I’ll be the first to admit that working on a tablet is way more fun than using your laptop or your phone. Why? Not entirely sure. Maybe it’s the notebook-like feel, the on-the-go productivity, or just the idea of “it’s like my phone but bigger”. Nevertheless, it is one of my favourite tools.
Not everyone can afford an iPad or a Samsung tablet, though, and when it comes to budget-friendly options, you might have reservations regarding their real-world performance. Lag, pen accuracy, app-compatibility, all valid concerns, all of which I will address in this Lenovo Tab M11 review.
Lenovo Tab M11 – Performance, Display & Battery Life (Hardware)
First impressions based on the specifications on Lenovo’s official website: the Lenovo Tab M11 is nothing to scoff at.
With its MediaTek G88 processor, 11-inch 90Hz display, and stylus input support, the Tab M11 manages to surpass quite a bit of the more high-end tablets in the market, which is further favored by its insanely competitive price, but how does it perform in real-world applications? Let’s find out.
Everyday Performance
Is the Lenovo Tab M11 a comfortable everyday-use tablet? As per my Tab M11 performance review, yes. The MediaTek G88 is very capable when it comes to multitasking.
You can split the screen and work on two projects simultaneously. I found the app launch pretty smooth and lag-free for the most part, and the same goes for gaming, especially on the 8GB RAM variant.
It runs my favorite games without reloading or taking too long to boot up. Perfect if you have kids or nieces and nephews. You can also watch YouTube videos at decent quality without it affecting the buffer speed. While using the Tab, I felt it was pretty fast compared to other low-budget tablets when switching Chrome tabs or making notes.
Overall, it is a solid option for casual use if you’re looking for something to use on a daily basis.
Display & Usability
At first glance, it’s probably not the biggest tablet on the market, and for me, that’s a good thing. It’s a good size for any hand-held device, somewhat comparable to a Kindle book. It has an 11-inch LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate, meaning scrolling on the Lenovo Tab M11 is smooth as butter.
That is not to say it competes with some higher-end tabs in the market, just that for its price, it’s a great value for money. It does have its limitations. For example, while conducting my Lenovo Tab M11 review, I walked out to test the brightness in the sunlight. I found it a bit underwhelming. It’s alright to use indoors, but in bright sunlight, the brightness isn’t enough for you to use it comfortably.
Battery & Portability
Portability-wise, it is a decent enough size and weight to be carried comfortably for long periods of time. If you’re someone on the go, perhaps a student or someone who just likes to get their steps in while they work, Tab M11 is a great option.
That being said, if you’re carrying it around all day, does the battery last long enough to not need a charge? For me, I didn’t have to charge my Tab M11 for the better part of 12 hours owing to its 7040mAh battery. It even charges pretty quickly and has a USB-C slot, so you don’t need to worry about not having the right charger.
To make it last throughout the day, the description says it has standby power efficiency, which makes sense, since it’s able to last 12 hours. During my Lenovo Tab M11 review, I’ve had no complaints in the battery and portability department.
Software Support – Note-taking, Office Tasks & App Compatibility
The point of a tablet is to have a more compact, easy-to-carry version of your PC, which is why it is crucial for any tablet to have the capability to support all the software an average person might need.
For me, the softwares I use most would be Zoom, some Office Suites, apps for note-taking, and perhaps a few design or editing apps. Let's see how the M11 fares.
Stylus Integration
Using a stylus for my editing, annotations, and note-taking gives me a bit more control over the input and writing that probably isn’t as easily done with one’s finger. I like the precision that comes with a stylus pen, as do most of you, I presume. I am happy to report that in my Lenovo Tab M11 review, I purchased the stylus pen as well to test it out.
The Lenovo Tab M11 is indeed stylus compatible and offers decent palm rejection and low-latency writing in apps like Noteshelf or Nebo (the latter being particularly handy for writing to text conversion). The stylus sits very comfortably in the crook of my hand, it even supports PDF annotations on apps like WPS Office.
