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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (10.1 inch/Wi-Fi/1050F) Review

Ergonomic acrobat. This tablet can literally be hung up on a nail. The most striking feature of the new, affordable Yoga scion is undoubtedly its flexible stand that proved extremely handy in the test, although it also increases the weight. Our report will, of course, closely examine the technical aspects, screen, connectivity, and battery life.

For the original German review, see here.

Tablets with a built-in stand for erecting or hanging up the device have been a unique feature of Lenovo's Yoga tablet line to-date. The manufacturer dubs the four modes for operating the device Stand, Tilt, Hold, and Hang, and it summarizes the construction with the term Multi-Mode Design. An overview of the 8 and 10-inch devices with this feature can be found on the corresponding Lenovo website. Some are also available in black. Our silver Wi-Fi only model is based on Intel's Atom Z3745 quad-core with integrated Bay Trail Graphics, features 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of flash storage, and an IPS screen with 1920x1200 pixels. Our review sample was shipped with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, which Lenovo has modified. Lenovo places special focus on the sound system by Wolfson Master HiFi and Dolby surround sound, a long battery life, and the primary camera's quality in its presentation. The review sample naturally has to live up to these assertions.

An identical format and recent test in our lab was our primary criteria for selecting the comparison devices. The first device is the higher-resolution Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 that sports a Samsung Exynos 5420 Octa and ARM Mali-T628 MP6 GPU. The especially slim Sony Xperia Z2 tablet has the same resolution as the Yoga Tablet 2 and is shipped with the Snapdragon 801 APQ8074AB including Adreno 330 graphics. Asus provides the Transformer Pad TF701T that, like the Galaxy Tab, has a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels but is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 4. The LG G Pad 10.1 V700 also participates in this race. However, it only has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and a rather weak combination of a Snapdragon 400 APQ8026 and Adreno 305 GPU. The following order emerges in terms of weight: Lenovo: 619 grams; Asus: 584 grams; LG: 512 grams; Samsung: 469 grams; Sony: 425 grams. For comparison, the 9.7-inch iPad Air (2013) weighs 464 grams. The prices of our Yoga and LG's G Pad range at about a low 300 Euros (~$371), while prices of 500 Euros (~$619) or more were demanded for the others at their time of release.

Case

The stickers point in direction of the conspicuous cylinder with the stand hinge, which Lenovo states is to provide more room for the battery and more volume for the exterior, front-facing speakers underneath it. The stand itself is obviously made of aluminum, but the other casing parts are mostly plastic. A recess is found in the back that closes quite flush with the folded stand so that the surface is even for holding. This state results in the Hold Mode and the device can then be held at the bulge. The stand locks at approximately 90 degrees when it is opened (Stand Mode). The Yoga can then either be set up so that the screen is almost perpendicular and makes it suitable for utilization as a picture frame or for watching movies. The angle is even smaller when the stand is folded back (Tilt Mode), and inputting via the virtual keyboard is supported ideally. We at least find the idea of hanging the tablet on, for example, a nail witty (Hang Mode). The stand is opened to almost 180 degrees, and the existing notch is used for that. Lenovo has optimally resolved the handling with the securely locking stand; the cylinder only has to be turned. By the way, the on/off button is also found on one of its sides.

We did not discover any manufacturing flaws, such as irregular gaps. The casing can be twisted easily without much effort, but it does not produce any noises. Unfortunately, the back is not always flush with the innards everywhere. The resulting loose fit and the occasional produced cracking noises make a somewhat unstable impression, which is likely due to an imperfect bonding.  Overall, the design convinced us with a clear line management, plain elegance, and high-quality looking, matte-silver shimmering surfaces. Only the medium-sized bezel is made in black.

