Lenovo's 9.7" Android ICS IdeaTab clears the FCC for a near-term launch

It looks like one of Lenovo’s Ice Cream Sandwich tablets has cleared another hurdle on its way to market; the 9.7 inch Android slate sauntered through the FCC this week. This isn’t the quad-core Tegra3 monster we saw at CES, but we expect the dual cores will power ICS through its paces just fine, and this one comes equipped with the iPadesque 4:3 aspect ratio, which some users may prefer. For movie watching the “widescreen” 16:9 ratio of most Android tablets is probably superior, but for many apps the extra workspace you get with a 4:3 may prove to be more popular.

According to Engadget, the device is on track for a launch next month, so if you fancy a tablet that’s a bit taller when you hold it in landscape mode, you don’t have long to wait. Interestingly, Engadget is also claiming the tablet has a dual-core TI OMAP processor under the hood, rather than the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon we were shown at CES. The FCC report also shows that the tablet needs a 2.5A input at 5V to charge, which is higher than most tablets out there (including the new iPad with the ginormous battery) so IdeaPad S2 customers may be treated to substantially quicker charging times.

Who’s interested in picking one of these puppies up?

source: FCC via Engadget