GoKawiilis a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
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Lenovo announced a new version of its chonky speaker-filled Tab Plus tablet that once again puts a strong focus on audio. While the original Tab Plus launched two years ago with eight built-in speakers requiring a 13.58mm rear bulge to squeeze them all in, the new Tab Plus Gen 2 bumps that to nine speakers with a circular bump on the back that’s now 22.7mm thick. To help justify the thicker addition, the Gen 2’s speaker bump integrates a fold-out kickstand that rotates 360 degrees to support the tablet in portrait and landscape modes.
Lenovo hasn’t confirmed exactly where or when the Tab Plus Gen 2 is expected to launch, but it says it will be “available soon in select global markets.” The original saw a wide global release including the US, where it launched for $289.99, but the new model will start at $399.99. The Gen 2 is now powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 octa-core processor in several configurations that pair it with 6GB to 12GB of RAM and 128GB to 256GB of storage that’s expandable using a microSD card up to 2TB.
The Tab Plus Gen 2’s rear speaker bump incorporates a better rotating fold-out kickstand that can also be used to hang the tablet. Photo: Sean Hollister / The Verge
As with the first-generation Tab Plus, the Gen 2’s Dolby Atmos-tuned speaker array features a mix of tweeters and woofers to boost its bass performance. There are also multiple modes with EQ customizations for movies and music, and you can use the Tab Plus Gen 2 as a standalone Bluetooth speaker with audio streamed from another device.
The tablet’s rotating kickstand supports it in both landscape and portrait modes. Photo: Sean Hollister / The Verge
The tablet features an upgraded 12.1-inch 120Hz 2.5K LCD display and a larger 10,200mAh rechargeable battery that Lenovo estimates will let you watch YouTube for up to 15 hours before needing a charge. The Gen 2’s front camera is still limited to 8 megapixels, but the rear camera gets a bump from 8 to 13 megapixels. Out of the box it will come with Android 16, but the company promises two years of Android OS updates and four years of security patches to keep users protected until 2030.