Review by Victor Yap
So besides having the opportunity to fiddle with the Lenovo Flex, I also picked up on the Chinese company’s latest tablet device: the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8. While it does not feature a full transforming mechanism like its namesake, it does have a small, yet solid, kickstand that can foldout and be used as a pretty solid basestand. With it, the Yoga Tablet 8 can stand up properly – both in portrait and landscape format – and provide the best viewing angles and user modes for any circumstance. With it, there is no need to keep an eye out for a large place to place your tablet. Just set it up and it’s good to go!
Slim Build
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 is a true work of art. Besides the ultra-thin chassis, which houses the multi-point touchscreen, a MediaTek quad-core 1.2GHz CPU with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space, there is the cylindrical barrel at the end of the device where the 6,000mAh batter, stereo speakers, and 5MP camera resides. While it may seem a little odd in shape, the concept provides a pretty good hand-grip experience that many tablets lack. Only one other brand had this design but it used a curved base instead, and I must say both offer great handling.
Multimedia Slate
As this 8in tablet features stereo speakers, it became quickly apparent to me, as I un-box the device, that what I had in my hands is something the Lenovo designers wanted to operate as a multimedia powerhouse. Does it though? To find out, I played a couple of Full HD clips, some heavy graphic rendered games, and musical pieces. In doing so, I learnt that the Yoga Tablet 8 can deal with some Full HD content as it struggles to process anything with lossless audio/softsubs. As for games, it did decently well as there had been minimum lags while when undergoing the audio tests, it became apparent that it has a very good sound-stage. This is mostly thanks to the front-facing stereo speakers and Dolby-enhancements it has been given, which ensured highs, mids, and some level of bass can be heard properly as the device provided enough power in the sound to fill an empty room.
Variable Modes
Unlike the namesake of the series the Yoga Tablet 8 does not have many flipping aspects. However, with the little flap that folds out, it also has more than two modes to offer: viewing, typing, and book. Well, there is also the slate mode but that is when the flap is closed and the device is used in its default design. I find myself using all four modes equally as it depends on the situation I find myself in. Of course, my favourite is book and slate as that I read a lot of stuff and these two offer the best and most convenient form factor to use when I read.
Price: RM999
Dimensions (W x H x D): 213 x 144 x 3.0-7.3mm
Weight: 401g
Processor: MT8125/8389 Quad Core 1.2GHz
Operating System: Android 4. 2 JellyBean
Display: 8inHD display (1280×800) with multitouch & 178-degree wide viewing angle
Battery: Up to 16 hrs of WiFi web browsing, Li-Ion, 6000 mAh
Memory: 1GB LP-DDR2 RAM
Internal Storage: 16GB/32GB eMMC
External Storage: 64 GB micro-SD card storage support
Connectivity/Radios: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.01, WCDMA (900/2100 MHz)
Ports/Slots: Micro USB (Support OTG), 3.5 mm Audio Jack,
Integrated Camera: 5M Rear Camera, 1.6M HD Front Camera
Quadrant: 4884
3DMark Ice Storm: 3201
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme: 1540
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 2631
Value: 10/10
Features: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Verdict: I like how it has such a great grip!
Total Score: 9.2/10
