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MagyarLenovo Yoga Tab 3 10 Tablet Review
For the original German review, see here.
Buyers looking for an Android tablet have to choose among dozens of more or less similarly configured models. Lenovo's Yoga tablets fortunately step out of line here: They not only come in a stylish and robust aluminum casing, but they can also be set up and used in a versatile manner thanks to the integrated kickstand. Lenovo also sticks to this unconventional design for its new generation of Yoga tablets.
Three versions of the Yoga Tab 3 designed for multimedia use exist. They are all powered by the latest Android 5.1 OS. The 8-inch Yoga Tab 3 8 entry-level model is cheapest at a price of approximately 200 Euros (~$220). The 10.1-inch Yoga Tab 3 Pro 10 premium model costs a steep 500 Euros (~$550). However, the incorporated projector that throws an image of up to 70 inches on the wall is a special extra.
The third Yoga 3 model, the Yoga Tab 3 10 that we are testing, is just as big as the flagship but only half as expensive. It is available for approximately 250 Euros (~$275) in online shops. Like the 8-inch model, the 10-inch model has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and relies on the entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 APQ8009 SoC. 1 GB of working memory, 16 GB of storage, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 are also inside. The Yoga 3 10 is optionally available with 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB storage, a Wi-Fi module and LTE support at up to 330 Euros (~$363).
Lenovo's Yoga Tab 3 10 competes against Acer's Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30, Amazon's Fire HD 10, Lenovo's Tab 2 A10-70 and LG's G Pad II 10.1 10-inch tablets, all with a comparable performance.
Case
Lenovo furnishes its Yoga Tab 3 10 with a stylish aluminum casing that is comfortable to hold in one hand thanks to the rubberized back cover. However, we could warp the 10-inch tablet without much effort in the test. That was answered with temporary bright spots in the screen's edges.
The Android tablet belongs to the somewhat heavier 10-inch tablets with a weight of 665 grams. That is due to the integrated metal kickstand mounted on an approximately 2-centimeter thick cylinder in the lower edge. Since Lenovo's tablet is only 9.5 millimeters tall at the upper edge, the tablet always lies slanted on a table. The kickstand can be released via a button on the back and can be folded back by almost 180 degrees. That opens many possibilities for use. For example, it can be used comfortably for watching videos or as a picture frame. Opening the kickstand to a 90-degree angle with the tablet over it facilitates writing texts.
The power button is located on the side of the kickstand's mount. It also has a diameter of 2 centimeters, which makes it look like the cylinder's closing. An LED ring that shines in subtle white frames it. The only camera in Lenovo's Yoga Tab 3 10 is directly beside that. It has a resolution of 8 megapixels and can be rotated to the front or back. Thus, it can be used as either the webcam or primary camera.
Connectivity
An entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 APQ8009 ARM SoC clocked at 1.3 GHz operates inside the Yoga 3 10. It has enough power to run up-to-date apps. Qualcomm's Adreno 304 GPU does not have as many performance reserves. Its power is still enough for basic games, but the graphics chip soon finds its limits in graphically demanding games. Our review sample's working memory configuration of just 1 GB is scanty, but it is also the cheapest Yoga Tab 3 10 model. Only 10.9 GB of the nominal 16 GB storage is available for the user ex-factory or after resetting. At least the storage of Lenovo's tablet can be expanded by up to 32 GB via the micro-SDHC card reader.
Software
A relatively new version of Google's operating system in the form of Android 5.1.1 runs on the Yoga Tab 3 10. Lenovo has left it virtually untouched. Apart from the compulsory Google apps, such as Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Drive and YouTube, only a little additional software is found; among them Lenovo's proprietary DOit apps SHAREit and SYNCit. Lenovo also preloads a security solution with McAfee Mobile Security. A tool for configuring the Dolby Atmos sound system is also part of the bundle.
