Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 Review: You won’t find a better little tablet!
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023, is a model from Lenovo’s gaming-focused lineup. If you’re seeking a compact tablet with a generous dose of power, Lenovo’s offering is likely your best bet.
Measuring at just 8.8 inches, this tablet is exceptionally compact and easy to handle, with a weight of only 350 grams. The tablet’s display features a 16:10 aspect ratio, offering a sharp and immersive visual experience with a resolution of 1600P by 2560. Thanks to its 144Hz IPS panel, you can expect not only vibrant visuals but also smooth performance.
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 is driven by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, delivering a snappy and efficient performance that can handle a variety of tasks with ease. With 12 gigabytes of RAM on the base model and 256 gigabytes of storage, multitasking and storage needs are well-covered, ensuring you have the performance and space required for your apps, games, and files.
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 fills a significant gap in the market for smaller Android tablets with impressive power and features. Its compact form factor, high-quality display, powerful internals, and support for accessories make it a compelling choice for users looking for a versatile and portable device in 2023.
Lenovo Legion Y700 2023: Video Review
Unboxing
When you unbox the Lenovo Legion Y700 2023, you’ll find a carefully curated selection of accessories. Here’s what you can expect to find inside the box:
Of course, the star of the show is the Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 tablet itself.
Also included in the package is a Type-C cable, user manual, documentation, and 68-Watt Charger. It’s worth noting that the Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 tablet, while capable of powerful performance, supports a maximum charging speed of 45 watts.
Lenovo Legion Y700 2023: Design
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 combines an ultra-thin and lightweight design with impressive build quality and practical features.
At just 350 grams and 7.6 millimeters in thickness (excluding the camera module), the tablet is incredibly thin and lightweight. The unibody metal build not only adds to its aesthetic appeal but also contributes to its durability. The elegant gray color gives it a sleek and modern look.
One notable design feature is the Legion branding on the back, adding a touch of gaming flair. However, it’s worth mentioning that the tablet can pick up smudges and fingerprints, which is common with metal surfaces.
The tablet is equipped with twin loudspeakers, strategically placed so that when holding it in a landscape orientation for gaming, you won’t inadvertently block the sound.
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 offers a USB 3.1 port for both power and data transfer. Additionally, the bottom of the tablet features a port that appears to be for the keyboard, but it also supports video output.
The presence of two Type-C ports is especially handy, as it enables you to connect headphones via a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter without experiencing audio lag. While the absence of a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack may disappoint some users, the dual Type-C ports provide a viable workaround.
The inclusion of Micro SD card support is a welcome feature, allowing users to expand their storage by up to one terabyte. This flexibility ensures you can store more files, media, and apps without running out of space.
On the back of the tablet, you’ll find a 13-megapixel camera capable of shooting in 4K resolution. While not groundbreaking, it provides a decent camera option for basic photography and video recording. Additionally, there’s a 2-megapixel macro camera for close-up shots.
The tablet’s build quality is impressive, with a solid and premium feel. However, it’s worth noting that there are no visible antenna lines, which is a bit unusual for a unibody alloy build. This suggests that Lenovo has put thought into both aesthetics and connectivity.
Display
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 features an 8.8-inch 2.5K LCD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.
With a 500-nit brightness, the screen ensures that your content remains clear and visible even in well-lit environments. The DC dimming technology helps in reducing flicker, providing a comfortable viewing experience, especially for extended use. Additionally, it covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, ensuring rich and accurate color representation.
The inclusion of a 144Hz refresh rate is a gamer’s delight. It results in smoother animations, reduced motion blur, and an overall more responsive feel, making it ideal for gaming and fast-paced tasks.
Dolby Vision support enhances the dynamic range and color accuracy, ensuring that your movies and content look stunning and cinematic.
You can switch between dark and light modes, adjust the color mode between vibrant and standard, and fine-tune the white balance to your liking. The refresh rate can also be overridden, with options for 144Hz, 120Hz, and even 60Hz to conserve battery life.
The tablet’s Type-C port supports video output, allowing you to connect it to external displays or use it in desktop mode for enhanced productivity.
The display is highly responsive to touch gestures, ensuring seamless interaction with the device. Whether you’re navigating menus, drawing, or playing games, the screen responds accurately to your input.
While the display is impressive overall, some users may notice a slight shadowing effect around the edges when viewed at certain angles. This is a minor quirk that doesn’t significantly impact the overall viewing experience.
In direct sunlight, the tablet remains visible but may not offer the best visibility due to its reflective nature, a common characteristic of glass-covered screens.
