While Apple might dominate the tablet market with its lineup of iPads, it’s not the only company producing great products. Lenovo is a fantastic alternative to Apple, as its products are well-designed, affordable, and available with a variety of operating systems (including both Android and ChromeOS).
Sifting through the Lenovo catalog can be overwhelming, however, as there are dozens of products to choose from – and it’s not immediately clear which ones might be the best for your needs. Along with budget products like the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus, you’ll find more expensive choices like the Lenovo Tab Extreme. And if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s very possible to end up with something that doesn’t check all the right boxes.
To help you with your search, here are the six best Lenovo tablets. Whether you’re a student, young professional, or just need something to surf the web, you’ll find a tablet that’s ideal for your lifestyle. If nothing catches your eye, consider looking at our roundup of the best tablets of 2024, which includes picks from Apple and Microsoft.
Lenovo
Lenovo Tab P12
The best Lenovo tablet overall
Pros
Vibrant display
Slim footprint
Support for Wi-Fi 6
Cons
Not ideal for heavy computing
Specifications
Display
12.7 inches
Processor
MediaTek Dimensity 7050
Storage
256GB
The Lenovo Tab P12 was designed with productivity in mind. A few different versions of the P12 are available, giving you a chance to snag up to 256GB storage, which is pretty solid for a tablet in this price range. Coupled with its gorgeous 12.7 inch display, it’s a good option for most shoppers.
Without a doubt, the display is the main attraction of the Tab P12. It clocks in at a staggering 2994 x 1840 resolution, which is a whole lot of pixels for a 12.7-inch screen. That means movies, apps, and games all look great on the P12. It also supports the Tab Pen Plus for notetaking or drawing, giving you plenty of ways to utilize its gorgeous display.
You’re not going to be running demanding games on the P12, but with support for Wi-Fi 6, streaming is a totally viable option. So if you’re interested in using your tablet for cloud gaming with a service like Xbox Game Pass, the P12 deserves a closer look.
Rounding out the P12 is a slim and stylish chassis, a 13MP camera, and the ability to double as a second monitor for your desktop PC or laptop. Toss in a microSD card reader, four JBL speakers, two microphones, and a stylus magnet to keep tabs on your pen, and it’s hard to find much wrong with the Tab P12. You might need to look elsewhere for intense processing tasks like video editing, but for the average user, this is a powerful combination of pricing and performance.
Lenovo Tab P12
The best Lenovo tablet overall
Lenovo
Lenovo Tab P11 Plus
Runner-up
Pros
Great price
Impressive display resolution
Dolby Atmos support
Specifications
Display
11 inches
Processor
MediaTek Helio G90T Tab
Storage
128GB
It’s a bit smaller and a bit cheaper than the P12, but the P11 Plus is a great alternative to its newer sibling. A lot of the same design cues are shared across the two tablets – including its slim chassis and durable construction – so if you love the P12 but want something more affordable, you’ll find the P11 Plus to be a great compromise.
The 11-inch display offers a 2000 x 1200 resolution, which is a downgrade from the P12 but still looks stunning on the smaller screen. It’s also just as responsive and easy to use. This model doesn’t include a stylus, but support is offered if you’d like to purchase one separately.
Another standout feature is Dolby Atmos, allowing you to bring movies and games to life with audio that punches well above the P11 Plus’ price tag. When combined with its vibrant LCD display, you’ve got a tablet that’s a perfect little entertainment center. And since it supports the millions of apps on the Google Play Store, you’ll have access to thousands of apps to enjoy.
The P11 Plus is several years old now, and it’s starting to show its age with limited RAM (4GB) and less storage (128GB) than other models. Still, there’s a lot of value packed into this older tablet, and if a large, vibrant screen is at the top of your wishlist, this is a good way to get that without going over your budget.
