Lenovo Tab P11 Plus review

execs and cons

Execs

• Sharp 2K IPS show
• Facet-firing Dolby Atmos audio system
• Lengthy-lasting 7,700mAh battery
• Priced effectively for what you get

Cons

• Cameras are mediocre
• Software program can really feel sluggish at occasions
• Replace coverage is missing
• No 3.5mm headphone jack

This assessment was initially printed on April 6, 2022, and was up to date on Might 8, 2023.

In terms of high-end Android tablets, Samsung is the undisputed king. However whereas the competitors stays scarce within the higher echelon, there’s loads of room within the low- and mid-range marketplace for different producers, like Lenovo, to reign supreme.

I have been testing out the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, the corporate’s reasonably priced Android pill and I’ve to confess, it is fairly the enigma. For one, the pill carries a spec sheet that almost rivals that of extra premium choices. On the identical time, Lenovo costs the Tab P11 Plus at a beginning fee of $209, a lot lower than competing tablets. Is that this a “too good to be true” state of affairs? Let’s have a look at.

Specs

What do you employ your pill for? Relying on the reply, you might discover extra worth in sure specs and options than others. With the Tab P11 Plus, Lenovo covers the bases of what most customers ought to take into consideration: a show massive sufficient for productiveness and leisure, a battery capability that will not hold you hanging by an outlet, and a processor that will get the job carried out. I would like to see a 3.5mm headphone jack on the pill, however for now, wi-fi audio will do.

Design

The spectrum of pill designs has by no means been probably the most adventurous, and the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is not any completely different. (I imply, how a lot can you modify from the standard, rectangular slab.) It is made with a duo of aluminum and rubber materials which, collectively, create a unibody design that is industrial and durable sufficient to carry an IP52 score. Which means the system is protected against most mud particles and sprinkles of water. I will take it.

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Throughout the sub-$300 worth vary, I’ve discovered that tablets usually skimp on the exterior {hardware}, selecting glossier plastic finishes that evoke a extra hole and low cost really feel. That is not the case with the Tab P11 Plus. It feels nice to carry and carry round and has a well-balanced weight distribution.

My assessment unit, which got here in a Slate Gray colorway, is minimal and smooth in design. For an enterprise or at-home leisure pill, I would suggest the darker tones of the Slate Gray over the choice Platinum Gray, and Modernist Teal finishes. It additionally successfully retains the minor branding on the again of the system — a Lenovo and Dolby Atmos brand — delicate and toned down.

On the again, additionally, you will discover a single 13MP digital camera lens, able to autofocusing and recording 1080p video at 30 frames per second. To say that the digital camera does a superb job at pictures and movies can be an overstatement. A lot of the footage that I took have been bland in shade and oversharpened through software program. The Tab P11 Plus is in no way a alternative in your smartphone or DSLR digital camera. However then once more, I would not suggest shopping for any pill for its digital camera efficiency.

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Switching to the entrance facet of the pill, there’s an 11-inch, 2K (2,000 x 1,200) IPS panel, with simply sufficient bezel surrounding the 4 sides. Holding the Tab P11 Plus in panorama orientation, the bezel supplies my palms with sufficient grip whereas stopping them from inflicting any mistouches and unintended presses on the display. It is also useful that the front-facing 8MP digital camera is centered on the high when the pill is held this fashion. You would be stunned what number of tablets put the digital camera on the shorter facet of the physique, making for a disorientating webcam expertise.

I am additionally a giant fan of how sharp and correct the colours are on the Tab P11 Plus, particularly for a pill that prices $209. For an IPS panel, viewing angles have been constant to take a look at, and there wasn’t the color-shifting difficulty that I would usually discover on cheaper shows. I ought to level out that the take a look at unit that Lenovo despatched me is the upgraded $259 variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, however the show high quality is identical throughout the board.

At 11 inches, the Tab P11 Plus is, in my view, the candy spot for pill sizes. It isn’t as colossal because the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro or 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, however is simply massive sufficient to supply a better viewing expertise than a standard smartphone. It additionally will get loads vibrant with a most of 400 nits. I had no hassle watching content material indoors and open air.

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Surrounding the Tab P11 Plus is the ability button — which does not double as a fingerprint sensor, plus quantity rocker, USB-C port, microSD card slot, 4 stereo audio system which might be optimized for Dolby Atmos, four-point Pogo pins, and a keyboard connector. Whereas I did not get an opportunity to check the optionally available equipment, Lenovo does supply a folio case and keyboard pack to spruce up the Tab P11 Plus.

