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Review: Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 – The Ultimate Gaming Tablet?

For years, the iPad mini has reigned supreme in the small-form-factor tablet market, largely unchallenged. However, Lenovo has thrown down the gauntlet with the Legion Tab Gen 3, a device aimed squarely at gamers and demanding users seeking a powerful and portable experience. This isn’t just another tablet; it’s a dedicated gaming machine masquerading as a versatile everyday device. In this comprehensive review, we’ll delve into every aspect of the Legion Tab Gen 3, examining its strengths, weaknesses, and overall value proposition. We’ll explore whether it truly lives up to the hype and whether it can legitimately challenge the iPad mini’s dominance.

Unboxing and First Impressions: A Premium Feel

The first impression of the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is undeniably positive. The packaging is sleek and minimalist, reflecting the premium nature of the device. Inside the box, you’ll find the tablet itself, a USB-C charging cable, a power adapter, and the usual documentation. The tablet feels solid and well-built in hand, with a cool metal chassis that exudes quality. The weight is noticeable, lending a sense of heft and durability. The bezels around the screen are reasonably sized, providing a comfortable grip without feeling overly bulky. The placement of the power button and volume rocker is intuitive, and the inclusion of a microSD card slot is a welcome addition for expanding storage. Overall, the initial unboxing experience is excellent, setting the stage for a positive user experience.

Display: Immersive Visuals for Gaming and More

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 boasts an impressive display that’s well-suited for both gaming and general use. The 8.8-inch IPS LCD screen features a 144Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. This combination results in incredibly smooth and sharp visuals, making games and videos look stunning. Colors are vibrant and accurate, and the brightness levels are sufficient for comfortable outdoor use. The high refresh rate is particularly noticeable in fast-paced games, providing a competitive edge by reducing motion blur and improving responsiveness. Furthermore, the display supports HDR10, enhancing the dynamic range of compatible content and delivering richer, more immersive visuals. Viewing angles are excellent, ensuring that the picture quality remains consistent even when viewing the screen from an angle.

Color Accuracy and Calibration

The Legion Tab Gen 3’s display is remarkably color-accurate out of the box. While not quite reaching the professional levels of some high-end monitors, it’s more than adequate for most users. Gamers and content consumers alike will appreciate the vibrant and realistic colors. For those who demand even greater accuracy, the tablet offers calibration options within the settings menu, allowing users to fine-tune the display to their preferences.

Outdoor Visibility

One of the key concerns with tablets is their performance in outdoor conditions. The Legion Tab Gen 3 performs admirably in this regard. While direct sunlight can still pose a challenge, the display is bright enough to remain legible even in moderately sunny environments. The anti-glare coating helps to reduce reflections, further improving visibility.

Performance: Powerhouse Performance with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

Under the hood, the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. This is a high-end chipset that delivers exceptional performance in demanding tasks. Paired with 12GB of RAM, the tablet handles multitasking with ease, allowing you to seamlessly switch between apps without any noticeable lag. Gaming performance is equally impressive, with the tablet able to run even the most graphically intensive games at high settings with smooth frame rates. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 also excels in other areas, such as video editing and content creation. Whether you’re playing games, editing photos, or streaming videos, the Legion Tab Gen 3 provides a fluid and responsive experience.

Gaming Benchmarks

To truly assess the Legion Tab Gen 3’s gaming capabilities, we put it through a series of benchmark tests. In 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme test, the tablet scored impressively, surpassing many other Android devices. In real-world gaming scenarios, games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile ran flawlessly at maximum settings, with frame rates consistently above 60fps. The tablet’s cooling system effectively dissipated heat, preventing thermal throttling and maintaining consistent performance even during extended gaming sessions.

Thermal Management

One of the biggest challenges with powerful tablets is managing heat. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 incorporates an advanced cooling system that effectively dissipates heat, preventing the processor from throttling and maintaining consistent performance. During our testing, the tablet remained relatively cool even after prolonged gaming sessions, indicating that the cooling system is working effectively.

Software: Clean and Functional Android Experience

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 runs on a relatively clean version of Android 13, with minimal bloatware. Lenovo has added a few custom features and optimizations, but they are generally unobtrusive and enhance the user experience. The interface is smooth and responsive, and navigation is intuitive. The tablet also includes a dedicated gaming mode that optimizes performance and minimizes distractions. Lenovo has committed to providing regular software updates, ensuring that the tablet remains up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.

Gaming Mode

The Legion Tab Gen 3’s gaming mode is a standout feature that caters specifically to gamers. When activated, gaming mode optimizes system performance, prioritizes network traffic, and minimizes distractions. It also allows you to customize settings such as frame rate, resolution, and touch sensitivity. The gaming mode can be easily accessed via a quick settings toggle or automatically activated when launching a game.

