The Yoga Tab has always occupied an unusual place in Lenovo’s lineup. It has never been the thinnest or flashiest device, and it isn’t exactly the easiest to explain on a spec sheet. Instead, it leaned into practical ideas that most tablet makers avoided.
I’m talking about things like the cylindrical battery spine doubled as a grip or the kickstand that’s always there when needed. Earlier models even doubled as portable HDMI monitors, blurring the line between tablet and tool. It’s a flexible, if not slightly unconventional experience that’s built on Android.
With the 2025 Yoga Tab, Lenovo steps away from that experimental streak and leans into refinement. The new design looks more conventional, but it also feels more intentional. This is Lenovo acknowledging how most people actually use a tablet today, while still quietly undercutting competitors where it matters most.
Rather than chasing ultra-premium pricing or novelty hardware, Lenovo focuses on performance, screen quality, and a bundled experience that does not require a return trip to the checkout page.
Lenovo traded the Yoga Tab’s quirks for clarity, and the result is a tablet that’s easier to live with every day.
Design: From Quirky to Clean
The first impression is how normal the Yoga Tab now looks. The cylindrical spine is gone, replaced by a slim, uniform aluminum body that would not look out of place next to a Galaxy Tab or iPad. That shift may feel like a loss to longtime Yoga fans, but it immediately makes the tablet easier to live with. I thought I would miss it more than I did.
At just over six millimeters (6mm) thick, the Yoga Tab slides into bags and sleeves without resistance. The weight feels well distributed, especially in landscape orientation, and extended handheld use is less fatiguing than older Yoga designs. The aluminum finish strikes a nice balance between grip and smoothness, avoiding both slipperiness and that overly matte feel that shows wear too easily.
The magnetic kickstand cover becomes essential rather than optional. It snaps into place with confidence, supports a wide range of angles, and holds steady even when typing or drawing. The ability to lay the tablet nearly flat adds real utility for note-taking and sketching. While it lacks the always-available convenience of the old integrated stand, it is far more flexible overall. Again, I thought that I’d have a harder time without it.
Display: High Refresh, High Confidence
Lenovo’s 11.1-inch LTPS display ends up being one of the Yoga Tab’s quiet strengths. The 3.2K resolution delivers sharp text and clean edges that make reading and document work comfortable for long stretches. The pixel density is high enough that individual pixels disappear entirely at normal viewing distances.
The 144Hz refresh rate defines how the tablet feels. Scrolling is fluid, animations are smooth, and transitions never feel rushed or choppy. This is especially noticeable when switching between apps, browsing long pages, or working with the stylus. Input latency is low enough that handwriting and drawing feel immediate rather than interpretive. It’s not quite a real-time “this feels so accurate” experience, but it’s perfectly serviceable.
Brightness levels are solid for an LCD panel, handling most indoor lighting and shaded outdoor use without strain. Color reproduction is vibrant without oversaturation, making the display well suited for media consumption and light creative work. Dark scenes reveal the limits of LCD contrast, but Lenovo’s tuning avoids washed-out blacks better than many IPS panels.
Performance: Flagship Power, No Apologies
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor puts the Yoga Tab firmly in the top tier of Android tablets. Is it too much? Hardly. This is not a case of overpowered silicon being wasted. The tablet consistently feels fast, responsive, and unburdened by its workload. It feels “right.”
Heavy multitasking does not cause hesitation. Jumping between a browser full of tabs, note-taking apps, messaging, and media playback feels seamless. Demanding games run smoothly at high settings, and the larger tablet chassis allows the processor and GPU to sustain performance longer than most phones using the same chip.
The combination of twelve gigabytes (12GB) of memory and fast UFS 4 storage gives the tablet plenty of breathing room. Apps stay resident, reloads are rare, and large files open quickly. The only real drawback here is the lack of expandable storage, which limits flexibility for users who rely on large local media libraries or offline files. But between the cloud and USB C-based external storage, there’s no real limit to worry about.
Software and Productivity
This is where the Yoga Tab separates itself from being just a powerful slab. Android 15 continues to improve tablet usability, and Lenovo builds on that foundation rather than reinventing it.
Multitasking feels natural. Split-screen and floating windows are easy to manage, and the taskbar provides consistent access to recent and pinned apps. System apps take advantage of larger layouts, making email, documents, and browsing feel less cramped than on older Android tablets.
