Lenovo Tab 2 A10-70 10.1" FHD Tablet Hands On Review: A Hidden Gem

[jacktesterson]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-tab-2-a10-70-10-1-16gb-navy-blue/4097025.p?id=1219618213212

Purchase Price: $199.99

I purchased this tablet a week ago and wanted to give some hands on thoughts about the tablet since there is not a lot of info on the internet about it. It could be a hidden gem.

OS: Turning the tablet on for the first time, the tablet came with Android 4.4 KitKat. I was immediately prompted for software updates. (4 to be exact). After doing all 4 updates the end result was Android 5.01 Lollipop. This tablet runs a 100% stock version of Android which I really appreciate. It also came with very limited bloatware which could be fully uninstalled. Overall I am very happy with the operating System as things run very fluently.

Performance: This tablet comes with a MediaTek 8165 Quad Core 1.7GHz CPU (A53 Cores) and a Mali-T760 MP2 GPU. The device has 2GB of Ram. This was the first time I've ever purchased a mobile device with a MediaTek SoC so I wasn't sure what to expect. Good news! This tablets performance is great. The OS is fluid and smooth, web browsing is great and all games and software I've tried has worked great without a hitch. I'm sure the performance of this tablet is more than enough for the majority of users out there since these tend to be consumption devices. The CPU benchmarks between a Snapdraggon 600 and 800 (800 about 15% faster) and the GPU benchmarks similar to the Adreno 320/ Adreno 405. Asphalt 8, Clash of Clans and Dead Trigger all run great. Antutu scores the tablet around 38000. I've had no complaints whatsoever about performance. It runs circles around higher priced devices like the Galaxy Tab A.

Screen: This may be the biggest surprise of them all. The screen on this tablet is great. It's a 10.1 inch 1920x1200 IPS screen with very deep blacks (0.191 cd/m²) and a very high contrast ratio (1848:1) while maintaining accurate colors. The screen is bright as well. It's hard to believe a $199 tablet has a screen this nice. It kills devices in its price range and is even better than much more expensive devices like the Nexus 9. I even prefer its color over the iPad Air 2. I couldn't find in the documentation what kind of glass is on the screen so I don't believe it's Gorilla Glass. I'm typing this whole review on the device and am very happy with the responsiveness on the screen as well.

Speakers & Battery Life: The Speakers are above average for this price range. They put out similar sound to my Tab S 8.4. They are clear. The only knock is they are rear facing. Battery Life is another pleasant surprise. The battery is 7200 mAH and I am getting about 10 hours of heavy mixed use per charge. This is much above average in this price range and I am very happy with it. The SoC's A53 cores are very efficient and rarely the device gets hot.

Build Quality, Camera's & Storage: The build quality is all plastic but that's expected in this price range. It feels good in hand and also feels solid. The color, Dark navy blue, is also very nice. The device is fairly light at 508g. The camera's are decent.. The rear camera is a 8MP shooter and the front is 5MP. In day light they seem to be almost as good as the Tab S 8.4 cameras and better than the Nexus 9/Xperia Z2 I've used in the past. Tab S is smidge better and the iPad 2 is better than both. There is no flash though so dark shots are not good at all. The device came with 16GB (also available in 32GB on the Lenovo site for $30 more) and has a MicroSD slot. I installed a Silicon Power 64GB card and it has had no issues.

The only negatives I can say for the device is the screen is glossy (indoor use only) and attracts fingerprints very easily. There were no cases available for the device at Best Buy and even eBay has limited options.


I wrote this review as I try out most tablets as a hobby and for $199 I don't think there is a better tablet out there. I feel almost everyone would be very happy with this device. Please ask any questions or requests.

 

[KeithP]

It looks pretty good for 10", $200 device. I am considering this but I think I would want to see a 5.1 update pushed out first.

-KeithP

 

[jacktesterson]

It looks pretty good for 10", $200 device. I am considering this but I think I would want to see a 5.1 update pushed out first.

-KeithP

What does 5.1 bring to the table that it would be a deciding factor? Lenovo has pushed 4 updates out already and rumors are this tablet will get Android M so I wonder if that would be the next upgrade since 5.1 brings very little differences to most users over 5.01. (In Lenovos's eyes)

 

[KeithP]

What does 5.1 bring to the table that it would be a deciding factor?

I have a Moto G 2nd gen that started on 4.4 and is currently at 5.0.2. While not exactly comparable, the Moto G has some issues with 5.0.2.