266 mm / 10.5 inch 172 mm / 6.77 inch 6.4 mm / 0.252 inch 425 g0.937 lbs263 mm / 10.4 inch 180.8 mm / 7.12 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 584 g1.287 lbs260.9 mm / 10.3 inch 165.9 mm / 6.53 inch 8.95 mm / 0.3524 inch 512 g1.129 lbs255.4 mm / 10.1 inch 183.3 mm / 7.22 inch 7.2 mm / 0.2835 inch 619 g1.365 lbs243 mm / 9.57 inch 172 mm / 6.77 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 469 g1.034 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

Like other manufacturers, Lenovo relies on a current SoC from Intel for its newcomer. The Atom Z3745 is a swift yet economic quad-core with a base clock of 1.33 GHz. The integrated Bay Trail T GPU is responsible for calculating graphics. The SoC is supported by a sufficient 2 GB of RAM, but the flash storage of 16 GB in our review sample is tight. It can, however, be expanded by up to 64 GB via a micro-SD card. Moving apps via App2SD functioned without problems in our random tests. Otherwise, we find the common micro-USB 2.0 port and the neighboring volume rocker. NFC and MHL are not available. However, screen content can be transmitted to corresponding receivers wirelessly.

Right: microphone
Right: microphone
Left: volume rocker, micro-USB, on/off
Left: volume rocker, micro-USB, on/off

Software

A version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat that Lenovo has modified is preloaded in state of delivery. An update that might have involved changes but leaves 4.4.2 untouched was made available in the test period. The most striking difference compared with Vanilla Android is the lack of an app drawer. Instead, the manufacturer completely relies on folders like Huawei in its new 6-inch Ascend Mate 7. The rather conventionally designed quick settings menu is opened from below and provides some extra shortcuts, such as for the camera or Lenovo Smart Switch that allows automatic control over color reproduction and the Dolby preset in the different modes like Stand or Hold. Lenovo also preloads some DOit apps; an overview can be found in the screenshots below this paragraph. An app named Security HD is responsible for security, and Kingsoft Office can be used for office tasks. The good navigation software Route 66 is only free to use for a limited time. SHAREit might prove useful because data can be exchanged among different gadgets via Wi-Fi Direct. However, there are plenty of free alternatives in the Play Store. Great: Facebook and Twitter besides some other preloaded apps could be completely deleted. Among other things, messages can be disabled or prioritized in the Notification Center, which most users will greatly appreciate. New apps are conveniently marked.

Notifications
Notifications
Quick-settings menu
Quick-settings menu
Notification Center
Notification Center
Smart Switch
Smart Switch
Preloaded apps
Preloaded apps
Preloaded apps
Preloaded apps

Communication & GPS 

The Wi-Fi reception qualities were inconspicuous, and the range was average. The module supports the common standards without Gigabit Wi-Fi and also transmits in the less-frequented 5 GHz band. An LTE version is alternatively available.

Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 had to find satellites in cloudy conditions owing to the fall-like weather during the tests. It did not need more than ten seconds for that. Finding satellites sometimes did not function at all indoors beside a big panorama window, unlike the analogously running Sony Xperia Tablet Z that had considerably fewer problems. Our bike route also revealed a few shortcomings in a comparison with the Garmin Edge 500 bike system. Bends were cut, and the rider was located a few meters beside the track. We performed another practical test based on the augmented reality game Ingress without any noteworthy limitations in terms of accuracy and responsiveness. It should also suffice for car navigation, but we cannot give the GPS module an especially good rating.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
GPS outdoors
GPS outdoors
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
GPS indoors
GPS indoors

Cameras & Multimedia

BSI sensors stand for a higher light yield because the exposure comes from the back where no wires are in the way. Eight megapixels is nothing special anymore, but cameras are usually secondary in tablets so that the resolution is quite satisfactory. The pictures exhibit an acceptable, actual resolution, a slightly too short exposure, sometimes over-saturated colors, and a not exactly great exposure range that often leads to frayed lights, as can be seen in the photos. The noise suppression functions effectively in daylight without blurring low-contrast areas too much. The noise of indoor shots in not overly dark rooms is also quite harmless, but a certain degree of sharpness and contrast loss become visible. The preloaded camera app alongside the well-functioning face recognition and a few scene and effect modes is basically only standard but should satisfy most needs. The webcam is not suitable for more than videoconferencing and inferior-quality selfies.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Reference: Fujifilm X10
Reference: Fujifilm X10
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Reference: Fujifilm X10
Reference: Fujifilm X10


Accessories

The classy box contained a quick-start guide with security notes and warranty information, a microfiber cloth and the power supply with a too short USB cable. In addition to headphones and matching case, a Bluetooth Accutype keyboard that can also be used as a protective cover is found on Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 accessories website. A leaflet in the box relates to an optionally available stylus called the Yoga Smart Pen.

Warranty

Lenovo's device comes standard with a one-year warranty. It can be extended and upgraded for a charge via Lenovo Services. Naturally, the two-year manufacturer warranty with (theoretical) burden of proof after six months is applicable.

Input Devices & Controls

Lenovo does not preload a proprietary keyboard app and relies on Google's rather basic stock keyboard. As known, it lacks a number row although there would have been enough room, and except for the settings button and smiley key, there are no special keys. At least it features a tried and reliable Swype function and allows creating a personal dictionary when desired. Multi-finger typing was easily possible in both portrait and landscape mode.

However, we were not completely happy with the touchscreen. Gestures were frequently not registered, particularly in gallery apps where it recurrently happened that tapping quickly on a picture did not open it. The Yoga 2 also tended to sometimes ignore tapping in the browser's address bar. However, the review sample passed the touch-typing test without flaw and proved to be accurate and touch-sensitive up into the outermost corners. No lags were noticed when using the keyboard, either. These software bugs were likely eliminated by an update.

Display

Lenovo uses a glare-type IPS screen with the 16:10 resolution of 1920x1200 pixels popular for 10-inch tablets. This leads to a very sufficient pixel density of 224 ppi and ensures an ideally sharp reproduction. The very decent, center brightness of 424 cd/m² is not record-breaking, but the Yoga clearly surpasses the average of all tablets tested in the past twelve months. The illumination of 88% is just as much beyond reproach as the more that feasible black level of 0.43 cd/m². In relation with the brightness, it makes an excellent contrast of 986:1 possible. When these three rates are seen as a whole (chart below), our review sample is the overall winner compared with the other tablets.

402
cd/m²
398
cd/m²
397
cd/m²
394
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
382
cd/m²
395
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
373
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
IPS tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 424 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 398.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 424 cd/m²
Contrast: 986:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.42 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.04 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.6
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-13%
8%
8%
-21%
Brightness middle
424
380
-10%
461
9%
361
-15%
360
-15%
Brightness
399
368
-8%
437
10%
340
-15%
331
-17%
Brightness Distribution
88
78
-11%
89
1%
82
-7%
84
-5%
Black Level *
0.43
0.7
-63%
0.59
-37%
0.36
16%
0.82
-91%
Contrast
986
543
-45%
781
-21%
1003
2%
439
-55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.42
4.4
19%
3.55
35%
4.44
18%
5.56
-3%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.04
4.52
25%
2.58
57%
2.75
54%
3.59
41%
Gamma
2.6 85%
2.54 87%
2.78 79%
2.52 87%
2.02 109%
CCT
6740 96%
6716 97%
6342 102%
6819 95%
6483 100%

* ... smaller is better

The screen's color accuracy is marginally lower than the average of current tablets and can thus be called satisfactory. The Xperia Z2 tablet stands out with considerably better rates in this point among the devices in this test. The grayscale analysis shows a slight cast toward clay-colored olive green in the darker grayscale. However, this will hardly be noticed in practice.

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Color Management
CalMAN Color Management

Despite the bright screen, the user will have to find a position that does not mirror any bright areas on the highly reflective surface, at least when in the sun. As the screenshot shows, this is not a problem under cloudy skies.

The viewing-angle stability does not give much reason for complaint. It only comes to minor brightness losses when the horizontal viewing angle is lessened. They are, however, more obvious in vertical shifts. The color reproduction is slightly affected when looking down on the screen from a side.

Performance

Intel's Atom Z3745 introduced mid-2014 operates with 4 Silvermont cores that reach a maximum of 1.86 GHz. In contrast to former generations, the SoC proves to be considerably more energy-efficient owing to a new out-of-order design, special 22 nm build, as well as other improvements. The per-MHz performance has even allegedly increased by 50% via the Hyper-Threading feature. Thus, Intel can finally compete against the previously dominating, ARM-based SoCs, for example from Qualcomm or Samsung. The CPU's performance is on the expected good level according to Geekbench 3. The Xperia Z2 tablet with its Snapdragon 801 lags behind slightly in the multi-core test, while Samsung's Exynos 5420 Octa eight-core model in the Galaxy Tab Pro takes the lead by 12%. It also only has an 18% advantage when calculating a single thread and is on par with the Snapdragon 801 in this exercise. 

