Lenovo Tab Plus review: The entertainment device you didn’t know you needed

The Lenovo Tab Plus is an affordable Android tablet designed for entertainment rather than productivity.

At under £280/$290, it’s significantly cheaper than the Google Pixel Tablet (whether you combine it with the dock or not) yet offers similar features. With JBL-tuned speakers and a built-in kickstand, it aims to be a versatile device for both home and on-the-go use.

But how does it fare in real-world usage? I spent a few weeks with the Tab Plus to find out.

Design & Build

• Sturdy metal build
• Useful built-in kickstand
• Up to 13.5mm thick, weighs 650g

The Lenovo Tab Plus has a unique design that integrates a built-in kickstand and eight speakers into its frame. My tablet came in the dark Luna Grey colour option, which looks slick.

Made from metal, the body feels sturdy and more premium than the price tag would suggest.

The bottom half of the tablet is thicker to accommodate these features, which makes the device pretty unstable if you lay it down flat. You’ll almost always want to use this tablet with the kickstand or held in your hand.

The body feels sturdy and more premium than the price tag would suggest

The kickstand itself sturdy and can be adjusted to various angles, making it perfect for media consumption and note-taking. Above the speaker, the rest of the body is a sleek 7.7mm thick, while the device isn’t exactly heavy at 650g.

However, it’s worth noting that there’s no official IP rating for water and dust resistance, which is a shame.

Screen & Speakers

• 11.5-inch FHD+ display
• LCD panel with 90Hz refresh rate
• Eight JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos support

The Tab Plus features an 11.5-inch LCD screen with a 2000×1200 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The 2K display is bright and colourful, making it ideal for watching videos and browsing the web.

It manages a 90Hz refresh rate despite the price, meaning all the content looks buttery smooth. This screen is also TUV-certified for eye comfort, which is just what you want from something you’re going to me staring at for long periods of time.

The display is good to look at, and handles blacks quite well. Personally, I’d rather pick an OLED for any kind of content watching, but this screen is almost as good.

The eight JBL speakers deliver impressive 26W sound quality, especially with Dolby Atmos tuning enhancing the audio experience. There are four tweeters and four woofers, offering a balanced overall sound.

When watching Dolby Atmos compatible content, the surround sound effect is noticeable, though you’d get a better experience with a pair of headphones. And, of course, it doesn’t come close to a set of dedicated speakers.

The 2K display is bright and colourful, making it ideal for watching videos and browsing the web

The audio does sound pretty crisp, though, and it’s noticeably better than a regular tablet. It can achieve a much lower bass, but voices in dialogue don’t get lost. Just don’t turn the volume up to full whack, as it starts to lose some clarity.

One nice feature is the auto app volume control, which will turn the volume down when you use other apps such as the browser.

Another cool add-on that’s nice to have is the ability to use the tablet as a Bluetooth speaker, meaning you can hook up other devices and take advantage of the JBL speakers. And for when you want even more control over the sound, the headphone jack supports high-res audio at 24-bit and 96kHz.

Specs & Performance

• MediaTek Helio G99 chip and 8GB of RAM
• Adequate for most tasks, struggles with heavy multitasking
• 128GB storage only option, but Micro-SD expandable

Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset and 8GB of RAM, the Tab Plus offers decent performance for its price range.

This is tailored for content watching, since that’s the main purpose of this device. You can fire up streaming apps and get started watching in no time at all. With a solid connection, buffering and load times are minimal, and the slate doesn’t struggle if you flick between different shows.

It handles most apps well, though heavier tasks and multitasking can cause stutters – can tell that the Lenovo Tab Plus wasn’t designed with productivity in mind.

That said, you’ll be able to browse the web and social media with ease. Just don’t try to start multitasking or gaming, which is where the device begins to struggle.

The Tab Plus offers decent performance for its price range

In terms of internal storage, the only configuration available offers 128GB. If that doesn’t sound like enough, don’t worry – the Tab Plus supports expansion via Micro-SD card if you need it.

Lenovo Tab Plus benchmarks

Cameras

• 8Mp front and rear cameras
• Basic but functional photos
• Decent video call quality

On a tablet made for watching content, the cameras aren’t really a priority. Nonetheless, the Lenovo Tab Plus includes an 8Mp rear camera with autofocus, plus an 8Mp front camera. While not exceptional, these cameras are sufficient for the likes document scanning and video calls.

However, they do not compare to the quality found on even budget smartphones. I wouldn’t take photos or videos on this device, especially if you want to look back at them or share with friends and family. You’re much better using your phone for that.

I wouldn’t take photos or videos on this device, especially if you want to look back at them or share with friends and family

If you absolutely need to use the camera, expect some fairly average shots. Images can get grainy quickly and aren’t particularly bright.

Battery Life & Charging

• 8600mAh battery
• Offers four to five days of moderate use
• 45W wired charging, no charger in box

The Tab Plus is equipped with an 8600mAh battery which Lenovo says is capable of up to 12 hours of video playback.

In real-world use, it comfortably lasts four to five days with moderate usage – think a Netflix show or two per day.

While I haven’t used the slate on a long-haul flight yet, it’s probably the device I’d take with me to watch movies, since I’m confident the battery would get me through a 12-hour flight.

I’m confident the battery would get me through a 12-hour flight

The 45W charging capability is faster than many competitors, though a compatible charger is not included in the box.

Lenovo reckons you’ll be able to juice back up to full in an hour and a half. In my testing, it took 91 minutes, so that seems about right. For 50% charge, it takes around 38 minutes.

Software & Apps

• Android 14 with ZUI skin
• Close to stock Android, but some useful additions
• Two major OS updates, four years of security patches

The tablet runs Android 14 with Lenovo’s ZUI interface over the top.

It’s close to ‘stock’ Android, but you do get a few additional features, such as a desktop-style PC mode and a customisable standby mode. I imagine that most people aren’t too worried about these features, though.

The software itself is easy to get around, so it would be ideal for someone that’s unfamiliar with Android tablets. There’s a small amount of pre-installed bloatware that I’m not a fan of – the Opera browser and a calculator app, amongst others – but nothing that’s too encroaching.

In terms of software support, Lenovo promises two major Android OS updates and four years of security patches. The lack of longer software support is irksome, but it isn’t a deal breaker for me.

The lack of longer software support is irksome, but it isn’t a deal breaker for me

You’ll be able to run streaming apps on slightly older versions of Android without any problems. And in a few years time, you’ll probably want to move on to a device with a newer screen and speakers if content watching is a priority. At this price point, I don’t think that’s too unreasonable.

Price & Availability

The Lenovo Tab Plus costs £279.99/$289.99.

In the UK, you can buy one direct from Lenovo or via Amazon. However, despite an official US price, there doesn’t appear to be any availability in North America at the time of writing.

That pricing means it’s very much a budget tablet, though competition from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (from £239), Xiaomi Poco Pad (around £239) (Google Pixel Tablet (£399 without dock) is strong.

Should you buy the Lenovo Tab Plus?

The Lenovo Tab Plus stands out as a versatile and affordable tablet, perfect for entertainment and light daily tasks.

Its video-watching-first features, such as the built-in kickstand and JBL-tuned speakers, make it a great choice for media consumption. At this price point, it’s probably the device I’d pick to watch movies or shows on.

While performance isn’t top-tier, it offers excellent value for money, especially compared to more expensive rivals like the Pixel Tablet. As a result, it’s relatively easy to recommend.