Most notably, pauses when launching apps or doing certain things. I have seen others complain about similar, and in some cases, much more severe problems with 5.0.2 on various devices.

Maybe Lenovo has done a much better job with the update then other OEMs and this device has no issues to speak of. Hopefully, that is the case and if other reviews seem to back that up I may change my mind. We will see.

-Keith

 

[Dulanic]

I would love mine if it didn't have WiFi issues. I'll probably request a RMA next week.

Every 5 to 15 minutes it drops connection. It shows connected but I get disconnected in my apps. All other devices have no issue so it's not my WiFi.

Almost feels like Lenovo in general has WiFi issues. Had problems with my lenovo laptop too and I had to swap out the wifi adapter because the one they used just sucked.

And yes it is a fingerprint magnet. And they don't come off very easily either. It takes scrubbing it for a while with a microfiber cloth.

 

[jacktesterson]

I would love mine if it didn't have WiFi issues. I'll probably request a RMA next week.

Every 5 to 15 minutes it drops connection. It shows connected but I get disconnected in my apps. All other devices have no issue so it's not my WiFi.

Almost feels like Lenovo in general has WiFi issues. Had problems with my lenovo laptop too and I had to swap out the wifi adapter because the one they used just sucked.

And yes it is a fingerprint magnet. And they don't come off very easily either. It takes scrubbing it for a while with a microfiber cloth.

Did you do a factory reset? I did right after upgrading to Lollipop just as an old habit.

No issues whatsoever with WiFi with heavy use this past week

 

[jacktesterson]

Still can't stress how nice the screen is on this tablet. This is a steal for $200

 

[beeze22]

Long time lurker here. I currently do not own a tablet and am in the market to buy one. I had my eye on this tab 2 10.1 but like you mentioned not too many reviews out for it.

I see in your signature that you also own an iPad air 2. I realize that the iPad air 2 will smash the lenovo performance wise, but as a media consumption device how would you compare the two? Also, if you're able to comment on the lenovo's gaming performance (hearthstone addict and light emulation).

I was hoping for an air 3 refresh for an up to date future proof purchase. Hard to pay for an air 2 full price a year after launch. If the lenovo tab can hold its own then I may consider dropping some expectations for a cheaper tab.

 

[luv2liv]

Can I mirror onto a bigger screen TV? The best buy link doesn't say anything about micro hdmi or maracas. How long does it charge from 0 to 100%? Thanks!

 

[jacktesterson]

Can I mirror onto a bigger screen TV? The best buy link doesn't say anything about micro hdmi or maracas. How long does it charge from 0 to 100%? Thanks!

It has Miracast and works with an HDMI OTG cable

 

[jacktesterson]

Long time lurker here. I currently do not own a tablet and am in the market to buy one. I had my eye on this tab 2 10.1 but like you mentioned not too many reviews out for it.

I see in your signature that you also own an iPad air 2. I realize that the iPad air 2 will smash the lenovo performance wise, but as a media consumption device how would you compare the two? Also, if you're able to comment on the lenovo's gaming performance (hearthstone addict and light emulation).

I was hoping for an air 3 refresh for an up to date future proof purchase. Hard to pay for an air 2 full price a year after launch. If the lenovo tab can hold its own then I may consider dropping some expectations for a cheaper tab.

The Lenovo is better as a media consumption device. 16:10 screen with higher contrast than the iPad 2. Can also play native files with no need to convert. Plays 15GB 1080p high bittrate MKV files perfect off MicroSD.

As far as light emulation and Hearthstone I have no idea don't use either but its played any game I've thrown at it without issue.

Yes the IPad Air 2 is more powerful but its also 2.x times the price with only 16GB of storage.

 

[beeze22]

The Lenovo is better as a media consumption device. 16:10 screen with higher contrast than the iPad 2. Can also play native files with no need to convert. Plays 15GB 1080p high bittrate MKV files perfect off MicroSD.

As far as light emulation and Hearthstone I have no idea don't use either but its played any game I've thrown at it without issue.

Yes the IPad Air 2 is more powerful but its also 2.x times the price with only 16GB of storage.

Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading there is an auto-dimmer feature that some aren't happy with. Not sure what that is but one user reports that the device will adjust its brightness depending on what is displayed on the screen. Apparently you can't disable that feature and it made using the device in the dark unpleasant. Any comments with your usage?

