Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Review: The Perfect Entertainment Companion (But Don’t Expect Much More)

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The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: A Great Entertainment Tablet, But Don’t Expect Laptop-Level Productivity

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro boasts an attractive price tag and features a bright OLED display, powerful speakers, and an optional stylus. However, after spending some time with the tablet, it’s clear that its true strength lies in entertainment, not productivity. While it may look tempting as a laptop replacement, Android’s limitations on tablets mean it falls short in this area. This doesn’t make it a bad tablet, but it’s important to understand its strengths and weaknesses before making a purchase.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Price and Variants

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is available in a single configuration: 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs. 44,990. The tablet’s SIM tray accommodates one Nano-SIM and a microSD card, supporting up to 256GB of expansion.

Lenovo also offers optional accessories:

  • Lenovo Precision Pen 2: Rs. 3,999 if bought separately or Rs. 2,999 as an add-on during purchase.
  • Lenovo Keyboard Pack for P11 Pro: Rs. 5,499 separately or Rs. 5,000 as an add-on.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Design

The Tab P11 Pro bears a striking resemblance to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 FE, sporting a thin 5.8mm profile. Its front is dominated by a large display with relatively thin bezels (for a tablet) and two front-facing cameras. The metal back features antenna lines and a two-tone finish, with a prominent Lenovo logo on the right and a dual-camera module on the left.

The sides are flattened, with speakers on both the left and right. The left side also houses the SIM tray and power button, incorporating a fingerprint reader. Volume buttons are placed on the top left, while the 4-point connector for the keyboard accessory is located at the bottom. Despite its thinness, the build quality feels premium. It’s solid but weighs in at 485g, making it heavy for extended one-handed use. The lack of a kickstand or case in the box makes it challenging to prop up for video watching. The optional Lenovo Keyboard Pack, costing an extra Rs. 5,000, addresses this issue but increases the device’s thickness.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Display and Audio

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro features a vibrant 11.5-inch OLED display with a WQXGA 2560×1600 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. While its 60Hz refresh rate is standard, it’s slightly disappointing considering the premium price point.

The display is sharp and gets bright outdoors, with saturated colors that can be adjusted in the Settings app. Lenovo claims it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and Netflix does indeed allow full-HD playback with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. The display excels at showcasing high-quality content, delivering impressive contrast and sharpness. Amazon Prime Video content also looks vibrant and detailed.

The four-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos audio further enhances the immersive entertainment experience. The speakers produce rich and immersive sound, especially considering the tablet’s slim profile. They are loud and clear, making it easy to enjoy movies without resorting to Bluetooth headphones.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Specifications and Software

The Tab P11 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730G SoC, launched in mid-2019. This gamer-centric processor, while capable for its time, is now found in budget and mid-range smartphones. The tablet has 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, expandable via microSD card up to 256GB. It supports 4G data and features built-in microphones, but lacks cellular voice calling capabilities. Communications standards include dual-band Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5.0. The tablet houses an 8,400mAh battery supporting 20W fast charging.

The software appears to be a stock version of Android, but unfortunately, it’s Android 10, which is outdated in 2021. There are preinstalled third-party apps like Netflix, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Office, OneNote, Bamboo Paper, and Squid, along with the standard Google apps and a “Kids Space” app. Despite the preinstalled apps, there are no annoying promotions or notifications.

While the user interface appears stock, Lenovo has implemented some customisations. Notably, there is a “Smart Navigation” slide-out menu for quick access to features like screenshots and screen recordings, and a real-time beautification mode during video calls. One of the significant software additions is “Productivity Mode.” This feature, similar to Samsung’s DeX, switches the interface from a regular phone-like Android layout to a desktop-like interface with a taskbar and windowed apps.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Performance and Battery Life

Despite its aging processor, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro delivers solid performance in benchmarks. It scored 3,31,115 in AnTuTu, 528 in Geekbench’s single-core test, and 1,685 in its multi-core test, matching the capabilities of mid-range smartphones.

Gaming performance is also impressive. The tablet stays cool and handles most games with maxed-out graphics settings smoothly. The four-speaker setup and punchy OLED display enhance the immersive gameplay experience even without a high-refresh rate panel. Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends run smoothly with no lag or slowdowns, even with graphics set to their highest quality.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Productivity Limitation

Despite marketing the Tab P11 Pro with the optional keyboard accessory as a productivity powerhouse, Android’s limitations on tablets, specifically the lack of widespread app optimization, prevent it from truly replacing a laptop.

The Google apps, apart from Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, are largely optimized for smartphones and simply stretch across the display on tablets. While Microsoft’s Office is optimized for tablets, most other third-party apps, including Slack, Trello, and other productivity apps, remain poorly optimized.

While the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro can handle simple tasks like emails and browsing, its lack of productivity features and the limitations of Android for tablets make it a poor choice for serious work.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Cameras and Battery Life

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro sports a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera on the rear. The front selfie setup consists of two 8-megapixel cameras, including an infrared sensor for background blur effects in video calls. Daylight images from the main rear camera lack detail, while low-light performance is poor. Even daylight images from the ultra-wide-angle camera are blurry. An LED flash is present on the rear, useful for document scanning.

The 8,400mAh battery delivers up to 1.5 days of regular use, which includes hours of video streaming, social media browsing, gaming, music playback, and background email syncing. In Productivity Mode, the battery lasts about 8 hours, enough for a workday with the screen constantly on and several apps open. The HD video loop test ran for 16 hours and 48 minutes, impressive for a tablet with such a thin profile. Charging with the included 20W charger takes approximately 3 hours, considering the battery’s capacity.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro: Verdict

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro shines as an entertainment device, offering great audio, a vibrant OLED display, and smooth gaming performance. However, Android’s limitations on tablets prevent it from being a true laptop replacement. For those seeking a tablet for casual tasks and entertainment, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is a solid option, particularly with the addition of the optional keyboard accessory.

At Rs. 44,990, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro offers great value for money, but potential buyers should be aware of its limitations in productivity. For those seeking a more productive experience, Apple’s 8th Gen iPad (128GB), retailing for Rs. 37,900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs. 49,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, might be a better choice. While it lacks the OLED display and immersive audio of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro, iPadOS and its app ecosystem provide a superior productivity experience. However, the additional cost of the Smart Keyboard (Rs. 13,900) must be factored into the decision.

Ultimately, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is an excellent choice for entertainment but not for replacing your laptop. It strikes a great balance between features and price, but understanding its strengths and weaknesses is key to a satisfying experience.

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Brian Adams
Brian Adams
Brian Adams is a technology writer with a passion for exploring new innovations and trends. His articles cover a wide range of tech topics, making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience. Brian's engaging writing style and thorough research make his pieces a must-read for tech enthusiasts.