Lenovo Tab M11 review

Lenovo is among the few producers that constantly spits out new Android tablets. Even so, they battle to match the options and success of Samsung and Apple. One of many newest is the Tab M11, a mid-budget pill priced from £199. It was unveiled at CES in January, and is now accessible in Lenovo’s internet store and a small variety of shops.

Those stocked in shops aren’t precisely the identical product because the one I received to check. Mine features a charger within the package deal. Those I can discover in shops don’t. For precisely the precise package deal, it’s important to go to Lenovo and order it.

Design & Construct

One other large distinction between the tablets accessible within the large shops and mine that got here straight from Lenovo is that mine will not be an LTE model you can put a SIM card in. I’ve the Wi-Fi model of the pill and must do with out cellular information.

Lenovo, then again, presents extra choices, with and and not using a charger, and with and and not using a snap-on folio case that may be folded as much as turn out to be a desk stand. I didn’t get that.

The pill is similar in all 4 decisions, an 11-inch unit with semi-thin display edges, simply sufficient to grip with out reaching the touchscreen, and never so large as to make the pill unwieldy. It’s a well-built, unibody-style chassis with matte steel surfaces in every single place besides on the display portion, and with three distinct buttons in a single nook, for quantity and energy.

It’s simply over 7mm thick and weighs 465g. With fairly rounded edges, it’s snug to carry. Nevertheless, after a few hours of hand-holding I began to really feel that the folio case with assist won’t have been so dangerous in spite of everything.

As I stated, this isn’t an costly and unique pill. That is particularly noticeable in two issues, efficiency and display. Neither of them are dangerous, however clearly restricted and scaled down in comparison with one of the best available on the market.

Specs & Efficiency

The system circuit is a Mediatek Helio G88, a circuit that was launched in 2021 and wasn’t very quick then both. It has two sooner and 6 slower processor cores and the lower than dazzling ARM graphics circuit Mali-G52.

That, together with simply 4GB of RAM and 128GB of comparatively gradual storage make this a pill primarily for easy duties.

Net shopping on it’s usually good. The pill comes with Opera pre-installed because the default browser and it’s each straightforward to make use of and nicely optimised. Nevertheless, it’s noticeable that the RAM is scarce, should you open too many tabs it could actually begin to decelerate. Surf with a way of humour and it’s best to be capable to keep away from issues.

Mattias Inghe

Different apps generally is a larger problem. WPS Workplace that comes pre-installed is ok to run so long as you keep on with easy textual content paperwork and small spreadsheets. Too many image parts and a number of pages and there might be some noticeable slowness in dealing with.

However hey, even when it’s not all the time quick, most issues might be executed. Besides for enjoying video games that require even the smallest quantity of 3D graphics. That is past the capabilities of the weak graphics circuit.

Taking part in even the only video games in underneath 20fps, and extra demanding ones in underneath 5fps, will not be precisely enjoyable. In the event you’re simply doing a little easy pastimes with 2D graphics, it’ll do, however there are higher choices even should you’re on a decent funds.

Display & Audio system

The display is an IPS panel with a 16:10 side ratio and 1920×1200 pixels. It has precisely the qualities I’d count on from a primary IPS in a funds construct. It appears to be like sharp from the entrance, however lacks the right blackness in darkish areas, and has apparent white level and color steadiness points if I take a look at it from the facet.

The brightness degree of as much as 400 nits is suitable, permitting you to make use of the pill outside so long as there’s no vivid sunshine, and also you do your greatest to keep away from reflecting vivid surfaces within the picture.

For streaming movies, the display is okay, however no extra. It doesn’t assist HDR, and has a color gamut nicely beneath sRGB requirements, so there’s by no means any actual depth within the image.

It’s a lot better for studying textual content, with a 90Hz body charge for clean scrolling on internet pages and in lengthy paperwork. It has primary blue mild filter that eliminates what’s not seen, after which an efficient studying mode that produces a sepia-toned display and no blue mild in any respect.

Mattias Inghe

4 small audio system, two on every brief facet, present clear and detailed sound with good stereo unfold so long as the pill is horizontal. Nevertheless, they’re too shut collectively to offer any stereo impact in any respect if I take advantage of it in portrait mode.

The highest-end is neither very highly effective nor very wealthy. Bass tones are heard, however solely barely. If I push the quantity as much as most, it corresponds to possibly 50% quantity on another slates. Not so unusual when the output energy of the 4 audio system is barely 1W every.

Lenovo Pen & Cameras

The pill comes with a cushty stylus, Lenovo’s personal energetic battery-powered Lenovo Pen. To get it going, I must unscrew the highest, peel off a small protecting movie in entrance of the pre-installed AAA battery. Then it really works, albeit not amazingly nicely.

There is no such thing as a speedy response with pixels on the display the place I draw, however the replace takes a number of milliseconds. Sometimes, I get pauses within the pen enter with both clean registration or a line the place I drew a curve.

