Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab hands on review

If you’re not a lover of the Alexa-powered Lenovo Smart Tab P10 simply because you’re more of a Google believer, you’ll be happy to understand that the company’s next Android tablet are going to be running a full-fledged Google Assistant experience instead. It’s also ditching the dedicated speaker dock and choosing a more integrated design.

Instead of building upon the aforementioned P10, the Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab draws inspiration from the company’s previous Android slates. Harnessing the facility of Google Assistant, combined with dual JBL hi-fi speakers, it consolidates what we saw with the previous Alexa-enabled offering into one singular device.

Familiar design, a stress on speakers

If the Yoga Smart Tab looks familiar, it’s because it doesn’t deviate from the designs of other slates within the series, namely the Yoga Tab 3 line of tablets. It flaunts Lenovo’s signature, pop-out kickstand, which allows the tablet to face upright by itself or at an angle for typing. It’s also solidly constructed and features a couple of sturdy metal components that complement the tablet’s matte rear casing. because of the circular-shaped hinge, it’s comfortable to carry because it feels more ergonomic than, say, a flat-sided edge.

Since there’s no dedicated speaker dock this point — which made the Smart Tab P10 a touch more notable compared to other slates — Lenovo modified the planning to incorporate a more powerful speaker array. Rocking dual JBL hi-fi speakers and Dolby Atmos support, it should deliver more compelling audio than most tablets. thanks to how the space was found out once we checked it out, however, it had been tough to measure the audio performance due to how the sound was being amplified and bouncing off our surroundings. Still, it appeared to us that it had been undeniably more pronounced, but only time will tell if it’s better than a number of the dedicated smart speakers out there.

As for the display, the 10.1-inch 1080p IPS screen looks sharp and detailed, producing punchy colors and viewing angles that distort little or no . Brightness output seems reasonable, too, but truth test will come once we see how it handles outdoor settings.

Performance and software

One of the most important complaints we had about the Smart Tab P10 was that it had been slow and underpowered. albeit our quick assessment about the newest tablet’s performance when navigating around is that it seems to deliver fairly responsive actions, we’re not holding our breath that it’s getting to be marginally better than its predecessor. The Yoga Smart Tab runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor with 3GB of RAM, and that we can only imagine graphics-intensive titles will push it to its limits. And don’t be surprised if framerates drop during gameplay.

On the software front, Lenovo hasn’t made any dramatic changes to the stock Android experience with the Smart Tab, which currently runs Android 9 Pie. There’s no indication when or if it’ll get treated to the Android Q update, but we’re crossing our fingers that it'll catch on eventually. On one hand, the mostly stock Android experience is preferred and recommended over other iterations that are heavily customized. On the opposite hand, it does seem rather generic. To be fair, it’s currently running unfinished software, which can change before the ultimate release.

Above all, the Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab functions like many other smart displays on the market that are powered by Google Assistant, including the Lenovo Smart Display. Unfortunately, this preproduction model wasn’t fully operational or capable of showcasing many Google Assistant-specific features. the sole related thing that was demoed was how you'll instantly access the dedicated Google Assistant interface by turning on the tablet and popping the kickstand open in order that it’s within the standing position.

We’re told that during this mode, it’ll perform all an equivalent tasks and functions you’d get from a Google Assistant-powered smart display. It’ll activate when the “Hey Google” phrase is spoken, allowing you to ask questions, get traffic conditions, and even control a number of your connected smart devices reception . Since it doesn’t require a dock, you'll use the Yoga Smart Tab almost anywhere. Whether you’re using it for a recipe in your kitchen or at the office checking to ascertain who’s at your front entrance , it’s nice to understand that this smart display can accompany you anywhere.

Camera

Tablets and taking pictures? You’ve need to be daring to undertake snapping a photograph or video publicly with one, but hey, you’ll have that option with the Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab. The tablet sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing one, though neither are worth writing home about. They’re there if you would like them, but we wouldn’t be shocked if they’re downright abysmal when it involves performance. As a comparison, the 3rd-gen iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy S5e also feature 8-megapixel rear cameras.

Battery

Stuffed with a 7000 mAh, you'll expect some generous usage out of the Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab, especially if it’s getting to be used as a fanatical smart display. supported the rating, it should deliver roughly 11 hours of web browsing or up to 10 hours of video playback. Even with the hefty battery, it doesn’t seem to contribute an entire lot of weight to the entire package. The device comes in at 1.27 pounds, which remains light, but only for comparison, the 3rd-gen iPad Air weighs a mere pound.

Price and availability

It’s hard being an Android tablet in 2019. There’s little room to be noticed and you’re always within the shadow of other, more notable offerings, namely the iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy tablets. The Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab will retail for $250 when it launche ssometime in September.

The price makes it attractive to a point , given how it technically functions sort of a Google Assistant-driven smart display. therein regard, it’s great that it offers a way of portability — traditional smart displays or speakers are often tethered to at least one location. it's all the required ingredients to be a correct smart display-tablet hybrid, but the jury’s still out on whether it can function well as both.