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The newly unveiled Lenovo Tab Plus destroys the Pixel Tablet with towering speaker power

Published: Jun 20, 2024, 8:58 AM

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The newly unveiled Lenovo Tab Plus destroys the Pixel Tablet with towering speaker power

Just 24 hours after we randomly noticed a discreet new addition to Lenovo's already expansive US tablet lineup, the company is officially unveiling yet another interesting jumbo-sized Android mid-ranger. This one is simply (and confusingly) called Lenovo Tab Plus, and although it lacks the standalone cellular connectivity of the aptly named Tab K11 LTE, its design and overall capabilities look surprisingly original and arguably more compelling at first glance.

Like so many other affordable Android tablets available today, this hot new 11.5-inch model aims to deliver a "complete entertainment experience" in any and all environments, from your living room to your daily commute to work, occasional pool party, or a day out in the park.

Unlike most of its budget-friendly rivals and even significantly pricier devices, the Lenovo Tab Plus seems to have all the right tools to fulfil its mission in a unique and very powerful way.

This tablet is also a Bluetooth speaker

As if to compensate for the aforementioned absence of 4G LTE support, which can severely limit the functionality of the Tab Plus when you can't get a Wi-Fi signal, Lenovo is going to let you stream music from your phone or any other portable device on its new slate. That basically turns this thing into a Bluetooth speaker in need, and although the company is not advertising many "smart display"-like features deriving from this extra touch of versatility, it's hard not to view the Lenovo Tab Plus as a direct alternative for Google's Pixel Tablet.

The Lenovo Tab Plus promises to offer unrivaled audio power. | Image Credit -- Lenovo

The Pixel Tablet, of course, comes with a detachable (and now optional) charging speaker dock, while the Lenovo Tab Plus has an integrated kickstand that's both a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, that offers "up to 175 degrees of viewing flexibility" for different usage scenarios and inclinations, while the negative aspect is naturally the added bulk of that somewhat unnatural bump.

Tipping the scales at 650 grams and measuring close to 14mm in thickness (with the stand and resulting bump taken into account), the Lenovo Tab Plus is certainly not the world's most portable tablet, with the aforementioned Pixel Tablet, for instance, weighing less than 500 grams and rocking a wasp waist of a little over 8mm.

Luckily for Lenovo, the device manufacturer is definitely putting some of that extra weight to great use from an audio performance standpoint, with the whopping eight JBL Hi-Fi speakers found inside the Tab Plus promising to deliver no less than 26 watts of "crisp stereo sound." In contrast, the Pixel Tablet packs four built-in speakers unable to come close to that sort of audio power.

The Lenovo Tab Plus further supports 24-bit high-res audio at 96kHz frequency when you use headphones, bombastically vowing to "transform virtually any location into a personal entertainment sanctuary" (with or without headphones).

The rest of the specs are also pretty great... for $290

That's right, one of the best-sounding tablets in the world (at least according to its maker) costs a measly $289.99 and €279 in "select global markets." For the time being, the Lenovo Tab Plus doesn't appear to be available stateside, but when it starts selling, that recommended price point would put the 11.5-incher more than $100 below the cheapest Pixel Tablet variant (without a dock) and roughly at the same level as a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024).

Lenovo's newest mid-range Android tablet comes with a somewhat unorthodox built-in kickstand. | Image Credit -- Lenovo

Even if you ignore that unconventional kickstand and the seemingly unrivaled sound quality, you're likely to consider this thing an absolute value champion when you take its smooth 90Hz refresh rate-equipped LCD screen, reasonably powerful MediaTek G99 processor, and hefty 8,600mAh battery with blazing fast 45W charging capabilities into account.

The Lenovo Tab Plus also comes with up to 256GB storage space, although the entry-level configuration priced at 290 bucks can probably only accommodate 128 gigs of data internally while packing a respectable 8GB RAM as well.

The IP52 water and dust resistance, microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity also help maximize one of the greatest value equations we've seen in quite some time in the tablet market, while Lenovo's promise to deliver Android 15 and 16 updates, as well as security patches until June 2028, is the unexpected cherry on top of everything else.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.