Lenovo wants to take mobile gaming to a new level with the Legion Phone Duel 2. It is already obvious at first glance that the Chinese company wants to offer uncompromising gaming hardware for the pocket. This is not least made clear by the dual fan. But is the gaming smartphone really worth its 800 Euros? Let’s take a quick look at the specs.
The trend of gaming smartphones
Not least the unspeakable success of the Nintendo Switch will have put many smartphone manufacturers in a predicament to launch similarly good solutions for mobile gaming. It is quite obvious to rely on a combined solution with a smartphone. Besides Lenovo, Asus is also very active in this market segment. With its ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, the company now has three powerful gaming smartphones in its product portfolio.
A potent Snapdragon 888 from Qualcomm is supposed to provide rich graphics power and performance in these three devices. To prevent it from overheating, Asus optionally offers an external fan with an Aeroactive. Lenovo follows a similar path with its Legion Phone Duel 2. However, the fan is not optional, but already installed ex-factory. The Chinese manufacturer relies on an effective dual fan.
Is it worth it?
Of course, gaming smartphones like the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 only offer added value when they have the corresponding features. In this case, Lenovo clearly scores with its active cooling. The two installed fans, which each have 29 rotor blades, are supposed to ensure a cool processor in combination with the vapor chamber. Since Lenovo, like Asus, uses a Snapdragon 888, this intention is quite commendable. After all, this little “beast” can definitely get warm during hardware-hungry games and/or applications.
But it’s not just the eye-catching fans that make it clear right away that this is no ordinary smartphone. Especially the back comes in a unique design that reminds of common gaming peripherals. Above all, the radiant RGB lighting should make sure that the user and the device are eye-catchers. The back not only looks impressive, but also offers an innovative control option that reminds a bit of Sony’s PS Vita thanks to the built-in touch fields. Besides the touch controls, Lenovo relies on two sensors that react to pressure and four shoulder buttons. Thus, the user has a total of eight different buttons to choose from, which can be programmed individually.
Display from Samsung
Lenovo relies on the experts from Samsung for the display. The 6.92-inch touchscreen resolves with 2,480 x 1,080 pixels and should enable smooth gaming and scrolling thanks to a refresh rate of 144 hertz. Gamers will also be happy about a 720 hertz sampling rate. Of course, the gaming smartphone also has cameras. Besides the main camera with 64 megapixels, there is also a super-wide-angle lens with 16 megapixels on the back. The front-facing camera has an astonishingly high resolution. It is hidden in a pop-up module and should be able to take great selfies thanks to 44 megapixels.
Two USB-C ports
Of course, the hardware ensures that the Legion Phone Duel 2 needs decent power. Accordingly, Lenovo relies on a dual-slot battery. Thanks to a capacity of 5,500 mAh, it offers a rich battery performance. If the gaming smartphone should run out of juice, it can be recharged quickly via the included 65-Watt power adapter. Lenovo would also like to offer a 90-Watt power adapter as an option. However, you will have to use both USB-C ports of the Legion Duel 2.
Lenovo of course relies on Android again this time. The operating system from Google is preinstalled in version 11 ex-works. The quite exciting smartphone is available in different configuration variants. The entry-level version offers 12 GB of RAM and a 256 GB flash storage and has an MSRP of 800 Euros (~$800). If you need more in both respects, you can go for the version with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. Lenovo includes a matching charging station for the better-equipped version with an MSRP of 1,000 Euros. According to the manufacturer, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 will be launched in May 2021.
