Meet Maggie, PCMag'sThe Lenovo Idea Tab Pro (starting at $389.99) stands out by offering a bevy of high-end features at a midrange price. It combines a spacious screen, smooth performance, and productivity extras like a stylus without inflating the cost. We also like its expandable storage, quick Wi-Fi, and solid battery life. Lenovo even throws in a fast charger—a rarity at any price. While it doesn’t have the brightest display or the best cameras, its strong everyday performance and broad appeal make the Idea Tab Pro our Editors’ Choice winner for affordable Android tablets.
The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro measures 7.44 by 11.49 by 0.27 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.37 pounds. It is larger and heavier than the $219.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (6.64 by 10.12 by 0.27 inches, 1.06 pounds) and thinner and slightly lighter than the $289.99 Lenovo Tab Plus (6.86 by 10.56 by 0.31 inches, 1.43 pounds).
The tablet comes in one color: Luna Gray. It has an aluminum unibody design, which makes the device feel sturdy but not bulky. Tempered glass covers the display and forms a uniform bezel, with the front-facing camera centered in the long edge above the screen. When held in landscape orientation, two speaker grilles, a microSD card slot, and a combo power button/fingerprint reader are on the left. The fingerprint reader works well, and while face unlock is available, it doesn’t qualify as a banking-grade biometric option. The tablet doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Volume buttons are on the top edge, while pogo pins and two accessory attachment points are on the bottom. A USB-C port sits on the right side, along with two more speaker grilles. Meanwhile, the back has a two-tone design, a magnetic holder for the Tab Pen Plus stylus, and a rectangular camera module that protrudes slightly from the surface. The Idea Tab Pro's design offers almost everything you need and nothing you don't.
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Like most tablets at this price, there is no IP rating for protection against dust or water.
Lenovo opts for a large 12.7-inch LCD, which has a resolution of 2,944 by 1,840 pixels, a refresh rate up to 144Hz, and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. The A9+ and Tab Plus also feature LCDs. LCDs are good, but don't offer much in the way of contrast.
Everything on the Tab Pro's screen looks crisp, and animations are fluid. It makes for a great video player—assuming you're indoors. Bright sunlight makes the Tab Pro’s screen difficult to view, and its reflective glass adds to the challenge. For example, in the image above, reflections of the table and a notepad are visible even in a shaded area.
The Idea Tab Pro runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor with 8GB of RAM. The default configuration has 128GB of storage, while a $419.99 model offers 256GB. Both support microSD cards up to 1TB if you need more space for files and media.
We ran a series of benchmarks to compare the tablet's performance with the Samsung A9+ (Qualcomm Snapdragon 695) and the Lenovo Tab Plus (MediaTek Helio G99).
On Geekbench 6, which measures raw CPU power, the Tab Pro scored 1,406 on the single-core test and 4,204 on the multi-core test. It easily outperformed the Tab A9+ (908 and 1,975) and the Tab Plus (736 and 2,018).
On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which measures how a device handles various everyday tasks, the Lenovo scored 19,029, significantly surpassing the A9+ (10,243) and the Tab Plus (11,922).
To evaluate gaming performance, we use the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test. The Idea Tab Pro managed 26 frames per second (fps), outperforming the A9+, which rendered 12fps, and the Tab Plus, which rendered just 9.4fps.
For real-world gaming performance, we played the resource-intensive title, Genshin Impact. With the highest graphics settings at 60fps, the Idea Tab Pro excelled. Animations were silky smooth, and we didn't experience any slowdowns during gameplay. After a 20-minute session, the area under the rear camera became warm, but not hot, and the tablet remained comfortable to the touch.
The Idea Tab Pro's 10,200mAh battery charges at up to 45W via USB-C. Lenovo includes a 45W fast charger in the box—an atypical, but welcome, plus. Moreover, the Tab Pro can charge other devices with its battery using a USB-C cable.