A mixed impression evolves when looking at the storage throughput ascertained with AndroBench 3. The 256k outcomes are top-rate, but some minor weaknesses are obvious in very small data blocks (4k).

Unfortunately, we have to say a word about the subjective performance, which often did not correspond to the hardware's potential. Animations, such as rotating the screen or opening app folders, tend to stutter slightly. We have also seen much smoother scrolling through Internet sites with Chrome. There is need for optimization here.

While the SoC-integrated Bay Trail GPU was still in the lower-premium range last year, it is now more in the upper range. The architecture is based on the HD graphics from Intel's former Ivy Bridge processor generation and has four instruction units that clock with 778 MHz. It supports DirectX 11 just like the hardware decoding of all common video formats. Thus, its performance is located between the Adreno 320 (e.g. Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro) and the Adreno 330 (e.g. Snapdragon 800), and it is roughly on par with Nvidia's Tegra 4.

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
2426 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
2707 Points +12%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
2327 Points -4%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
0 Points -100%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
1075 Points -56%
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
764 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
901 Points +18%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
915 Points +20%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
0 Points -100%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
327 Points -57%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
18094 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
13903 Points -23%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
16678 Points -8%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
15217 Points -16%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
7226 Points -60%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
15071 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
13283 Points -12%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
19518 Points +30%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
14904 Points -1%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
4117 Points -73%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
15652 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
13416 Points -14%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
18806 Points +20%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
14972 Points -4%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
4552 Points -71%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
8.3 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
2.8 fps -66%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
11 fps +33%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
0 fps -100%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
3.8 fps -54%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
8.6 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
5.5 fps -36%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
11.4 fps +33%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
0 fps -100%
Smartbench 2012
Productivity Index (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
9045 points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
7103 points -21%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
6975 points -23%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
6437 points -29%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
4718 points -48%
Gaming Index (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
2781 points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
3197 points +15%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
4375 points +57%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
2103 points -24%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
2759 points -1%
Linpack Android / IOS
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
607 MFLOPS
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
649 MFLOPS +7%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
600 MFLOPS -1%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
500 MFLOPS -18%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
242.3 MFLOPS -60%
Single Thread (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
208.5 MFLOPS
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
391.7 MFLOPS +88%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
347.9 MFLOPS +67%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
630 MFLOPS +202%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
85.2 MFLOPS -59%
AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
109.7 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
90.5 MB/s -18%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
63.3 MB/s -42%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
72.5 MB/s -34%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
112.7 MB/s +3%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
24.78 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
15.9 MB/s -36%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
24.6 MB/s -1%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
15.33 MB/s -38%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
16.31 MB/s -34%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
9.76 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
10.93 MB/s +12%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
11.9 MB/s +22%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
8.91 MB/s -9%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
15.5 MB/s +59%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
1.05 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
1.5 MB/s +43%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
1.54 MB/s +47%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
0.75 MB/s -29%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
1.7 MB/s +62%

Legend

 
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F Intel Atom Z3745, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version Samsung Exynos 5420 Octa, ARM Mali-T628 MP6, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 APQ8074AB, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T Nvidia Tegra 4, NVIDIA GeForce Tegra 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G Pad 10.1 V700 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 APQ8026, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 16 GB eMMC Flash

Almost all scores achieved in the browser-based benchmarks are very pleasing. The Yoga Tablet 2 leaves the comparison devices behind confidently with only a few exceptions. However, it can only match Apple's iPad Air 2 with the Safari browser in some single tests of WebXPRT 2013. Apple still sets standards in this field. We were spoiled with a smooth browsing experience subjectively.

