Lenovo Tab One 8.7-inch, MediaTek Helio G85, 4GB, 64GB, Grey

The Lenovo Tab One's Helio G85 chip ranks in the 84th percentile for CPU performance, which is remarkable for a CAD 160 tablet. But the screen, battery, and RAM all sit around the 30th percentile, so it's really only good for light use. If you want a cheap kitchen or couch tablet, this is a solid pick at the lower end of its CAD 160 to CAD 200 price range.

The MediaTek Helio G85 is the star here. It ranks in the 84th percentile for CPU and 80th for GPU, which means it punches well above its price class for raw processing. That's a chip designed for budget gaming phones, so it handles casual apps, video streaming, and light multitasking without much stutter. The 4GB of RAM is less impressive, sitting at the 31st percentile. You'll feel that when you have more than a few apps open or try to switch between a browser and a video call.

The 8.7-inch 1340x800 display lands at the 29th percentile for screen quality. It's fine for reading text and watching standard-definition video, but don't expect vibrant colors or sharp details. The 64GB of storage is also on the low side at the 30th percentile, though the microSD slot supporting up to 1TB helps offset that. Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3 are serviceable but not future-proof, ranking at the 27th percentile for connectivity.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Air M3, the Tab One looks like a toy. The iPad's M3 chip is in a completely different universe, and its display, battery, and build quality are all dramatically better. But it also costs several times more. The Xiaomi Pad 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE both offer significantly better screens and more RAM, though they're also pricier. The UMIDIGI Active T1 is a closer budget match, but the Tab One's Helio G85 likely edges it out on raw CPU performance. The Vekfulpc T60 Pro is another cheap option, but its brand recognition and software support are question marks. For pure processing power per dollar, the Tab One holds its own. For everything else, the mid-range competition runs circles around it.

At CAD 160 to CAD 200, the Tab One is cheap enough that its flaws are easier to forgive. The CAD 40 spread between listings is worth paying attention to. If you can find it at the CAD 160 end, you're getting a tablet with a top-tier budget processor for less than the cost of a decent dinner for two. At CAD 200, the value proposition gets shakier. The Helio G85 is genuinely good for this price, but the weak screen and limited RAM mean you're paying for processing power you can't fully enjoy. Shop around and grab the lower-priced listing if you can.

The Lenovo Tab One 8.7-inch lands at 38.7 out of 100 in our database, which puts it firmly in budget territory. The Helio G85 chip is the one bright spot, sitting at the 84th percentile for CPU performance among tablets we've tracked. But the rest of the spec sheet tells a different story. Storage, battery, screen, and connectivity all hover around the 30th percentile or lower. This is a tablet that does one thing well and a lot of things just okay.

For CAD 160 to CAD 200, you're getting a compact 8.7-inch Android 14 slate with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The 1340x800 display isn't going to win any sharpness awards, and the 2MP front camera is about as basic as it gets. But if you want a kitchen tablet or a couch companion for YouTube, the price is hard to argue with. Just don't expect it to replace a laptop or even a mid-range iPad.

If you plan to do any real work on this thing, skip it. The productivity score of 24.4 out of 100 is the weakest area by far, and the 4GB of RAM at the 31st percentile will frustrate you the moment you try to run multiple productivity apps. The screen at the 29th percentile is also a dealbreaker for anyone who cares about display quality. And if you need all-day battery life, the 31st percentile battery ranking means you'll be reaching for the charger more often than you'd like. This is a consumption device, not a creation device.

The Lenovo Tab One 8.7-inch is a one-trick pony, but it's a decent trick. The Helio G85 processor at the 84th percentile is genuinely impressive for a tablet in this price range, and it makes the Tab One feel snappier than its spec sheet suggests. If your needs are simple, streaming video, light web browsing, maybe a recipe app in the kitchen, this thing gets the job done. The 4.3-star rating from 96 reviews backs that up. But the weak screen, limited RAM, and mediocre battery life mean it's not a device you'll want to push hard. For CAD 160, it's a solid buy. For CAD 200, you should think twice.