Lenovo unveils its premium Tab P11 Pro Android tablet alongside M10 HD (2nd gen)

Apple’s iPads are the benchmark for any and all tablet makers in the industry. The company’s iOS platform (which has since ventured into the separate iPadOS for tablets) is just unsullied when it comes to user experience, design, and support. Every now and then, Android tablet manufacturers throw their hat in the ring to try and rattle the iPad dominance. So far, none have succeeded although Samsung’s efforts are commendable. And now, Lenovo has launched a couple of tablets – one for the grownups, and one for the kids. Let’s find out more about the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro & Tab M10 HD (2nd gen).

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Overview

Here, the Tab P11 Pro is more exciting than the M10 HD (2nd gen) as it is the first premium Android tablet from Lenovo in years. It is especially interesting seeing how the company chose now of all time to re-enter the industry as the global tablet market saw a record 18.6% YoY growth in Q2 2020 (IDC Worldwide Quarterly PCD Tracker). Since most people are stuck in their homes and with the rise in popularity of video conferencing tools, a tablet is exactly what’s remained in high demand.

Design & Display

The Tab P11 Pro’s premium-ness is most well reflected in the design front. It is made out of aluminum alloy and has a great looking dual-tone finish at the back. Tab P11 Pro is also remarkably slim at just 5.8mm at its thinnest and 7.7mm at its thickest point. It is not going to be a productivity powerhouse as we’ll discover in just a bit but Lenovo has included support for external accessories like a separate keyboard that attaches to the POGO pins on the side. Other accessories for the tablet include the new Lenovo Precision Pen 2 stylus and a case with a kick-stand.

Moving to the display, Tab P11 Pro boasts a gorgeous 11.5-inches 2K (2560 x 1600) OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio which is quite rare for the price. On the brightness front, you’re looking at 500 nits of peak brightness. Considering its competitors like Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S7 and Apple’s iPad Air (2019), both of which have an IPS LCD display, we can clearly see how impressive this one is. Furthermore, it also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision for superior image quality. There’s a uniform 6.9mm slim bezel all-around the display. With this, the tablet achieves an 87% screen-to-body ratio. While the panel is great and all, it does miss out on trends like a smoother 120Hz refresh rate.

Performance & Memory

Even though Lenovo is marketing the Tab P11 Pro has a premium Android tablet, the chipset selection suggests otherwise. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730G which has an octa-core CPU and is based on the 8nm process. It is available in either 4 or 6GB RAM options with 128GB of internal storage. One can also choose to expand that using the dedicated microSD card slot. We’re well aware of the abysmal state of Android as a platform for tablets in general.

However, Lenovo says the tablet can intelligently deliver a more desktop-like usage experience once you attach the additional keyboard accessory. So that’s something. Additionally, because of the chipset restriction, the Tab P11 Pro is also void of 5G connectivity. But depending upon the region, one may be able to choose between a WiFi only or an LTE variant. In terms of security & unlocking, its fingerprint sensor has been baked right into the power button.

Camera & Audio

Getting to the cameras, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro has 4 of them altogether. The two rear-facing lenses are arranged inside a pill-shaped module at the top-left corner. These consist of a 13MP primary and a 5MP ultrawide camera. Similarly, there are two 8MP cameras at the front alongside a ToF sensor. With these, Lenovo also allows you to use face unlock as a biometrics option. Also, the front cameras can automatically blur the background whenever you’re in a video call.

Now, the audio prospect of the Tab P11 Pro is also something to be excited by. There are 4 JBL speakers altogether – two at the top and two at the bottom frame of the tablet. They have large 2.5cc chambers and are Dolby Atmos-certified too. According to Lenovo, the company has also worked in an intelligent algorithm for a better listening experience. What it does is tune the audio depending on how the user is holding the tablet to deliver a consistent cinematic surround sound effect. So far, the Tab P11 Pro is shaping up to be quite the media consumption king.

Battery

Powering all this is a massive 8600mAh battery which the company says can offer up to 15 hours of screen-on-time. It is charged using a USB Type-C cable although whether it supports fast charging or not remains a mystery for now.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Specifications:

• Body: 6.75 x 10.40 x 0.23-inches; 485gm
• Display: 11.5-inches OLED panel; 87% screen-to-body ratio; HDR10; Dolby Vision
• Resolution: 2K (2560 x 1600 pixels); 16:10 aspect ratio
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G (8nm mobile platform)
• CPU: Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver)
• GPU: Adreno 618
• RAM: 4/6GB
• Storage: 128GB (expandable using micro SD card)
• Software & UI: Android 10
• Rear Camera: Dual-camera;
  – 13MP primary wide lens
  – 5MP ultrawide lens
  – LED flash
• Front Camera: Dual-camera (both 8MP; ToF sensor)
• Security: Fingerprint Scanner (side-mounted)
• Audio: Quad-speakers (Dolby Atmos)
• Connectivity: Nano-SIM (LTE only), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with A-GPS, USB Type-C
• Battery: 8600mAh

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Price & Availability

Here, Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is priced at €699 for select European, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets where it will be available starting November. Similarly, it will retail for $500 in the US.

Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) Overview

Besides the Tab P11 Pro, Lenovo also announced a more family-centric tablet which is the Tab M10 HD (2nd gen). It is much less powerful than the P11 Pro and is geared towards households with children as the tablet debuts Google’s all-new “Kids Space” feature. This curates and recommends different content for kids and directly ties up with Google’s “Family Link” app for seamless parental control.

Kids Space

Here, all the apps and games are teacher-approved and Google has worked with multiple experts to help determine what’s best for the kids. There are also a bunch of free books for kids under the “Read” section. In terms of video content, Kids Space takes you to YouTube Kids.

Moving on, the Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) comes with a modest 10.1-inches IPS LCD TDDI display with a wide viewing angle and an HD (1280 x 800) resolution. It features TUV Rheinland eye protection against exposure to the harmful blue light. Performance-wise, the tablet is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P22T chipset with either 2/4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of expandable storage. There’s a single camera setup at the front and the back which compromises an 8MP and a 5MP sensor respectively. On the battery front, it gets its juice from the 5000mAh cell.

Variants

Besides the memory configuration itself, it is available in three variants: one with Google Assistant integration, one with Amazon’s Alexa, and one without both. They differ in the audio & microphone department – the regular Tab M10 HD has dual mic & dual speakers (Dolby Atmos-certified) whereas the one with Google Assistant comes with a single mic.

Finally, the one with Amazon Alexa also supports a Smart Dock on top of the dual-mic & speaker setup. These digital assistant able variants double as a smart display and have POGO pins in them for charging.

Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) Specifications:

• Body: 5.88 x 9.51 x 0.32-inches; 420gm
• Display: 10.1-inches IPS LCD TDDI panel; TUV Rheinland Eye Protection
• Resolution: HD (1280 x 800 pixels); 16:10 aspect ratio
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio P22T (12nm mobile platform)
• CPU: Octa-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53
• GPU: PowerVR GE8320
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 128GB (expandable using micro SD card)
• Software & UI: Android 10
• Rear Camera: 8MP lens
• Front Camera: 5MP lens
• Security: Face unlock
• Audio: Dual-speakers (Dolby Atmos)
• Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C
• Battery: 5000mAh

Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) Price & Availability

Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) costs €159, €179, and €199 for the standard, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa variants respectively. They will be available starting in September 2020.

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