Lenovo has chosen CES as the venue for an interesting new launch as the Lenovo Skylight, the first ARM-based processor smartbook device based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset platform, makes its official debut.

Claiming to combine the best of smartphones and netbooks to create a new mobile consumer device, it certainly boasts an eye-catching sleek and slim design and is due to be available in "glossy lotus blue" and "earth red".

Powered by the Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon chipset platform (that also powers the TG01 phone from Toshiba and the HTC HD2) and featuring 20GB of standard flash and 2GB of cloud storage, the Skylight’s clamshell design opens to reveal a 10-inch screen and a full-size keyboard making this "smartbook" larger than the original Eee netbooks from Asus.
 
Battery life boasts come in at an all-day 10 hours with the suggestion from Lenovo to "simply plug it in at night to charge like a mobile phone" which sadly is indeed the case for many high-end handsets. Another USP is a built-in but detachable USB flash drive.

The Skylight has built-in Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and in the States will be offered on AT&T from April with full retail pricing pegged at $499 (around £311 at today's rate). The device has been confirmed for a European (as well as Chinese) launch later in the year, but there's no further news on that front just yet.

As far as operating system goes, the Skylight offers a unique custom "web optimised interface" with live web gadgets, the usability of which will be a real factor in whether or not this new consumer category sees success.

Lenovo says: "Users can check Google Gmail, update their Facebook status, see what’s new on YouTube or browse the Internet simultaneously without having to continually refresh or log in. There are more than 18 preloaded web gadgets including Amazon MP3 to download digital music favorites and Roxio CinemaNow to buy and download digital movies".