We analyze the Lenovo Tab Extreme, the best Android tablet we have tested

At the beginning of the year Lenovo presented what seemed to be the best alternative to the iPad Pro within the Android ecosystem, the Lenovo Tab Extreme. This commitment by the manufacturer was clearly aimed at a very specific sector of the public, that of people who wanted to work, and in a demanding way, with their tablet. Not in vain its dimensions and price meant that it was not for everyone.

We have been able to spend a few weeks with that device, and We have used it for playing, working and watching movies., something that with the huge screen it has is especially satisfying. During the holidays we have had it traveling throughout the province of Cádiz, with a lot of sun, and we have used it in different ways.

Throughout the analysis we will tell our experiences, Although we already told you that the commitments that this device has are not so much on the side of its hardware as on its software. Android continues to advance, little by little, but it still has to be an alternative to laptops and to iPad Pro. Of course, the Lenovo Tab Extreme is the closest we can get to it. However, there are hardware details that put it ahead of both products.

Of course, we will have to pay a price for it, 1,199 euros specifically in Spain, where it is already on sale. It is a very high price, similar to what Samsung asks for its new Galaxy Tab S9 that we were able to test on the trip to Seoul this summer. In a few days we will talk more about these tablets, since we are currently analyzing them.

Huge giant

First and foremost, what draws the attention of this tablet is its size. We are looking at a product no less than 14.5 inches and more than three-quarters of a kilo in weight. This is not a tablet to have in your hand for a long time, as we can do with other models from this and other brands.

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That makes one think that Lenovo’s idea for this product is to be used a lot at the tablebe with the little one stand magnetic or with the keyboard with support that becomes a case. It is a tablet designed for working and watching multimedia content, and we will normally do both without holding it in our hand.

The construction is made of metal and is magnificent, with flat edges that house no less than 8 speakers on the smaller sides. On the right we also have two USB C ports, which we will talk about in the section dedicated to the battery, and on the left a slot for microSD, in case the internal memory is not enough, along with the power button that includes a sensor of footprints.

At the top we have no less than four microphones, as well as the two volume buttons. The lower side (always seen horizontally) is the only one that has nothing, something logical given that it has been designed to be used with the case. Well, there is something, a magnet that allows us to put the pencil there, for when we close the case and we don’t want the pencil to be left outside, where it could be lost.

Pencil and keyboard

We have just started the analysis, but we have already talked about two accessories that come in the sales packs of this product. The first is the optical pencila stylus with 4096 levels of pressure that allows us to write and draw in a similar way as we do on the iPad or on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S.

This accessory connects via Bluetooth and Magnetically charges on the back of the tablet, next to the cameras. But as we said, It can also be placed on the larger side of the tablet It does not have buttons in case we want it to be better protected when the case is closed.

The keyboard is one of the best we have tested on a tablet. It has good key travel, and a comfortable size given that the device is very wide. In addition, it has a trackpad that, although small, supports gestures and has a good response. Don’t expect anything like that of similarly priced desktop computers, but it’s still a good addition. And if that was not enough It has a key layout in Spanish, letter Ñ includedand it is backlit. It is as if Lenovo has listened to each and every one of the demands of its potential customers.

In addition to those two accessories there is a small stand V-shaped magnetic inverted that allows you to place the tablet on a table and use it without having to pick it up or put on the case. This makes it clear that the company is aware that the size and weight of this device would not make it comfortable if it were used at all times as a conventional tablet.

An amazing screen

But the star of this tablet is undoubtedly its screen. With a diagonal of 14.5 inches and 3K resolution, we are facing one of the panels with the best definition in the range. Furthermore, it is a panel OLED, something that is not usually seen in many tablets, although it is true that it is more common in the high-end, as is the case. And its refresh rate is 120 Hz.