Communication & GPS
Besides the micro-USB port for sharing data with a PC, Lenovo's tablet also supports Bluetooth 4.0 and can communicate via Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. That functioned at the expected speed in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands in the test. Interruptions or interference were not an issue. Our review sample does not support GSM, UMTS mobile network or LTE. The integrated GPS module did not give reason for complaint. It always tracked us down to a few meters. Its accuracy inside buildings was also high.
Cameras & Multimedia
Unusual for a tablet: Lenovo's Yoga Tab 3 10 sports one camera only. However, that is not a drawback since the 8-megapixel camera is incorporated in a hinge and can therefore be turned to the back or the front. Consequently, it can be used as a webcam or primary camera. It rotates in small steps so that the lens always remains securely in its set position. Multiple settings are offered in the camera's menu. For example, hobby photographers can add face recognition, adapt the ISO and exposure (from +2 to -2) or adjust the white balance.
The camera shoots decent pictures and can be used for snapshots offhandedly. However, it never comes close to the image quality of good mobile handset cameras, such as in Apple's iPhone 6s Plus or OnePlus' 2. In total, the photos are not particularly rich in detail. They are sooner covered by a bluish cast and blurred when shooting an imperfectly illuminated object. The image details are very blurred in low-light conditions.
Color Accuracy & Sharpness
We closely examine the 8-megapixel camera in the Yoga Tab 3 10 in controlled light conditions. For this, we take a photo of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport with the tablet and compare it without editing or adapting the white balance directly with the original colors. The tablet is quite close to the target value, but the color reproduction sometimes clearly deviates from the original.
The Yoga Tab 3 10 captures our test chart that we shoot in defined artificial light, like the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport, with relatively low sharpness in details. Compression artifacts are evident on homogeneous image surfaces, just like in the transitions of different photo areas, which then make a frayed impression.
Accessories & Warranty
The Yoga Tab 3 10 comes with a modular power supply, USB cable and a quick-start guide. Lenovo offers a pocket projector and sleeve as optional accessories on its website. The one-year limited warranty can also be extended up to 3 years for a surcharge. The 2-year retailer warranty is not affected.
Input Devices & Handling
Although only an entry-level SoC is inside the Yoga Tab 3 10, the 10-inch device responded very fast to inputs no matter if entered via the physical keys on the tablet or via the capacitive touchscreen. Lenovo's tablet did not have problems with switching quickly between single programs when multiple apps were opened despite its meager RAM configuration of 1 GB. The virtual keyboard's big keys will facilitate typing even for prolific writers. It fills approximately half the screen in landscape mode, and only about one-third in portrait mode. Thus, there would have been enough room for an additional number row. However, the user will have to switch between the number and letter layouts, which unnecessarily prolongs some inputs.
Display
While the Yoga Tab 3 10 Pro flagship appropriately displays 2560x1600 pixels, Lenovo made cutbacks in the equally-sized 10-inch Yoga Tab 3 10 (w/o Pro). Only 1280x800 pixels are distributed over the review sample's screen rather than the QHD resolution. That is just as much as in, for example, the 8-inch Yoga Tab 3 8 sister model. Three of the four comparison devices are better off: Except for Amazon's Fire HD 10 that also has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, Acer's Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30, Lenovo's Tab 2 A10-70 and LG's G Pad II 10.1 are furnished with Full HD panels. It is not quite clear why Lenovo opted for an aspect ratio of 16:10 for its tablet in view of the multimedia claim. In any case, the user will have to live with black bars at the upper and lower edges when watching videos.
