As early as 1998, the first modern e-reader was introduced, allowing you to read your books digitally instead of the traditional way. In January 2010, Apple introduced its first iPad and that is when things really took off. In today’s climate, there are thousands of versions; some are better, others are worse. So how can one compete with everything else out there?

We have tested quite a few “tablets” here at senses.se, and they are usually quite similar in terms of design. So imagine my surprise when a rather large and thick box arrived in the mail. Lenovo has gone its own way regarding tablets and has intended for them to be more than just a tablet, but rather a small-format entertainment system. On the back of the Tab Plus Gen 2 sits, in my opinion, a gigantic speaker that gives the otherwise sleek design a substantial bulge in the middle. This version I am reviewing also includes a nice case where you can carry the device without having to worry about damaging it.

First Impression

When it is delivered, it has a more or less fully charged battery, so it’s ready to go right out of the box. The operating system is based on Android and, as an iPhone user for the past 15 years, I feel a bit confused at first. Several apps are pre-installed, and I am somewhat surprised to see both Temu and TikTok pre-installed, but then again, Lenovo is a Chinese company, so it is not really that strange. What is a bit strange, however, is that the speaker, which is supposed to be one of the product’s main selling points, is not visible on the box.

Screen and Performance

Under the hood of the Tab Plus Gen 2 we find a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor manufactured with 4 nm technology, paired with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. For those of you who feel that is not enough, there is the option to insert your own memory card, which I think is a huge plus. In practice, this means that streaming, multitasking, social media, and normal photo editing run smoothly without major issues. However, the performance is not on the same level as, for example, the iPad Air or the more powerful variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S-series.

Lenovo uses a 12.1-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, a 120 Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and a brightness of up to 800 nits. This makes the image clear and sharp even in brightly lit environments.

The Speaker System

The large speaker on the back is a JBL-developed sound system with nine speakers and a total power output of 48 watts. Additionally, passive radiators are used to enhance the bass range without increasing power consumption to the same extent that larger active drivers would have. This is what I can gather from the specs, but how does it all work in practice?

Practical Tests

I decided to perform four tests. What is it like to watch a movie, play a game, listen to music, and browse the web?

The first test was Deadpool & Wolverine since it is a movie I have seen far too many times and thus know exactly how it should look and sound. I experienced no issues with the movie visually. The sharpness is fine, colors are accurate, and black levels are deep. The sound from the large speaker handles high notes and the midrange very well, but when it comes to the bass, it feels a bit thin. I assumed the sound would be significantly better than other tablets given that gigantic thing on its back, but the bass is nowhere near as powerful as the speaker would suggest. This is strange, because even small Bluetooth speakers of the same size deliver more punch. What I appreciate is that the Tab Plus Gen 2 has a built-in kickstand, so there are no problems standing it on a table. The stand is rotatable, so you can position it more or less however you want.

Next up, I tested playing my favorite game Inside which I also know inside out. This is among the few games I can sit down and play through in the same way I watch the same movie over and over again. The game runs well, and it is a few years old now, so it isn’t super demanding, yet it still hitches slightly sometimes, which is very strange. The resources are there, but it is as if a cache memory isn’t quite keeping up every time.

Playing music on the Tab Plus Gen 2, on the other hand, works perfectly fine, except that, as mentioned, I miss the bass.

The final test is browsing, and the resolution means there are no problems reading text, and if I want to zoom in on images, that works perfectly fine too. But then when I exit to quickly go into another app, it happens again: everything stutters for a short second before functioning as it should. It is clear that something isn’t quite keeping up with the resolution they have chosen for it to operate at.

Battery Life

The battery life is around 30 hours depending on what you are doing, so with normal use such as browsing, reading, watching YouTube, and streaming movies, you should easily be able to get one to two days of use between charges. It supports 45 W fast charging and reaches a full charge in approximately 3 hours.

Camera

Just like all other tablets, it has a camera on the back. Below are a couple of pictures in daylight and in the dark, and considering the price range, I still think they are acceptable. The right image was taken in total darkness, which makes it somewhat impressive that anything is visible at all.

Final Verdict

So, besides the bass feeling a bit thin and the processor not quite catching up, Lenovo has one more disadvantage, and that is that it is quite heavy and cumbersome. With the case and everything, it is a device of almost one kilo that you’re lugging around, which defeats some of the purpose of having a tablet instead of a computer.

In summary, I really like the idea of creating a “tablet” that has more powerful sound and really stands out against the competitors, but unfortunately, the sound does not impress me to the extent that the speaker’s size suggests. The fact that there are also some minor performance issues otherwise makes the enthusiasm wane a bit. That said, this is still a good product for its price range, so the rating reflects that, but there is so much potential for something greater.

Lenovo sent a review unit for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with you, the readers and consumers, in focus.