Lenovo launches A3000, A1000 tablets w/ phone features

Today we attended the local launch of Lenovo’s two new budget Android tablets — the IdeaTab A3000 and its dual-core sibling the IdeaTab A1000.

At first sight, both of these tablets may look identical to each other particularly when viewed head on. But truth be told, while these two new A-series tablets from Lenovo do share a few similarities, there’s more to these Android slates than meets the eye and this subtle contrasting features could mean the difference between getting one from the other.

Let’s start off with the IdeaTab A3000 which, by the way, retails for Php9,999USD 170INR 14,445EUR 162CNY 1,241. It’s got a 7-inch IPS display that has the same pixel count (1024×600) as the A1000 and runs quad-core Cortex-A9 processor which also has the same frequency (1.2Ghz) and RAM capacity (1GB) as its entry-level counterpart.

It also features expandable 16GB on-board storage, 5MP rear camera and two SIM card slots allowing the tablet to have voice call and SMS features, as well as 3G/HSPA connectivity.

If the A3000’s price tag is still a little too much for your budget, then you might want to opt for the more affordable IdeaTab A1000 which goes for Php6,499USD 111INR 9,388EUR 105CNY 807. However, in order to achieve its almost dirt cheap asking price, Lenovo has to cut back on some of its features which include non-IPS screen, a processor with two less cores and a more modest internal storage worth 4GB.

Moreover, the A1000 only has a single SIM setup and it doesn’t support browsing over data unlike the A3000. In exchange, however, you get a more decent audio performance with the A1000 thanks to a pair of front-mounted speakers that’s backed by Dolby Digital Plus technology.

Here’s a table showing a side-by-side comparison of the A3000’s and A1000’s key specs.

The Lenovo IdeaTab A3000 and A1000 will be available starting this month and can be purchased through Lenovo’s retails partners such as MSI-ECS, Ingram Micro Ltd., through its sub-distributors Net Essentials and Open Communications.