I’ll admit that I’ve been a fan of larger tablets for as long as I can remember, as they’re more comfortable for my aging eyes. But at some point last year, my brain switched things up on me, and I started wanting something in between my foldable phone and laptop. Enter the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, with its 8.8-inch, 165Hz display, and the fact that it’s currently on sale for around $450.
Until recently, our only options for a flagship tablet meant that we had to deal with larger displays, maxing out with the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Most tablets around 11 inches and below usually meant you were going to end up with a mid-range or budget tablet, none of which offered flagship power.
That’s no longer the case, as options like the Legion Tab Gen 3 have arrived here in the States. Previous iterations were only available in other regions, with Lenovo’s offering falling under the Y700 branding umbrella.
Top-notch performance, surprisingly good visuals
With the Legion Tab Gen 3, you’re getting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 along with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Although it’s not the latest and greatest chip, it’s not like you’ll really experience any slowdowns, even when messing around with higher-end emulation.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Y700 4th Gen was released in China last month, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, we don’t yet know if it’ll eventually make its way here.
Still, all of this power is housed within a slim and compact form factor, hidden behind an 8.8-inch IPS panel. Normally, this is where I would complain about the decision to forego an OLED screen, but that’s not the case here. It almost feels like Lenovo stumbled upon a stockpile of the best LCD panels at this size, as the Legion Tab Gen 3 looks absolutely fantastic.
It’s very similar to the screen found on previous Y700 models, which was the same panel used in the original Lenovo Legion Go. No matter what the reason, this is one of the few times that I actually don’t have any problems with the decision to go with an OLED screen.
Go small or go home
There are a couple of reasons why I enjoy having a powerful tablet that’s smaller than my iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. The first is that the Legion Tab has essentially become my digital notebook, especially with a matte screen protector installed.
Oh yeah, the Legion Tab supports stylus input when paired with Lenovo’s Tab Pen Plus. While there are times when a larger canvas is nice to have, it gets pretty cumbersome if you need a scratchpad by your side throughout the day.
The other main reason why I enjoy having a flagship tablet at this size is the obvious one — gaming and emulation. Technically, it’s possible for me to use the 14.6-inch Tab S10 Ultra with the GameSir G8 Plus, but as you might suspect, it’s beyond comical.
Instead, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is compatible with a variety of mobile controllers, and you won’t look absolutely absurd if you were to pull this out while waiting at the airport. Okay, maybe a little absurd, but nowhere near as bad as the Tab S10 Ultra.
A few gripes, but still worth every penny
Admittedly, this isn’t the perfect tablet for everything I want it to do. For instance, my biggest gripe is that you’re limited to just one storage configuration. Anyone who’s messed around with higher-end emulation knows that won’t last very long, at which point you’re either transferring files back and forth, or need to rely on a portable SSD.
I’m also very confused as to why Lenovo didn’t include biometrics beyond “Face Unlock.” It’s also not the good version from the Pixel, meaning it’s not as secure. Surely Lenovo could’ve spent a few pennies and embedded a fingerprint scanner in the power button. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but more of a curious and confusing omission.
Nevertheless, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is still one of my favorite tablets of the year, and as mentioned before, you can save a few bucks. Currently, it can be had for around $100 off, which is $50 below the expected retail price before the tariff nonsense forced OEMs to raise prices.
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