Lenovo is kicking off the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show with a bang. Earlier this week they launched their latest smartphones. Now, they are taking aim at the connected digital home with several new devices. These new products are made for home users who want to connect, interact, and enjoy their content. One of these devices is Beacon, Lenovo’s first personal cloud storage device, that will allow you to share and store multimedia content via your smartphone or computer to your home. Then Lenovo is marking another first with the N308, an Android desktop computer. The Horizon 2 is the second generation table top computer and the A740 is the world thinnest 27-inch all in one computer.
Lenovo Beacon Home Cloud Center
Let’s start off with the Lenovo Beacon, in a way you could say it allows you to access your multimedia content when and where you want it. It is a personal cloud storage device that will allow multiple users to access the content on it. You can upload files to the Beacon from a hard-wired or wireless connection. It is safer than a cloud storage option because the files are physically stored inside the device, it is expandable up to 6TB. Unlike many other storage solutions, there are no monthly fees for this device. It is powered by a Intel Atom dual core processor with 1GB of RAM. You can set permissions for which users have access to certain files. It can connect directly to your TV via an HDMI, this way you can share photos and videos. The Beacon will be available in your choice of either black or white. It will retail for $199 and will be landing in April.
Lenovo N308; Android All-In-One Computer
Android has been making waves in the smartphone and tablet industries. We haven’t seen it too much on bigger screens yet, but Lenovo is making its first Android computer. This might become the perfect companion for those users who are based in Android. It is the N308 all-in-one(AIO) computer, that will start at just $450. It will be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and might have a few Lenovo user interface touches to it. From the photos it appears to be a pretty clean variant of the OS and hopefully software updates will be forthcoming. The N308 features a 19.5-inch LED HD+ 1600 X 900 display, a NVIDIA Tegra quad-core processor, up to 500GB of storage, a 720p webcam, a Accutype keyboard, a mouse, and more. It has an integrated battery and kickstand as well, so it can be stationary or brought around.
At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, Lenovo announced the Horizon and it was their movement into table top personal computers. At the 2014 CES, we see the Horizon 2, the successor of the original. The second generation is thinner and lighter at 19.55 millimeters and 16.8 pounds. A 27-inch display is on board and you can have it in your choice of qHD or Full HD. It still features the different modes via the kickstand on the back and has around 4 hours of battery life. It will be running Windows 8.1 and the Aura interface, which has some new updates. It will start to learn faces in photos and you can upload them via a smartphone. New multi-user gaming options are available like Ubisoft’s Chubby Kings which can handle up to four players. The Horizon features Near Field Communications or NFC now, this means you can interact directly with your smartphone with the table top pc. All in all, it is still a full computer as well with around 500GB of storage, up to 4th generation Intel Core i7 processors, and more. The Horizon 2 will be coming in June and will start at $1,499.
Lastly we have another all in one computer, but this time it is not Android. The A740 AIO is a 27-inch desktop that is running Windows 8.1, it will start at $1,499 and will land in June. It has a very nice design, as it is a single piece of aluminum and quite thin at just 4 millimeters at the display. For speed it has up to a 4th generation Intel Core i7 processor with up to 8GB of RAM. Like the Horizon 2 NFC is built-in, along with Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, optional TV tuner, HDMI, and more. The 27-inch display is either a qHD(2560×1440) or Full HD(1920 X 1080), it can feature up to 178 degrees of viewing angles. It can handle up to 1TB of storage, but if you need to expand there are USB ports for expandable drives.
Jun Ouyang, the VP and GM of the desktop business unit of Lenovo business group, says ”As people adopt more and more devices and they continue to build vast libraries of photos, videos, movies, and games, we all need to have a way to easily access all this content across our devices,” and the Beacon is the solution to this. The N308 brings Android to the home, which I am personally very excited about it. I feel that the Horizon 2 and A740 AIO seems like updates, but they are updates that are pushing innovations further. The new connectivity options with the Horizon 2 may make it appeal to a larger crowd and the A740 seems like a very premium product with a great aluminum design. Stay tuned for our hands-on with all of these products and for more information check out the press release below. Stay Tuned To NJTechReviews For More Coverage Of The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Powered By Lenovo For Those Who Do!
Press Release
Lenovo Connects Digital Home with Its First Personal Cloud Storage Device and Android Desktop
Portfolio of Devices for Accessing Personal Media and Interacting with the Family
- Beacon personal cloud storage device a digital entertainment/data hub and accessed by user’s smartphone from anywhere
- Lenovo N308 company’s first Android desktop designed for gaming and app-hungry users
- Multimode Horizon 2 recasts the mold on Table PC with thinner and lighter design; A740 AIO offers super-slim frame in compact desktop
LAS VEGAS – January 7, 2014: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show a portfolio of devices geared toward the home to allow users to enjoy, connect and interact with their media and content. These devices include the Lenovo Beacon personal cloud storage device, the Lenovo N308 Android home computer, the Lenovo Horizon 2 Table PC and the Lenovo A740 All-in-One (AIO) PC.
