Our friends over at Lenovo have sent us the Miix2 8 for us to review. The Miix2 8 is an affordable super portable device, that is running a full version of Windows 8.1. It is quite affordable at $299.99 and the deals gets sweeter when you see that Microsoft Office Home & Student, a $139.99 value, comes pre-loaded on the tablet. There are many different tablets on the market, so does the Miix2 8 from Lenovo stand out? Keep reading to see our full thoughts on Lenovo’s latest 8-inch Windows tablet.
Design
Design is the thing that will lead you to the device, the Miix2 8 has a very simple one. The front of the slate is black and the back is two different shades of silver. If you are looking for a pop of color, Lenovo offers an optional flip cover with stylus that will come in at $29.99. It is available in some nice colors, like pink, blue, or black. The Miix2 8 itself only comes in one color. On the front of the device you will find the silver Lenovo logo, Windows home button, and a 2 megapixel camera. Out of the box the back has quite a few things on it, but some of them can be taken off. A Windows 8, Intel, and FCC stickers are found on the back. These can come off, but they are nice to have on the device. For instance if it is a gift, they can get a quick look at the features of the Miix2 8. A speaker, Lenovo logo, and 5 megapixel camera are on the back as well. When holding the tablet in portrait mode, the bottom of the back is where you will find the other silver color. It gives the Miix2 8 a higher end feel, kind of like an aluminum build, but it is not the entire device. The right hand side has the power/sleep button, volume rocker, micro USB port for charging, and a micro SD card sot under a door. The US variant only has the micro SD card slot, not the micro SIM card slot. However, other variants of the device will have a micro SIM card slot for internet everywhere access. If you enjoy using headphones, you will be happy to know that there is a headphone jack on the top of the device.
Software
The Lenovo Miix2 8 is running Windows 8.1 and it is a nice user interface. The biggest feature of Windows 8.1, is the return of the much beloved Start button. This brings you back to the desktop screen from the past. You can even choose to boot to the new metro styled user interface or the start screen. The metro style interface works very well on a touch screen and with a tablet you get a nice experience. Many of the core applications of Windows 8.1 have been revamped and improved. Skype is a great application to have pre-loaded and it will let you take advantage of the built-in cameras. Having Microsoft Office pre-loaded on the new device, means you can be productive with the Miix2 8 as well. As a student you can use the device to take notes in class and build the Powerpoint presentation. If you have a Windows 8 computer or laptop, you can sync your Miix2 8 with that device, courtesy of Live Syncing. Watching movies via a downloaded application like Netflix or Hulu Plus is a breeze as well.
Processor And Battery Life
Unlike the original Miix 10 from Lenovo, the Miix2 8 has a Intel Atom Bay Processor inside. Specifically the 1.3GHz Intel Atom Bay Processor with 2GB of RAM, the original Miix 10 had a Clover Trail processor powering it. This newer processor runs 2-3 times faster than the original and I can see the speed improvement. Windows 8.1 runs very fast on the Miix2 8, the only place it gets caught up and slows down a bit is when you are chaining the orientation of the screen. Besides that, it was smooth sailing with the Miix2 8. Applications opened quite quickly and booting up or down did not take too long.
Inside the Miix2 8 is a 17.5 Wh battery that is powering the device. Lenovo has this battery rated at around more than 7 hours, I got a round 7 hours during my testing. At times it was a little over and at times it was under. It really depends on how you use the device, as a student you could easily get through a day of taking notes in class. When you mix that with some movie watching and internet browsing, the battery life may become less. Keep in mind that it depends on you settings, screen brightness, what kind of applications you are running, and more.
Display And Hardware
A 8-inch WXGA IPS HD 1280 X 800 display is on the Miix2 8. It is a gorgeous display that performs really well and it gives off a clear image. The multi-touch reception is accurate and precise, picking up the touches exactly where they are. Images look very sharp, crisp, and vibrant, as they should with a display this size. Thanks to the IPS or In Plane Switching display technology, you get great viewing angles.
In terms of connectivity on the Miix2 8 you will find Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n. In the US, you will not find the micro SIM card slot, so you can not get a data connection. However, in other parts of the world the Miix2 8 may come with a micro SIM card slot on board. However, if you have a phone with tethering capabilities or find a WiFi hotspot, you will be able to connect to the internet.
Lenovo made sure storage would not be an issue on the Miix2 8, by offering two different storage sizes and having a micro SD card slot on both of the. The device comes in either 32GB or 64GB models, both with the opportunity to expand storage. You can use cloud storage solution as well like SkyDrive.
If you want to video chat with your tablet or capture some photos, you will find cameras on the Miix2 8. On the front you get a 2 megapixel camera and on the back a 5 megapixel camera. They shoot images that are average, as far as tablets go. They performed well when video chatting or video capturing. The camera applications is very simple and allows for a few different types of shots, you can do stills, videos, and panoramas. You can set a timer, focus, and change the exposure as well.
Bottom Line
The Lenovo Miix2 8 is an excellent affordable Windows 8.1 tablet. Affordability is very impotent with today’s market, the Miix2 8 starts at just $299.99 for the 32GB model and comes in at $349.99 for the 64GB variant. Both of these feature the same hardware, design, and great micro SD card slot. It is portable at just 0.33-inches thick and light at 0.77-pounds. A gorgeous 8-inch display that produces vibrant and sharp images with great viewing angles is here, along with a very fast Intel Atom Bay Processor. At $299.99 you are getting a phenomenal full Windows 8.1 device, that is very portable and can be used for work and play. Lenovo has a winner on its hands and the Miix2 8 is currently the best Windows 8-inch tablet on the market. If I was looking for a Windows tablet, this would be the one I go for. For More Information On The Lenovo Miix2 8, Please Click Here. We would like to thank Lenovo for providing us with a copy of the “Lenovo Miix2 8″.
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