Lenovo’s productivity mode is genuinely useful rather than aspirational. When enabled, the interface shifts into a windowed environment that behaves more like a lightweight desktop. Apps open in resizable windows, snapping feels predictable, and keyboard shortcuts work reliably. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has enough overhead to keep this experience smooth, even with multiple windows active.
External display support adds meaningful flexibility, if only in theory for most users. But, for those who connect to a monitor, it’s always great to extend a workspace rather than mirroring it. Doing so allows the Yoga Tab to function as a compact workstation for writing, research, or communication-heavy tasks. This works especially well with the bundled keyboard and trackpad. The tablet feels closer to a small laptop replacement than most Android devices manage.
Smart Connect strengthens Lenovo’s ecosystem story. Clipboard sharing between tablet and Windows PC becomes second nature, file access is quick, and using the tablet as a wireless secondary display works well for reference material and chat apps. Latency exists, but it stays within tolerable limits for productivity.
Update support is solid, if not exceptional. Three major Android updates and four years of security patches provide reasonable longevity, though power users may wish Lenovo matched the longer commitments now offered by some competitors.
Accessories: Where the Value Really Shows
Lenovo’s decision to include both the stylus and keyboard in the box fundamentally changes the Yoga Tab’s value proposition. This is not an upsell-driven experience. What you need to be productive is already there.
The stylus feels precise and responsive, with pressure sensitivity that works well for both handwriting and creative tasks. Magnetic attachment keeps it from wandering, and wireless charging removes friction from daily use. The subtle haptic feedback adds a surprising sense of realism when drawing or writing, especially during longer sessions.
The keyboard cover is better than expected. Key travel is comfortable, spacing feels natural, and typing for extended periods does not feel like a compromise. The trackpad supports full gesture navigation and feels responsive despite its compact size. Lap use is limited by the kickstand design, but on desks and tables, the setup works reliably.
If you’re the type of user who likes to split time at a desk and the real world, I imagine you’ll enjoy having a PC-like experience at the office with all of the files and apps ready to head out the door at a moment’s notice.
Audio, Cameras, and Connectivity
Quad speakers deliver clear, balanced audio with enough depth to make movies and games engaging. Vocals are crisp, and stereo separation is convincing for a tablet of this size. It does not replace dedicated speakers, but it rarely feels lacking.
The front-facing camera is well suited for video calls, with a wide field of view and smart framing that keeps users centered. The rear cameras are functional rather than aspirational, excelling at document scanning and casual use. The macro camera adds little, but the main sensor handles its role competently.
Wi-Fi 7 support gives the Yoga Tab a clear advantage on modern networks, delivering low latency and high throughput. You’ll need to have a network in place that handles the throughput, but it’s also nice to be future-proofed a bit if you don’t. The removal of HDMI input and the headphone jack narrows the tablet’s appeal for certain power users, but USB-C display output and modern Bluetooth audio cover most mainstream needs.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life aligns with expectations for a high-performance tablet. Mixed use comfortably fills a workday, and video playback stretches well beyond that. The tablet balances performance and efficiency effectively, avoiding the rapid drain seen on some flagship devices.
Fast charging helps offset the moderate battery size. The included charger restores most of the battery quickly, making short top-ups practical. Thermal behavior remains controlled, with heat spreading evenly across the chassis rather than concentrating in one area.
The Verdict
The Lenovo Yoga Tab (2025) is a reset done right. It gives up some of the Yoga line’s eccentric charm in exchange for broader usability and better balance. What remains is a tablet that feels purpose-built for real-world use rather than niche scenarios. And yet it still also manages to avoid feeling like just another tablet.
Awarded to products with an average rating of 3.75 stars or higher, the AndroidGuys Smart Pick recognizes a balance of quality, performance, and value.
Products with this distinction deserve to be on your short list of purchase candidates.
It delivers flagship performance, a smooth and responsive display, and a genuinely complete accessory package at a price that remains grounded. It does not try to outshine premium competitors on every spec, but it consistently offers more for the money once everything is considered.
For anyone looking for a capable Android tablet that can handle work, play, and creativity without additional purchases, the Yoga Tab emerges as one of the most sensible choices available today.
Typically priced about $550, I’m a big fan of this tablet and hybrid-like experience and think it’s a great value. As of the time this review was published, however, Lenovo is offering it at $450, which makes it an outright steal of a deal.
