Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 10-inch Review

At initial glance, the YOGA Tablet 2 looks like a shrunken version of the YOGA Tablet 2 Pro. It has the same slate-like design with a round cylinder at the base of the display that extends the length of the tablet. In this rounded edge, you’ll find the tablet’s speakers as well as the built-in stand.

The 10.1-inch 1920x1200 IPS display is vivid and sharp with good viewing angles. The bezel surrounding the screen measures approximately 3/4 inches. Lenovo’s spec sheet says the thickest point of the tablet is 0.3 inches, but our ruler says the widest part of the cylindrical base is closer to 3/4 inch.

The power button for the YOGA Tablet 2 is the circular button on the bottom left edge of the tablet. Above the power button, you’ll find the micro USB port and a volume rocker. The tablet’s 3.5mm audio jack is located in the right edge of the tablet in the cylindrical base.

Looking at the back of the YOGA Tablet 2, you’ll notice the Lenovo logo as well the built-in kickstand. There’s also an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera which is located on the bottom right edge of the tablet. The YOGA Tablet 2 Pro’s kickstand could hold the tablet in virtually any position. With the 10-inch model, there are two pre-set “stops” at 90 degrees and 180 degrees. Also unlike the Pro model, there is no kickstand release for the 10-inch model. Instead, you simply twist with your hand to open the kickstand. Behind the kickstand, there’s a swinging door which covers the microSD card slot.

The front-facing 1.6 megapixel camera is located on the left bezel of the YOGA Tablet 2. Traditional Android control buttons (Back, Home, and Recent Apps) are built in to the base of the display. Lenovo also adds a multi-window button to this control bar, placing it in the lower left corner of the display.

The YOGA Tablet 2 supports the same four use modes as its larger brother: stand, hold, tilt, and hang. Stand mode is designed for tight use spots such as an airplane or when you want the screen to be propped up like a monitor from a desk. In hold mode, you’re supposed to use the cylindrical base of the tablet as a grip. Tilt mode essentially reverses stand mode—it gives you a sturdy typing surface and props the tablet off of the desk slightly. Hang mode is a new mode for the YOGA Tablet 2 family. By rotating the kickstand all the way back and using the open slot, you can hang the YOGA Tablet 2 from a hook.

The YOGA Tablet 2 has two front-facing stereo speakers with Wolfson Master HiFi audio processing and Dolby surround sound. Since the YOGA Tablet 2 doesn’t have a rear subwoofer like the Pro model, the bass wasn't as deep. Still, sound quality was good for a tablet. With the Dolby audio adjustments, we were able to improve the overall sound quality from the YOGA Tablet 2 and get a better range of highs and lows than with the default settings.

As you can see, there are a number of similarities between the YOGA Tablet 2 and the YOGA Tablet 2 Pro. We’ve highlighted many of the key differences but also thought it might be helpful to show a comparison of the specifications between these two tablets: