Lenovo Legion just leaked - and it could be the ultimate Twitch gaming phone

Lenovo Legion just leaked - and it could be the ultimate Twitch gaming phone

Gaming smartphones are an interesting blend of high specs, angular design, and usually one gimmick. But this is a gimmick that Twitch streamers should appreciate.

We've already seen the Lenovo Legion unveiled on Chinese social media, but a new teaser video and a slew of details on Lenovo's Weibo account confirm that it will feature a 20MP pop-up selfie camera on what appears to be the right edge It was confirmed. And Lenovo envisions it being used as a means of providing game streaming on the go.

We've seen strange cooling attachments and touch-sensitive trigger buttons on gaming phones, but this is the first time we've seen a selfie camera in this odd position.

However, this makes a lot of sense, since gaming smartphones are usually held in landscape orientation to take full advantage of the widescreen display. In this case, the Lenovo Legion phone has a rumored 6.6" screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate. Therefore, a sideways-facing pop-up camera would be a good way to take selfies or shoot video of your face while gaming without having to flip the phone into portrait mode.

According to the teaser video, the pop-up camera could be used as a way to record faces during games and could work with streaming services; it would be especially effective with game streaming services such as Google Stadia, where users can record their faces in the background and then use the pop-up camera to record a video of their faces.

For those concerned about the durability of such a camera, Lenovo states that if the phone detects that it has been dropped, it will automatically retract in 0.5 seconds. Also, a metal back plate should help with durability.

The Weibo post also gives a more detailed look at the Legion phone's design, and Lenovo appears to be calling it the "Rescue Gaming Mobile Pro," but that may be a name for the Chinese market only.

The postings not only show off the Legion's red and black colors, but also how it will have angled edges; the Legion's rendered images also show two rear cameras consisting of a 64MP main sensor and a 16MP ultrawide sensor It also reveals that it will have a 64MP main sensor and a 16MP ultra-wide sensor.

The Legion phone is also reported to feature Air triggers on both sides of the phone, which are essentially touch-sensitive controls on the edge of the phone like the Asus ROG Phone. The teaser video also confirms that the Legion Phone will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus chip and will feature 90W fast charging.

These could make it a strong competitor to the Asus ROG Phone 3, which would position the gaming smartphone as a modern powerhouse as a rival to premium smartphones like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20. It is expected to have an impressive spec list.

Samsung's next flagship smartphone will use the Snapdragon 865 Plus chip in the US, but only the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is expected to feature a high refresh rate display. Even then, it will be a 120 Hz panel like the Galaxy S20 series, so if you need a very fast smartphone screen, you will need to choose a gaming phone.

Pre-orders for the Legion Phone have already begun on the Chinese site JD.com, and the full reveal of Lenovo's first gaming smartphone is expected on July 22. So we will soon have an idea of whether it will be the gaming phone of choice or a device with strange gimmicks.

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