Tablet Recommendations for General Media Consumption

I've been using a Lenovo Tab 3 P8 for several years now, and it's developed a few quirks that are getting really really annoying.

My use case is just general media consumption and some light gaming, eg stardew valley. My android tablet is not a primary device and I'm not looking for one to become it.

Anyhow, have actually started looking into newer tablets and can't bear the kind of pricing the higher end Samsungs have. I know they have base model types, but by and large, I'm getting the impression that their performance will be somewhat mediocre.

In my search, I've come across 2 Lenovo Tablets that seem to have a reputation for delivering a pretty good price-performance ratio.

They're the Lenovo P11 and the P11 Pro. Now if my google-fu is working, it appears that while the Pro is older device, it's also higher specced.

On chinese websites, their price isn't all that far from each other. My other main concern is the price disparity between a device on the chinese market vs here. I think the P11 is readily available here, but is pegged at around the $400 mark. While a cursory look at aliexpress has the it at around $250.

I'm also a bit confused as to some listings calling them a Xiaoxin version but have been flashed with a global ROM.

Are these good tablets? What are the pros and cons of the "Xiaoxin" versions? Should I spring for the pricier pro considering I only want a general media consumption device and also that it's older?

Thanks for any input you may have.

Comments

  • -6

    Get an iPad. It's top king of tablet market for a reason. Will last you 5+ years.

    • +2

      Thanks for the recommendation. However, we haven't had an iOS device in more than 5 years now. Not keen to go back.

      • -8

        Definitely time to go back now rather than continuing on with shitty devices.

  • iPad is the king of tablets.

    • iPad Pro 12.9 is king. The regular iPad is alright.

      • and why is that ?

        • +1

          Most expensive in the Apple lineup.

  • If the hardware is good, the custom ROM for the P8 breathes new life into it

    • That's actually what I had in mind. I've been away from the scene for far too long though and also slightly less inclined to research and experiment. The last device I rooted was an HTC One S. But yeah, definitely thinking hard on doing just that. Need to pull my finger out.

      • +1

        It's fairly straightforward.
        No bootloader unlocking
        https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-unofficial-10-0-tb870…

        • Thanks for the confidence boost. I think I'll be doing this today.

          • +1

            @tebbybabes: @tebbybabes: Remember to re-sign the bootloader.
            It's the only unusual step

            • +1

              @ESEMCE: Hit one or two snags that gave me a lump in my throat, but everything seems alright now. Now to see if this makes the annoyances go away. Since it's not my primary device, that'll take a while, but I'll keep an eye out.

              Thanks for the encouragement.

  • +1

    Not wanting to beat the Apple horse but yeah iPad is king. I’m still using my my iPad Air 2 for Netflix, cooking and other stuff. It’s like 7 years old now and still runs the latest iOS…….at this rate its still got a few more years left in it.

    Not sure why the other guy was negged for saying it, but yeah wouldn’t be surprised if you got close to 10 years out of an iPad

    • +1

      My Ipad is the same age and still going strong. I use it every day for streaming or browsing. Although I have only ever had android mobiles, for a tablet I would only recommend an ipad (even for a secondary device). Performance, longevity, reliability.

    • Now I'm confused… I thought the P11 pro is the Xiaoxin P11 pro with only a different name and different ROM for the chinese market?

      • Names of the various lenovo tablets and the chinese name.

        No hardware difference between Xiaoxin tab and the Gweilo tabs. The only difference is the software they may come with, but the reseller will usually sell the tabs with the firmware pre-flashed with EU ROM and possibly bootloader unlocked.

        Model Lenovo XiaoXin Pad Plus (Tab P11 Plus) Lenovo XiaoXin Pad Pro 2021 (Tab P11 Pro 2021) Lenovo XiaoXin Pad Pro (Tab P11 Pro 2020)
        OS Android 11 Android 11 Android 10, upgradable to 11
        Display 11" 2000x1200 TDDI IPS 60Hz 400nits Display 11.5" 2560x1600 OLED 600nits 90Hz Dolby Vision Display 11.5" 2560x1600 OLED 500nits Dolby Vision Display
        CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G Octa-Core
        GPU Qualcomm Adreno 619 Qualcomm Adreno 650 Qualcomm Adreno 618
        RAM 6GB 6GB 6GB
        Storage 128GB UFS 2.1 128GB UFS 3.1 128GB UFS Storage 2.1
        Battery 7700mAh 8600mAh 8400mAh
        Speakers 4x JBL Speakers / Dolby Atmos 4x JBL Speakers / Dolby Atmos 4x JBL Speakers / Dolby Atmos
        Camera 13.0 MP Rear / 8.0 MP Front 13.0 MP + 5.0 MP Rear / 8.0 MP Front 13.0 MP + 5.0 MP Rear / 8.0 MP Front
        Connectivity WiFi ac / Bluetooth 5.1 / GPS WiFi ax / Bluetooth 5.2 WiFi ac / Bluetooth 5.0 / GPS
        Ports USB Type-C 2.0 / Pogo Pins USB Type-C 3.1 Video Out / Pogo Pins USB Type-C 3.1 Video Out / Pogo Pins

        Link to some old deals.

        Link https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/676841

        Link https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/676833

        • Thanks for that, @scrimshaw. I didn't realize the Pro has 2 editions!

      • Look, this seems to be a pretty good deal from Tomtop in China
        Lenovo XiaoXin Pad WiFi Tablet 11-inch 4GB 64GB Global Firmware

        AU$277.99 FREE SHIPPING

  • I second ipad… bought an S6 light for over $500 and I can't believe how bad the performance is at this price point. I'm confident an ipad would smash it.

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