Review: The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro

If you’ve seen one tablet you have seen all of them, right? Not precisely. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro provides you what no other tablet will; a projector. Granted, it is a pico projector, not a full 1080p projector, however for a tablet with a starting price of $500 (£335 and AU$702), you need to check your expectations at the door, since most good projectors begin around $700. That pico projector itself is not superb, however the fact that it is built-in to a tablet is.

Calling the Lenovo’s pico projector a gimmick could be reductive; it is the cherry on top of an already sweet Android tablet. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is a speedy performer with powerful gaming prowess, loud speakers and a crystal clear display. Its ergonomic design incorporates a built-in kickstand and a cylindrical spine that makes it comfortable to grip in a single hand. It additionally has a long-lasting battery. Discovering all of these options in a tablet is a rarity. Throw in the pico projector and you have got probably the most unique tablet on this planet.

Most tablets don a slate-like design. The Yoga Tab 3 Pro deviates from this norm with a cylindrical backbone on the underside edge, which also happens to accommodate the battery. After testing it by looping a local 720p video (on its display, not via the projector) in airplane mode at medium brightness, the tablet lasted 12.8 hours. That is impressively lengthy for any tablet, particularly one with such an enormous display screen.

The 10.1-inch Yoga Tab 3 Pro seems to be like a larger version of the 8-inch Yoga Tab 3 with just a few minor variations. Instead of a pico projector, the smaller model has an impressive rotatable digital camera. It also encompasses a polished aluminum back, whereas the Yoga Tab 3 Pro has a delicate leather-like back panel.

Behind the grill that horizontally extends throughout the tablet’s bottom edge are 4 front-facing JBL speakers. Also built-in is Dolby Atmos technology, which tries to duplicate the best way sound travels in actual life. The audio system is satisfyingly loud and clear. Should you use the pre-loaded Dolby App, it helps beef up the audio for an extra immersive experience; through the use of the pre-sets it punches up vocals in music, sound effects in video games and background noises in videos. They are not the best, however they’re some of the greatest you will discover on a tablet, and so they suitably complement the theater-like feel of the projector.

Performance-wise, the tablet is consistently swift when browsing the Net, streaming video and playing video games. It slowed if apps were downloading or updating within the background; swipes took a couple of extra seconds to be acknowledged and apps took longer to launch. That is typical for most tablets, nevertheless it occasionally happened if we started using the tablet after it had been asleep for awhile. It did not happen often enough to hinder our overall experience, but it surely was annoying to deal with sometimes. Considering this might be fixed with a software update, it is not a deal-breaker. Nonetheless, there is no word yet if Lenovo has any plans to enhance performance.

It is worth noting that the Yoga Tab 3 Pro has some spectacular gaming prowess. It has the second best 3DMark gaming benchmark rating, sandwiched between the Google Pixel C on top and Apple iPad Air 2 on bottom. It is also quick at launching large video games, like Hearthstone and Dead Trigger 2. Sadly, for games that require both thumbs on-screen, its chunky backside edge makes it awkward to hold in landscape orientation.

3DMark benchmarks

Google Pixel C –  40,922
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro – 25,928
Apple iPad Air 2 – 22,008

Note: Higher numbers indicate better performance

The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro’s display has a 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution — that is as sharp as tablet screens get nowadays — with 299 pixels per inch (ppi). It is vibrant, crystal-clear and shows correct colours, although in side-by-aspect comparisons, its color range is duller than the super-saturated Galaxy Tab S2. We nonetheless discovered it satisfyingly colourful enough for vibrant imagery when watching both animated movies and live-action video.

Become a pro with the projector

It is essential to keep in mind that the Lenovo merely provides a pico projector, which is not very sharp or very bright, particularly compared to a traditional projector. If you would like something better, there are a number of choices, however none have the additional advantage of being built right into a tablet.

We found the projector’s video quality (480p resolution and 50 lumens that can project up to a 70-inch picture) fine for casually watching TV with our friends and streaming countless pet videos with our buddies. It is very useful if you need to share what you are watching with other people. Only when we switched back to the tablet’s touchscreen did I regretfully notice the projector’s lackluster quality.

