Lenovo tablets are known for innovative designs that thoughtfully consider the the functionality of a tablet for everyday use. The Yoga Tablet 2 hits that nail on the head but disappoints almost everywhere else.

While most manufacturers are busy building razor-thin, light-as-air slates, Lenovo takes a more practical approach. Its best feature is the built-in kickstand, which is undeniably useful for activities like watching video, playing games, or email correspondence.

Good design only gets you so far, however. The Yoga Tablet 2 has a plain user-interface that oversimplifies the Android experience and out some of the customization features the OS is known for. The slate’s unique build can’t save it from that awful overlay, and its lackluster performance also doesn’t help the cause, making the tablet tough to recommend.

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2’s starting price is set at $269 in the US, $299 in Australia and €299 in Europe, though you can currently find it on Lenovo’s website for less.

Lenovo reprises clever design for the Yoga Tablet…
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Design

The Yoga Tablet 2 shares a similar design with last year’s models. Coming in 8- and 10-inch sizes, the pair have an aluminum frame that culminates at the chunky silver spine on the bottom. The rounded edge is home to the front-facing speakers and, on the rear side, the built-in kickstand.

The kickstand is easier to pull out than last years models — you simply pull it down by twisting at the spine — and it securely locks into a 90-degree angle, though you can easily adjust it to your liking. The stand also has a little hole in the middle of it, in case you’re the type who likes to hang their tablet.

The Yoga Tablet 2 can sit upright or be set down at a lower angle. I often found myself using the tablet propped up, for the most part. It’s great for hands-free casual use, especially watching video.

On the left edge, at the tip of the spine, you’ll find the power button, with Micro-USB port and volume rocker located slightly above. The headphone jack is found on the opposite, right end of the spine. The spine is smooth, but the back of the tablet has a bumpy texture, offering some grip support.

Thanks to the chunky rounded spine, gripping it in one hand is rather comfortable — in portrait orientation. Holding it in landscape orientation took some adjustment; my hands naturally gravitated to the comfier bottom edge, causing me to hold it like a barbell. Personally, I was fine with this, except my tendency to accidentally hit the power button became frustrating after a while.

Features

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, and it features a regrettably familiar overlay. Just like last year’s models, the Android skin on the Yoga Tablet 2 is simplified to a fault.

Mostly notably, the UI lacks an app tray. Instead of having all of your app shortcuts in one organized place, they’re placed on the homescreens. You can make folders to organize your shortcuts and choose which homescreen to place them on. Organizing everything, though, can be time-consuming, especially if you don’t stay on top of it.