Lenovo Tab P11 Plus
Runner-up
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Lenovo Tab Extreme
The best productivity Lenovo tablet
Pros
Beautiful 3K OLED display
Immersive speakers
Comes with stylus
Has two USB-C ports
Capable performance
Good value
Cons
Size can be unwieldy
Magnets on back for stylus not great
Multitasking quirks
Specifications
Display
14.5 inches
Processor
MediaTek Dimensity 9000
Storage
256GB
It’s not cheap, but no corners were cut with the Lenovo Tab Extreme. This is one of the largest tablets in the Lenovo catalog (and by far the largest on this list), giving you a sprawling display, tons of premium hardware, and support for a variety of accessories to enhance your work (or play) experience.
While the large footprint means the Tab Extreme isn’t quite as portable as its siblings, it makes this a better laptop replacement than most other Lenovo tablets. What makes this version particularly great is the included Precision Pen 3 and Keyboard. That means it’s ready to work as a laptop or tablet right out of the box, while the pen lets you take handwritten notes or get creative with some doodling.
The 14.5-inch OLED display is a joy to work with, thanks to a 3000 x 1876 resolution and its ability to quickly respond to your input. Its 12GB RAM and good MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor handle most apps with ease, as well as all but the most demanding games.
Other standout specs include a 4K camera, a slim profile that’s less than half-an-inch thick, a limited one-year warranty, and a battery that runs for up to 15 hours before needing a recharge. So if you need a powerful tablet with a massive screen, make space for the Tab Extreme in your bag.
Lenovo Tab Extreme
The best productivity Lenovo tablet
Digital Trends
Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (Gen 3)
The best budget Lenovo Tab M10 Plus
Pros
Solid battery life
Good horizontal-focused design
Lightweight
Low price
Cons
Camera is often hit-or-miss
Overall lack of processing power
Specifications
Display
10.61 inches
Processor
MediaTek G80
Storage
32GB
While you’ll certainly find Lenovo tablets cheaper than this, those don’t come with enough hardware to justify the ultra-low prices. Instead, consider opting for the Tab M10 Plus, which still costs less than $200 yet is reliable and packed with great hardware for this price range.
One of the most notable faults of the M10 Plus is its lack of storage. Nowadays, 32GB just isn’t going to cut it. However, you’ll be glad to know that you can use a microSD card to expand your storage capabilities, so consider investing in a cheap card to improve your experience. Without the microSD card slot, this would be hard to recommend, as you’d likely fill up its storage in a single day. But with it, you can essentially expand its library indefinitely.
Beyond that wrinkle, the M10 Plus is surprisingly well-rounded for a budget tablet. This includes a MediaTek G80 processor, 3GB RAM, an LED display with a 2000 x 1200 resolution, and both USB-C and a 3.5mm audio jack. You’ll even get up to 14 hours of work out of the tablet before needing to find an outlet.
It’s not ideal for heavy workloads, but the Tab M10 Plus is a good choice for shoppers with a tight budget. Few products in this price range are as exciting, though it might be worth saving up a bit longer to snag the P12 or P11 Plus.
Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (Gen 3)
The best budget Lenovo Tab M10 Plus
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5
The best detachable Lenovo tablet
Pros
Acceptable productivity performance
Very long battery life
Excellent display
Solid build quality
Affordable
Cons
Display is in the old-school 16:9 aspect ratio
Limited to Wi-Fi 5
Kickstand add-on is inconvenient
Specifications
Display
13.3 inches
Processor
Snapdragon SC7180
Storage
128GB
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 is a great 2-in-1 laptop that works just as well as a tablet as it does a laptop. This version comes with a keyboard included, so you won’t have to worry about hunting one down after picking up the Duet 5.
You will, however, need to pick up your own stylus, and one is not included with your purchase. That’s about the only miss Lenovo makes with this tablet, as it’s an otherwise stellar product. Its 13.3-inch display is large yet portable, and because it’s an OLED display, it looks way better than you’d expect for a sub-$500 device.
As for processing power, you’ll get 8GB RAM and the Snapdragon SC7180. Those are pretty mediocre, but they’re totally fine for daily tasks like streaming movies, replying to emails, or typing up a report. The 128GB SSD is also a bit light, so consider saving most of your files to the cloud to free up additional space. Google Drive is a particularly good fit, thanks to ChromeOS found on the Duet 5.
