Lenovo has just launched its first Legion-branded gaming phone, and it’s an absolutely ridiculously powerful Android device that’s designed to be used and played just like the Nintendo Switch.
Lenovo has designed the phone to work best in landscape mode and the brand says that even when you’re not gaming, you won’t have to switch it back to the more traditional vertical position. You can get a feel for this design idea by just looking at the position of the pop-up selfie camera: it’s on the side, rather than the top.
There are also a number of ‘gaming themes’ that, for example, includes a home mode that’ll let you play via a connected keyboard and mouse on an external monitor.
Lenovo Legion Phone Duel Performance and specs – An absolute powerhouse
As this is a gaming phone, the internals are some of the best we’ve ever seen on an Android phone. It’s one of the first phones to pack the Snapdragon 865 Plus chip (also rumoured to power the Galaxy Note 20) along with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It’s sub-6 5G compatible too, ideal if you’re planning on large multiplayer sessions over Wi-Fi or getting into game streaming down the line.
The display looks interesting too as it boasts a 144Hz refresh rate for super-smooth scrolling and gaming along with a 240Hz sampling rate. It’s an OLED panel, with a FHD+ resolution and measures 6.65-inches. It’s not the highest res around, but it should still provide a crisp image.
While those specs are impressive, it’s the battery tech that really has us interested. Inside the Legion there are two 2500mAh batteries and two USB-C ports (one on the side, another on the bottom) and these can be charged at the same time. Lenovo says this leads to super-quick charging times of 0-50% in 10 minutes and a full charge in 30 minutes. Seriously impressive stuff.
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The Legion has two batteries
Cameras are never the reason you’re going to buy a gaming phone, however there are still a few included here. That pop-up camera is 20MP and designed for recording yourself while streaming and there’s another 64MP shooter on the back than can produce 16MP ultra wide snaps.
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Lenovo Legion Phone Duel Price and release date
Sadly, it doesn’t look like the phone will be coming to the USA and UK. In China, it’ll be badged as the Lenovo Legion Phone Pro and be available in July. It should also come to other markets like Brazil. Pricing has yet to be confirmed.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.