Lenovo Tab Plus 11.5" ZADX0088US Luna Grey 2024

The Lenovo Tab Plus is a budget Android tablet built around one killer feature: eight JBL speakers that sound better than anything else near its $290 price. The 2K 90Hz display, built-in kickstand, and included case make it a fantastic media consumption device. Just don't expect it to handle productivity tasks well.

The Helio G99 inside the Tab Plus ranks in the 93rd percentile among tablets in our database, which sounds impressive until you remember that most tablets in this price range are running much weaker chips. In practice, it handles streaming, web browsing, and light gaming without much drama. The 90Hz refresh rate makes swiping and scrolling feel smooth, and apps load reasonably fast thanks to the 8GB of RAM. Don't expect it to crush demanding 3D games at high settings, but for the kind of casual gaming most people actually do on a tablet, it's more than adequate.

The GPU sits in the 90th percentile, which again is relative to a field that includes a lot of budget hardware. The 7040mAh battery lands in the 72nd percentile, and owners consistently mention great battery life in reviews. You'll get a full day of mixed use without hunting for a charger. Storage is the weak link here. 128GB of eMMC is fine for apps and media, but eMMC is slower than UFS storage found in some competitors, and users report you can't offload apps to an SD card, which is annoying if you like to hoard games.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Pro M4, the Tab Plus obviously loses on raw performance, display quality, and app ecosystem. But it costs a fraction of the price and sounds better, which for a lot of people matters more. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is a more well-rounded Android tablet with a better screen and faster storage, but you'll pay significantly more for it. The Xiaomi Pad 62779 is a closer match on price, but its speakers don't come close to the eight JBL drivers Lenovo packed in here.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Ed is a completely different beast, a full Windows machine that'll run circles around the Tab Plus for productivity. But it's also way more expensive and overkill if you just want something to watch Netflix on the couch. The VekfulPC T60 Pro is a budget Android option that undercuts the Lenovo on price, but its build quality and audio are nowhere near the same level. For pure entertainment value per dollar, the Tab Plus carves out a pretty unique niche.

At $290 USD, the Tab Plus is aggressively priced for what it offers. You're getting a tablet with best-in-class speakers, a solid display, a kickstand, and a case included. Compare that to the Apple iPad Pro M4 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, which cost several times more, and the value proposition becomes obvious. The Xiaomi Pad 62779 is probably the closest competitor in spirit, but it doesn't have the same audio chops. If your budget is around $300 and you care more about sound and video than productivity, this is one of the easiest recommendations we can make.

The Lenovo Tab Plus is a weird and wonderful thing. It's an Android tablet that seems to have been designed by someone who looked at the market and said, "What if we just made the speakers the entire point?" At around $290 USD, it sits in the budget-to-midrange bracket, but it packs eight JBL speakers, a 2K 90Hz display, and a built-in kickstand that flips out to 175 degrees. If you're asking whether the Lenovo Tab Plus is good for watching movies or listening to music, the short answer is yes, that's basically its whole personality.

Under the hood you get a MediaTek Helio G99, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. That's not a spec sheet that'll make anyone doing serious work break a sweat, but for streaming, casual gaming, and scrolling, it holds up fine. The 11.5-inch 2000x1200 LCD screen is bright and crisp, though it's not going to compete with OLED panels on pricier tablets. Lenovo also throws in a folio case and a fast charger, which is a nice touch at this price.

One thing to know upfront: this tablet is all about entertainment. Our database scores it at 62.8 out of 100 for entertainment, which is its best category by a wide margin. Reading comes in at 56.5, and productivity is a rough 38.4. So if you're hunting for a tablet to replace a laptop, keep scrolling. But if you want a portable media machine that sounds way better than it has any right to, the Tab Plus is worth a close look.

Skip the Tab Plus if you need a tablet for productivity, drawing, or any kind of serious work. The productivity score of 38.4 in our database is a clear signal that this isn't built for spreadsheets or multitasking. If you're a student who needs to take notes and run multiple apps, look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 or even a Surface Pro 11th Ed if your budget stretches. Also skip it if you're sensitive to bloatware or want fast app loading, the eMMC storage and inability to move apps to SD card will annoy you over time.

Should you buy the Lenovo Tab Plus? If you want a tablet primarily for watching movies, streaming music, or casual gaming, and you don't want to spend iPad money, then yes, absolutely. The speaker system alone is worth the price of admission, and the included kickstand and case make it feel like a complete package out of the box. The display is bright and smooth, battery life is solid, and the whole thing just works for what it's designed to do.

But if you need a tablet for work, drawing, or heavy multitasking, look elsewhere. The productivity score of 38.4 in our database tells the story. The eMMC storage is slow, and the lack of SD card app support will frustrate power users. This is a media consumption device first and everything else a distant second. Know what you're getting into and you'll be thrilled.