The screen's average brightness of 344.3 cd/m² places the Yoga Tab 3 10 on par with its rivals. The screen's homogeneous illumination (87 %), low black level of 0.34 cd/m² and high contrast ratio of 1068:1 are also impressive. Subjectively, the Yoga Tab 3 10 thus convinces with vivid colors and rich black tones.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 363 cd/m²
Contrast: 1068:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.25 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.78 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.23
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F Adreno 304, 212 APQ8009, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 PowerVR G6200, MT8135, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 Mali-T760 MP2, MT8165, 16 GB eMMC Flash | LG G Pad II 10.1 Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 16 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -43% | -10% | 3% | -20% | |
| Brightness middle | 363 | 343 -6% | 458 26% | 352.9 -3% | 355 -2% |
| Brightness | 344 | 328 -5% | 434 26% | 335 -3% | 367 7% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 88 1% | 86 -1% | 88 1% | 89 2% |
| Black Level * | 0.34 | 0.38 -12% | 0.43 -26% | 0.191 44% | 0.53 -56% |
| Contrast | 1068 | 903 -15% | 1065 0% | 1848 73% | 670 -37% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.25 | 6.86 -111% | 4.18 -29% | 4.31 -33% | 3.2 2% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.68 | ||||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.78 | 6.95 -150% | 4.54 -63% | 4.36 -57% | 4.36 -57% |
| Gamma | 2.23 99% | 2.32 95% | 2.15 102% | 2.33 94% | 2.2 100% |
| CCT | 6722 97% | 7249 90% | 7083 92% | 7045 92% | 7240 90% |
* ... smaller is better
The assessments with the X-Rite i1pro 2 colorimeter and CalMAN software show that Lenovo has installed a well-balanced screen in its entry-level tablet. The shifts from the ideal rates are within tight limits in both the grayscale and color reproduction, and they are considerably lower than in the comparison devices. However, blue color parts are too weak, which leads to a somewhat too "warm" image.
The Yoga Tab 3 10 is well-suitable for outdoor use thanks to its panel's average brightness of 344.3 cd/m². However, the highly reflective screen could thwart outdoor use. Nothing can be recognized when sunlight shines directly on the screen at the latest. The IPS panel always ensures legibility: Content remains impeccably readable without distorting the colors or inverting even in extreme viewing angles.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 11 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 28 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance
With Qualcomm's Snapdragon 212 APQ8009 quad-core SoC, Lenovo installs an entry-level processor clocked at 1.3 GHz in the Yoga Tab 3 10. Qualcomm's Adreno 304 GPU and 1 GB RAM support it. Performance wonders should not be expected from this combination. However, the SoC has enough power for up-to-date apps and web browsing. The weak GPU only allows smooth gameplay when the games are older or the graphics details are reduced.
The comparison devices clearly outperform the Yoga Tab 3 10 in the synthetic benchmarks. Although they do not belong to the fastest tablets, they can retrieve considerably more performance reserves than Lenovo's device, which only comes in last here.
| 3DMark - 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
Web browsing is subjectively fast with the Yoga Tab 3 10. However, the same is seen as in the synthetic benchmarks when the tablet is put to the acid test and sent through a benchmark course. The comparison devices always outrun the Yoga Tab 3 10, and it takes the last place.
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
| LG G Pad II 10.1 | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F | |
| Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 | |
* ... smaller is better
The Yoga Tab 3 10 is finally successful in write and read operations: It is much faster than Amazon's Fire HD 10 and Lenovo's Tab 2 A10-70 in sequential write. The Yoga Tab 3 10 can also keep up quite well in total, but it clearly lags behind the fastest devices. However, even the benchmark leaders Acer's Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 and LG's G Pad II 10.1 do not deliver particularly impressive rates in data transfer.
Based on the example of our 32 GB Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 reference card (read: max. 95 MB/s; write: max. 60 MB/s), it is seen that the micro-SD performance of the Yoga Tab 3 10 will not awe anyone. The tablet clearly remains behind the maximum rates with 42.3 MB/s in sequential read and 13.6 MB/s in sequential write. The review sample particularly has problems with random 4 KB write accessing. They are virtually not performed with a rate of 0.1 MB/s.
Games
The Yoga Tab 3 10 does not sport an especially strong graphics chip with Qualcomm's Adreno 304. Its performance is absolutely enough for older or rather graphically undemanding games like Angry Birds 2. Sophisticated games like Asphalt 8 only run smoothly with reduced details.
