GoKawiilLenovo Idea Tab Plus The Lenovo Idea Tab Plus offers a big, high-res IPS display, solid battery life, and it offers stylus and keyboard case support. Those aren't things you can take for granted in this segment. The catch is that it ships with a limited update guarantee, making it a tough sell for anyone planning to hold onto it for more than a couple of years.
Lenovo has been making a whole bunch of strong Android tablets for a while now, but following them is a nightmare because the company has an inexplicable aversion to simple numeric naming. It often expects you to remember whether you’re looking at a Tab Plus, Idea Tab, Yoga Tab, Tab M, Legion Tab, or whatever other combination of words it chose that year.
Thankfully, Lenovo’s current budget tablet lineup — the Idea family — is a little easier to understand. There is the Lenovo Idea Tab, the Lenovo Idea Tab Plus, and the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro. The one I’ve been using is the middle child, the Lenovo Idea Tab Plus ($279.99 at Amazon), and it goes directly against the Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 Plus I recently reviewed.
That matters because I ended that review by calling the Galaxy Tab A11 Plus the default budget Android tablet choice for most people. After spending a month with the Lenovo Idea Tab Plus, I don’t think Samsung has suddenly lost that crown. But I do think there is now a clear set of people who should skip the Galaxy Tab A11 Plus and buy Lenovo’s tablet instead, but there’s one big caveat that keeps me from giving it a wider recommendation.
More useful than exciting
Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority
Physically, the Lenovo Idea Tab Plus is about as interesting as most budget tablets, which is to say, not very. Gray metal body, flat edges, a single rear camera, and the general personality of office furniture. But it feels solid, which matters more than looking flashy at this price.
Compared to the Galaxy Tab A11 Plus, it is noticeably larger with a 12.1-inch display versus Samsung’s 11-inch panel. That extra inch doesn’t sound like much, but the larger size and weight are definitely noticeable, especially in portrait orientation. The Lenovo isn’t unwieldy, but it sits in that in-between zone where you’re more likely to prop it up than hold it for long stretches.
Lenovo does make good use of the space, though. There are four speakers along the top and bottom edges, a microSD card slot, and a 3-point pogo pin connector on one side for the optional folio keyboard. No fingerprint scanner, so you’re relying on face unlock, which works acceptably in good lighting but isn’t something you’ll love in a dimly lit room.
The Idea Tab Plus makes smart use of its design with extra features you don't typically see on tablets at this price point.
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