Lenovo Yoga Tab Gen 2 and Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2 review: can this tablet really do it all?

A tablet that is a handy companion on the couch, on the train or at university, yet still works smoothly with a keyboard attached, and all at a bearable price: that is what Lenovo promises with two new models, the compact Yoga Tab Gen 2 and the larger Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2. I took a close look at both. Here is what they can do, where they differ and which one is right for whom.

Prices and differences at a glance

	Yoga Tab Gen 2	Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2
RRP	€649	€849
Display	11.1 inches, 4K, 3:2	13 inches, 4K, 3:2
Weight	around 480 g	around 605 g
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity	Snapdragon 8 Elite
Speakers	four	six, Harman Kardon, Dolby Atmos
Battery	11,000 mAh	12,700 mAh
Charging	68 watts	68 watts
Keyboard	two-piece: case with kickstand and keyboard	one-piece clamshell keyboard
Pen	Tab Pen Pro 2	Tab Pen Pro 2

Both tablets include the keyboard and pen in the price. That is very rare in this price range.

The display: 4K in 3:2 format

Both devices have a 4K display that Lenovo calls PureSight Pro. In real life, that means text in PDFs, on websites or in lecture notes is razor-sharp, almost like a printed magazine. You can’t see a pixel grid with the naked eye, and photos have smooth color gradients without visible banding.

With up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness, both screens get very bright. Working outside in the park or on the balcony in the sun is no problem. I would have liked a stronger anti-glare coating, though, to make working in direct sunlight or under ceiling lights even more comfortable.

The real highlight in everyday use is the 3:2 aspect ratio. Most tablets are rather wide at 16:9 or 16:10; the 3:2 format is noticeably taller. When you read an article or scroll through lecture notes, you have to swipe much less often. And handwritten notes don’t feel like a narrow strip, but like a classic A4 notepad.

Size and weight: 11.1 or 13 inches

The first difference is hardly surprising. The Yoga Tab Gen 2 has 11.1 inches and weighs around 480 g. That is the sweet spot if you use the tablet on the go a lot: you can easily hold it with one hand on the train to read an e-book, or watch a show in bed at night without your wrist hurting after five minutes.

The Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2 has 13 inches and weighs around 605 g, which is almost laptop size. Set up on a desk or on the couch, it’s a dream, because two apps fit side by side at full size. I wouldn’t really use it handheld for long while standing or lying down, though.

Performance, sound and battery

The small Yoga Tab has a MediaTek processor from the Dimensity series, the Plus model the Snapdragon 8 Elite. With 4K streaming, 20 open browser tabs, emails, Office documents and a few sketches, you basically won’t feel any difference between the two. Thanks to the smooth refresh rate, both respond lightning-fast and without stutter.

The Snapdragon in the Plus model shows its strength when you edit complex 4K videos, work on complex image files with many layers or play graphics-heavy 3D games. Personally, I’d love to see a really powerful processor in an 11-inch tablet for once. 11 or 13 inches makes a difference in a handbag or backpack, and unfortunately there isn’t much choice in the smaller size.

You can hear the difference in the sound. The 11.1-inch model has four speakers that sound clean and powerful. The Plus model has six speakers tuned by Harman Kardon with Dolby Atmos. They easily fill a whole room with full, bass-rich sound. If you like watching shows without headphones, you get a small portable cinema.

You don’t need to worry about the battery with either of them. 11,000 mAh in the small model and 12,700 mAh in the large one easily last two normal days at university or work with mixed use. With 68 watts, both are ready for the rest of the day again after a half-hour coffee break.

The pen: writing like on paper

Fortunately, Lenovo makes no difference with the pen. Both tablets use the Tab Pen Pro 2, and you immediately notice how much thought the developers put into it. If you’ve ever written with a stylus on bare glass, you know the problem: it feels slippery and artificial, and the pen clacks on the glass.

The Tab Pen Pro 2 has haptic feedback. When you draw or write, it vibrates very finely and makes a quiet sound that imitates a pencil, highlighter or fountain pen rubbing on paper. You can choose which one. That is really wild: your brain thinks you’re writing on paper, the pen control becomes more precise, and your hand cramps up much less during long lectures or meetings.

On top of that come clever shortcuts:

• Erasing: if you flip the pen over, the top end works like an eraser. No more selecting the eraser in the menu.
• AI: if you squeeze the pen, the AI starts. You can circle something and search for it, turn a scribble into a clean graphic or use the screenshot right away.
• Copy and paste: swipe up on the pen to copy something, swipe down to paste it again. You don’t even have to reach for the keyboard. I think this feature is super cool.

Keyboard and Desk Mode

Both models come with a keyboard, but with a different concept. For the Yoga Tab Gen 2, Lenovo uses a two-piece solution: a magnetic case with a kickstand for the back and a separate keyboard that clicks on at the bottom. The advantage is flexibility. You leave the keyboard off and still stand the tablet securely on the kitchen table thanks to the kickstand, for example to play a video while cooking. The downside: on your lap, on the train for example, a two-piece construction naturally wobbles a little.

The Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2 uses a one-piece clamshell keyboard that snaps on magnetically in one move. Closed, it feels like a high-quality, slim notebook. Open, you can type comfortably on your lap without a kickstand taking up space behind it. The keyboard has 1.5 mm of key travel and types exceptionally well. You can tell Lenovo’s experience with ThinkPads here, the laptops people buy mainly for their typing comfort.

In Desk Mode, Android switches to a desktop view with freely movable windows and a taskbar. On the 11.1-inch model, that’s already quite nice for two documents side by side. On the 13-inch model, it feels like a real workstation: the browser for research on the left, the document on the right and YouTube somewhere next to them.

For me, the pen and keyboard are real productivity hacks on both tablets. I write an incredible number of emails every day, and with the keyboard that is very comfortable. I read contracts on the tablet, annotate or sign them directly with the pen, or have individual passages translated when they are in English. I put Gemini on the keyboard’s freely assignable key so I can quickly look something up in between.

Strengths and weaknesses

The 3:2 display is clearly on the plus side. Once you’ve worked or read on it, classic widescreen tablets feel like a small step backward. The writing feel with the pen’s haptic feedback and its practical features are also absolutely top class.

Another huge plus is how future-proof they are. Both tablets launch with Android 17, and Lenovo guarantees security updates until 2033. For Android tablets, that is exceptionally long-lasting and sustainable.

On the other hand: as well as the window mode works and as good as the keyboards are, at its core it remains an Android tablet limited to the apps in the Play Store. If you need specialized software, you still need a laptop. But you know that when you buy a tablet instead of a laptop. And as I said, I would have liked a stronger anti-glare coating on both displays.

Which Yoga Tab is right for whom?

There is €200 between the two models, with identical accessories.

Yoga Tab Gen 2 (11.1 inches, €649): this is the clear value pick for anyone looking for a flexible everyday companion. If you commute a lot, take notes at university or school, or read on the couch and on the train, the 11.1-inch format is much handier. You save €200 and still get the same display sharpness, the same brilliant pen and the same long update guarantee.

Yoga Tab Plus Gen 2 (13 inches, €849): this is the right choice if the tablet is meant to largely replace your laptop in everyday life. If you write long texts every day, you benefit enormously from the sturdier clamshell keyboard, and the large screen makes multitasking with windows truly productive. On top of that come the outstanding sound of the six speakers and the Snapdragon chip with performance reserves for the next few years. If you want to use the tablet that intensively, the extra €200 is absolutely justified.

I’d like to know: is a compact 11.1 inches enough for you on the go, or do you need the big 13-inch canvas for your desk? Let me know in the comments under the video.