Lenovo executives traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to steal some of the attention away from smartphone manufacturers gathered for the World Mobile Congress.

The world’s No. 2 PC manufacturer,generated its own headlines by unveiling three new tablets that are powered by the latest version of Android Jelly Bean.

HP, the No. 1 global PC seller, also introduced a tablet at the show.

But Lenovo is clearly targeting Google’s own Nexxus tablet as well as intensifying its efforts to compete with Apple in the tablet space.

“Watch out Nexus 7, Lenovo is after you,” says SlashGear in its report from the show.

One is touted as a “Home Entertainment Center.”

All three are expected to be available in the second quarter.

They also include out-of-the-box wireless Internet access through Lenovo’s own pay-as-you-go service.

The Verge notes the “A” models are designed to compete with the Nexxus.

“It’s specced very similarly to Google’s tablet, although its 7-inch 1024 x 600 display and quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek processor fall short of the Nexus 7’s 1280 x 800 display and Tegra 3 processor. It’s relatively thin and light, measuring 11mm thick and weighing 340g (around 0.75lbs), but Lenovo hasn’t really done anything special in the design department,” The Verge reported.

Cnet, however, is withholding a rush to judgment.

“All in all, the specs for these tablets don’t look particularly groundbreaking, but without final pricing, it’s tough to make a value judgment yet,” Cnet reports.

The Tablet Offensive

Lenovo has introduced a wide range of tablets over the past year as consumers worldwide shift to the devices rather than laptops. The company is especially sensitive to advances made by Apple and its iPads with Apple targeting Lenovo’s home market of Chia, which it envisions as soon replacing the U.S. as its top market.

“Lenovo’s latest Android tablet family is designed to meet the demands of a wide range of customers, particularly young, active users who are always on the go, and have adopted the seven-inch form factor as their own. With these latest additions to our tablet portfolio, we’ve created devices that address these customers’ needs, as well as devices for more demanding gamers and multimedia users,” said Chen Wenhui,the general manager of Lenovo’s Mobile Business Unit.

“We believe that our Android family of tablets will appeal to customers across the world as we’ve built our products to be highly accessible and flexible to serve multiple needs and budgets,” he added.

Pricing was not disclosed.

“Home Entertainment Center”

Largest of the three is a 10-inch tablet called the S6000.

It is designed for multiple uses, including multimedia and gaming. It is powered by a quad-core processor.

Lenovo’s description:

“As tablets have continued their march into the mainstream, increasing demands with regards to larger screen devices have raised the bar for tablet makers. Lenovo has responded with the S6000, a sleek and powerful option for customers looking for a device that switches seamlessly from entertainment to social media and beyond. Powered by the MTK 8389/8125 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, the S6000 shines as a multimedia and gaming tablet fronted by a 10.1-inch IPS 1280X800 display with a wide, 178-degree viewing angle, micro HDMI port and digital microphone. The S6000 also offers a number of additions to optimize its performance as a connectivity tool for social networkers including optional HSPA+ and a substantial battery that allows for more than 8 hours of continuous WiFi web browsing. Even with these specifications though, the S6000 does not lose track of style and convenience; it is all tied together in a super slim (8.6mm) and light (560g) frame that feels good and helps users look good.”

The A Models

Two 7-inch models also were introduced, the A 3000 and the A1000 “Pocket Studio with Dolby.”

The A1000 has front-facing speakers with Dolby, designed to produce better sound.

The A3000 as described by Lenovo:

“In today’s connected world, devices must be mobile, without skimping on performance. The A3000 bristles with specifications typically found in a much larger device, all packed into a seven-inch form factor that is thin and light. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core, MTK processor, the A3000 optimizes the user experience for games, video, photo-sharing and web-browsing, offering seamlessly fluid navigation and highly responsive performance. The benefits of the seven-inch form factor are not ignored on the A3000 either. The tablet, which sports an IPS 1024×600 screen, weighs in at less than 340g and is only 11mm thick, but can still hold a wealth of content with an extensive memory, which can be extended to 64GB with the external micro-SD card. Optional 3G HSPA+ support ensures users stay connected on the go with Lenovo’s ultra-portable tablet.”

The A1000 as described by Lenovo”

“The A1000 delivers an audio experience normally reserved for more expensive tablets in a seven-inch device. With Dolby Digital Plus integrated into the device and large, front-facing speakers that ensure the sound is directed at the users’ ears rather than the floor, the A1000 is perfect for music lovers and those seeking a “pocket studio” for either music or movies. The A1000 runs Android Jelly Bean 4.1 on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and has on-board storage of up to 16GB, extendable to 32GB with a micro-SD slot, so users can load content up and take it to the gym, the office or anywhere else they want to experience high-quality sights and sounds. It also comes in either black or white, allowing users to customize their Lenovo pocket studio to their lifestyle.”

Lenovo operates its global executive headquarters in Morrisville.

The HP Model

HP is making a tablet computer that uses Google’s Android operating system, steering clear of Microsoft’s latest tablet-oriented version of Windows, the AP reported. 

The HP Slate 7 will have a 7-inch screen, making it similar in size to the Amazon Kindle Fire. It will cost $169 when it goes on sale in April in the U.S.

Most tablet makers, including Samsung and Amazon, have chosen Android as the best and cheapest operating system for products that can compete against Apple’s iPad. HP previously made a tablet based on Palm’s WebOS software, but the effort fizzled. The company also makes a more powerful tablet with PC-type components for the corporate market, which runs a PC-style version of Windows 8. It hasn’t produced a tablet using Windows RT, Microsoft’s product for iPad-type tablets.

[LENOVO ARCHIVE: Check out eight years of Lenovo stories as reported in WRAL Tech Wire.]