In a tech world where Samsung and Apple are the dominating forces, the Lenovo Tab Plus will be the newest attempt of Lenovo to capture the mid-range segment. Lenovo Tab Plus, which is priced at Rs 22,999, is loaded with features that are purposely designed to enhance features, which unlike other competing products sets it apart in the market.
The Lenovo Tab Plus is one such exclusive masterwork that combines the latest trends with the highest quality of the tablet. The Lenovo Tab Plus review provides information and allows for the analysis of various parts of this device such as its unique design, display, audio capabilities, software, performance, and battery life to know if it can be one of the best choices among its contenders.
Most of the premium tablet segment is already dominated by the likes of Samsung and Apple. However, the affordable or mid-range segment still offers a variety of tablets from different brands. This is where Lenovo is trying to make a name for itself. The company has brought an excellent lineup of tablets for various use cases in this segment, and the latest one puts a special focus on entertainment.
The new Lenovo Tab Plus comes with a price tag of Rs 22,999 and brings some out-of-the-box features like an eight JBL-powered sound system coupled with an interesting design language, fast wired charging support, a clean user interface, and more. However, is it enough to make it stand out from the competition? Let's find out in this in-depth review.
As per our Lenovo Tab Plus Review, the Lenovo Tab Plus tries to stand out from the crowd with its unique design, which no other tablet offers in this price segment. From the front, it appears like a usual affordable tablet. The bezels around the display are not the slimmest compared to others, while the dual-tone finish does make it look like a premium one.
The Lenovo Tab Plus offers a built-in kickstand and is available in Luna Grey color options. However, once you flip it, you will notice the real distinction. The lower half of the tablet on the rear is twice as thick as the top half. This is primarily because the company has stuffed Hi-Fi speakers (more on this later) at the bottom, along with an in-built kickstand.
The built-in kickstand sure is an interesting proposition here, making it easier to place the screen on a desk and use it like a mini monitor to watch all your favorite content. This allows avoiding holding big-screen tablets in your hand. Plus, this also eliminates the need to buy accessories to dock it.
Interestingly, you can flip the kickstand to almost 180 degrees, making it easier to take notes or doodle. The good thing here is it also supports the Pen Plus stylus support.
The in-hand experience is slightly odd, thanks to the thick bottom. The tablet is 13.5mm thick at the bottom, while it is thinnest at 7.7mm. The slight bump on the rear helps you comfortably hold it in your hand, but not for long. The tablet is also not the lightest in the segment, with 650g weight, but it is manageable.
The most important aspect of this device is that the Lenovo Tab Plus offers a big screen, which is ideal for watching all your favorite content from different OTT apps or YouTube. Although it uses an LCD panel, the colors came out to be vibrant, though deep blacks were decent, if not impressive.
The tablet also comes with Widevine L1 support, which means you can easily stream the content in HD quality. The color reproduction was good. However, the screen is a bit reflective, so you can adjust the level with the help of a kickstand to have a glare-free experience.
The 2000 x 1200 resolution makes the icons and texts look sharper, while the 90Hz screen refresh rate makes the overall scrollable experience smooth sailing. There is also a dedicated Reading Mode that dims the backlight and drops color saturation so that you can have a comfortable reading experience.
However, what makes this tablet stand out from the crowd is its JBL-powered sound system. The tablet comes loaded with four woofers and four tweeters stuffed at the bottom half of the rear panel. I must say that adding so many speakers to a tablet is a job well done. The sound quality can put some affordable Bluetooth speakers to shame.
As per our Lenovo Tab Plus Review, the Lenovo Tab Plus comes loaded with four woofers and four tweeters powered by JBL. The tablet also comes with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res audio support, making it an all-in-one package for those looking for a tablet just for entertainment purposes. The sound output fills a small room without losing many details. Moreover, you can also use the tablet as a Bluetooth speaker by pairing it with any smartphone.
The low-end bass was surprisingly good, while the mids and highs were decent, giving an enjoyable experience while watching movies or playing music. However, when you crank up the volume at full, then you will notice some muffling of the highs and mids. But that drops significantly below 80 percent volume. It is suggested to stick to these levels to make the best of its audio capabilities.
