Hands-on: Lenovo's new Tab 4 Android tablets

Here at MWC 2017 in Barcelona, Lenovo has just introduced their Tab 4 series of Android tablets. Apart from including the standard 8-inch and 10-inch iterations of the Tab 4, the company has also unveiled premium “Plus” editions of the tablets that bring more power, quality, and features to the table. What does the Lenovo Tab 4 series have to offer? Let’s find out!

Both the 8-inch and 10-inch iterations of the regular Tab 4 devices come with IPS LCD displays with a HD resolution, and are powered by quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, backed by 2 GB of RAM. The specs have received an upgrade when compared to their predecessors, but these tablets remain lower-end, and therefore, more affordable. Lenovo doesn’t skimp on features that add to its media-consumption capabilities though, with both coming with dual front-facing speaker setups with support for Dolby ATMOS features.

On the other hand, the Tab 4 Plus series tablets kick things up a notch, not only in terms of specifications and features, but also when it comes to design and build quality. Both the 8-inch and 10-inch Plus editions feature dual glass constructions, and are impressively sleek, with a thickness of 7.15 mm and 8.4 mm respectively.

Under the hood, the tablets come with 2 GHz octa-core processors and 4 GB of RAM, along with 32 GB of internal storage. Media consumption will be a joy on the IPS LCD displays with a Full HD resolution, and like its more affordable siblings, these tablets also feature dual front-facing speakers with Dolby ATMOS features. A fingerprint scanner and a USB Type-C port round out the upgrades that the Plus iterations bring to the table when compared to their lower-end counterparts.

Considering the fact that a tablet is often a device that is used by multiple members of the family, Lenovo has done their best to help in this regard. Users can easily set up separate profiles with their own settings and wallpapers, along with being able to have separate logins for social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, and in the case of the Plus editions, fingerprints can be set up accordingly. Pushing the concept further, Lenovo also has a couple of add-ons on offer to further enhance the “for the family” experience.

A “Kid’s Pack” is available for the Tab 4 series, which includes a shock-resistant bumper, a blue light filter, and a pair of colorful 3M stickers to keep the device safe from scratches. On the software side of things, you can also set up specific accounts for the kids, that features content that is specific to and curated for kids, the ability to set up a whitelist of websites, and even setup usage limits with on-times and down-times.

Keeping young adults and parents in mind, Lenovo has also unveiled a “Productivity Pack,” that is compatible with the 10-inch iterations of the Tab 4 tablets. This is essentially a Bluetooth keyboard that can also function as a protective sleeve or kickstand. On the software side, you get a built-in “productivity interface,” which includes a taskbar, instant app switching, multi-window support, as well as optimizations to allow keyboard and mouse usage.

The Lenovo Tab 4 8-inch and 10-inch will be priced starting at $109 and $149 respectively, with the color options including Slate Black and Polar White. On the other hand, the Plus iterations will be priced starting at $199 and $249 for the 8-inch and 10-inch versions respectively, and will be available in Sparking Black and Aurora White. All four tablets will be available globally from May this year.

What do you think about the latest series of tablets from Lenovo? Let us know in the comments section below, and stay tuned with Android Authority for more about the Lenovo Tab 4 series, as well as for more great coverage from MWC 2017!