline GPS feature that allows direct satellite connection so you need never get lost! This is an entry level entertainment tablet at a price to suit most pockets but with features you may not find on similar tablets. You get 10 pre-loaded apps plus access to both the Lenovo App Store the Android Market and they are easy to load and install.
What Customers say
The screen attracts positive reviews with a clarity and sharpness and true HD at 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. The sound is reported as very high quality and the GPS as very efficient. The pre loaded apps are actually useful and as one user put it, not “bloatware” filling up the drive! The Ideapad A1’s durability is a big selling point; especially important for those who truly want to take their tablet anywhere. There have been reported lags in loading, but firmware updates address these issues; it is important to keep installing any updates that Lenovo issues as they do improve performance. The physical usability of buttons, micro slots etc is seen as good, not flimsy, well engineered and simple to operate.
Overall verdict
This is a durable, functional well engineered small entry level tablet. It is price efficient, has enough apps pre loaded for most people’s use and has good screen and sound clarity. If you need a tablet to go anywhere with you, especially good for travelling and at the same time entertain you; then the Lenovo A1 is a good choice.