The ZUI in the Lenovo Tab Plus offers almost a stock Android experience with some minor tweaks in the icons and more. Doing a left swipe will take you to an entertainment page instead of Google Discover. The page is a one-stop destination for getting recommendations for different OTT applications installed on your tablet.
The user interface comes with some bloatware, but it is not overwhelming. The company has added some interesting modes to make the user interface even smoother. To start with, there is a PC Mode that transforms your tablet UI into a desktop-style window, allowing you to pair a keyboard and start doing basic tasks.
Then, a Standby Mode displays slideshows or the time when you charge it. The user interface also has a dedicated Reading Mode that turns the display into black and white for easier late-night reading sessions. You also have the usual split screen and floating windows.
The company promises to deliver two years of Android OS updates and four years of security patches by January 2028. That said, the user interface is clean and offers a smooth experience overall.
The Lenovo Tab Plus Review includes the performance also and it is one area where the Lenovo Tab Plus takes a slight backseat. The MediaTek Helio G99 can be considered an old chipset at this point. To be honest, it is not one of the strong performers in the company's portfolio. This is also reflected in this tablet.
While you can scroll through the user interface smoothly (partially thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate), you still see some skips or stutters here and there. The tablet will perform well under normal usage, such as playing tracks on Apple Music while scrolling through Chrome. But the chipset starts to show signs when it comes to heavy multitasking. That said, casual gaming can be done on this one. I tried playing Temple Run 2 and Minion Rush games on this, and it ran lag-free. However, when you place it in landscape mode, the experience is not that great.
On the other hand, while playing heavy games like Call of Duty Mobile, you can witness some lags and stutters. The game only provides Medium Graphic Quality and a High frame rate at max. However, the game is only playable with Medium settings.
The cameras of the Lenovo Tab Plus are at max usable. The 8-megapixel rear camera delivers decent results in daylight shots with some natural color reproduction, though the details are not that great. The low-light performance is just passable as well. The front camera also does an average job while clicking selfies. So, yeah, the camera is certainly not one of the strengths of the device.
In real-life usage, the tablet delivered multiple days of battery life with some conservative usage. Under heavy usage, which included playing games, using a Bluetooth keyboard to type a story, and playing music in the background, the tablet comfortably lasted for one day.
The tablet also did well in our HD battery loop test, lasting 22 hours and 10 minutes. However, the 45W fast charging support is really helpful in quickly charging the device. With the charger provided in the box, the tablet managed to charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes and completed the charging in an hour and 15 minutes.
To conclude, the Lenovo Tab Plus is a great tablet for consuming content at home or on the go. The design is different from your usual tablets and the built-in kickstand makes it quite easier to place it on your bed to watch your favorite movie or series without holding it. The display delivers good results, but the audio will surely bring any budget Bluetooth speaker to shame with its output. That said, the tablet still has some shortcomings and the old Helio G99 SoC can be blamed for this. A slightly beefier chipset could have been better as it would have provided a complete package to the users.
The Lenovo Tab Plus stands out due to its unique design featuring a built-in kickstand, JBL-powered sound system, and a vibrant 90Hz display. These features make it particularly appealing for entertainment purposes.
Compared to the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus and iPad Mini, the Lenovo Tab Plus offers a more entertainment-focused experience with its superior audio system and built-in kickstand. However, its performance may not be as robust as the iPad Mini's more powerful chipset.
The Lenovo Tab Plus can handle casual gaming smoothly, but it may struggle with more demanding games due to its older MediaTek Helio G99 chipset.
The Lenovo Tab Plus offers impressive battery life, lasting up to two days with conservative usage and around one day with heavy usage. It also supports 45W fast charging for quick recharges.
The Lenovo Tab Plus runs on ZUI, offering a near-stock Android experience with some useful tweaks and minimal bloatware. The interface is smooth and includes modes like PC Mode and Reading Mode for added functionality.
Yes, the Lenovo Tab Plus can be used as a Bluetooth speaker when paired with a smartphone, thanks to its powerful JBL-powered sound system.