The pen is alleged to assist each tilt and 4096 ranges of strain sensitivity, however within the apps that Lenovo mentions and which are pre-installed, I’ve to accept one degree. After I obtain a greater app, like the wonderful Sketchbook, each strain sensitivity and pen tilt work nicely.

The choppiness that happens in pen dealing with might must do with the pill’s general reasonable efficiency. I’ve skilled higher in different costlier Lenovo tablets with extra energy within the processor.

Mattias Inghe

Even textual content enter is annoying. Lenovo says that it needs to be potential to kind manually in all search packing containers and related fields, however and not using a bigger devoted typing subject, it doesn’t work and I’ve to delete extra misinterpreted characters than the system will get proper.

On each the back and front, the Tab M11 is provided with 8Mp cameras, and so they ship about nearly as good, or slightly as half-assed, as you’d count on from a funds pill. If you would like one thing helpful for working video conferences, positive, however you gained’t be a grasp movie maker or photographer.

Software program & Options

The working system is Android 13, with a customized interface that’s not visually very completely different from inventory Android, and also you get two years of promised Android variations, in addition to 4 years of safety updates. Lenovo spices up the system with a small set of bonus apps and further options.

In Pc Mode, you get a Home windows-like interface with floating and scalable home windows, designed for keyboard and mouse management.

In the event you don’t wish to do this, you possibly can multitask in split-screen mode as an alternative, with an interface and dealing with that’s a bit smoother than Google’s personal. This lets you convey up a most of three apps on the display. Two on the break up display and a floating vertical window in entrance.

The Freestyle characteristic lets you pair the pill with a pc, after which simply share recordsdata between them, or use the pill as an exterior show for the pc. You want an software on the pc and a shared login, and all of it occurs routinely.

I’m not totally thrilled, which is principally to do with the connection. Right here I solely get Wi-Fi 5, and in addition Wi-Fi 5 with out superb reception. So I’ve to be in the precise room for the picture replace to be acceptable.

Mattias Inghe

See also  Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 review

A 3rd characteristic referred to as App Streaming lets you launch sure apps that run on the pill however seem in a window on the pc. “It really works very poorly. I ought to be capable to see and launch shareable apps within the Freestyle programme on my pc, however they don’t present up there. I can launch them from the pill, and stream them to the pc, however with much more lag than desktop sharing.

Different options of the system are the kid-friendly Children Area with secure and user-friendly profiles for youths, and the media centre display which is one swipe to the left of the house display. There you possibly can join your streaming providers like HBO and Disney Plus and get a typical interface for them however not all main providers are supported.

Battery Life & Charging

The battery is 7,040mAh, and with that it’s best to be capable to stand up to 10 hours of video playback in keeping with Lenovo. I can’t fairly handle that, however seven and a half hours is definitely not dangerous for a video stream at excessive brightness. For different blended work, it lasts a bit longer.

Sadly, battery charging is disappointingly gradual. Though I get a 20W USB PDA charger, the pill solely accepts 15W of energy. After half an hour, I’m at 26% and it takes over three hours to completely cost the battery. Be sure to’re by no means removed from a wall socket.

Worth & Availability

You will get the Lenovo Tab M11 from simply £199.99 (US availability is TBC on the time of writing) and this worth will get you the pill itself and the Lenovo Pen.

Different bundles can be found from the Lenovo retailer with completely different combos of the folio case and charger included. The lot is yours for £269.97 RRP.

You too can purchase it from Amazon with the tablet and pen or bundled folio case for just £209. It’s additionally accessible from Argos, Currys, Very and John Lewis.

Take a look at our chart of one of the best funds tablets for extra choices.

Must you purchase the Lenovo Tab M11?

For less than £199 for the most affordable choice, the Lenovo Tab M11 is a optimistic expertise in some ways.

It’s genuinely well-built and feels extra luxurious to carry than the worth tag signifies, and it has an excellent set of options for each household and productiveness.

Nevertheless, weak efficiency and a few mediocre {hardware} maintain the Tab M11 again, and it fails to fulfil all of its personal lofty ambitions.

This overview initially appeared on M3.

Specs

• Processor: Mediatek Helio G88
• CPU: 2x Cortex-A75 2GHz, 6x Cortex-A555 1.8GHz
• Graphics: ARM Mali-G52 MC2
• Reminiscence: 4GB
• Storage: 128GB, microSD slot
• Show: 11-inch IPS, 1920 x 1200 pixels, 90 Hz
• Cameras: 8Mp rear, 8Mp entrance
• Connections: USB-C 2.0, 3.5mm headset
• Communications: WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
• Working system: Android 13, 2 years updates
• Different: Lenovo Tab Pen, splash resistant (IP52)
• Battery: 7,040mAh, 7 hours 40 min video streaming (wifi, excessive brightness, 60 Hz), 8 hours 30 min blended use (wifi, Pcmark Work 3.0 200 cd/m2, 90 Hz)
• Battery charging: 15W USB charging (USB PD). 14% in 15 min, 26% in 30 min.
• Measurement: 25.53 x 166 x 7.2mm
• Weight: 465g