Lenovo Tab Plus

The Lenovo Tab Plus is an 11.5-inch Android tablet that Lenovo introduced in June 2024 with one idea at the centre: sound. Instead of the usual pair of small stereo speakers, the company fitted eight JBL-branded speakers, tuned with Dolby Atmos, and then built the rest of the tablet around a sensible mid-range recipe: a 2K screen at 90Hz, a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, 8GB of RAM and an 8600 mAh battery. This page is based on the published specifications and manufacturer information. Where Lenovo makes a claim that depends on how you use the device, we say so, and we point out what is missing from the spec sheet so you can check it before buying.

Where it sits in the Lenovo lineup

Lenovo sells tablets in several families, and the Tab Plus is the entertainment-leaning model of its mainstream Tab series. It is not the productivity flagship and it is not a children's tablet. Its job is to be a media device you can leave on a desk, a kitchen counter or a nightstand and use for video, music, reading and light browsing. The model described here is the original 2024 version; a newer successor exists, covered on our Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 page, and if you want a tablet that leans toward work and drawing instead, the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro is the better starting point.

The official launch material gave an expected starting price of $289.99 (279 euros including VAT in Europe), with the tablet described as available in select global markets from the announcement on 20 June 2024. Lenovo adds the usual caveat that prices can exclude tax and shipping and can change, so treat the figure as a launch reference rather than a promise about today's shelf price.

Design, kickstand and display

The Tab Plus comes in a single colour, Luna Grey, with a grey back and a built-in kickstand that Lenovo says opens up to 175 degrees. The stand is the feature that makes the tablet feel like a small speaker-and-screen combination: you prop it up on a table, and the speakers radiate from a body that is designed for that posture. The tablet measures 268.3 x 174.25 x 7.77 mm, grows to 13.58 mm at the camera bump, and Lenovo lists a weight of 650 g including the stand. That is heavy for an 11.5-inch tablet, and it is worth keeping in mind if you mostly hold a tablet in one hand while lying down. In the official renders the front is a conventional symmetric-bezel layout, and the rear shows the stand, a single camera and the speaker grille on the lower edge.

The screen is an 11.5-inch LCD at 2000 x 1200 pixels, which Lenovo calls 2K, running at up to 90Hz with a stated brightness of 400 nits. The panel carries TUV certification for low blue light and for flicker-free viewing. The 90Hz refresh rate is a pleasant step above the 60Hz that dominates budget tablets, and it makes scrolling and animations feel smoother. The brightness figure is modest, though: 400 nits is fine indoors, but it will not be easy to read in direct sunlight, and Lenovo does not publish a peak HDR number, so do not expect a high-contrast HDR experience. The company also describes an Immersive Reading Mode and a Standby Mode that can turn the screen into a digital photo frame or a clock, a sensible use for a tablet that sits on a stand.

Sound: the reason this tablet exists

Lenovo's spec is specific. There are eight speakers in total: four matrix tweeters and four force-balanced woofers, housed in four speaker boxes with a combined volume of 22 cc, tuned by Dolby Atmos and delivering 26W of stereo output. Over headphones, the company states support for 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio, and there is a 3.5mm jack, which is increasingly rare on tablets. The Tab Plus can also act as a Bluetooth speaker (Bluetooth 5.2) for another device, and Lenovo describes app-based volume control, which lets you adjust the level of individual apps rather than the whole system.

What can we say from the specification alone? A larger speaker count and bigger enclosures generally help bass and separation compared with the thin single-box stereo found on most tablets of this price. But the numbers are a manufacturer claim, and nothing in the published material replaces listening in person. If you only watch videos with headphones on, the speaker system will matter far less to you than the battery and the screen. If you like to play music or YouTube out loud in a room, this is exactly the use case the tablet was built for.

Performance and software

The Tab Plus uses the MediaTek Helio G99, an octa-core chip aimed at affordable devices, with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The storage can be extended with a microSD card, sold separately. For a media-first tablet this is a coherent set: streaming, reading, browsing, casual games and video calls are well within the class of hardware, while demanding 3D games will require lower settings. We do not have independent benchmark numbers for this page, and we do not invent them; if raw speed is your priority, a tablet built around a flagship chip will be in another price tier entirely.

The tablet ships with Android 14. Lenovo promises two OS upgrades and security patches until June 2028, which is a clear and useful commitment for a budget device. Counted from the launch date, that is about four years of security coverage, although the number of major Android versions is only two. A privacy dashboard is included, and the sensor list covers an accelerometer, an ambient-light sensor and a gyroscope. Connectivity is Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth 5.2, with a USB Type-C 2.0 port, so do not count on fast wired file transfers or video output through the port.

Cameras

Cameras are not the focus. Lenovo lists an 8MP autofocus rear camera and an 8MP fixed-focus front camera. That is enough for scanning documents, video calls and the occasional snapshot, and tablets are not usually used as primary cameras anyway. The fixed-focus front camera is a reminder that the sensor choice here is about cost control: it is fine for a meeting at arm's length, less ideal for close-up use.

Battery and charging

The battery is rated at 8600 mAh (typical), and Lenovo claims up to 12 hours of streaming. A 45W fast-charging system is listed, with a full charge in about 90 minutes, and a 68W USB-C wall charger is mentioned among the compatible accessories. As always, the 12-hour figure is a manufacturer claim measured under the company's own conditions; playing music loudly through eight speakers or running the screen at high brightness will bring the number down. The 90-minute figure is practical rather than spectacular, but it suits a tablet that spends part of the day docked on a stand.

Durability and accessories

The Tab Plus has an IP52 rating, which Lenovo describes as water and dust resistance. IP52 is a modest level: it indicates protection against limited dust ingress and vertical dripping water, not immersion and not a rinse under the tap. It is a useful safety margin for a kitchen tablet, but you should not treat it as a waterproof design. Lenovo also lists a Tab Pen Plus stylus, a protective sleeve, a 68W USB-C wall charger and a Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard as compatible accessories, and offers optional Lenovo Premium Care and Accidental Damage Protection in select markets. One practical point: the accessories are sold separately, so the all-in cost of a keyboard-and-pen setup is higher than the headline tablet price.

Who it is for, and the compromises

The Tab Plus is a good fit for someone who wants one tablet to play music and video out loud, read, browse and keep in a shared room, who values a headphone jack and a long update window, and who does not need top-tier performance. It also suits families who want a stand-mounted screen that does not require a case. The trade-offs are clear from the specification: a 400-nit LCD that is weak outdoors, Wi-Fi 5 rather than a newer standard, a USB 2.0-class port, modest cameras, an IP52 rather than a stronger rating, and a relatively heavy body. If you are comparing it with a premium option, the comparison with the Galaxy Tab S9 shows how far a flagship moves ahead on display and processing, while the comparison with the Tab Plus Gen 2 is the sensible check if you are choosing between generations. You can also see where it lands among other devices on our rankings page.

In short, the Tab Plus is a focused, honest mid-range media tablet: its audio hardware is the real differentiator, its screen and battery are solid for the price class, and its limits are the ones you would expect at roughly $290. Check availability in your region, because Lenovo describes sales as being in select global markets, and confirm the exact memory and storage configuration before you order.