The quick take
Lenovo latest 10-inch tablet isn't the most powerful workhorse, but then again it was surely never designed to be a device for everything. With modest specs and a budget price, this is a tablet for anyone looking for a reliable second screen to use around the home for streaming music and video, browsing the internet, cooking instructions in the kitchen, or sheet music when learning to play an instrument.
The Good
- Great build quality
- Perfect for streaming
- Lenovo Performance Mode is fantastic
- Great battery life
- Loud Dolby Atmos speakers
- Mostly stock Android experience
The Bad
- Cameras are a total afterthought
- Screen is a fingerprint magnet
- Hard to use in direct sunlight
- System takes up nearly half of the 16GB storage
Tech Specs
| Category | Lenovo Tab 4 10 |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 7.1 Nougat |
| Display | 10.1-inch LCD IPS Multitouch, 1280x800 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (1.4GHz, quad-core) |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Expandable | microSD up to 256GB |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Rear Camera | 5MP w/ autofocus |
| Front Camera | 2MP w/ autofocus |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| Charging | Micro-USB |
| Battery | 7000mAh non-removable 2 Cell Li-Polymer |
| Dimensions | 247 x 170 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 503g |
The things you'll love
The Lenovo Tab 4 10 features a (you guessed it) 10-inch screen with a 1280x800 resolution and is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB of RAM. With those specs, you're definitely going to notice a significant slowdown if you try to play any particularly resource-heavy games, but overall it feels capable of handling anything you throw at it — especially video streaming — with ease.
The Lenovo Tab 4 10 is lightweight without feeling cheap.
While the Tab 4 lacks the premium design materials like a glass back and aluminum frame, it doesn't feel cheap, either. I personally prefer a non-glass back design for my devices, so I appreciated the Slate Black model's subtle texture on the back. The power and volume buttons are perfectly placed on the left side of the device, so you won't accidentally press them when you're just kicking back watching your favorite shows, yet accessible when needed. Overall, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 is lightweight without feeling cheap — while I was fortunate to avoid dropping my unit during the review period, I always felt confident that it would survive without barely a blemish had it.
I've found the battery life to be outstanding. Lenovo says you can expect up to 20 hours of usage on a fully charged battery, and in my experience that even seems like a conservative estimate based on heavy usage.
In terms of software, you get a mostly stock Android experience here running Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. However, one of my favorite features using the Tab 4 10 is Lenovo's Productivity interface. Designed to be used with an optional Bluetooth keyboard attachment to convert the tablet into a makeshift laptop for added productivity, I enjoyed using it all the same without the keyboard, as it moves the on-screen Android navigations within reach of my left thumb while also adding a task bar for conveniently switching between apps as you would on a PC. I spend most of my review time using the Productivity mode because it's just a smartly-designed interface. There's also a Kids Mode, too, making this a great option for families.
I predominantly used the Lenovo Tab 4 10 for media streaming from Netflix, Plex, and DAZN with nary a hiccup, and the built-in Dolby Atmos speakers had me ignoring the Bluetooth speaker I'd typically use. As a hardened cord cutter, the Tab 4 served all my needs very well.
The things you'll hate
Firstly, the screen is an absolute fingerprint magnet, so you'll definitely want to keep the included screen cleaning cloth nearby at all times. It also doesn't fare too well near direct sunlight, so I'd say this is definitely a tablet to be used in and around the home and less so for commuting. There's a model that includes 4G connectivity with a SIM-card slot alongside the microSD slot, but honestly, I wouldn't spend more money when you're only going to want to use this thing wherever Wi-Fi is probably available.
You'll probably want to buy a microSD card for this thing as you only have about 8GB space out of the box.
The 16GB of internal storage is a tad underwhelming, as nearly half of that space is dedicated to the OS system files, making the option for expandable memory almost a prerequisite. Some users have had issues mounting a microSD card, but I did not have such problems.
As mentioned above, the specs are a little weak if you were hoping to do some serious gaming. Playing Madden Mobile was fine but noticeably sluggish at times. Temper your expectations or look elsewhere if top-end gaming is what you're after.
Lenovo included both front- and rear-facing cameras because I suppose they had to, but a 2MP and 5MP respectively, it's not even worth opening the camera app.
Should you get it? If you're a cord cutter, yes
If you've cut cable out of your life and are simply looking for a tablet for streaming Netflix, Hulu, and the rest around the house, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 will serve your needs wonderfully. You're unlikely to find a better Android tablet for under $200 that offers such a clean and focused design and user interface.
