Lenovo Legion Tab (Gen 2) review

First impressions? This thing is sleek. The all-metal body feels premium, and the bezels are slim enough to make the screen feel expansive without being unwieldy. It's not the thinnest tablet out there, but it's still comfortable to hold for long gaming sessions.

Its 16:10 proportions are different from the 3:2 aspect ratio of the Apple iPad Mini 2021. Games and movies scale really well on the Lenovo Legion Tab and most impressively, the Legion Tab is one of the two small form factor tablets you can get in India. Other being the iPad Mini which is a refresh due soon. The 16:10 aspect ratio also fits almost all latest movies and TV shows with minimum black borders. Even games fill the screen really well. The narrow width (in portrait mode) is very nice to grip with one hand for reading eBooks and mangas.

The 8.8-inch 144Hz 2.5K display is an absolute stunner. Colours are vibrant, details are crisp, and the high refresh rate makes everything feel buttery smooth. Whether you're exploring a vast open world of Genshin Impact or cutting through the fast-paced action of Katana Zero, this screen delivers.

Life in Colour with David Attenborough documentary on Netflix looks punchy. Just be prepared to squint a bit in direct sunlight, as the brightness could be better. Even then the Lenovo has a better looking screen than the iPad Mini 2021.

It even supports Dolby Atmos so your favourite movies and shows will sound incredible too. The stereo speakers are also positioned on the top half so your palms don’t block the grilles while gripping this thing. There’s plenty of throw and mid-range punch from these speakers but they don’t sound as textured as some of the bigger tablets in this price range. If you prefer headphones, there's no 3.5mm jack.

Under the hood, the Legion Tab Gen 2 has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and up to 12GB of RAM which can effectively handle anything you throw at it. We're talking Genshin Impact at high settings, Call of Duty Mobile with all the bells and whistles – this tablet doesn't flinch. Diablo Immortal runs at the max settings and is very smooth but after a few hours gaming, you will feel the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1’s age catching up. Thermals, although great for an hour and more, tend to poke the smooth performance in absolutely demanding games which is to be expected.

The 6550mAh battery is also a champ, easily lasting more than a full day of moderate use. Even with heavy gaming, you'll not need to plug in frequently. Even if you do, there are two USB Type-C ports here so you can continue gaming effortlessly. You can even bypass charging on the Lenovo Legion Tab so it doesn’t heat up. The second USB port at the bottom when in landscape mode is actually very convenient for charging and for a tablet that primarily needs a quick charge between heavy gaming sessions.

The Type-C port on the longer side supports DisplayPort 1.4 along with audio out and charging which is supported by the bottom shorter side port as well. There’s also a dedicated SD card slot that expands your storage capability and WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 keep the wireless connections in top condition.

We used the Legion Tablet for streaming games from our PS5 and PC while it was connected to a controller, within range of a good Wi-Fi, the connection is solid and without noticeable latency between the Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth controller.

Lenovo kept the software experience clean and simple, with a near-stock version of Android 13. There are a few gaming-centric features thrown in, like a performance mode that boosts CPU and GPU speeds. Keep in mind, there’s no fingerprint sensor on this tablet, we didn’t miss it much but having it would’ve been nice.

The Entertainment Space which is Lenovo’s version of Google app when you swipe right on the home screen is impressively more useful than Google. It basically takes all your entertainment apps and plonks the recommendations in a carousel format. This means you don’t have to open individual apps to hunt for your next binge worth show. It’s very similar to what Google does with the Google TV home page.

Unfortunately, Lenovo doesn’t sell a controller attachment with the tablet which would make this a truly interesting tablet. Our Amkette EvoFox Deck doesn’t expand enough to fit this 8.8in tablet either.

The Lenovo Legion Tab is not meant for office work and even for video calls the front facing camera is really below average. Best to avoid it. The Apple iPad Mini still feels a bit more complete with better cameras and Apple Pencil support for taking notes.

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 2 is a powerful and impressive gaming tablet that excels in performance, display quality, and sound. Its sleek design and gaming-centric features make it a top contender for mobile gamers.

However, its high price and an old processor may deter some potential buyers. Despite these drawbacks, the Legion Tab Gen 2 remains that rare breed of small tablets caters to a niche audience. Apple iPad Mini is still the top choice in said category but if you play a lot of Android games, run emulations and need to be in the tinker-friendly Android OS, the Legion Tab is the only good choice. If size is not a priority, then the OnePlus Pad 2 is the best Android tablet and it costs as much as the Legion Tab.