I recently had the chance to spend some time with Lenovo’s latest Android tablet, the Lenovo Tab Plus 2024, currently selling at Best Buy for $189 during the Black Friday sales period (compensated affilate link). You can see it in action in my latest review!
With its distinctive design, the built-in kickstand, and prominent speaker sections on both sides, this tablet is clearly aimed at users looking for a media consumption device.
It’s equipped with a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, which isn’t particularly powerful, especially when compared to older low-cost iPads. However, for what it’s designed to do—primarily media consumption—it’s adequate.
The tablet features 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and the version I tested comes with 256GB of storage, though there is also a 128GB model available. There’s also an SD card slot that supports up to 1TB of additional storage, allowing for plenty of space for photos, streaming app downloads, and other content.
The display is an 11.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2000×1200, essentially making it a 1080p display. It covers 72% of the NTSC color space, meaning it lacks the depth and vibrancy of higher-end displays. This won’t be ideal for photo editing or other creative work, but it’s certainly good enough for watching videos or browsing the web. The screen does not support HDR, but it has a brightness of around 400 nits and a refresh rate of 90Hz, which gives it a smoother and more responsive feel despite the mid-range processor.
At 1.43 pounds (650 grams), the tablet is a bit bulky but not too heavy, and it feels solid in hand thanks to its metal build. The built-in kickstand is a standout feature, making it easy to set up the tablet at different angles for hands-free use. It’s designed to stay put wherever you adjust it.
Camera quality is one area where the Tab Plus shows its budget nature. Both front and rear cameras are 8 megapixels, offering basic performance for video calls and occasional photos. The cameras are capable of 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second, but they’re clearly not intended for anything beyond casual use.
Where this tablet shines is in its speakers. It’s equipped with a total of eight speakers—four tweeters and four woofers—that produce loud and balanced sound. The tablet can also double as a Bluetooth speaker simply by pairing it up with a phone or other device. While the bass isn’t as powerful as a dedicated speaker, it’s surprisingly good for a tablet. There’s also a headphone jack for private listening.
Battery life is another strong point, thanks to its 8,600 mAh battery. This will easily get you through 10-11 hours of movie playback, which should work well for long flights or commutes. The tablet also supports fast charging and comes with a 45-watt charger in the box. While the single USB-C charging port does support USB peripherals, it runs at slower USB 2.0 speeds and sadly doesn’t support video output.
Running on Android 14, the Tab Plus doesn’t feature the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, sticking instead to Wi-Fi 5 (AC). In practice, I didn’t encounter any issues while streaming video, games or browsing the web. The tablet also offers various modes to enhance your reading experience, including a black-and-white mode that mimics an e-ink display, and a muted color mode to reduce eye strain.
It also features split-screen and floating window options, which are handy for multitasking, though the performance takes a slight hit when navigating between multiple apps, especially when resizing windows. Lenovo has added a “PC desktop mode,” which works well if you connect a keyboard and mouse, allowing you to use Android apps in a more traditional desktop layout. Another quirky feature is a built-in noise machine, offering different ambient sounds like rain or wind to help you find your zen.
Games like Minecraft and Roblox run fine, albeit with occasional slowdowns in more complex environments. Streaming games through Xbox Cloud Gaming was relatively smooth, but it’s clear that this tablet isn’t aimed at gamers seeking high performance. A 3DMark Wildlife benchmark score of 1,239 places it well below even older iPads, meaning it isn’t suited for graphics-intensive tasks like advanced video editing or complex photo manipulation.
One downside worth mentioning is the amount of pre-installed bloatware. Apps like TikTok, booking.com, and various ad-supported games came pre-loaded. While many of these can be removed, it’s still an annoyance. There’s also a feature called “apps for you,” which suggests and installs additional apps that may not be particularly welcome.
Lenovo has promised four years of security updates for the Tab Plus, extending support until 2028, as well as two major Android OS updates over its lifespan.
Overall, the Lenovo Tab Plus 2024 Edition is a solid tablet for media consumption. It offers strong audio performance, a functional kickstand, and good battery life, all wrapped in a sturdy build. It isn’t without its flaws, particularly when it comes to bloatware and its performance limitations, but if you’re primarily looking for something to watch videos, browse the web, or do some light gaming, this tablet delivers.
Disclosure: Lenovo provided the tablet on loan to the channel. They did not review or approve this video or post before publication and all opinions are my own.