Its brightness is 500 nits.very far from the 1000 or 1500 that mobile phones can give, but it is true that using this device in direct sunlight will be so strange and punctual that it is not worth increasing the brightness, with the consequent increase in energy and economic expenditure.

The panel’s response is good, and colors are faithfully represented. We have watched movies on the Tab Extreme, and the sensation it transmits is impressive, almost as immersive as a small television, especially because we can have it much closer. The stylus works well, but this is an accessory that will only be used by those who want to work with it, or want to start designing as a hobby. Of course, since it comes standard, the use will be much greater than if we had to buy it separately.

Lots of power

The performance of the Lenovo Tab Extreme is up to par of what we can expect. The Dimensity 9000 is not the most powerful processor, not even from MediaTek, but it is a high-end chip that provides more than notable power for any task, including multitasking.

This is important in this case because with that screen it is possible to open four windows at the same time, and use them. It will not be the most common, nor the most practical, but it is not the processor that sets the limit. The same thing happens with the RAM memory, 12 GB, and internal memory, 256 GB. The latter, as we mentioned before, can be expanded using a microSD card, something rare to see in this type of model.

What it doesn’t have is a headphone jack., although with good judgment Lenovo includes a USB C adapter in the sales package. That way we can use the wired headphones without having to buy anything. And we can charge it simultaneously, as it has two USB ports.

Two USB-C connections

That is possibly one of the most striking features of this model, having two USB-C ports. The reason is simple. One of them is for charging and the other, in addition to that, allows the using this tablet as a second monitor since the port closest to the corner supports Display Port.

This decision alone makes the doubt between another tablet and this one possible to opt for the Lenovo side, since we will not only use it when we need a tablet, but we can use it with our laptop or a desktop computer.

Regarding autonomy, The more than 12,000 mAh battery allows us one day of very intense use or two days of more relaxed use. A very decent autonomy in any case. Fast charging is 68 W, one of the fastest seen on a tablet, and the charger is included in the box, something that currently has to be specified since this is not always the case.

Three cameras

We will go over the cameras quickly because this is not a device designed to take photos or videos. However, it must be noted that The front camera, which is used for selfies and, above all, video calls, is 13 Mpx and allows you to record video in 4Ksomething that some more expensive phones than this product do not allow.

The rear camera is dual, with a 13 Mpx sensor that also allows recording in 4K and a second sensor with a wide-angle lens. Lenovo has expanded without committing anything crazy, because the situations in which the cameras of a tablet are used have nothing to do with the moments in which we use those of a mobile phone.

A clean interface

Android tablets usually arrive with modified interfaces, like many mobile phones. But in this case it makes a lot of sense since until recently Google basically ignored them. Lenovo has created an interface based on pure Android with certain modifications that don’t feel badwithout overloading the options or cluttering up with visual modifications.

One of the most notable changes is the Disappearance of Discover on the side of the desks. Instead, Lenovo presents a section in which different streaming subscriptions are brought together to be able to watch videos quickly. This makes it clear that the brand wants to promote multimedia consumption.

Regarding update policy, Lenovo promises three years of major changes and four security patches. It is not the most we have seen but it is somewhat acceptable, even taking into account the category of this tablet.

Should I buy it?

The conclusion of this analysis is twofold, and disparate. On the one hand, we are not going to recommend this tablet generically because it is not a tablet for everyone. The price is high, the size too, and It focuses on a niche of users who seek to work with this type of products. We do recommend it to those.

We say that the conclusion is double because inertia makes us want to recommend it despite that. Lenovo has taken so much care in the design and creation of this tablet that it seems that They have gone point by point solving possible problems before buyers complained. Backlit keyboard, two charging stations, possibility of using it as an external screen, two positions to put the pencil, trackpad on the keyboard, great build quality, good interface, acceptable updates… And on top of that, the two main accessories come in the box .

It has left us a great feeling. Very good. So much so that it will become the reference by which we will judge all the tablets in this category that we test from now on.

Technical characteristics

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