Much like we’ve seen with TVs and personal computers in recent years, tablets seem to be getting cheaper and more affordable every day. The Lenovo Tab M8 is one such device, offering a decent way to check your email, watch movies, and get in touch with friends from the comfort of your couch.
One of the main selling points of Lenovo’s latest tablet is its size and design – the Tab M8 tips the scale at 0.35 inches and weighs only 1.12 pounds. Lenovo includes an 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel display with a pixel density of 189 PPI. It’s a bit lacking in resolution, but that’s expected at this price. The company offers the M8 in Arctic Grey, featuring Lenovo’s signature two-tone back panel.
It’s a basic tablet, and anybody looking to use it for strenuous tasks, like mobile gaming or streaming 4K content, you better look elsewhere.
About The Lenovo Tab M8
Here are the specs on the tablet in this review (2024):
- Processor: Mediatek Helio A22
- Memory: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Display: 8-inch, 1280 x 800
- Camera: 2 MP Front; 5 MP Rear
- Ports: USB-C 2.0, OTG, headphone, card slot
- Wireless: 802.11ac (1×1), Bluetooth 5.0
- Weight: 1.12 pounds
- Dimensions: 4.72 x 7.49 x 0.35 inches
The Lenovo Tab M8 comes in various configurations, but we’re reviewing the Lenovo Tab M8 (4th Edition), released in 2024 with few improvements over the 2023 model. There are also the Lenovo Tab M9 and Lenovo Tab M10 Plus models should you need the latest versions of the same line, with bigger screens, RAM, and storage capacity. No matter the version you choose, you can enhance the amount of storage thanks to the tablet’s MicroSD slot.
What We Like
Compact, hand-held design
Right out of the box, the Lenovo Tab M8 looks like a basic budget tablet. The construction is sturdy enough not to feel cheap, and the 8-inch display means the device can be held in one hand without much issue. The compact design makes the M8 an obvious e-reader and entertainment hub, which is exactly what it’s designed to be. At 0.35 inches thick, it’s not the thinnest to compete with the Apple iPad Air (M2) which is 0.24 inches thick and weighs 1.03 pounds, but it’s still portable enough for prolonged use.
The bezels are thick; there’s no way to avoid that. At nearly a half inch of space surrounding the screen, the Tab M8 comes in at a dismal 78.1% screen-to-body ratio, which is pretty common among budget tablets.
It uses the same display technology as its predecessor from last year, an ADS panel with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. With a pure background, the ADS panel shines with an average of 361 cd/m2, which is at par with what competitors in the same price range offer. ADS is a variant of IPS, so you’re assured of fairly solid image quality. However, it fails to impress when used outdoors due to its low illumination reserves, but indoors the display is sufficient for stable viewing angles.
Very precise GPS function
The Tab M8 2024 comes in a WiFi variant and there’s an LTE variant as well, with our review unit able to connect to the WiFi network and you can communicate via the speakers or a headset. This variant comes with Wi-Fi 5, and, in doing so, the tablet manages to offer speeds typical with this class of device. It also delivers very stable data transfer speeds, and reception to nearby routers is great at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Both the Wi-Fi and LTE versions of the Tab M8 have satellite tracking module that supports GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and Beidou as well as SBAS for enhanced accuracy. When used outside, it quickly detects numerous satellites, making it a good device for outdoor use. Surprisingly, it delivers the kind of accuracy you’d get from dedicated devices such as the Garmin Approach S62, but it slightly suffers in narrow lanes. All said, the Tab M8 qualifies to be used as a handy little navigation device.
Very good battery life
Above everything else, the Lenovo Tab M8 gets a big 5,100 mAh battery, which is better than even some premium flagship smartphones. The battery will last slightly over 14 hours of continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits. Compared: this is much better than the Amazon Fire HD 8’s runtime of 13:41 minutes, and a full hour above the tablet average (12:24). If you like to travel a lot or binge-watch late into the night, this is a great choice.
What We Don’t Like
Sluggish performance at best
The Lenovo Tab M8 arrives with a MediaTek Helio A22 processor, 32GB eMMC storage, and just 2GB of RAM. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be very powerful, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this slow. I never thought performance would be the most disappointing thing about this nice-looking tablet, either. Loading apps like Netflix and YouTube takes some good time, and it can get annoying when you need to catch up on an episode while on the move.
Even light apps like Pandora don’t load any better, it keeps freezing as you listen to music, and it’s damn slow in re-opening any app. If you’re not patient enough, it’s very possible to give up on this device. Simply said, this is a tablet for basic tasks, not ideal for multitasking, you can’t do much on it even with the inclusion of the split-screen. If you have ideas for gaming without the gamer aesthetic, look elsewhere at something like Asus ZenBook Pro 14 OLED – but it costs a fortune for the added gaming capabilities.
Cameras are ‘simply’ passable
The Lenovo Tab M8 (4th Gen)’s main camera shoots at 5 MP and uses autofocus while the 2 MP selfie camera makes do with a fixed focus. It’s the same camera configuration as the 2023 model, meaning nothing has changed in the latest model. Both cameras depend on prevailing weather conditions, meaning they will do nice shots during the day with good contrast, but they will struggle in dark scenes. The main camera shoots 30fps videos with a maximum resolution of 1080p, with similar quality as the images.
Should You Buy The Lenovo Tab M8?
Not really, unless you’re on a very tight budget
The Lenovo Tab M8 checks all the budget Android tablet boxes: a low-power mobile device tucked under a nice display that will let you perform basic tasks on the go. If you’re looking for something simple, nice looking, and inexpensive to reply emails, watch videos, browse the web, and do some reading, it might get the job done. But then, that sluggish performance and mediocre cameras are just hard to brush aside, especially when competitors are offering better devices for around the same price.
Alternatives to the Lenovo Tab M8 are in plenty; for example, the Nokia T10 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9; both are affordable devices but offer significantly more power and better specs overall.
Recommended Configuration
Lenovo Tab M8 (4th Gen) - 2023 - Tablet - Long Battery Life - 8" HD - Front 2MP & Rear 5MP Camera - 2GB Memory - 32GB Storage - Android 12 (Go Edition) or Later,Gray
6 used from $81.50
The Review
Lenovo Tab M8
The Lenovo Tab M8 is a budget tablet with a stylish compact design and good battery life, but its weak performance and a sluggish display keep it from being the best affordable tablet.
PROS
- Compact, hand-held design
- Very good battery life
- Very precise GPS function
CONS
- Sluggish performance
- Mediocre cameras
Review Breakdown
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ARS RATING
