Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab review - a tablet with a thoughtful design and support for a smart home system
Devices / / January 06, 2021
Android tablets have a reputation for being primarily for kids. Lenovo wants to break this stereotype with the YOGA Smart Tab. Let's figure out what the trick of this gadget is.
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Design and ergonomics
- Screen
- Software and features
- Sound
- Camera
- Autonomy
- Outcome
Specifications
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 |
operating system | Android Pie |
Display | 10.1-inch display (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) with IPS and TDDI technology |
Memory | 3/4 GB of RAM; 32/64 GB eMMC internal storage; microSD card slot (up to 256 GB) |
Battery | Internet working time - up to 11 hours, video playback time (1,080p) - up to 10 hours |
Audio system | JBL 2 x 2W speakers, Dolby Atmos support |
Microphones | Three digital microphones |
Home Assistant app | Ambient Mode Google Assistant |
Camera | Main - 8 megapixel with autofocus; frontal - 5 Mp |
Overall dimensions | 242 x 166 x 8.5 mm |
Weight | 580 g |
Communication means | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz, dual-band; Bluetooth 4.2 |
Ports and connectors | USB Type ‑ C 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack |
Design and ergonomics
Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab received a thin body made of soft ‑ touch ‑ plastic. The thickness increases downwards, which makes the model stand out from other tablets. The massive chin accommodates stereo speakers that would otherwise have nowhere to house.
On the left is USB Type-C for charging and data transfer. The right side is reserved for the power button, volume rocker and audio jack. On the back there is a metal stand, memory card slot and main camera. Another lens is located at the left margin of the screen.
The bezels around the display are small, so despite the bottom margin, the device is compact. The tablet weighs only 580 g, for which thanks to the polycarbonate case. And although the lack of "noble metal" will upset some users, we failed to find fault with the assembly and the quality of workmanship.
Small size and weight are good if you have to carry the device with you. The thickening in the lower part also helps: it serves as a handle for which it is convenient to hold the tablet in portrait orientation and, for example, to read eBooks.
Screen
Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab is equipped with a display with a diagonal of 10.1 inches and a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 pixels. The pixel density reaches 224 ppi - quite enough for tablet standards. Moreover, here the pixel structure is classic for IPS, which means that the clarity corresponds to the declared ppi indicators.
Also, the screen is made using TDDI (Touch and Display Driver Integration) technology, which combines pixel and touch layers. It allows you to make the display thinner and reduce the refractive index.
In practice, all this gives a clear picture with wide viewing angles, high contrast and natural colors. In the settings, you can calibrate the image to your liking, and also enable the blue light filter to reduce eye strain.
You can only find fault with the maximum brightness: there are no problems at home, but on the street readability drops noticeably.
Software and features
The tablet runs Android 9. Nothing is known about plans to upgrade to the 10th version of the system. However, it is unlikely that it will radically change the functionality of the device.
Hardware platform - Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of permanent memory. The hardware is very modest and is not suitable for heavy games like World of Tanks: Blitz and Call of Duty Mobile. However, something light and casual the tablet will pull.
As with other Android devices, here is set “Google Assistant"With support for voice commands and all relevant functions. Of the latter, it is worth highlighting the Ambient Mode. It displays weather, hours, scheduled events, missed notifications and other information on the screen.
Music and photo slideshows from Google Photos are also played on command. Thus, Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab turns into a smart screen with voice control. The tablet is equipped with three microphones and accurately recognizes commands within the room.
The device can act as a hub for a smart home. It works in conjunction with other Google gadgets: cameras, speakers, media players and thermostats.
Other scenarios of use are also possible, for example, as a second screen for a computer. Unfortunately, Smart Tab does not support DisplayPort technology for receiving video signals over USB Type ‑ C, so that you have to install specialized software like Spacedesk in order to broadcast the image via Wi-Fi.
Sound
Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab received 2x2W stereo speakers tuned by JBL specialists. They do an excellent job of transferring low frequencies, the volume reserve is also impressive. If the latter is not enough, you can activate the Dolby Atmos preset. With it, the sound becomes even louder and more spacious, although the mids fade into the background.
For listening podcasts it is better to turn off equalizers so that the voice transmission is as natural as possible. Music and movies sound great on their respective Dolby Atmos settings.
The tablet is equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack, but the audio quality over headphones is not as impressive. The audio codec built into the SoC is responsible for decoding the signal; there are no dedicated DACs and amplifiers here.
Camera
On the back of the Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab there is an 8-megapixel "peephole" with autofocus, and on the front - a 5-megapixel camera. Talk about quality of photos from a tablet it is pointless: this option is here rather for show.
There is also a face recognition function. It does not work in the dark, but at least it does not unlock the tablet using the owner's photo.
Autonomy
The claimed battery life of the device is 10 hours when playing Full ‑ HD ‑ video and 11 hours when surfing the web. In practice, the tablet withstands a day and a half of not too active use with several hours of YouTube, music playback in the background and periodic voice commands. If the gadget will only serve "reading room”, The results could be better. It takes almost 3 hours to fully recharge the battery from the supplied adapter.
Outcome
Lenovo YOGA Smart Tab is an inexpensive Android tablet with interesting solutions. It is fully revealed in conjunction with other gadgets for the home, but it also shows itself well as a device for playing media content: a decent screen and stereo sound contribute to this. With such a set of qualities, the price of 20 thousand rubles is quite justified.
Buy
The author thanks Lenovo for the device provided for testing. The company had no way to influence the test result.
Read also🧐
- 10 tablets you are not ashamed of. Lifehacker's Readers' Choice
- How to choose a tablet: instructions for those who don't want to be wrong
- Which iPad to buy in 2020