Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 review

Unlike the Dell Latitude 10, Lenovo hasn’t managed to accommodate a removable battery. Instead, the Tablet 2 uses a sealed 30Wh lithium ion cell, which lasted 11hrs 46mins in our tests. Charging is rather slow via the micro-USB socket, however, and we had some problems with the tablet refusing to charge with certain micro-USB cables.

There are several optional extras available for the Tablet 2. There’s a £81 inc VAT docking station that doubles as a desk stand, providing two USB 2 ports, full-sized HDMI, 10/100 Ethernet and 3.5mm audio input and output. It also allows the tablet’s battery to be charged more quickly, thanks to the supplied laptop-style power supply. A docking keyboard isn’t available, but Lenovo offers a compact Bluetooth keyboard with an integrated stand for a faintly shocking £133, which has its own optical touch point. A selection of cases and bags are also available, and a DC to USB adapter allows the ThinkPad Tablet 2 to charge from a car cigarette lighter.

Connectivity is ample. Two flaps along the Lenovo’s edges reveal a SIM slot, microSD slot (which accepts cards up to a maximum of 32GB) and a full-sized USB socket. There’s a 3.5mm headset output, and a mini-HDMI output is positioned on the tablet’s base alongside a proprietary docking connector. If you can make do with only dual-band 802.11n and Bluetooth 4, you can save cash by opting for the basic £570 model; if mobile broadband is essential, the £699 model adds an unlocked Ericcson C5621 3G modem. NFC support is available as an £11 optional extra, too.

The front- and rear-facing cameras are fine for business purposes. While images from the front-facing 2.1 megapixel snapper are a little grainy and lacking in fine detail, they’ll be fine for videoconferencing, and the dual integrated microphones do their bit to keep speech clear and intelligible. The rear-facing 8-megapixel unit is supported by an LED flash, and offers a significant step up in quality, capturing more detailed shots and acceptable 1080p video clips. Only the speakers are disappointing; there’s a lot of distortion at top volume.

Lenovo may have created a product with the looks of a top-class ThinkPad, but we’re not convinced it’s good enough to clinch our business tablet top spot. Granted, it’s sleek, attractive, and the docking stylus is a boon, but with Dell’s Atom-powered tablet delivering a much brighter screen, not to mention the flexibility of a replaceable battery, Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet 2 doesn’t quite have what it takes.