Lenovo’s first personal cloud storage device, Beacon, allows users to easily store and share multimedia via their PC or mobile device in the home or remotely1. Using the downloadable Android app created for Beacon, users can even turn their Android smartphone into a remote control for the Personal Cloud Storage Device. As Lenovo’s first Android desktop, the Lenovo N308 AIO provides access to a world of apps on its 19.5-in multitouch display starting at $4502. The Horizon 2 Table PC expands upon Lenovo’s leadership in multimode computing with a radically thinner and more portable design, and as the thinnest 27-in AIO3, the Lenovo A740 creates a versatile and stylish home PC.Beacon Makes Personal Media Always-OnPerfect for families or those who want to access their media library on the go, the Beacon personal cloud storage device lets users store and play their media from anywhere using their smartphone, PC, tablet or TV1. Easier to use than NAS-storage type devices, Beacon lets users upload files either wirelessly or via an onboard USB connection with just the press of one button. Users can seamlessly access files around the home or on-the-go, and Beacon’s secure access rights make it a great device to share with multiple users.Beacon makes it simple for users to capture and relive memories from personal media: With the camera auto upload feature, shutterbugs can automatically upload a photo from their smartphone’s camera via WiFi or 3G4 to store a copy of it on Beacon. Using Lenovo’s custom app, users can even use their Android smartphone as a remote control to play their multimedia stored on Beacon to a TV connected by HDMI.Beacon offers a more personal solution versus “in the air” cloud storage services. Files reside inside Beacon, and the device stays fixed in a physical location in the home. It offers large storage capacity easily expandable up to 6TB, and there are no monthly fees for data storage. Outside file transfer to one’s mobile device occurs seamlessly from Beacon. Beacon runs an Intel® AtomTM dual core processor, supports file transfer through 3G4, WiFi and Ethernet and comes in white or black.Android Moves to the Big ScreenLenovo’s first Android home computer, the Lenovo N308, presents an affordable AIO desktop for those multimedia mavens who love apps, entertainment and web browsing. The N308 makes an ideal companion for enjoying media and accessing apps as part of a user’s family of Android devices including tablets and smartphones. Starting at $450 and available in black or white, the 19.5-in 1600X900 touchscreen desktop gives users everything they need to enjoy their favorite content. Running the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, the N308 comes with an NVIDIA Tegra® quad core processor, up to 500 GB hard drive storage, a 720p webcam and WiFi. Easily move this 1.3-in thin AIO around the home or office as a super-sized tablet with its full-size keyboard and mouse and up to three hours of battery life4 with its integrated battery. Additionally, users can adjust the N308’s stand to lay the device flat for an easier angle to navigate the touchscreen and even play games.Horizon 2 Recasts the Table PC Mold
Lenovo is recasting the mold on the Table PC with a dramatically thinner and now also lighter 27-in Horizon 2. The slimmed down form factor measures as thin as a deck of playing cards at just 19.5mm, and shaves off weight, making it easier to transport around the home. Horizon 2 also offers improved performance with smarter features like near field communications (NFC) that interact with a user’s other devices for a truly one of a kind digital content sharing experience.
For example, users can now access media from their PC or smartphone on their home network directly on Horizon 2’s display when it lays flat in Table Mode with the Aura interface activated. They can either use the new Horizon mobile app to shake their mobile Android device, allowing the content to “fall” onto Horizon 2’s screen. Or they can place the mobile device on the screen, which signals to the Aura dial to open around it and “pull” out content onto Horizon 2’s display. Also, users can edit photos and share directly from Aura to Facebook.
New motion control features allow for easy navigation of photos, presentations, e-book pages and music tracks, and using Horizon 2’s new face tracing feature, users can upload photos from their camera or smartphone and the Aura interface will try to recognize the faces in the photos. The Horizon 2 also comes with dozens more new multi-user, multi-touch family entertainment including Ubisoft’s Chubby Kings; a four-player family fun game, Omnivision’s Halli Galli; a popular entertainment game; and Legacy Games’ Crayola’s Songbook; a children’s interactive musical and drawing experience along with several education apps such as I Spy from Scholastic.
Horizon 2 continues the interpersonal Table PC’s focus facilitating collaborative computing in both Table and Stand Modes with its Windows 8.1 10-finger touchscreen, large traditional or hybrid storage, up to 4th generation Intel® CoreTM i7 processor and Dolby® Home Theater.TM Of course, users can adjust the screen in Stand Mode for a performance AIO desktop. They can also enjoy it in Table Mode when it’s laid flat for computing together and playing games with up to four people. With nearly four hours of battery reserve5 and optional table accessory, it can be transported easily from room to room.
Versatile, Contemporary Lenovo A740 AIO
With just a 4mm thin display, the new Lenovo A740 takes the title of the thinnest AIO in its 27-in class3. Its fashion forward design gives users a premium AIO desktop experience with its stand and display back cut from a single piece of aluminum, brilliant display and latest performance technologies. Crystal clear images leap off the A740’s optional WQHD 2560X1440 display with its wide 178° viewing angle. Powered for entertainment and media by up to NVIDIA GeForce® graphics, JBL® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater,TM users can interact directly with their content on the Windows 8.1 10-finger touchscreen or even use its built-in motion and voice control. The A740 can also fold down 90° flat, making it easy to use the touchscreen. Highly equipped, the AIO also comes with up to 1 TB of hard drive storage, near field communications (NFC), fast acting ac WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI-in support and optional TV tuner.
For all the new products, Lenovo offers a portfolio of integrated services solutions including warranty extensions, warranty upgrades and premium technical support.
Pricing and Availability2
The Lenovo Beacon personal cloud storage device will be available beginning in April with models starting at $199 via major retailers and www.lenovo.com.
The Lenovo N308 AIO Desktop will be available beginning in February with models starting at $450 via major retailers and www.lenovo.com.
The Horizon 2 Table PC will be available beginning in June with models starting at $1,499 via major retailers and www.lenovo.com.
The Lenovo A740 AIO Desktop will be available beginning June with models starting at $1,499 via major retailers and www.lenovo.com.
1Beacon upload works with devices running Windows or Android.
2Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice
3Based on December 2013 market survey conducted by Lenovo of top 5 WW PC makers as defined by IDC. A740 is 4mm at edge.
4Requires a data plan purchased separately from a carrier and not included with the device.
5Japan Electronic Information Technology Association (JEITA) battery run time measurement method . Actual battery life, run time and recharge times will vary based on many factors, including system settings and use.
