Lenovo Yoga Tab 13
In addition to a range of P tablets, Lenovo also offers a range of Yoga Tab; models designed primarily for multimedia, including the presence of a sound bar and a large screen of 13 inches, for a more versatile use, beyond the simple touch tablet.
Presentation
After a model called Yoga Smart Tab in 2019, Lenovo continues its adventure on the field of the "tablet-that-is-more" with this Yoga Tab 13. A large 13-inch model that is therefore not really just a tablet, but also wants to be a secondary screen, including through the presence of a micro-HDMI port.
Ergonomics
If you've seen a 2019 Yoga Smart Tab before, then the design of this Yoga Tab 13 won't surprise you. Others will immediately realize that this is not a "classic" tablet design. And for good reason, a protrusion encloses four speakers as well as a micro-HDMI input - not an output - and a USB-C port on the sides. This "bulge" gives the tablet a special grip, and the extra thickness makes it hold well in the hand. A metal kickstand has been integrated to put and orient the tablet on a desk from several angles or to hang it.
As for the finish, we must admit that the Yoga Tab 13 is rather neat. The back has an alcantara part that gives it a little luxurious touch. The counterpart of these nice finishes is a weight of 830 g, one of the heaviest of the tablet market, and which is felt after a few minutes of use at arm's length.
At the front, the 13-inch screen occupies 82% of the total surface, thanks in part to the relatively thin side borders. The bottom and top edges remain quite thick. It should be said that the top one houses the only photo module present on the device.
Screen
The Tab 13's screen isn't a dazzler. Its 13-inch LCD panel - obviously - displays a definition of 2160 x 1350 pixels in the 16:10 ratio, but unfortunately is limited to a refresh rate of 60 Hz. In return, it offers HDR10 and Dolby Vision compatibility. Lenovo shows its desire to make its tablet a device of choice for watching movies and series. Finally, all that is missing is an OLED panel to achieve this.
By default, the display is quite well calibrated. Our probes found a color temperature of 7008 Kelvin, not far from the video standard (6500 K) and an excellent delta E (measured at 1.8), guaranteeing a faithful colorimetry. The maximum brightness (385 cd/m²) is not the most impressive, but remains more than enough for a product of this size. At the very least, it can go down to 3.3 cd/m² for night viewing. The reflectance is 49.3%.
The contrast ratio is 1464:1, the touch delay was measured at 70 ms and the afterglow at 19 ms.
Performance
Lenovo has equipped its tablet with a Snapdragon 870 chip coupled with 8GB of RAM. This translates into an overall index of 102, which is more than enough for this kind of tablet, and enough to make it the 4th in our ranking in terms of power.
Its RAM management is very good (score of 101). The Yoga Tab 13 is fluid and does not slow down at any time. Perfect for a tablet whose primary purpose is multimedia. Even in games, it remains very capable. We measured an average of 58 frames per second, peaking at 62 fps. In theory, all the games in the PlayStore will be playable easily. It's hard to find anything to complain about as this tablet works very well and is more than responsive.
Photo
The Yoga Tab 13 doesn't have a back photo module. To note this part dedicated to the photo, we therefore passed its 8-megapixel front sensor in front of our test scene.
And as you can imagine, the result is far from optimal. The front camera will be used mainly to make video calls, and we will avoid using it to take selfies. A strange choice on the part of Lenovo, especially since the previous Smart Tab included a rear module.
By day, the exposure is correct, but the picture is quite noisy. At night, the software processing smoothes the entire scene photographed.
Autonomy
A big tablet means a big battery. And this Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 is not outdone with its 10,200 mAh battery. This gives it an autonomy of 21 h 35 min, one of the most important measured on a touchscreen slate. In use, this should easily be enough to last at least 2 to 3 days.
For recharging, you have to rely on a fast 30W block that allows you to fill up in less than 2 hours. This is one of the fastest charges we've seen on a tablet with a 10,000+ mAh battery.
Interface & OS
Lenovo's big tablet runs Android 11, with a very light home-grown interface - close to the stock version of Google's OS. The whole suite of Google applications is installed, as well as Netflix, YouTube Music or Amazon Music. A kind of content aggregator also appears and groups all the programs of the various video services present on your tablet. This applies to videos, games, but also digital books. The application is quite well done, well supplied and responsive. It is even possible to customize the space by adding the services you want to see first.
As a "not-really-tablet", the Yoga Tab 13 is excellent as a remote display. Perfect for playing Nintendo Switch, for example. The connection is made via an HDMI to micro-HDMI cable. Let's add that the tablet is perfect for cloud gaming, Xbox Game Pass in the first line. The size of 13 inches is comfortable for any type of game and, above all, the kickstand makes it possible to play almost anywhere. Note the possibility of connecting a laptop to it. The 16:10 ratio of the screen is still a bit confusing compared to that of a PC or Mac slab, but it can surely suit some uses.
The stylus offered with the Lenovo Tab P11 and P11 Pro is also compatible with this Yoga Tab 13. Its good precision is perfect for drawing.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 is a good tablet that suffers from a rather hazardous positioning. The good ideas, such as the presence of a micro-HDMI input - to turn it into a screen -, the performances or the extremely fast charging are not enough to prefer it to a more "traditional" tablet and the "secondary screen" side oriented towards multimedia remains rather under-exploited - we regret in particular the absence of an Oled panel which could have perfected the experience.