Despite the fact that we’ve high standards for video quality, we still think the projector is a cool function. The Yoga Tab 3 Pro undoubtedly ranks among the finest, however the route it takes to stand out from the pack is one that offers a novel, sharable viewing experience for you and your loved ones.

Placement

Obviously, a blank, white flat surface works best for projecting the picture. That can be a wall, ceiling or bed sheet. Whatever works for you. If there are not any in your house or wherever you need to use the projector, it is worth investing a couple of dollars on a large white poster board at your local drug or art supply store.

As soon as you have got your “projector screen,” the tablet must be positioned where the picture can successfully reach it. Although you’ll be able to technically use the projector anywhere, that does not mean setting it up will work nicely wherever you are. It must be set up high enough to project onto your makeshift display. The kickstand built into the tablet rotates as much as 180 degrees (so you may project on the ceiling) nevertheless the picture can look more trapezoid-shaped at some angles –regardless of some decent keystoning on the tablet’s part — so ensuring the tablet is high enough for your display leads to a straighter picture.

This is simple if there is a desk at an appropriate height next to the place you are sitting (e.g., coffee desk in front of your sofa), otherwise getting artistic with chairs, stools and books works too. Moreover, like a traditional projector, you may hang it on a wall utilizing the little gap in the center of its kickstand.

The projected picture appears brighter the closer it is to the screen. It isn’t extremely vivid, so the darker your surroundings the better it’s going to look. It takes a while to find the best place where it works for you, however as soon as you got your placement set, the rest is a breeze.

Focus

The projector activates by using the dedicated button on the right end of the tablet’s cylindrical edge, or by swiping up from the home screen and utilizing the shortcut settings menu.

After the projector turns on, a window with a small dial in the middle appears on the right side of the display. You’ll be able to rotate it left or right to adjust the focus. There isn’t any incorrect approach to turn the dial, you simply move it around till your eyes decide it is at its sharpest possible resolution. Tap anywhere outside of the window to make it disappear. You may access it anytime the projector is on by pressing the projector button on the side. Friendly reminder: it isn’t HD and it will not get as sharp as you might be used to.

Optimizing the audio

You will not find a tiny speaker on the Lenovo like you’ll on the vast majority of other tablets. Make sure to switch on the Dolby app before starting your film to get the perfect audio experience possible. In case you like tweaking with the settings, you can customise the audio levels to your liking.

Should I purchase it?

For those who love watching films, streaming endless amounts of YouTube videos, or binge-watching the most recent Netflix series, the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro allows you to enjoy your favourite content like no other tablet, even with out the pico projector. The sharp display, loud speakers, long battery life and built-in kickstand make it a successful choice for heavy video-watchers. Add the pico projector and it is unrivaled in its low-key theater-like experience to share with buddies. That does not imply it doesn’t have tough competitors.

The tablet market is oversaturated. Anyone considering a tablet for the typical reasons — casual Internet browsing, streaming video and gaming — will discover a plethora to select from. Narrowing down your selections comes all the way down to more specific needs. If you have any use for a light-weight projector, whether for business presentations or makeshift movie nights, the Lenovo provides a unique alternative to your average tablet or a standalone pico projector. The pico projector is not the best, but as an added feature onto an otherwise spectacular tablet, its shortcomings are forgivable.

The Apple iPad Air 2, Google Pixel C, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 are three of the very best-in-class because of their fashionably slim designs, fast performance and spectacular screens. The entry-level models have the same starting price as the Lenovo, however the Google and Lenovo tablets offer double the quantity of internal storage than the Apple and Samsung models (32GB versus 16GB). As great as the Samsung, Google and Apple tablets may be, they are all fairly homogenous for tablets. Out of the box, one does not actually supply extra features than the other. The Lenovo is a refreshingly different tablet with a unique attraction. Anybody who wants a tablet for watching plenty of video with buddies ought to think about picking it up.

The Bottom Line The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is one of the best Android tablet for watching video. Either alone or, due to its built-in projector, with a large group of pals.