My wife told me I don't need another tablet, but this last-minute deal was too good to pass up

Balatro on the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Heading into 2025, I was hoping that we would see powerful tablet options come in smaller sizes. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 has become my favorite tablet of the year, and is now $120 off in a Lenovo Doorbuster deal.

When it was announced, I was already excited, seeing as it packs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 behind a gorgeous 8.8-inch screen. It was also expected to be pretty affordable with a $499 launch price. However, the U.S. tariff situation resulted in the price being increased to $549 just days after it was released.

Since then, we've seen the Legion Tab Gen 3 drop as low as $449, but now, you can get it for even less. Lenovo is hosting its own Prime Day sale, with a smattering of "Doorbuster" deals, such as this one for the latest flagship tablet.

Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3: $549.99$429.99 at Lenovo

Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3: $549.99 $429.99 at Lenovo

There's a lot to like about what the Legion Tab Gen 3 has to offer, even if you don't care about gaming. It's much smaller than other flagship Android tablets, putting it in direct competition with the iPad Mini.

💲Alternative deal: Save 41% on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 at Amazon

✅Recommended if: you want a flagship tablet that doesn't try to act as if it's a laptop replacement.

❌Skip this deal if: you need a tablet with expandable storage, a SIM card slot, or a fingerprint scanner.

Besides the power and portability, another reason why the Legion Tab Gen 3 could be your next tablet is the display. Unlike many other premium tablets out there, Lenovo opted against using an OLED panel. This is great news for those who suffer from PWM, such as my colleague Nick Sutrich.

While I could continue gushing about how great this tablet is, there are a couple of sticking points. The first of which is that you're stuck with one RAM and storage configuration (12GB/256GB), and there's no microSD card slot. Lenovo remedied this with its latest Y700 tablet, but that has yet to see a release here in the States.

Another surprising omission is that the Legion Tab Gen 3 lacks a fingerprint scanner. When the tablet was announced, I just assumed it would be embedded in the power button. That's not the case, so you're left relying on the traditional unlock methods, and while there's Face Unlock, it's the rather basic version that adorned older and cheaper phones.

Despite those pitfalls, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is still my favorite tablet of the year, to this point. It's so good that I ended up picking up a second one that will be used for my various tinkering projects without needing to worry about something happening to the one I already have. As someone who already has more tablets than common sense, my wife wasn't too pleased to hear about another one being added to the bunch.

There are deals on accessories too

Lenovo Tab Pen Plus: $49.99$44.99 at Amazon

Lenovo Tab Pen Plus: $49.99 $44.99 at Amazon

Not only is the Legion Tab Gen 3 a beast for gaming, but it can also be turned into a digital notebook. That's because Lenovo included support for its Tab Pen Plus, which is an absolute delight to use with a notebook-sized tablet.

Supershieldz Matte Screen Protector (3-pack): $8.99$6.99 at Amazon

Supershieldz Matte Screen Protector (3-pack): $8.99 $6.99 at Amazon

If you're like me and don't really enjoy the feeling of using a stylus on glass, then you might want to check out these matte screen protectors. They add just enough resistance to make you feel like you're writing on paper, and do a great job at removing glare.

💲Alternative deal: Tempered Glass Screen Protector (2-pack) for $7.19 at Amazon

GameSir X5 Lite: $34.99$27.99 at Amazon

GameSir X5 Lite: $34.99 $27.99 at Amazon

How could I talk about this powerhouse tablet without recommending a controller to go with it? The GameSir X5 Lite might look like it's meant for phones, but it can actually expand to fit the Legion Tab Gen 3. Plus, it offers passthrough charging, so you'll never have to worry about running out of juice in the middle of a game.

Andrew Myrick
Senior Editor — Smartphones (North America), Chromebooks & Tablets

Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.