Product Listing

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 - Hold, Tilt, Stand

By Sidney Wong - 15 Nov 2013
Launch SRP: S$449

Overview, Design and Features

Overview

We are no stranger to Lenovo's Yoga concept as we have reviewed two Yoga devices - the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 and IdeaPad Yoga 13 - and found its implementation to be sleek and easy.

Capitalizing on its Yoga branding and good fortunes in its notebook lineup, Lenovo brought the Yoga concept to its tablet line-up on 30th October and unveiled not one, but two Yoga tablets - an 8-inch and 10-inch model. Both tablets sport a unique cylindrical battery that has an integrated kickstand that allows the tablet to be used in three different modes (hold, tilt and stand). They also boast an aluminum chassis, which give them a premium feel and also make them strong yet light. The 10-inch Yoga tablet tips the scales at 600g while the smaller 8-inch variant is just 400g.

Is the innovative multimode design practical or gimmicky? Does the tablet really boast an "epic battery life" of up to 18 hours as claimed? Read on to find out more.

Lenovo wants you to use its tablet in three different modes with its flexible hinge design.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 vs The Competition
  Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (16GB, Wi-Fi + LTE) Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (8.0) Wi-Fi Apple iPad Mini
  Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (16GB, Wi-Fi + LTE) Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (8.0) Wi-Fi Apple iPad Mini
Launch SRP
  • From S$449
  • From S$788
  • From S$468
Operating system
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • iOS 6
Processor
  • MediaTek MT8389 quad-core 1.2GHz
  • Exynos Cortex-A9 1.6GHz quad-core processor
  • Dual-core 1.5GHz
  • Apple A5 Dual-core 1GHz
Memory
  • 1GB RAM
  • 2GB RAM
  • 1.5GB RAM
  • 512MB
Display
  • 8-inch / 1,280 x 800 pixels / IPS
  • 8-inch / 1280 x 800 resolution / WXGA TFT, 189ppi
  • 8-inch / 1,280 x 800 resolution / TFT
  • 7.9-inch / 1024 x 768 resolution (163 ppi) / LED-backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology / Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
Camera
  • Rear: 5-megapixel
  • Front: 1.6-megapixel
  • 5MP rear-facing
  • 1.3MP front-facing
  • Rear: 5-megapixel
  • Front: 1.3-megapixel
  • 5-megapixel iSight camera / Autofocus / f/2.4 aperture / Backside illumination / Five-element lens / Hybrid IR filter / 1080p HD video recording
  • 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera (720p HD video)
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4/5GHz), Wi-Fi Channel Bonding, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.0
  • 802.11a/b/g/n Wi‑Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v4.0
Storage
  • 16GB
  • microSD support up to 64GB
  • 16/32 GB storage
  • microSD card (up to 64GB)
  • 16GB internal storage
  • microSD card (up to 64GB)
  • 16/32/64GB
Battery
  • 6,000mAh
  • 4600mAh
  • 4,450mAh
  • 4440mAh
Dimensions
  • 213 x 144 x 3.0 ~ 7.3mm
  • 210.8 x 135.9 x 7.95mm
  • 209.8 x 123.8 x 7.4mm
  • 200 x 134.7 x 7.2mm
Weight
  • 401g (Wi-Fi)
  • 340g (Wi-Fi), 345g (3G/LTE)
  • 314g
  • 308g (Wi-Fi) 312g (4G LTE)
Network
  • HSPA + 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
  • LTE support
I/O Ports
  • Micro-USB
  • 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
  • Lightning connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, Microphone

 

Design and Features

At first glance, the Yoga Tablet 8 reminds us of Sony's previous tablets - the Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S - as all three devices sport a unique fold design. While Sony claims that the design is inspired from the curve of a magazine folded back and helps in the handling of the device, Lenovo takes it a step or two further by turning the fold section into a flexible hinge which can be used as kickstand. 