 

[jacktesterson]

Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading there is an auto-dimmer feature that some aren't happy with. Not sure what that is but one user reports that the device will adjust its brightness depending on what is displayed on the screen. Apparently you can't disable that feature and it made using the device in the dark unpleasant. Any comments with your usage?

No idea have not noticed it at all

 

[Super56K]

Ended up buying one of these to potentially replace a Samsung Tab Pro 8.4.

My own initial impressions are mostly positive:

- The near stock 5.0.1 OS runs much, much better than 4.4 Touchwiz. The same performance improvement is noted within apps as well.

- Double tap screen to wake/unlock is very handy and a welcome feature on a $200 tablet.

- Great screen. I think 1920x1200 is an ideal resolution for tablets 7-10" in size. Nice departure from the 2560x1600 Samsung screen that, unsurprisingly, had some trouble operating smoothly. I notice a slight resolution difference, but it's a tradeoff I welcome until budget hardware can handle something like 1600p with nary a hiccup.

Sort of cons:

- I'm used to never getting system updates on Android devices. This thing had four or five rounds of system updates right out of the box (started at 4.x). Never had that before on an Android device. It felt like I'd bought a Windows laptop with all the updates I had to install to get it ready for use. Still overall very positive to get Lollipop straight away though.

- I'm a lefty, and I'm not feeling strongly either way on what the actual portrait orientation is intended to be. I'll know what's right once my case arrives this week.

- On that subject, the headphone jack is kind of randomly placed. I'm used to having it either top or bottom of device (in portrait mode) by the other buttons. This is already a little problematic with use on my treadmill since the headphone jack is on top in landscape orientation almost centered, rather than being on the side and out of the way.

Cons:

- Terrible, terrible speaker placement. They have the extra space on the Lenovo branded side of the bezel for front firing, but decided to opt for back firing speakers. I imagine they're going to sound even worse inside a case, but we'll see. As is I'd rather have Samsung's bad speakers because they at least are on the bottom edge. I use headphones more often than not, but I'm just a little surprised they let that speaker placement make it into the final design. Really a wasted opportunity to be able to advertise nice front firing speakers.

- Creaky build. Fit and finish is a step back from my Samsung tablet, which isn't exactly an engineering marvel itself. This one really doesn't bother me as I always put tablets into folio cases with folding smart covers, but the not-so-great fit and finish is immediately noticeable upon picking this tablet up. Also be warned if you hate stickers. There's a clump of glossy labels and stickers with the serial number and other stuff right on the back of the device.


Now, don't read this and take it all the wrong way. I really like the tablet, and I'm confident that the Samsung will be finding a new home within a couple weeks, but I'm just trying to be honest and informative about my thoughts on the tablet as a whole. Testing battery life and overall stability will come in the next few weeks, but it seems like a keeper so far.

 

[jacktesterson]

Ended up buying one of these to potentially replace a Samsung Tab Pro 8.4.

My own initial impressions are mostly positive:

- The near stock 5.0.1 OS runs much, much better than 4.4 Touchwiz. The same performance improvement is noted within apps as well.

- Double tap screen to wake/unlock is very handy and a welcome feature on a $200 tablet.

- Great screen. I think 1920x1200 is an ideal resolution for tablets 7-10" in size. Nice departure from the 2560x1600 Samsung screen that, unsurprisingly, had some trouble operating smoothly. I notice a slight resolution difference, but it's a tradeoff I welcome until budget hardware can handle something like 1600p with nary a hiccup.

Sort of cons:

- I'm used to never getting system updates on Android devices. This thing had four or five rounds of system updates right out of the box (started at 4.x). Never had that before on an Android device. It felt like I'd bought a Windows laptop with all the updates I had to install to get it ready for use. Still overall very positive to get Lollipop straight away though.

- I'm a lefty, and I'm not feeling strongly either way on what the actual portrait orientation is intended to be. I'll know what's right once my case arrives this week.

- On that subject, the headphone jack is kind of randomly placed. I'm used to having it either top or bottom of device (in portrait mode) by the other buttons. This is already a little problematic with use on my treadmill since the headphone jack is on top in landscape orientation almost centered, rather than being on the side and out of the way.

