Lenovo announced a 5G gaming smartphone with a pop-up camera

Mobile gamers are gamers too, right? Are we still having this debate? Mobile gaming is a growing industry, with the format being one of the easiest entries into the pro-gaming and streaming markets. This is why Lenovo just announced their most intriguing gaming smartphone yet. 

It’s called the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, and it features 5G capability up to 2.52 Gbps (gotta stay connected, yo). Powering the device is Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 865 Plus 5G Mobile Platform, up to 16GB of RAM (there’s an optional 12GB config), and storage of up to 512GB. And even though this monster features impressive specs, that’s not what makes the device special. 

Stream in the loo

The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel’s design and software are all based on gaming console mechanics, featuring a variety of virtual tools, OS themes, a powerful battery and the cherry on top — a pop-up selfie camera specifically for streaming. This is a 20MP camera that can hide itself and captures HD 1080p footage. It can also record in 4K at up to 30 FPS. So, you can stream from just about anywhere. 

Because the Legion Phone Duel is built for gaming, the display is just as important as raw power. The phone features a 6.65in Full HD AMOLED display with a whopping 144Hz refresh rate. In addition to this, the OS has the capability to implement virtual gamepad controls, which can be used in lieu of traditional external controllers. Although we’d prefer the proper gamepad, it’s nice to have a built-in option. 

“These in-screen touch signals are mapped to gyro sensors which are continually sending data to the display driver resulting in the smooth rotations and execution of commands in-game,” the release from Lenovo reads. So basically, the phone is a DualShock. But it’s a phone. Right. 

It’s nice to have easy streaming integration with sites like Twitch and Youtube for primarily mobile streamers without much extra hassle. All you’ll need is the phone, and maybe a headset. We’ve reached out to Lenovo’s local PR and they will let us know when it’s available locally, and for how much.