The kickstand allows you to use the Yoga Tablet 8 in three different usage modes - hold, tilt and stand modes. Lenovo claims that each mode is optimized for a specific activity: 

  • Hold mode - best for reading, viewing photos and sharing 
  • Tilt mode - best for web browsing, gaming and typing
  • Stand mode - best for watching movies, music and video chat 

By default, the hinge stays flush with the tablet. To use it in tilt or stand mode, you either twist the hinge or pry it out with your fingernails although Lenovo recommends the former method. The stand can be difficult to twist out but that's because of the friction that allows you to place the tablet in any angle facing you for your viewing comfort. As such, it's not like the single-angle kickstand that's integrated within Microsoft's Surface.

It is also noteworthy to mention that the hinge contains a 6,000mAh battery. This helps to keep the main body of the Yoga 8 very slim (3.0 to 7.3mm) with the cylindrical tube section measuring 21.5mm in cross section. The power button resides at the left side of the hinge, and there are also two front-facing stereo speakers located just below the display on each side.

The power button has a very nice feel whenever we push it to turn on the tablet or display.

 

Handling 

During our time with the Yoga Tablet 8, we found its multimode design to be very useful. Regardless whether you are a left or right handed user, the screen orientates according to your preference in Hold mode although it does take a second or two to detect and change its orientation. It also helps that the weight of the tablet (Wi-Fi edition) is not heavy at 401g.

However, we aren't very sure if viewing photos and sharing in Hold mode is recommended. Since most photos are best viewed in landscape mode, we feel that Tilt Mode is better and it also allows more people to view. 

Both the Tilt and Stand modes fulfill the very functions they are designed for. For example, Tilt mode elevates the tablet at a certain angle for a more comfortable typing experience. The elevation also provides a better viewing angle when placed on a flat surface (much better than the tear or wedge shaped original Sony Xperia Tablet S).

While you can adjust the hinge to various angles, extending it fully will ensure proper support when you are typing.

The same applies for Stand mode where watching movies and participating in a video chat no longer involves using your hand. However, the front-facing camera is placed at a really odd location on the top left whereas most tablets house the camera in the middle, just above the screen which makes sense for video conversations. Having said that, the rear-facing camera is also located on the left at the bottom side of the hinge. 

When fully extended, the display may seem too vertical. Fortunately, you can adjust to find the perfect angle for viewing.

The kickstand lets the tablet prop itself up without any aid and at any angle.

 

8-Inch Display 

As its name suggest, the Lenovo tablet is equipped with an 8-inch IPS display. With a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels (189ppi), the Yoga Tablet 8 is on-par with most of its peers such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. 

Taking into account the introduction of higher resolution displays in the new iPad Mini and Nexus 7 (2013), Lenovo should have stepped up its game to include a better display panel on the Yoga Tablet 8. In everyday usage, we find the display of the Yoga Tablet 8 to be sufficient for basic usage scenarios such as reading.

 

Software Features

The Yoga Tablet 8 runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and a customized interface which adopts a similar style like Apple iOS and Huawei's Emotion UI. Unlike the standard Android interface with an app drawer, the Lenovo's customized interface has no app drawer and list all your apps (default and downloaded) in the following home screen panels. You can add up to a total of 18 home screen panels on the Yoga Tablet 8, although we doubt the average consumer will download that many apps.

 Lenovo also redesigned some of the apps such as the Settings, Calculator and Clock.

If you've noticed, Lenovo preloads some apps on the Yoga Tablet 8 such as the Navigate 6, ES File Explorer, Norton Mobile Security, AccuWeather, Kingsoft Office and Power Manager HD. Widgets can be added on the home screen panels via a press and hold action.

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7.5
  • Design 8.5
  • Features 7.5
  • User-Friendliness 8
  • Performance 7.5
  • Value 7.5
The Good
Aluminum build
Practical hinge design
Good handling
Decent battery life
Charges other devices via micro-USB
The Bad
Display could be better
Sluggish performance at times
Camera quality below average
Tad heavy
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