Lenovo enters smartphone market with five Androids

Lenovo today announced its foray into the smartphone market in India with the launch of a range of Android-based smartphones, starting from the Lenovo A60+ in the budget segment to the premium quad-core Lenovo K860. 

The five Android-based smartphones lie across four segments viz Geek, Stylish, Professional and Affordable, at various price points. Lenovo claims that the USP of the fully featured Lenovo’s smartphones is their long battery life and dual-SIM capability. Four of the Lenovo smartphones are based on the Android version 4.0, while the A60+ smartphone is based on the Android version 2.3.

“Having witnessed success in the PC space where we are currently No. 1 in India, our entry into the smartphones category is a strategic move that reinforces our commitment to lead technology and innovation across the 4 screens.  The number of consumers adopting smarter, wireless technology in the country is on the rise and we anticipate a huge increase in smartphone users. Lenovo smartphones offer a compelling value proposition for the Indian consumer and we are confident that our audiences will strongly consider our product portfolio,” said Amar Babu, managing director, Lenovo India. 

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Marking entry into the smartphone segment

“Lenovo has built a solid and successful mobile phone business in China reaching the number two position in the smartphone category in less than 18 months. We have reached a critical expansion point where we can use the solid platform we have established to expand to other countries and bring our leading technology to many more users,” said JD Howard, vice president, Lenovo MIDH.

Lenovo K860 is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core smartphone featuring a 720x1280 pixel resolution, a 5-inch IPS display for and wide 178 degree viewing angles. It comes with an 8-megapixel camera, built-in special effects, editing options, and 8GB on-board memory. Lenovo has priced the K860 at Rs 28,499.

The Lenovo S880 features a 5-inch display, large screen, slim 9.9mm design, long battery life, and dual-SIM capability. The S880 lets you enjoy multimedia content. The smartphone has been priced at Rs 18,999.

Lenovo describes its S560 smartphone as a studio quality music phone featuring Dolby Digital Plus technology to make music sound better than ever. The S560 also packs a dual-core processor and a 4-inch IPS screen to watch videos or view pictures taken with its 5 megapixel camera. The Lenovo S560 has been priced at Rs 14,499.

Lenovo P700i is a dual-SIM, 4 inch business phone featuring Lenovo Smart Energy technology that enhances battery life. The P700i delivers a talk time of up to 28 hours and up to 13 days on standby, optimising performance at this price point. With a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 4-inch IPS display, the P700i is priced at Rs 12,499.

Lenovo A60+ is packed with a 1GHz processor, Android 2.3 operating system, and a 3.5-inch screen, priced at Rs 6,499.

The phones are available at all leading large format retail multi-brand outlets (MBO), and Lenovo Exclusive stores in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Gujarat.

This move to introduce this range of smartphones strongly stems from Lenovo’s 4-screen strategy in the PC+ era, of which smartphones are a key component. The four screens comprise of PCs, tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs. While PCs are central to the digital lives of millions, the epicentre of communication and businesses is shifting towards wireless devices such as smartphones, tablets, and netbooks. 

Lenovo is entering the Indian market for smartphones after having built a strong and successful mobile phone business as the number two player with 11.2 percent (Q2 CY2012) market share in China.