Android tablets appear to be staging a comeback, and the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus (starting at $259.99) leads the charge in the budget-friendly category. This stylish slate has a top-notch 11-inch display, excellent speakers, and enough power to get you through a long day of work into a quiet evening of binging Netflix. We’d like to see Lenovo commit to software updates beyond Android 12, but that’s about our biggest complaint. So while the Tab P11 Plus isn’t quite as strong a performer as the $329 iPad, it’s an excellent alternative for non-Apple users, and our Editors’ Choice award winner for affordable Android tablets.
What an Affordable Tablet Should Look and Sound Like
In terms of aesthetics, the Tab P11 Plus follows in the footsteps of its more expensive sibling, Lenovo’s Tab P11 Pro. It sports an aluminum unibody design and looks a little more polished than most other Android slates in this price range. At 10.7 by 6.5 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and 17.3 ounces, it’s both slim and light enough to comfortably hold for long periods of time. It’s also a good size for basic productivity tasks, online classes, and drawing.
You can tack on a keyboard case and stylus if you’re willing to pay more, though the pricing is confusing and based on the version of the tablet you purchase. We didn’t receive any accessories with our review unit, but they’re very similar to the ones we tested with the Tab P11 Pro. In short, they don’t compare with Apple’s or Samsung’s offerings, but they get the job done.
The P11 Pro’s 2,000-by-1,200 pixel, 11-inch LCD gives the $399.99 TCL Tab Pro 5G a run for its money. Colors appear rich, viewing angles are excellent, and at 400 nits, it’s bright enough to use in direct sunlight.
Except for a rubberized top edge, the back of the tablet uses a semi-matte aluminum material that is susceptible to smudges. A small camera module sits in the upper left corner of the back, while Lenovo and Dolby branding appear in the center, toward the bottom. If you hold the tablet in landscape mode, the top edge includes a pair of volume buttons on the left and a microSD slot on the right. The bottom rail houses a set of pogo pins for connecting accessories. The right edge features two speakers and a USB-C charging port, while two more speakers and a power button are on the left. Unfortunately, the power button doesn’t integrate a fingerprint sensor, so you have to enter a PIN, type in a passcode, or rely on Android’s mediocre Face Unlock feature to secure the tablet.
The Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers here are an absolute delight. With a maximum volume of 98dB, they’re loud enough to fill a room and provide an immersive soundstage. When we listened to a demo of PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake, we could pick out fine details such as a slight asynchronicity between the primary and backing tracks. Most tablet speakers in this price range tend to push the mids forward in hopes of masking thin bass and distortion in the higher frequencies; we can’t emphasize enough how much better the P11 Pro’s speakers sound. Unfortunately there’s no headphone jack, but the tablet supports Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless audio.
Surprisingly Good Performance
A MediaTek G90T SoC powers the Tab P11 Plus. The $259.99 model comes with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM; you can upgrade to a 128GB/4GB model for an additional $20, or get the 128GB/6GB model we tested for $309.99. You can add up to 512GB of storage via the microSD card slot. All versions of the tablet support dual-band Wi-Fi.
Despite its affordable price, the Tab P11 Plus performs like a champ. Apps open quickly, we didn’t encounter lag when swiping between screens, and the tablet handles multitasking with ease. It also does a decent job with gaming. Although Genshin Impact was a little slow to load and we noticed a few skipped frames over the course of an hour of gameplay, those issues weren’t overly bothersome. Alto’s Odyssey, a much less resource-intensive title, ran smoothly and without any performance hiccups.
On Geekbench 5, a set of tests that quantify raw computing power, the Tab P11 Plus earned a score of 500 for single-core performance (SC) and 1,592 for multi-core performance (MC). While it doesn’t have as much raw power as more expensive competitors like the Tab P11 Pro (565 SC /1,779 MC) or the TCL Tab Pro 5G (521 SC / 1,762 MC), the difference isn’t noticeable for everyday tasks like streaming video or scrolling through social media feeds.
The 7,700 mAh battery should get you through a day of moderate use. In our rundown test, in which we stream HD video over Wi-Fi at full brightness, the Tab P11 Plus lasted for 7 hours and 58 minutes of screen time before shutting down, just about an hour shy of the TCL Tab Pro 5G (9 hours and 1 minute). When the battery runs low, the tablet supports 20W charging, allowing you to add a few hours of power in just 15 minutes.
Typical Tablet Cameras
The cameras on the Tab P11 Plus aren’t anything to write home about, but then again, tablet cameras aren’t meant to replace your smartphone or actual standalone camera. A 13MP primary sensor sits on the back of the tablet, while an 8MP front-facing camera sits above the display.
The rear camera is fine for quick references shots and scanning documents. It’s also capable of capturing decent photos in sufficient light, though our test images look a little soft and lack depth. In low-light environments, images appear flat and blurry.
While the front-facing camera is arguably more important for tablet owners, the Tab P11 Plus does only an acceptable job here. On video calls, the picture looks blown out even in good light, while in lower light, the camera produces a very flat image with noticeable noise.
A Long Wait for Android 12
The Tab P11 Plus runs a mostly stock version of Android 11, with the addition of Google Entertainment Space and Google Kids Space. Lenovo’s Productivity Mode UI also kicks in when you attach a keyboard to the tablet. We didn’t have a chance to try out the keyboard accessory with the P11 Plus, but we cover it in our review of the P11 Pro.
If you’re unfamiliar with Google Entertainment Space, it’s Android’s answer to Apple’s tvOS. The interface replaces the Google Discover panel and offers a curated list of streaming shows, books, and games. It’s a relatively new feature, but Google frequently adds support for additional streaming services.
Kids Space makes it easy to add all of your child’s accounts to the tablet, and Google recommends fun and educational games, books, and YouTube videos based on their interests. A robust set of parental controls also enable you to limit your child’s exposure to specific content or restrict the amount of time they can use the tablet.
In the coming weeks, Google plans to release Android 12L, a completely redesigned UI that’s optimized for larger screens and tablets. Unfortunately, the OS won’t make its way to the Tab P11 Plus until May. Lenovo promises two years of security updates, but there’s no guarantee the tablet will get Android 13 when it comes out.
The Top Android Tablet for the Price
The past few years have been rough for Android tablets, which have lagged far behind Apple’s industry-leading iPad, but Lenovo has soldiered on and built out a portfolio of options for every budget. At the affordable end of the lineup, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus stands out. In addition to offering solid performance and good battery life, it looks sleek, packs a bright, sharp display, and has some of the best speakers we’ve heard on a tablet. We’d like to see a better front-facing camera and a promised update to Android 13, but that doesn’t change the fact that, for around $300, this is the best Android tablet you can buy right now. Amazon’s Fire HD 10 is an even more affordable option at $149.99, and is a worthy alternative if you don’t mind its very Amazon-centric interface and content. Of course, the $329 iPad is another top choice, but Lenovo’s Tab P11 Plus is a better fit for Android phone users and Google-centric households.
