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Local Tech Wire
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Lenovo (OTC: LNVGY.PK), which had scheduled an April debut for its Skylight laptop-cellphone device, is staying out of the market until July – but only in the United States, according to a Xinhua news agency report from China on Wednesday.
Technology Web sites have been saying in recent days that the Skylight was being revamped after Apple’s iPad beat it to market.
The Skylight will stay on schedule for markets outside the U.S., Xinhua said. There was no statement directly from Lenovo, which maintains headquarters in Morrisville and Beijing.
"Lenovo Group has not given any specific reasons for the delay, just saying it takes more time to improve performances of the smartbook," Xinhua said.
Skylight will be available to Chinese customers in May, according to the report.
The Ottawa Citizen newspaper reported Wednesday that Dell, HP and several other computer-makers also are scrambling to catch up with Apple’s highly hyped and favorably reviewed iPad.
Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of the Lenovo Group and the world’s No. 4 PC maker, told the China Daily last month that the combination cellphone and laptop device would be launched in April.
The mobile device “could replace the major function of computers,” Liu said.
He declined to disclose any specifics about the unit. Buzz from several technology followers in recent days has said that Lenovo was scrambling to re-do the Skylight after seeing the iPad.
Liu has also said Lenovo will introduce a tablet PC.
The new phone/laptop combination fits in with a strategy at Lenovo, the world’s No. 4 PC-maker, that puts more emphasis on the mobile Internet market.