Office & Productivity Tools
The one tool most people would not do without is probably some sort of Office Suite. The Lenovo Tab M11 supports Google Docs, Microsoft Office, and WPS Office. Working on each one is simplified further if you’re working with a Bluetooth keyboard, but it works fine without it as well. If you’re new to the tab experience, it just takes practice.
WPS Office would be my recommendation as a Suite for the M11, though, because of its lightweight design, which reduces lag, and tablet-optimized UI. It is by far the smoothest Suite out of the three. It's also a great option for students who don’t want to invest in a Suite for college assignments and presentations because WPS Office is completely free.
Multimedia & Light Work Use
I don’t know about you, but I do love watching a good series on my tablet, preferably in a lounge chair or my bed, and with a bunch of snacks. Streaming services work like a charm on the M11 with Netflix HD support. It even supports a Picture-in-Picture mode for apps like YouTube.
I can comfortably attend my work meetings on Zoom or Google Meet. With the tablet’s 8MP front camera, the video quality is great, the audio quality could be better but it’s decent enough for work.
I highly recommend going for the 8GB RAM configuration as the 4GB models may struggle with background app retention. The 8GB keeps more apps in memory, which greatly reduces reloads when you’re switching between apps or multitasking.
Who Should Buy the Lenovo Tab M11? (User Profiles)
The very definition of a low-budget everyday tablet is that it’s meant for basically everyone, or perhaps more accurately, the majority. If you have very specific needs, I’m sure you can find the tablet you need in the market, but the M11 was designed keeping the general public in mind. That being said, it does suit some more than others.
Students
Tablets are a great tool for students, especially the ones in university. They save up on space in your backpack, keep all your notes and e-books in one place, and you can try remote learning through platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.
There are plenty of options to choose from, but I’d say, given the budget, I recommend the Lenovo Tab M11 for students who need something low-cost to get them through college.
They tablet is lightweight enough to be carried around for hours on a busy day, the 8GB model has enough memory to carry out most tasks with ease, the stylus is handy tool for note taking and it can easily run Suites like WPS office as a free alternative to Microsoft to save up on even more money.
Casual Workers & Writers
If you’re a writer, you don’t need to lug around a whole laptop just to write your content, whether that’s a think piece, a novel, or even a review. You can simply connect your Lenovo Tab M11 to a Bluetooth keyboard and type away. Need a change of scenery? Inspiration? Carry it with you to your local coffee shop or the park and get creative.
You can use WPS Writer for a budget-friendly, low-lag, responsive typing experience without having to worry about WiFi because WPS Writer allows offline access to your documents.
Artists & Creatives
Digital art paved the way for artists all around the world who don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on art supplies, brushes, and tools, not when they have one tool that can do it all.
Primitive versions of art tablets used a separate sketch pad and stylus that connected to a screen but that required some crazy hand-eye coordination that not many excelled at. Real time drawing on a tablet that acts as a canvas? Now that is a dream tool for artists everywhere but those are expensive.
The Lenovo Tab M11 is an economical option that works just fine for casual creatives. You can use third-party apps like Sketchbook or Concepts to draw your heart out, but limitations in pressure sensitivity and layer depth mean it’s not professional-grade work.
Parents & Content Viewers
Parents can rest easy knowing the device they handed their kid is not going to take them to any illicit sites. The Lenovo Tab M11 comes with parental controls and Kids Space mode for safe family use. Your child can safely surf the web or stream kids shows on YouTube Kids without buffering.
The 12-hour battery time also means you can charge the tablet once and take it with you on roadtrips to keep the kids entertained (I’m not judging, parents need a break every once in a while, and limited screen time is okay)
WPS Office: A Perfect Match for Lenovo Tab M11 Users
If you have Googled “Is Lenovo Tab M11 good?” or looked up “Lenovo Tab M11 vs P11” on techradar, the one thing I can tell you is that you are looking to save money on a tablet.