In our battery rundown test, where we stream a 1080p video with the screen at full brightness, the Idea Tab lasted 8 hours and 21 minutes, beating the A9+ (about 7 hours), but falling well short of the Tab Plus (11 hours and 50 minutes).
Using the included charger, the Idea Tab reached 23% in 15 minutes, 44% in 30 minutes, and 100% in 1 hour and 20 minutes. The Tab Plus charges just as quickly, while the A9+ needs more time, at 2 hours and 35 minutes.
For connectivity, the Idea Tab Pro supports Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. It does not support cellular connections or NFC. When near a Wi-Fi 6 router, the Tab Pro reached 526Mbps down and 21.6Mbps up. Meanwhile, the more expensive Tab S10+ achieved similar speeds (589Mbps down, 21.6Mbps up) when tested in the same spot.
At the limits of the Wi-Fi network, the Idea Tab Pro stayed strong at 316Mbps down and 20.3Mbps up. The A9+ edged it out with 330Mbps down and 21.5Mbps up. Either way, the Idea Tab Pro maintained a reliable connection over Wi-Fi in testing.
With four JBL-tuned speakers and Dolby Atmos support, the Idea Tab produces decent sound for a tablet. When playing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" at full volume, the Idea Tab Pro pumped out 97.0dB, which filled a mid-sized room with well-rounded audio. The bass isn't terrible, but the speakers couldn't reproduce the deepest notes of our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout." Look into a good pair of Bluetooth headphones if you want higher-quality sound.
Tablet cameras have come a long way, but they still lag behind those in your smartphone. The Idea Tab Pro features a 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and an 8MP f/2.0 front-facing one. Both capture acceptable stills with decent detail, but the colors often look flat or washed out.
The rear camera records sharp 4K video at 30fps, though the saturation is so high that some colors appear unnaturally vivid. The front camera records at 1080p and mirrors the still performance: clear enough for video calls, but lacking vibrance. These cameras are fine for occasional photos or video conferencing needs, but don't expect much more than the basics.
The Idea Tab Pro ships with Android 14 and Lenovo's software layer, ZUI 16. The company promises two OS upgrades and four years of security fixes. In testing, an update brought the device up to Android 15 and ZUI 17, which is the software we evaluated in this review. We would like to see a longer support window, but at this price, the shorter limit isn't surprising.
Android includes multi-user support, which allows you to share the tablet with others, though the stock OS doesn't offer many productivity tools. Lenovo builds on this. For example, the tablet's software lets you run up to three apps on-screen at once (instead of Android’s default two). Moreover, a PC Mode reconfigures the screen into a desktop-like interface with a bottom taskbar.
The stylus in the box performs well and responds to pressure, though we experienced some latency issues. These additions make the Idea Tab Pro a solid choice for lighter work tasks.
A word of caution: When you first set up the tablet, it offers to preinstall a bunch of apps. If you are not paying attention, you may load it up with a smattering of unwanted apps by mistake.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Lenovo Idea Tab Pro
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro delivers real value with features rarely found at this price. While its high-resolution screen and loud speakers make it a good choice for streaming media, its peppy performance, stylus, and PC-like multitasking software make it equally suitable for productivity. We wish the screen were a bit brighter and that Lenovo planned another year or two of software updates, but those are reasonable trade-offs at this price. If you're looking for an Android tablet under $400, the Idea Tab Pro is the one to beat, and our Editors’ Choice.
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About Our Expert
I've been into technology for as long as I can remember. As a PCMag mobile writer, I get to test the newest phones and tablets. Since you rely on our buying advice, I make sure you get everything a manufacturer claims, which means lots of testing. This is your phone we're talking about; it's like a part of you. I've covered technology as a career for around two decades (yikes, I had to think about that). You've seen my work at The Apple Blog, PCMag (from my first go around), This Week in Tech, and CNET. I also occasionally produce independent video projects, including This Old Nerd, a how-to series that shows practical ways to get the most from your tech.
