If you can loosen the purse strings, an iPad is a great tablet because of the number of apps available at your fingertips. Android tablets have recovered some ground in the last few years and if you are using an Android phone, it makes sense to get an Android tablet… you will feel comfortable interacting with the two devices. Among Android tablets, there are plenty of options at various price points. You can choose something expensive like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 or something affordable like the Lenovo Tab M11. It’s all about your workflow. Recently, a friend asked if I had a tablet in mind to help him read music while playing. Well, the Tab M11 works.

You can use the stylus to get work done on the Lenovo Tab M11 The Telegraph

The Lenovo tablet comes with an 8MP webcam and on the back of the 11-inch 1920x1200 IPS display is a 13MP camera. These are good camera specs for an affordable tablet. There is a metal body to ensure a good feel in the hand. The only plastic you will see is where the metal body transitions into the screen, which is acceptable. This is a tablet that reminds one of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+. Equally impressive is its 7.15mm thickness and 465g weight. If you keep this in your lap to watch a film during a plane journey, you won’t feel uncomfortable.

Good for media consumption

The USB Type-C port is 2.0 and then there is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. There are two speaker grilles on each side.

Let’s talk about media consumption. I have been watching quite a few films, all of which are playing out well. Lenovo is offering anti-glare technology, making it comfortable to consume content. Winning brownie points is 90Hz refresh rate. The pixel density may not be the highest but the viewing angles are fine. There is good colour reproduction and with 400 nits brightness, you won’t have trouble using the tablet in a cafe, office or at home.

The stylus is effective but doesn't match the quality of Apple Pencil or Samsung's S Pen The Telegraph

Further, the speakers are of good quality. Though not very loud, there is good sound separation and vocals are given preference. The 7,040mAh battery is large enough to keep the tablet running for around 10 hours of video playback. There is support for 15W fast-charging but this is on the slower side, given the battery capacity. There is no connector for a keyboard but making up for it is support for micro SD card.

Working with the Tab Pen

What I like about the tablet is the support for a stylus or what Lenovo calls Tab Pen. To use the stylus, insert a battery into it. The pen is effective for most users, coming with 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels and tilt support. It’s easy to take notes, doodle, and more. Apps like Nebo, MyScript and Calculator 2 offer enough possibilities. I see the tablet being used by students and for them the stylus will come in handy while taking notes or making simple drawings. Don’t expect the same quality as on the Apple Pencil but this is good enough for most users. The pen is effective if you have to take a screenshot or annotate a PDF.

Running the show is MediaTek Helio G88. The review unit came with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM. Out of the 128GB storage, you will get 103GB for usage. Graphics performance on the tablet is better than what I was expecting. It can handle most Google Play apps smoothly and games run quite well without making the tablet heat up. Further, battery life is good enough to take you through the day.

On the software front, the tablet comes with Android 13 and the company is offering two OS upgrades, meaning Android 15. It could have come preloaded with Android 14. On the flip side, I like that Lenovo is regular with security updates, so expect all bugs to be taken care of.

There is a 13MP camera on the back of the device The Telegraph

The overall software experience is quite smooth. There are plenty of useful apps that come preloaded and KidsSpace should keep little ones happy. There is a bit of bloatware but it’s far less than what you see on most rival tablets. Further, these can be deleted.

Should you buy it?

Given the pricing, there will be some compromises. But if you want to watch films, listen to music, browse, read books on the Kindle app or play games at modest settings, this Lenovo tablet makes sense. This one is lightweight and offers good battery life. Lenovo Tab M11 is a slick slate that takes care of most tasks.

AT A GLANCE

Device: Lenovo Tab M11

Price: Upwards of Rs 17,999

HIGH NOTES

Good build

Comes with productivity apps

Stylus works well

Smooth software experience

MUFFLED NOTES

Could have come preloaded with Android 14