And if that's the case, my guess is you also want to save up anywhere the opportunity presents itself. I’ll present you with one right here. Instead of going for hefty Office Suites like Microsoft, which requires separate app downloads for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can install WPS Office for free. It’s lightweight, all-in-one, and works perfectly on the Tab M11.
Why WPS Office is a Perfect Match
When my Lenovo Tab M11 started slowing down, I figured it was due to low memory. I had a bunch of apps installed, and as I sat down to clear some space, I noticed three different Microsoft Office apps along with Adobe Reader tucked away in my neatly organized “Productivity” folder. Deleting them felt risky, after all, these apps are considered essential.
Still, I began searching for an alternative and came across WPS Office. To my surprise, it turned out to be far more capable than I expected. It runs smoothly and, best of all, combines all the key tools; Writer, Spreadsheets, and Presentation, in a single app. This not only saved space but also ensured that I didn’t have to worry about formatting issues when sharing documents.
What really impressed me is how lightweight it is. It runs smoothly even on my Lenovo Tab M11 on both 4GB and 8GB versions, which isn’t exactly built for heavy tasks. The free version covers everything I need: a reliable PDF editor, cloud syncing, and even a built-in AI writing assistant that’s surprisingly helpful when I’m editing or rewording text.
There’s a premium tier, but for everyday use, the free tools have been more than enough.
Want to use Office tools without paying a cent? Here’s how to set up WPS Office on your device in just a few quick steps:
Step 1: WPS Office, like any other app on your Lenovo Tab M11, can be downloaded from the Play Store. So, tap on the Google Play Store icon.
Step 2: Then, simply use the search bar to look for “WPS Office” on the Google Play Store.
Step 3: Now, tap on the first search result titled “WPS Office” to open the download page.
Step 4: Next, tap on the “Install” button to start downloading and installing WPS Office on your Lenovo Tab M11.
Step 5: Once the installation is complete, go to your home screen and tap the WPS Office icon to launch your free office suite on the Lenovo tablet.
Once the installation was complete, I simply signed up using my Gmail account. That gave me instant access to WPS Cloud, Google Drive, and OneDrive, allowing me to open all my previous files with ease.
The best part? When trying an alternative app, compatibility is usually the biggest concern, but that wasn’t the case here. WPS Office is fully compatible with Microsoft Office file formats, which made the switch surprisingly smooth.
And I know this might sound like a lot, but I also found out that WPS Office isn’t just available on Windows and macOS, as a Linux user, discovering that I could download it for my system was a game-changer. It really helped me streamline my workflow across all my devices, and WPS Office delivered exactly what I needed.
FAQs
1. Is the Lenovo Tab M11 good for school or university use?
The Lenovo Tab M11 is a solid option for students strapped for cash or working part-time during their degree. Pair it with WPS Office for even more features and maximum efficiency for completing assignments, notes, or just reading through e-books. I recommend the 8GB variant.
2. Can it replace a budget laptop for light office tasks?
Absolutely! Any light tasks such as editing, spreadsheets, emailing, writing or creating documents, that you can do on a budget laptop you can do on the M11 especially when paired with a bluetooth keyboard.
3. Does WPS Office work well on the Lenovo Tab M11?
WPS Office was DESIGNED for low-budget devices with limited processing power or memory. Because the Suite is so lightweight, it works like a dream on the M11.
The offline file storage makes it easier to work on the go, not to mention that the multi window feature and the stylus input make it all the more convenient and fun to use, if I do say so myself.
4. What stylus works best with the Tab M11?
Lenovo Tab Pen Plus is the official pick, and I think going with the stylus designed by the same company that made the tablet is your safest bet. Alternatives like Adonit Dash 4 also perform well for writing and markup.
5. Are there better alternatives under $250?
Yes there are alternatives like the Samsung Tab A9+ which offers similar specs but lacks that stylus pen support we’re fond of. Amazon Fire Max 11 has better build but limited Google Play support.