Software
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 runs on the ZUI 15, which is based on the Android 13 operating system. It provides a unique interface and features tailored to the tablet’s capabilities. It’s worth noting that Lenovo’s update policy has historically been somewhat conservative, with infrequent updates and potentially limited major version upgrades. The tablet currently runs on Android 13, and the chances of it receiving Android 14 are uncertain. Lenovo may choose to release a new version or refresh the device instead.
If you’re not a fan of the default ZUI launcher and prefer something like Nova Launcher, you can easily switch to your preferred launcher by setting it as the default in the system options.
The user interface is fast, fluid, and free of noticeable bugs. It handles everyday tasks and multitasking with ease, making it suitable for a range of activities, including gaming.
To access the Google Play Store and install apps, you can obtain the APK file and install it. The installation process is straightforward, and once installed, you’ll have access to a wide range of apps and services.
The tablet supports multitasking, allowing you to use split-screen mode and have multiple floating windows on the screen simultaneously.
In terms of bloatware, Lenovo has kept it to a minimum, particularly after removing Chinese-specific apps. There might be occasional Chinese notifications, but these can be muted and blocked.
The tablet is equipped with Widevine Level 1 certification, allowing for streaming content in full HD quality. However, it does not appear to support Dolby Vision or HDR for Netflix playback at this time.
Performance
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 packs a significant punch in terms of performance, making it one of the most powerful Android tablets available on the market.
Powering the Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 is the formidable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Octa-core processor. This chipset delivers snappy and efficient performance, whether you’re gaming, multitasking, or handling resource-intensive tasks.
The tablet offers configurations with 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and the ability to run demanding applications with ease. For storage, you can choose between 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which provides fast data access speeds. Additionally, there is a MicroSD card slot, allowing you to expand storage capacity as needed.
Benchmark scores demonstrate the tablet’s robust performance. Even during demanding tasks, the tablet showed minimal throttling, indicating consistent performance over extended periods.
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 maintains a commendable balance between performance and thermal management. While it does heat up during intense tasks, the temperatures remain within acceptable limits, ensuring user comfort and sustained performance.
Cameras
The tablet features a 13-megapixel rear camera.
The rear camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 frames per second. However, it’s important to note that the video quality may not be on par with dedicated cameras or high-end smartphones.
In terms of video quality, the 4K footage captured by the rear camera may exhibit occasional frame drops, and the overall quality may not be exceptional.
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 is equipped with an 8-megapixel front camera that supports face unlock. While its primary function is for facial recognition, it can also be used for front-facing photos and video calls.
The front camera can record video at 1080p at 30 frames per second. It’s adequate for video calls and basic vlogging or self-recording purposes.
Battery Life
The tablet houses a 6550mAh battery, which, under regular usage conditions, can provide around six to seven hours of runtime. However, when gaming intensively, you should expect a shorter battery life of approximately three and a half to four hours.
The device supports rapid charging, with a full charge taking just 50 minutes.
Moreover, there’s a charging protection feature that helps maintain battery health when gaming and charging simultaneously.
Lenovo Legion Y700 2023: Conclusion
The Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 stands out as a unique and powerful option among smaller tablets under 10 inches, particularly in the Android 13 ecosystem.
The tablet offers impressive gaming performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and a high-refresh-rate 144Hz screen, making it an excellent choice for gamers.
The fully laminated 2.5K LCD display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision support delivers vibrant and smooth visuals.
The inclusion of two USB-C ports, both supporting USB 3.1, provides versatility for charging, data transfer, and even video output.
The tablet features loud and clear speakers, enhancing the audio experience, especially during gaming or multimedia consumption.
While ZUI 15 may not be the most remarkable UI, it is customizable, allowing users to switch to their preferred launcher for a more personalized experience.
The tablet supports rapid charging, charges in just 50 minutes, and includes battery protection features for extended gaming sessions.
Lenovo’s track record with updates and major Android version upgrades may leave users uncertain about future software updates, potentially limiting long-term support.
The camera capabilities are basic and may not match those of dedicated cameras or flagship smartphones. The 4K video recording quality is not exceptional.
While it provides two USB-C ports, the absence of a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack may inconvenience users who prefer wired headphones.
In summary, the Lenovo Legion Y700 2023 is a standout option in the realm of smaller Android tablets, combining power, gaming capabilities, and a high-quality display. While it may not excel in every aspect, it offers a compelling package for users seeking a compact yet potent tablet experience.
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