Emissions
Temperature
Lenovo's Yoga Tab 3 10 barely heated up during use. The temperature gauge of our thermometer remained at a cool 26.8 °C on average. Not much changed about that after an hour of full load. No hidden hot spots exist - the highest temperature was just 31.8 °C on one spot. The demanding battery benchmark from GFXBench also did not affect the Yoga Tab 3 10. As expected, thermal throttling was not an issue in the tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.8 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 31.6 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
Matching its multimedia claim, the Yoga Tab 3 10 has a speaker bar that produces an impressive sound for a tablet alongside the Dolby Atmos surround sound system. As expected, the trebles protrude and the mids and low tones are only just up to not at all audible. The sound tests also confirm that. The Yoga Tab 3 10 only achieves low dB rates in the low bass range (frequency range left in the graph). Thus, these frequencies are drowned out by the much louder high pitches. Predefined equalizer settings for movies, music, games and speech can be selected via the Dolby Atmos app. Two user-defined presets are additionally available.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
While the Yoga Tab 3 10 treats itself to an average of 5.1 watts when idling, the load power consumption climbs up to 8.2 watts. These moderate rates give hope for a long battery life when they are put in relation with the battery's performance specs. Lenovo's tablet is powered by a lithium-ion battery with 3 cells. According to the spec sheet, it provides an electrical current of 10200 mAh, and allegedly it keeps the tablet running for 18 hours.
| Off / Standby |   0.07 / 0.14 Watt |
| Idle |  2.54 / 5.1 / 5.24 Watt |
| Load |
7.07 / 8.24 Watt |
    
| |
Battery Runtime
The Yoga Tab 3 10 is throughout convincing in battery life. The tablet lasts for almost 13 hours in the real-world Wi-Fi test. Among the comparison devices only the equally enduring LG G Pad II 10.1 matches that and even shuts down 6 minutes later. The Yoga Tab 3 10 first has to be recharged after 12 hours and 20 minutes in the video loop. Again, only LG's G Pad II 10.1 lasts longer with 17 hours.
| Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F Adreno 304, 212 APQ8009, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Amazon Fire HD 10 inch 2015 PowerVR G6200, MT8135, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo TAB2 A10-70 Mali-T760 MP2, MT8165, 16 GB eMMC Flash | LG G Pad II 10.1 Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 16 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -39% | -43% | -29% | -6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2830 | 1564 -45% | 1142 -60% | 1155 -59% | 1676 -41% |
| H.264 | 740 | 532 -28% | 624 -16% | 1020 38% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 776 | 485 -37% | 450 -42% | 515 -34% | 782 1% |
| Load | 415 | 221 -47% | 188 -55% | 436 5% | 325 -22% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The high-quality built Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 10 presents itself as a multimedia tablet and that is also exactly its strength. The 10-inch Android device can be set up very flexibly thanks to its practical kickstand, making it easy to, for example, watch a video on the tablet. The powerful 10200 mAh battery ensures a long battery life, while the very bright and viewing-angle stable IPS panel puts multimedia content in the spotlight. That is also true for the sound with the proprietary Dolby Atmos surround-sound technology.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 212 APQ8009 quad-core SoC in Lenovo's tablet offers more than enough performance for movie and music enjoyment, web browsing and up-to-date apps. Graphically demanding games are not the strength of the entry-level processor though. Its integrated Adreno 304 GPU simply does not have the power for that.
Although Lenovo has designed the Yoga Tab 3 10 for multimedia use, it did not consistently bring the concept to an end. It only has the small HD resolution of 1280x800 pixels and the cheapest configuration only has 16 GB of storage.
Our review sample, the cheapest Yoga Tab 3 10 model, costs approximately 250 Euros (~$275). However, it only comes with a relatively meager storage capacity. While 1 GB of RAM can still be accepted, 16 GB of storage is not exactly lush for multimedia purposes. Besides that, the storage capacity can only be expanded by 32 GB at most since Lenovo's tablet does not support micro-SDXC cards.
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 YT3-X50F
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02/17/2016 v5(old)
Manuel Masiero
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