Lenovo Miix 510 review

Because we’re looking at the Intel Core i5 variant of the Miix 510 here, performance isn’t really an issue. There’s plenty of ‘everyday’ power on offer.

Naturally, you’re not talking about gaming performance, but between the fast PCIe SSD and the processor, there was no issue with any kind of everyday tasks we tried. 

Plus there’s plenty to like in terms of entertainment performance and we found the Miix 510 genuinely likeable for watching movies on with the kickstand.

The Lenovo Miix 510 showed, well, mixed performance in our benchmark tests. Performance was good, the multi-core Geekbench test and 3DMark scores are understandably comparable to other similarly-powered competitors.

However, battery life on the Lenovo Miix 510 fell short compared to other Windows tablets, namely the Surface Pro 4 and Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 that we’ve mentioned earlier. The Surface Pro 4’s battery life was 35 minutes longer on our looped TechRadar video playback test. Meanwhile, the Pro 4 lasted for 18 minutes longer on the harsh PCMark 8 battery test.

It’s refreshing to see USB-C included with the Lenovo Miix 510 – the manufacturer has provided plenty of options here with legacy USB support, too, but we’d prefer to see a USB-C charger rather than the round-ended standard charger included with the Miix 510. Next time. It’s a nice, light and compact power, brick, however, so it won’t weigh you down. Still, in a world where Microsoft continues to pretend USB-C doesn’t exist, this is a definite benefit for the device. Microsoft thinks people aren’t ready for USB-C, but Apple doesn’t seem to have any problems convincing its users.

Lenovo hasn’t included a microSD port here though; surprising in our book but not a deal-breaker. As you’d expect, you get a 2 megapixel front camera for video calling, as well as a decent if uninspiring 5 megapixel unit on the back. Dual-microphones cancel out background noise and we had no problem with being understood on calls. 

In terms of audio playback, it’s fine for everyday YouTube viewing, but you’ll want to hook it up to a Bluetooth audio system (there is a headphone jack, too) for any movies or music.

 Final verdict

There’s a lot to love about the Lenovo Miix 510. It’s a powerful device that has no problem dealing with everyday workloads. Hook it up to a secondary monitor or use it on the move – the usual tablet/keyboard caveats apply – it really needs to be used on a flat surface – but the kickstand does work well for that. 

Still, with all of its competitors above and beside it, like the 2017 Surface Pro, it’s hard to recommend unequivocally. The display isn’t as high resolution as some, even if it is great quality – whether that will bug you is a matter of personal preference. However, it’s the battery life that really grates, especially when competitors have similarly specified innards and better displays. We really would have expected more here.   

But, if you’re just looking for an affordable Windows tablet, you’ll find the Lenovo Miix 510 as a fantastic alternative option.

• Images Credit: TechRadar