Like most other Lenovo tablets, this one is sleek and stylish. Its frame clocks in at just 0.27 inches thick and just over two pounds. Anyone seeking a travel companion will love those numbers, as the Duet 5 won’t weigh down your bag and takes up little space.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5
The best detachable Lenovo tablet
Lenovo
Lenovo Tab M9
The best compact Lenovo tablet
Pros
Compact design
Impressive screen quality
Cheap
Cons
Low-end hardware
Will need to invest in a microSD card
Specifications
Display
9 inches
Processor
MediaTek Helio G80
Storage
128GB
The Lenovo Tab M9 won’t be for everyone, but this is a good fit if you need a super portable tablet for your commute or frequent travels. Its hardware won’t blow you away, though its screen is filled with more than enough pixels to enhance your daily commute and give you something a bit larger than your average smartphone.
If portability is your biggest concern, you’ll be glad to know that the M9 clocks in at 0.31 inches thick, less than 9-inches long, and just over 5-inches wide. It also weighs less than a pound, making it great for prolonged use without succumbing to wrist or hand cramps. You’re still getting a great 1340 x 800 resolution, so while the tablet is portable and light, Lenovo didn’t skimp on screen quality.
However, there’s nothing too impressive about its internal hardware. The MediaTek Helio G80 is perfectly fine for light gaming and daily tasks, but its 32GB SSD and 3GB RAM aren’t the best. Thankfully, you’ll get a microSD slot, so you can easily expand your storage if the need arises.
For anyone not solely concerned with portability, we’d recommend stepping up to our best budget pick (Lenovo Tab M10 Plus), as it’s around the same price but comes with slightly improved hardware. But if portability is at the top of your list, the Tab M9 should check all the right boxes.
Lenovo Tab M9
The best compact Lenovo tablet
How we chose the best Lenovo tablets
Lenovo makes several tablets, and most of them are great companions for your daily tasks. However, when searching for the best Lenovo tablets, there were a few key things we looked for. From display quality to durability, here’s how we narrowed down all the options.
Display
A tablet needs to have a good display. One that’s unresponsive and low quality will make the user experience painful, offering blurry images and laggy input instead of buttery smooth performance and vibrant pictures. The six products above are all built with solid displays. Some are better than others – the more you spend, the more you get – but none will disappoint.
Hardware
Most Lenovo tablets are relatively affordable, but it’s still possible to find many devices with good internal hardware. Along with a good processor and a decent amount of RAM, you’ll want a tablet with enough storage to hold all your files. And whether you’re gaming or just surfing the web, it’s important that your tablet keeps up with your tasks instead of slowing down and lagging between apps. Along with good hardware, you’ll also want good battery life. A big draw of tablets is their portability, but having to constantly plug them in for a recharge sort of defeats the purpose.
Accessories
Looking to use your tablet with accessories like keyboards or a stylus? Then you’ll want to make sure your rig supports those sort of items. Lenovo makes quite a few accessories for its tablets, so you should always have something useful to connect to your device. Many also support standard Bluetooth connections, so there’s a good chance third-party accessories like gamepads, headsets, and more will be compatible with your tablet.
Durability
Tablets are meant to travel, and that means they need to be built with heavy-duty materials. If they’re not durable, you could open your back to a scratched screen or chipped frame. Thankfully, that’s usually not an issue with Lenovo, as the company has built a reputation for producing premium hardware that stands the test of time. If you’re worried about getting scratches, you can also invest in a cover or case, as Lenovo makes plenty of protective accessories for its tablets.
Variety of prices and sizes
Not everyone is looking for the same sort of tablet. Students may want something portable and affordable, while professionals might want something larger and with better hardware. They also might have a larger budget to work with. Whatever the case, we found Lenovo tablets for all sorts of users, so you should be able to find something that fits your needs.
Editors’ Recommendations
