TabletPCReview caught a bit of hands-on time with Lenovo’s upcoming IdeaPad Tablet A1, a budget-friendly gadget offering “offline GPS” and slated for an Ice Cream Sandwich Android successor.

Lenovo’s future seven-inch tablet is geared to consumers who might not bother to buy a tablet at a higher price point, and also at those who won’t mind spending a couple of hundred bucks for a “companion device” to complement their existing notebook and desktop PCs, Lenovo officials said, during a series of sneak peeks to the media.

Lenovo this week gave glimpses of its upcoming IdeaPad Tablet A1 tablet, a budget-friendly consumer device — priced starting at $199 and outfitted with a feature called “offline GPS” — aimed at giving the company a competitive boost against other makers of Android tablets, and maybe even Apple.

While a PC is a better platform for content creation, a small and lightweight tablet makes sense for consuming entertainment — and GPS directions — while on the go, said Nick Reynolds, executive director for Lenovo’s product group, in a Webcast on Tuesday.

Source: TabletPCReview.com – Tablet PC Reviews and News