Right now, the tablet landscape is dominated by Apple’s iPad and for plenty of good reasons. On the other side of the pond in Android’s dominion, the low-end but surprisingly impressive Amazon Fire tablets reign supreme, with Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs second in command. Other than these three, not much else has caused a stir. Enter the Lenovo Tab 4. It may not boast the top-end specs nor the looks of more premium tablets, but it’s fast, has a great battery life, and best of all is very affordable.
Ahead of Labor Day sales, you can get the Lenovo Tab 4 for a cool 28% off on Amazon. Get it for the low price of $130 instead of the usual $179.
The 10-inch Lenovo Tab 4 looks a bit clunky. It is 0.3-inches thick, weighs 0.68 pounds, and has ugly large bezels surrounding its 8-inch screen. Although it doesn’t break any new grounds design-wise, it has some well-thought-out touches that we appreciate. The back is gratifyingly grippy, a pleasant change from the slippery backside of most tablets. Further, it has a power button that’s easy to find without having to look for it. It has a micro USB charging port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card slot to expand its 32GB internal memory. There’s a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 5-megapixel rear camera.
The Lenovo Tab 4’s display sports a 16:9 aspect ratio, typical of most Android tablets, which makes it excellent for watching movies. However, the screen is decidedly low resolution, a consequence of the price, at just 1,280 x 800 pixels. This is the minimum requirement to be classified as HD; still, at least it’s HD. Fortunately, its IPS panel delivers accurate colors and excellent viewing angles. It doesn’t glaze over when viewed at certain angles, unlike other low-end tablets.
This tablet is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, and 2GB of RAM. It works well when surfing the internet, using social media apps, and playing games. When we played more graphically demanding games though, it experienced some noticeable stutters but was still playable. The Lenovo Tab 4 supports haptic feedback, a major selling point not found on many Android tablets, not even the iPad. This technology gives off pleasant tiny vibrations when navigating the interface.
As a budget-range tablet, we didn’t really expect its camera to blow us away. The pictures it takes are unremarkable but look fine. It’s good for video calls and the occasional selfie, but not for Instagram-grade photos. You’re better off using your phone.
Surprisingly, this tablet’s speakers are good. At maximum volume, conversations in movies are clear and don’t sound flat. It doesn’t crank up as loudly as other tablets do, but it’s fine when you’re just watching a film in your room. Besides, there’s an audio jack so you can listen through headphones instead.
For a budget-friendly tablet, the Lenovo Tab 4’s battery life is epic. Lenovo claims it can last up to 20 hours with light usage. During our test, we were able to use it for a strong 11 hours long with mixed usage (internet browsing, video streaming, game playing, etc.).
With a great price, good display, impressive battery life, what more can you ask for in a budget tablet? Get the Lenovo Tab 4 for just $130 ahead of Labor Day on Amazon.
