Android tablets are a rare breed. Good Android tablets are even rarer.
Samsung has the market for top-of-the-line Android tablets cornered with its Galaxy Tab S7 + and S7, and at the other end of the market are ultra-cheap, low-power Amazon Fire tablets. In the middle there is a gap, and that is what Lenovo hopes to fill.
The Lenovo P11 Tab Pro is the company’s latest slate, and goes beyond a Fire tablet, but it doesn’t have the same power as Samsung’s S7 range. What it does have is a magnificent screen and a much more economical price, which makes it great for watching movies on the go. That’s the main use case here, because Android on a tablet doesn’t do much for other things.
The Right Hardware
The screen is one of the highlights of the Tab P11 Pro. It’s an 11.5-inch 2K OLED (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) as good and sharp as what’s on my iPad Pro. It has deep, rich blacks and a lot of brightness, making it the P11 a great way to watch movies. The JBL speakers are equally impressive, with good bass output – better than many laptops I’ve tested recently.
Unfortunately, there is no headset, just a single USB-C port and a Micro SD card slot. Lenovo includes a USB-C headset adapter, but if you want to charge your tablet while listening to headphones, you’ll need to take the wireless route.
There are a few different models. The pattern looks more like an iPad, but the folio model I tested includes a soft cloth back with a stand and a detachable keyboard like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. The design of the stand means that it is a little awkward and unstable on your lap, but it feels good when you use it on a flat surface. Take the case off and the P11 Pro is surprisingly light, weighing just over a pound.
The keyboard is tight, but usable. The trackpad, on the other hand, is the hardware’s only weakness. The range of buttons is very small and does not respond particularly. It is not an obstacle, but it definitely diminishes the trackpad’s usefulness.