Android Tablet Final Thoughts

In my previous review of the first-generation Lenovo Yoga tablets, I noted that they were budget tablets, whose relatively low-spec CPUs, memory, and screens were offset by very aggressive pricing. While they represented an excellent value for the money, they are outclassed here by the Yoga 10 HD+, which offers better performance with a quad-core Snapdragon CPU, twice the memory, and a much better screen for only $50 more.

Still, there are a few rough edges: the high-definition screen presents over-saturated colors, which makes things like the default lock screen (shown below) look great, but throws off skin tones and other subtle colors. There are minor localization errors, such as a weather application that only presents temperature in degrees Celsius. And the new 8-megapixel camera’s images still aren’t anything to write home about.

That said, I found using the tablet to be very satisfying: performance was quick and crisp (aside from an oddly laggy auto-rotation, where several seconds can pass before the tablet orients the image on its screen correctly), sound from the front-facing Dolby-certified speakers was much better than I’ve heard from any tablet and indeed most laptops, and the unique form factor makes the tablet much more comfortable to hold and use than “flat” tablets.

The included extra software, while nice, doesn’t offer that much extra functionality, but I think the split-screen feature, mysterious though it might be, could be something I could really get used to.

In my previous review of the earlier Yoga tablets, I said:

I do look forward to seeing a “Yoga HD” from Lenovo in the future.

Well, it’s here now, and it was worth the wait.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet Conclusion

Lenovo’s Yoga tablets seem to be almost a secret in the Android tablet world, which is dominated by various flavors of Google’s Nexus and Samsung’s family of Galaxy tablets. That’s a shame, since the Yoga tablets offer a tremendous bang-for-the-buck as well as unique features unavailable in other tablets. The Yoga tablet design, with its battery location, folding support foot, and front-facing speakers, makes a dramatic difference in the usability of the product.

The Yoga 10 HD+ improves on the performance, memory, and screen of the earlier iteration of the product for relatively little more money,

Tablets aren’t something most people will consider from an aesthetic point of view, but the appearance of the Yoga products is different enough to be striking.

Constructed of polycarbonate plastic for the main body and matte-finish aluminum for the battery casing and foot, the physical quality of the tablet was excellent. The feel of the hinge used for the aluminum foot is very solid and stable, without even a hit of slop.

Functionally, the Yoga 10 HD+ tablet is superior in almost every way to its predecessor, offering excellent performance and screen quality. And you can transfer files simply by connecting the USB port to your computer, without the irritation of having to put the tablet into a semi-secret “developer mode.”

As before, value is the big story here. As of July 2014, the Lenovo Yoga 10 HD+ sold online for $348.99 (Amazon | Newegg). At ths price, Lenovo has raised the bar for its competitors.

Pros:

+ Unique design brings significant operational benefits
+ May have the best tablet audio yet
+ MicroSD card slot for storage expansion
+ Very long battery life
+ Improved performance and screen
+ Excellent value

Cons:

– Over-saturated screen colors
– Minor localization issues
– Mediocre image quality from 8MP camera
– Aluminum foot can be difficult to deploy initially

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.50
• Appearance: 9.25
• Construction: 9.75
• Functionality: 9.25
• Value: 9.75

Final Score: 9.50 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: Do you prefer a tablet device or notebook computer?