Lenovo to focus on tablets, smartphones with new unit

IDG News Service - Chinese PC-maker Lenovo has setup a new business unit to create tablets and smartphones, two of the hottest emerging areas of the gadget sector.

The new unit, called the Mobile Internet and Digital Home Business Group, will also develop devices for cloud computing and smart TV services, and applications for the company's mobile products.

Lenovo has already promoted devices in both tablets and smartphones. The company unveiled its first tablet computer, the LePad, at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Android device is scheduled to go on sale in China this quarter, although Lenovo has yet to decide if it will be sold overseas. The company, however, plans to launch several other Android-based tablets in the U.S., possibly during the second half of the year.

Lenovo also launched a new smartphone in China last year called the LePhone. The company sold 400,000 units of the Android-based device in the first four months it was on the market. Like the LePad, the LePhone has yet to be sold overseas. Company executives have said they would like to see the LePhone develop a stronger following in China, before releasing it to other countries.

The company has chosen Liu Jun, the former senior vice president and president of Lenovo's Product Group, to lead the new business unit.