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
6105 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7949 ms * -30%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7427 ms * -22%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6172 ms * -1%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16134 ms * -164%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
2396 ms * +61%
WebXPRT 2013
Overall (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
446 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
284 Points -36%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
283 Points -37%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
356 Points -20%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
153 Points -66%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
764 Points +71%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
807 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1661 ms * -106%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1291 ms * -60%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1417 ms * -76%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1835 ms * -127%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
648 ms * +20%
Face Detection (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1230 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1912 ms * -55%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1970 ms * -60%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1528 ms * -24%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4875 ms * -296%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
1501 ms * -22%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
679 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1264 ms * -86%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1250 ms * -84%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
844 ms * -24%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2489 ms * -267%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
268 ms * +61%
Offline Notes (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1114 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1132 ms * -2%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1454 ms * -31%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1115 ms * -0%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2415 ms * -117%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
336 ms * +70%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
753 ms *
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1047 ms * -39%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
513 ms * +32%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1137 ms * -51%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
291.1 ms * +61%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
6057 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4076 Points -33%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4127 Points -32%
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4354 Points -28%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1810 Points -70%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
PowerVR GXA6850, A8X, 128 GB eMMC Flash
10512 Points +74%

* ... smaller is better

Games

The Room Two
The Room Two

Even the most demanding, up-to-date games can be played smoothly on the Yoga Tablet 2 using ultra settings, as our tests with The Room Two and Asphalt 7 prove. We used the race game to test the position sensor that even implemented the slightest control movements. Compared with identically configured tablets, the gaming performance is within the expected range. Our comparison tablets, except for LG's G Pad with significantly slower Adreno 305, could keep up well at the least.

Emissions

Temperature

Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 never reached as much as body temperature even in full load. Sensitive users should not have problems with the maximum 36 °C. That should also still be true for both LG's G Pad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro with approximately 40 °C. The load test did not reveal any signs of throttling.

 26.4 °C
80 F
26.6 °C
80 F
25.5 °C
78 F
 
 29.1 °C
84 F
29.6 °C
85 F
26.6 °C
80 F
 
 30.6 °C
87 F
33.3 °C
92 F
29.1 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 33.3 °C = 92 F
Average: 28.5 °C = 83 F
25.1 °C
77 F
26.7 °C
80 F
25.7 °C
78 F
26.1 °C
79 F
30.4 °C
87 F
29.6 °C
85 F
27.6 °C
82 F
29 °C
84 F
28.9 °C
84 F
Maximum: 30.4 °C = 87 F
Average: 27.7 °C = 82 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.5 °C = 96 F | Room Temperature 22.4 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.1 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.8 °C / 93 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 36.2 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Dolby audio menu with useless tweaks
Dolby audio menu with useless tweaks

Lenovo does not keep its promise in terms of sound. Despite allegedly more volume, "Wolfson Master HiFi audio processing" and Dolby surround sound, there are plenty of normal-slim tablets that provide a considerably better sound. The sound is muffled, shallow, mid-range and treble heavy, and it lacks any kind of surround when Dolby is disabled. It goes from bad to worse when the preset "Music" is enabled without using further tweaks in the Dolby menu, which does not feature an equalizer. Music then sounds artificially expanded, which is likely supposed to simulate surround, high-pitched and absolutely muddy so that instruments can barely be differentiated anymore. The Yoga Tablet 2 is far remote from the sound of, for example, the smartphone (!) HTC One. We recommend using external speakers which allow a useful sound production with disabled Dolby.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

When the review sample is compared with the power consumption of current, equally-sized tablets, it is one of the most economic in idle. That does not look quite as good in load, but the Yoga's consumption is clearly below the average here as well. The power supply has an output of 10.4 watts, and thus it should be possible to recharge the Yoga even when it is under load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.5 / 3.7 / 4.1 Watt
Load midlight 6.7 / 7.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Lenovo keeps its promise, and the Yoga Tablet 2 can in fact shine with outstanding battery runtimes - however, primarily in load and in the idle/Reader's test. It is only outperformed by the weaker LG G Pad in the test field in these exercises. A slightly worse picture evolves in the practical Wi-Fi test where the Galaxy Tab Pro has a lead of 18%. However, the battery life is well above average here as well, owing to the strong 9600 mAh battery.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
23h 11min
WiFi Surfing
12h 31min
Load (maximum brightness)
6h 30min
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 WiFi-Version
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Transformer Pad TF701T
GeForce Tegra 4, 4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
-10%
-19%
-41%
13%
Reader / Idle
1391
1315
-5%
1318
-5%
942
-32%
1696
22%
WiFi
751
885
18%
590
-21%
390
-48%
771
3%
Load
390
218
-44%
268
-31%
227
-42%
444
14%