Cons:

- Terrible, terrible speaker placement. They have the extra space on the Lenovo branded side of the bezel for front firing, but decided to opt for back firing speakers. I imagine they're going to sound even worse inside a case, but we'll see. As is I'd rather have Samsung's bad speakers because they at least are on the bottom edge. I use headphones more often than not, but I'm just a little surprised they let that speaker placement make it into the final design. Really a wasted opportunity to be able to advertise nice front firing speakers.

- Creaky build. Fit and finish is a step back from my Samsung tablet, which isn't exactly an engineering marvel itself. This one really doesn't bother me as I always put tablets into folio cases with folding smart covers, but the not-so-great fit and finish is immediately noticeable upon picking this tablet up. Also be warned if you hate stickers. There's a clump of glossy labels and stickers with the serial number and other stuff right on the back of the device.


Now, don't read this and take it all the wrong way. I really like the tablet, and I'm confident that the Samsung will be finding a new home within a couple weeks, but I'm just trying to be honest and informative about my thoughts on the tablet as a whole. Testing battery life and overall stability will come in the next few weeks, but it seems like a keeper so far.

Battery Life has been great for me.

The creaking I've only noticed around the speaker area on the back. It seems the grill is covering some holo area around the speakers. I don't noticemit very often.

The stickers on the back were easily removed for me with no residue.

Speakers sound fine but yes rear facing is poor design decision especially when the first gen model had front facing speakers.

As far as updates I just received another 129MB update last night. It said for stability and GPS improvements. (Which I'll note GPS locks on this tablet quicker than allmmy other devices even before the update)

Rumors are this tablet will get Android 6.0 as well.

Pretty solid package for $200.

Thanks for the review!

 

[beeze22]

Chiming back in to say that I ended up purchasing this tablet over the Air 2. Originally I had been set on buying the Air 2 if i could snag up any of the deals that have been floating around but unfortunately was unsuccessful.

I do want to thank OP for posting your impressions. It steered me into giving this device a try and so far it has been great. I echo all of the praises that have been said. It really is a steal @ $200.

Coming back to my comments on Hearthstone (if anyone is interested), it runs the game great. There is minor lag when the animations get real busy but perfectly happy with how it performs.
Can't comment on emulation as I haven't tried it yet.

Some other cons that I haven't seen listed yet.
The screen is still rather bright when dimmed down all the way. It made using the device in the dark kind of uncomfortable (bad for the eyes, yes I know). Haven't looked in the play store to see if there are apps that can further dim the display.
If you like to root/load custom roms, there isn't much development going on for the device over at xda-developers. I believe root has been achieved for Kitkat but not Lollipop.
Also, keep in mind that the device comes with 16GB on-board storage. I may be incorrect, but i believe Lollipop does not allow you to install apps on the SD card. If so, you are restricted to ~16GB worth of apps.

All in all, it has been a great device and it really made me re-evaluate my use case for a tablet. It's definitely a great media consumption device at a very enticing price point. I'm sure I would've been happy with an Ipad Air 2 but I would've definitely overpaid if I were to mimic my use case with the lenovo so far.

 

[luv2liv]

i have lollipop on my asus zenfone2. i can confirm you can move apps to SD card. just bought a 64gb samsung microsd for $18! most likely i will get this tablet too.

 

[jacktesterson]

i have lollipop on my asus zenfone2. i can confirm you can move apps to SD card. just bought a 64gb samsung microsd for $18! most likely i will get this tablet too.

This is correct. You can install Apps on the MicroSD card on this tablet.

It's under Settings -> Apps. You can send can select apps to move or individually like this:

The above poster is correct with the screen being too bright at its lowest setting. I use my tablet primarily at night and all the way down, which is also why my battery life has been great I'm sure. During the day I keep it around 25% brightness.

I do wish the speakers were a smidge louder.

It's not top tier performance king but with stock Android I think most would find it satisfactory. It's not slow feeling.

A positive I never mentioned and may not be a positive to others but I love the on screen touch buttons. The buttons on my Tab S drive me nuts I hit them all the time by mistake

Blacks are black which I also love. Maybe the best I've seen besides the Tab S series.

Idle battery life is great.

Again I think mentioning the price at $199 is what really makes it attractive for what you get.

 

[mmntech]

Performance isn't too shabby. About on par with the last gen (A7) iPad Mini.
http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/3553836

Not bad overall for $200.

 

[KeithP]

FYI, Fry's has it on sale for $180 but they are out of stock online. You will need to check your local store for inventory.

http://www.frys.com/product/8535889?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

-KeithP