The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 ($250/16GB list) is essentially a shrunken down, scale model of its 10.1-inch bigger sibling, the Yoga Tablet 10. Both use the same design, same display resolution, and same processor. The display is sharper and its design is even more comfortable in the smaller form factor, but otherwise, the Yoga Tablet 8 fails to wow in the same way as the Yoga Tablet 10.
Software features
The Yoga is running Android Jelly Bean 4.2, but has a completely custom design from Lenovo. There’s no app drawer, so all the apps live on your home screens, which can get messy. There’s also a lot of wasted space on the sides in landscape and at the top and bottom in portrait mode, which bothered me. This was especially a problem when trying to add widgets, as I would quickly run out of space, even when it looked like it had plenty of room.
There’s a custom home screen menu that you access by tapping the three dots on the bottom-right of the screen, where you can change the wallpaper, quickly jump to settings, and add widgets.
Hardware
Inside, there’s a quad-core 1.2GHz MT8125 MediaTek CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.
The tablet’s 5-megapixel back camera with auto focus does a decent job of snapping both close-up and wide shots. It’s not a major selling point, but the performance is commendable.
Performance
The Yoga’s performance doesn't blow me away, but it’s not bad either. Moving through menus and opening apps feels snappy, though applications that require a lot of processing power can be sluggish.
The tablet struggles to handle graphics-heavy games like N.O.V.A. 3. It took more than four minutes to load the first level, and the graphics in the game were occasionally blurry. It did, however, play Temple Run 2 without any issues.
Conclusion
Despite its poor screen, weak internal specs, and an unattractive operating system, the Lenovo Yoga 8 is still a good deal at $250. Though competing tablets pack nicer screens and better specs, most can’t match that price, including the $400 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the $350 LG G Pad 8.3.
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| Design and Display | |
 | The Yoga Tablet 8 is smaller, but otherwise physically identical to the Yoga Tablet 10, so head on over to that review for a full breakdown on the design and features. I'll focus on a few usability differences here. Being smaller and lighter, the cylindrical grip makes an even bigger difference here—the 14.1-ounce Yoga Tablet 8 feels nearly weightless. |
| Type | 8 in |
| Display Resolution | 1280 x 800 |
| Dimensions & Weight | |
| Width | 8.4 in |
| Depth | 0.3 in |
| Height | 5.7 in |
| Weight | 0.88 lbs |
| Processor | |
| MT8125/8389 Quad Core 1.2GHz | |
| Operating System | |
| Android™ 4. 2 JellyBean | |
| Battery | |
| Yoga Tablet 8 | Up to 18 hrs of WiFi web browsing, Li-Ion, 6000 mAh |
| Stock AC adapter recommended for all charging | |
| Memory | |
| RAM | 1GB LP-DDR2 memory |
| Internal Storage | 16GB/32GB eMMC |
| External Storage | 64GB micro-SD card storage support |
| Connectivity | |
| 802.11 b/g/n | |
| Bluetooth® 4.0 | |
| Sensors | |
| E-compass | |
| Accelerometer (G-sensor) | |
| GPS | |
| Brightness (Ambient Light) | |
| Vibration Function | |
| Ports/Slots | |
| Micro USB (Supports OTG function) | |
| 3.5 mm Audio Jack | |
| Micro-SIM (3G not available in US) | |
| Integrated Camera | |
| 5M Rear Camera | |
| 1.6M HD Front Camera | |
| Color | |
| Silver Grey | |
| Buttons | |
| Power Key | |
| Volume Key | |
| Audio | |
| Dual Front-Facing Speakers | |
| Microphone with noise reduction | |
| Dolby Digital Plus DS1 | |
Software features
The Yoga is running Android Jelly Bean 4.2, but has a completely custom design from Lenovo. There’s no app drawer, so all the apps live on your home screens, which can get messy. There’s also a lot of wasted space on the sides in landscape and at the top and bottom in portrait mode, which bothered me. This was especially a problem when trying to add widgets, as I would quickly run out of space, even when it looked like it had plenty of room.
There’s a custom home screen menu that you access by tapping the three dots on the bottom-right of the screen, where you can change the wallpaper, quickly jump to settings, and add widgets.
Hardware
Inside, there’s a quad-core 1.2GHz MT8125 MediaTek CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.
The tablet’s 5-megapixel back camera with auto focus does a decent job of snapping both close-up and wide shots. It’s not a major selling point, but the performance is commendable.
Performance
The Yoga’s performance doesn't blow me away, but it’s not bad either. Moving through menus and opening apps feels snappy, though applications that require a lot of processing power can be sluggish.
The tablet struggles to handle graphics-heavy games like N.O.V.A. 3. It took more than four minutes to load the first level, and the graphics in the game were occasionally blurry. It did, however, play Temple Run 2 without any issues.
Conclusion
Despite its poor screen, weak internal specs, and an unattractive operating system, the Lenovo Yoga 8 is still a good deal at $250. Though competing tablets pack nicer screens and better specs, most can’t match that price, including the $400 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the $350 LG G Pad 8.3.
The good
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8's super-slim, unique design makes it easy to hold. It’s also only $250.
The bad
The tablet’s low-resolution screen is dull and the heavily modified operating system is downright ugly.
The bottom line
Though it feels well-built and has a handy kickstand, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet’s poor performance makes it hard to justify even at its low cost.
The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8's super-slim, unique design makes it easy to hold. It’s also only $250.
The bad
The tablet’s low-resolution screen is dull and the heavily modified operating system is downright ugly.
The bottom line
Though it feels well-built and has a handy kickstand, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet’s poor performance makes it hard to justify even at its low cost.
