By Hardev Sanotra
Las Vegas, Jan 10 (IANS) On the second day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 here, Chinese multinational technology company Lenovo launched three new products to bring tech advancement in Virtual Reality (VR), tablet/PC and smart home devices -- priced to reach out to a large segment of buyers.
The tablet/PC combines the capability and versatility of both and Lenovo ensured that the battery in the Lenovo Miix 630 laptop -- that runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform -- lasts for 20 hours with full video playback.
Introducing the product to journalists here on the sidelines of the CES 2018, Matt Bareda, Vice President, Marketing for PCs, AR/VR and Smart Devices at Lenovo said that its rollout in the second quarter would be a "game changer" that will bring in the hands of the users whatever is possible in the computing space.
Priced at $799.99, the 12.3-inch tablet is connected to the keyboard magnetically and has a pen for easing up usage. An attached, hinged flap acts as a kickstand and can assume a wide range of angles.
"It brings in a tablet/PC format the concept that we are all used to in mobile phones -- always on. No need to shut it down every time your usage is over," said Bareda.
The Lenovo "Smart Display" aims to connect, inform, entertain and control with the help of Google Assistant, while sitting in the kitchen or drawing room.
The Lenovo "Smart Display" basically looks like a mash-up between a tablet and a smart speaker.
It can reach out to Internet for all the information that one requires, while also connecting people remotely through audio and video.
The device - in 10 inch and 8 inch formats - with Google Assistant will not only bring all entertainment to the screen on command but also has the capability of controlling all features of a smart home through voice command and can act as a video monitor for rooms or outside.
"You can tell the Google Assistant to pull the latest movie for showing, connect to a friend through video, show who's at the door and bring the video on the latest dance steps that you want to practice," Bareda said.
The company has put in a physical camera lock to obviate any accidental streaming out of live video from home or elsewhere.
"This feature, although simple, was arrived at after interaction with users to protect privacy," Bareda added.
The 10-inch "Smart Display" is priced at $249.99 and the 8-inch device at $199.99. Both will be available for users early summer this year.
Lenovo also extended its AR/VR range by launching "Mirage Solo" -- a standalone Daydream VR headset with camera that is aimed at providing live streaming to users, thus bringing the near reality of a remote event taking place.
The dual camera, as a separate unit, can upload live pictures through the mobile phone or Wi-Fi to YouTube for those with the headset to experience it anywhere.
"The camera is capable of capturing the depth of field, as opposed to just flat images and its simple and easy to use," said Bareda.
The main advantage of this device is that it's standalone and does not have any cable connected to it which had been the bane of all such VR or AR devices. You can move anywhere with ease and watch 180 degree images in 3D.
Bareda said that earlier launch of the AR/VR headset linked to Star Wars was a resounding success and the latest device would bring in more capabilities as it has tied up with Google Daydream 2.0 platform.
The device will come with a launch of "Blade Runner 2049" in early second quarter, but the company is keeping the price under wraps for later announcement.
(Hardev Sanotra is in Las Vegas at the invitation of Lenovo. He can be reached at hardev.sanotra@ians.in)
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