We know Lenovo best for its laptops, and of course Motorola phones, but it has a successful lineup of own-branded phones outside of North America as well. The latest in the lineup is an interesting convergence device that splits the line between phone and tablet: the Tab V7.
With a 6.95-inch display, the Tab V7 is really pushing the definition of a "phone" — and a glance into the software information tells you that, as it actually has an "about tablet" screen. But Android 9 Pie is effectively the same either way; and Lenovo hasn't done changed much from what you'd see on a Pixel or Android One device. And really, it doesn't need any special software — the whole idea of the Tab V7 is to simply act like a phone, but give you tons of room to view content.
And realistically, it's not that tough to handle. The 18:9 aspect ratio makes it nominally manageable in one hand, at least for reading and scrolling, but definitely hinders your ability to reach across or to the top of it. Though it's surprisingly light for its size — lighter than the Galaxy Note 9. The screen is just 1080p, which at this size isn't great, but the panel is surprisingly colorful and bright enough to get the job done.
An absurdly large battery with these specs should yield seemingly endless battery life.
The screen resolution also starts to make sense when you consider that this is a €249 (or equivalent) phone. The rest of the specs back up that notion: it's running a rather ancient (announced mid-2017) Snapdragon 450 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. There's also an upgraded model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which I would think most people would want if they plan on using the Tab V7 for its intended use of media consumption.
And consume you can, because the Tab V7 has an absolute unit of a battery: 5180mAh. With that screen resolution and those specs, a 5180mAh battery should get you through even the most intense day (or days) of use. Lenovo foresees this battery and large screen enabling people to easily use the phone throughout a long commute twice a day, plus a heavy day of use in between.
The rest of the phone is understandably forgettable. The plastic unibody is efficient and solid, but not particularly nice to look at. There's at least a fingerprint sensor on the back, a headphone jack, and stereo speakers; but the basic cameras on the front and rear don't look too promising.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Android 9 Pie |
| Display | 6.95-inch, 2160x1080 (18:9) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 |
| Storage | 32/64GB |
| RAM | 3/4GB |
| Rear camera | 13MP, auto focus |
| Front camera | 5MP |
| Network | GSM: B2/3/5/8 UMTS: B1/2/5/8 FDD LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20 TDD LTE: B38/40 |
| Audio | Stereo speakers 3.5 mm headphone |
| Battery | 5180 mAh |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Security | Fingerprint sensor, face unlock |
| Dimensions | 177.9 x 86.5 x 7.89 mm 195 g |
The Lenovo Tab V7 isn't coming to North America, but will make its way to Latin America, as well as parts of Europe and Asia. With this size and price I could see the Tab V7 picking up some traction in those areas where screen size and battery size for price is one of the biggest considerations in a phone buying decision.