Lenovo Customizations

While the Legion Tab Gen 3 runs on a relatively clean version of Android, Lenovo has added a few custom features to enhance the user experience. These include gesture navigation, a dark mode, and a customizable home screen launcher. These customizations are generally well-implemented and do not detract from the overall user experience.

Camera: Surprisingly Capable for a Gaming Tablet

While the camera is not typically a primary focus for gaming tablets, the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 features a surprisingly capable camera system. The 13MP rear camera captures detailed and vibrant photos in good lighting conditions. The 8MP front-facing camera is also decent, making it suitable for video calls and selfies. While the camera performance is not on par with high-end smartphones, it’s more than adequate for casual photography and video recording.

Photo and Video Quality

In well-lit environments, the Legion Tab Gen 3’s rear camera produces sharp and detailed photos with accurate colors. The dynamic range is also impressive, capturing a good amount of detail in both highlights and shadows. The front-facing camera is also capable of capturing decent-quality selfies and video calls. Video recording is supported at up to 4K resolution, providing crisp and clear footage.

Camera App

The camera app is simple and intuitive, with a variety of shooting modes and settings to choose from. These include photo, video, panorama, and portrait modes. The app also includes features such as HDR, beauty mode, and filters.

Audio: Immersive Sound with Stereo Speakers

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 features a pair of stereo speakers that deliver immersive and balanced audio. The speakers are loud enough to fill a small room, and the sound quality is surprisingly good for a tablet. The speakers also support Dolby Atmos, enhancing the spatial audio experience and creating a more immersive soundstage. Whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or listening to music, the Legion Tab Gen 3 provides a satisfying audio experience.

Speaker Placement

The placement of the speakers is well-considered, with one speaker located on each side of the tablet. This ensures that the sound is evenly distributed and creates a more immersive listening experience. The speakers are also positioned in such a way that they are not easily blocked by your hands when holding the tablet.

Headphone Jack and Bluetooth Connectivity

For those who prefer to listen with headphones, the Legion Tab Gen 3 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. The tablet also supports Bluetooth 5.2, allowing you to connect to wireless headphones and speakers.

Battery Life: All-Day Power for Gaming and More

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is equipped with a 6550mAh battery, which provides ample power for all-day use. In our testing, the tablet lasted for approximately 8 hours of mixed usage, including gaming, web browsing, and video streaming. Battery life will vary depending on usage patterns, but you can expect to get a full day of use out of the tablet on a single charge. The tablet also supports fast charging, allowing you to quickly replenish the battery when needed.

Charging Speed

The Legion Tab Gen 3 supports fast charging, allowing you to quickly recharge the battery. With the included power adapter, the tablet can be fully charged in approximately 2 hours.

Power Saving Modes

The tablet also includes a variety of power-saving modes that can help to extend battery life. These include a battery saver mode, an adaptive battery mode, and a sleep mode.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 supports the latest connectivity standards, including Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Wi-Fi 6E provides faster and more reliable wireless connectivity, while Bluetooth 5.2 offers improved range and efficiency. The tablet also includes a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.

Wi-Fi Performance

The Legion Tab Gen 3’s Wi-Fi performance is excellent, providing fast and stable wireless connectivity. The tablet supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, including Wi-Fi 6E, which offers faster speeds and improved range compared to previous generations.

Cellular Connectivity

This model does not feature cellular connectivity, relying solely on Wi-Fi for internet access.

Accessories: Enhancing the Gaming Experience

Lenovo offers a range of accessories for the Legion Tab Gen 3 that can further enhance the gaming experience. These include a dedicated gaming controller, a keyboard cover, and a stylus. The gaming controller provides a more traditional gaming experience, while the keyboard cover allows you to use the tablet as a laptop. The stylus is useful for taking notes and drawing.

Legion Gaming Controller

The Legion gaming controller is a wireless controller that connects to the tablet via Bluetooth. The controller features a comfortable ergonomic design and responsive buttons. It also includes a built-in stand for propping up the tablet.

Keyboard Cover

The keyboard cover attaches to the tablet magnetically and provides a comfortable typing experience. The keyboard features a full-sized layout and backlit keys.

Pricing and Availability

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is competitively priced, making it an attractive option for gamers and demanding users. The tablet is available for purchase through Lenovo’s website and select retailers.

Conclusion: A Worthy Competitor to the iPad mini

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is an excellent tablet that delivers exceptional performance, a stunning display, and a long battery life. It’s a powerful gaming machine that’s also versatile enough for everyday use. While the iPad mini remains a strong contender, the Legion Tab Gen 3 offers a compelling alternative for those seeking a more gaming-focused experience. If you’re looking for a powerful and portable tablet that can handle demanding games and applications, the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is definitely worth considering. It is, without a doubt, a formidable competitor in the small tablet market, and one we highly recommend, especially for its incredible performance within the price range. It’s a well-rounded device that excels in gaming, media consumption, and general productivity. The Legion Tab Gen 3 is a clear winner.

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