Users initially associated Lenovo's Legion gaming brand with PCs and gaming peripherals, but in 2020, it announced its first Legion-branded smartphone, and now it is about to launch an Android gaming tablet called the Legion Y700. The Android gaming smartphone market is a steadily growing one with offerings from ASUS (ROG), ZTE (RedMagic) and Redmi. These phones differ from 'regular' Android phones with their over-the-top designs and specifications, extra buttons, custom software features, and optional accessories to enhance the mobile gaming experience.
The concept of an Android gaming tablet is not new. In 2014, Nvidia launched the SHIELD Tablet tablet and followed it up with a successor in 2015 called the SHIELD Tablet K1. Both tablets allowed users to not only play Android games but also stream PC games from Nvidia's GeForce Now platform. Acer also launched its own Android gaming tablet, the Predator 8, in 2015. Unfortunately, both manufacturers shut down their Android gaming tablet line shortly afterward.
The Legion Y700 gaming tablet doesn't have the flamboyant design of Lenovo's gaming smartphones, allowing it to pass for a regular tablet. The black is devoid of any fancy LED and is covered in AG Matte glass. There is a single camera on the back along with logos for Lenovo and its Legion gaming brand. An official spec sheet posted by Lenovo revealed the tablet packs an 8.8-inch display, and it is surrounded by slim bezels, albeit unevenly sized ones. Nevertheless, it is relatively compact and slim at 7.9 mm. While promotional materials show a user holding the tablet while playing an RPG game, connecting a controller and placing the tablet on the desk should provide a better user experience as its 375 grams weight will eventually become uncomfortable.
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Lenovo says the 8.8-inch display is an LCD panel with a 2560 × 1600 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also has Dolby Vision, HDR10, DC Dimming and eye care protection against blue light. Powering the Legion Y700 is a Snapdragon 870 processor, the same chipset inside the OPPO Pad. The tablet will be available with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is also a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. In addition, Lenovo has thrown in an 8MP front-facing camera with face unlock capability while the back is home to a 13MP sensor and an LED flash.
The Legion Y700 tablet will pack dual X-axis linear motors for haptics, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and a USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port. There are also dual JBL speakers, Dolby Atmos and an audio jack for users who want to connect a pair of wired headphones. A 6550mAh battery lies under the hood, and while it supports 45W fast charging, in addition to Quick Charge 4.0 and Power Delivery 3.0, Lenovo will ship it with a 50W power brick. The spec sheet also mentions a large vapor cooling chamber to keep the temperature down during gaming sessions.
Lenovo plans to unveil the Legion Y700 on Feb. 28, along with a new gaming smartphone that will launch as the Legion Y90. It hasn't revealed its plans for a global release yet, but considering its older Legion gaming smartphones got an international release, at least in Europe, there is a high chance it will bring its first Android gaming tablet to more markets. However, it might not make it to North America.
Source: Lenovo|Weibo