Given the construct high quality and design of the Lenovo pill, I might’ve liked to see some type of fingerprint sensor — bodily or in-display — due to the instability of Android’s facial recognition. Most of the time, the pill would wrestle to scan my face and immediate a PIN unlock as an alternative. Is that this a dealbreaker? Probably not. After the primary few days of utilizing the pill, I simply turned accustomed to unlocking the previous manner.

Efficiency

The Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is powered by a MediaTek Helio G90T processor and can run most apps that you simply throw at it. For my day by day use, which included watching movies curated by Android’s Leisure Area, wanting up recipes, internet shopping, and fixing the day’s Wordle, the Tab P11 Plus dealt with all of it like a champ. It was solely after I started taking part in graphics-intensive video games comparable to Asphalt 9 and Iron Blade that the pill began to point out indicators of weak spot.

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Here is a Geekbench 5 comparability between the Tab P11 Plus and equally priced Android tablets to offer you a better sense of how they carry out on a fair taking part in area. With a Single-Core rating of 491 and a Multi-Core rating of 1,581, the Lenovo pill is a step above its Samsung and TCL rivals.

To place these numbers to the take a look at, I made a decision to make use of the pill as my devoted work machine over the previous week. Due to Productiveness Mode and a cloud-based content material administration system, I paired a wi-fi keyboard to the Tab P11 Plus and was in a position to go about my day by day work routine. Productiveness Mode, like Samsung’s DeX, transforms the pill interface of Android right into a desktop-like expertise. 

Which means apps open in miniature home windows as an alternative of full display, and a static taskbar on the underside shows your lively packages within the type of icons. Basically, Slack messaging, sending and responding to emails, and drafting articles felt seconds slower than how it will on my MacBook Air, however the pill was highly effective sufficient to finish most days between 40% to 45% of battery.

Talking of which, the 7,700mAh capability within the Tab P11 Plus ought to fare effectively for many customers, together with touring professionals and college students. On common, I bought a screen-on time of 9 hours earlier than needing to cost the pill. Even then, the 20W quick charging totally topped up the Tab P11 Plus inside three hours, a welcome improve from the 5W to 15W charging of rivals just like the TCL Tab 10S.

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There’s not quite a bit to complain about on the subject of the Tab P11 Plus’ side-firing audio system. With Dolby Atmos help, audio playback is immersive, with an emphasis on the mids and highs. Nevertheless, there’s one Kryptonite to the pill’s audio system: palms. When holding the Tab P11 Plus with two palms, which you seemingly will probably be, the side-firing audio system are simply muffled and suppressed. That’s except you watch and work together with the pill whereas it is set on a stand or desk.

Lastly, for folks, the pill can dial into Android’s Kids Space. When turned on, the Tab P11 Plus switches to a child-friendly interface full of teacher-approved video games, instructional movies, and digital content material to maintain any child engaged. By the Household Hyperlink app, you possibly can monitor, set screen-time limits, and even lock the pill out of your telephone.

Software program and updates

On the time of scripting this assessment, my Tab P11 Plus is working Android 11 with the January safety patch. As dated as which may appear, it is a tier above the various different mid-range tablets nonetheless working on Android 10.

In accordance with Lenovo’s Update Matrix page, the Tab P11 Plus now operates on Android 12 and can obtain safety patches till Might 2024. The cadence and high quality of these safety updates are nonetheless up within the air.

Backside line

At a beginning worth of $209, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is a really competent Android pill and one which’s straightforward to suggest. It has a really perfect display measurement (for most individuals) at 11 inches, is nice to take a look at, and delivers on the software program facet of issues. There are just a few minor hurdles alongside the way in which, comparable to the shortage of a 3.5mm headphone jack, subpar cameras, and a modest processor. However even with the shortcomings, it is onerous to argue in opposition to how a lot worth you are getting with this pill.

Ought to I purchase one?

I would suggest the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus to each consumers on a price range and customers who merely desire a large-screen pill for leisure and shopping. You possibly can even use it as a transportable sensible dwelling monitor. However for those who want extra energy out of your units — say you are an expert who dabbles in video enhancing or different graphics-intensive duties — you then’ll wish to take a look at extra performant choices on our pill shopping for information.

Alternate options to contemplate

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Apple iPad (9th Gen, 2021)

For an Apple alternative, the 9th-gen iPad is still a viable pick-up. Its display measures closely at 10.2 inches, too.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

This Samsung tablet is arguably the closest competitor to the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, with its 10.5-inch display, 128GB of storage, and support for expandable memory.

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Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

For kids, check out Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Plus. It has a similarly-sized display, runs on Android, and can take a beating thanks to its rugged plastic build.