The Lenovo Tab P11 is here sit alongside the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 as pure-Android iPad alternatives worthy of your attention. One of the more interesting new products unveiled at CES 2021, it costs $100 less than the iPad but packs a quad-speaker setup and is rated to last all-day on a single charge.
It's also coming with a bunch of accessories, showing that Lenovo believes this tablet should a part of your smart home and productivity, not just content consumption. We've got some doubts, considering what previous 2-in-1s of this size have done to their keyboards, but we're still quite excited.
- The best Chromebook deals and prices
- Plus: the best Chromebooks for kids
Will this be one of the best tablets? Let's find out.
Lenovo Tab P11 price and release date
The Lenovo Tab P11 will cost at $229.99 and it's scheduled to ship this month (January 2021). It's got a serious set of optional accessories, including a keyboard, stylus and a pair of stands — but Lenovo did not provide pricing details on those yet.2000x1200-pixel
Display: 11-inch, 2000 x 1200-pixel
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches
Weight: 1.1 pounds
OS: Android 10
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Cameras: 13MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Battery life: Up to 12 hours of web browsing (claimed)
Lenovo Tab P11 design and display
The Tab P11, as its name implies, is an 11-inch tablet. It's got an aluminum-alloy chassis that comes in Slate Grey and Platinum Grey, with a two-tone design.
At 1.1 pounds and 10.2 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches, the Tab P11 is thinner than the Amazon Fire HD 10 (1.1 pounds, 10.3 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches) and a bit larger than the 10.2-inch iPad (2020) (1.1 pounds, 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.3 inches) and the 10.4-inch Galaxy Tab A7 (1.1 pounds, 9.7 x 6.2 x 0.3).
Its 2000 x 1200-pixel screen has a 220 ppi pixel density, and Lenovo rates it for 400 nits of brightness. The 224-ppi Tab A7 has the same pixel dimensions, but those pixels a little more densely packed. The 264-ppi iPad is even sharper.
Its 8MP front-facing camera allows for Face Unlock convenience, which the iPad lacks. It's also got USB-C, which the normal iPad is missing.
Lenovo Tab P11 performance
The Tab P11 will have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor that the Tab A7 has which should be enough for casual use and a little limited if you're trying to be a serious power user. The Tab P11 has 4GB of RAM, which is 33% more than the Tab A7's 3GB.
Lenovo Tab P11 accessories
Lenovo's got a bag-full of accessories for the Tab P11. Those start with the Precision Pen 2 — because what tablet is complete without a stylus? It's got 4,096 levels of pressure, USB-C charging and an estimated 200 hours of battery life.
And for when you want to be more productive, there's the Keyboard Pack for P11, a detachable keyboard and stand, a two-piece solution. The keyboard has hotkeys for Google Assistant and screen captures, and its keys have 1.3mm of travel, for comfortable typing.
The one concern we have is that keyboards made for 11-inch screens tend to get a little cramped, as we saw on the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. There's also a Folio Case for those who just want an easel mode. Its 3.4 x 1.9-inch trackpad should be roomy enough, but at what cost to the rest of the keyboard estate?
Then there's the Smart Charging Station 2, which uses the same pogo-pin docking connection method that the keyboard pack does. Once you dock it, you can turn the Tab P11 into a smart home screen using the Google Assistant Ambient mode.
Lenovo Tab P11 battery life
Lenovo rates the Tab P11 as lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge for web browsing or video playback, and 15 hours for music playback.
The Tab P11 is up against stiff competition, as the Tab A7 made it 13 hours and 13 minutes. The Amazon Fire HD 10 (13:45) lasted even longer and the iPad 2020 (12:57) was no slouch either.
Lenovo Tab P11 outlook
Competition is good for all, and so we're excited to see the mid-range tablet market get another serious player. It matches the Galaxy Tab A7 in price, and we're hoping that another tablet at this price, that packs the face unlock that the iPad doesn't offer (the Tab A7 does) could push Apple to move from Touch ID to Face ID some day in the iPad.
But Android users don't care about how the iPad evolves — nor should they. We can't wait to get our hands on the Lenovo Tab P11, to see how it stacks up to Lenovo's boasts.