Verdict

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2

In our opinion, Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 is primarily suitable for users who mostly use the device on the lap or on a table because of the actually very convenient stand but that also increases the weight. It is not as suitable for users like the tester, who prefer to walk around with the tablet because every gram less is appreciated when holding it in only one hand. Apart from the mentioned exception, we are dealing with an impeccably built, elegant-looking casing. The bright, high-contrast screen made a great impression. The performance will certainly suffice for the medium term. Unfortunately, the user's experience is lessened a bit due to the sometimes slightly jerky animations. Here, we can only hope for another update. We think the modifications in the operating system and UI are well-conceived although the lack of an app drawer will initially need getting used to. The review sample's excellent battery life is a clear advantage, and the good camera even underlines the multimedia claim. However, the awful sound counteracts that. It is also too bad that the touchscreen was not particularly responsive at least in some apps, but an update might also improve this. When considering the lean price of 300 Euros (~$371), it can certainly be said that the buyer gets a lot of tablet for their money - the competition with the same key specs is often more expensive. Consequently, we can give Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 a conditional purchase recommendation, and point again to its unique selling point - the stand that will likely be the decisive point for many potential buyers.

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In review: Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2. Review sample courtesy of Lenovo Germany
In review: Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2. Review sample courtesy of Lenovo Germany

Specifications

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F (yoga Series)
Processor
Intel Atom Z3745 4 x 1.3 - 1.9 GHz, Bay Trail-T
Memory
2048 MB 
, LPDDR3, 1066 MHz
Display
10.10 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel, capacitive (10), IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10.81 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: audio in/out, 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: micro-SD/SDHC/SDXC max. 64 GB, Sensors: accelerometer, pedometer, position sensor, ambient light sensor, magnetic field sensor, compass, GPS, Glosnass, OTG, Miracast
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.2 x 255.4 x 183.3 ( = 0.28 x 10.06 x 7.22 in)
Battery
Lithium-Ion, 9600 mAh, 3 cells, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 18 h
Operating System
Android 4.4 KitKat
Camera
Webcam: 1.6 MP; primary camera: 8 MP AF
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: Virtual, power supply, data cable, microfiber cloth, DOit-Apps, Google-Apps, notification center, Kingsoft Office, Route 66 Navigation trial version, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
619 g ( = 21.83 oz / 1.36 pounds), Power Supply: 54 g ( = 1.9 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
300 Euro

 

Tilt mode: narrow angle.
Tilt mode: narrow angle.
Tilt mode: wide angle - perfect for typing.
Tilt mode: wide angle - perfect for typing.
Stand mode: for videos or presentations.
Stand mode: for videos or presentations.
Reflections and stickers.
Reflections and stickers.
Illuminated power button in the cylinder.
Illuminated power button in the cylinder.
Shiny matte silver...
Shiny matte silver...
...prevails on the back.
...prevails on the back.
Speaker.
Speaker.
Model plate.
Model plate.
The pattern on the back can be seen well here (zoom).
The pattern on the back can be seen well here (zoom).

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Compare Prices

Pros

+Elegant, rigid casing
+Versatile, well-implemented aluminum stand
+Swift, copes easily with all games
+Good, bright screen
+Useful UI modifications, e.g.
+Notification center
+Little, non-deletable bloatware
+Decent camera
+Very good battery life
+Low price
 

Cons

-Loose back cover
-Fairly heavy
-Below-average sound
-Touchscreen sluggish in some apps
-Animations occasionally jerk
-GPS could be better

Shortcut

What we like

The stand is unique and well-implemented.

What we'd like to see

A sound that fulfills the expectations of Lenovo's marketing promises.

What surprises us

The demanded price is unusually low for the bundle.

The competition

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1

Sony Xperia Z2

Asus Transformer Pad TF701T

LG G Pad 10.1 V700

Rating

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 1050F - 11/11/2014 v4(old)
Sven Kloevekorn

Chassis
86%
Keyboard
71 / 80 → 89%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
37 / 65 → 57%
Weight
81 / 40-88 → 85%
Battery
95%
Display
83%
Games Performance
60 / 68 → 88%
Application Performance
46 / 76 → 61%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
56 / 91 → 62%
Camera
72 / 85 → 85%
Average
73%
83%
Tablet - Weighted Average
Sven Kloevekorn, 2014-11-21 (Update: 2018-05-15)