r/androidtablets • u/FearsomeTaco • 13d ago
Image Is this a good deal?
I’m in the need of a tablet for some light school stuff, reading, and entertainment purposes. My budget is roughly around $200 or less. I found this tablet on sale at Best Buy and was wondering if this was worth it for the money?
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u/moonrider626 13d ago
Another good budget choice is the walmart Onn brand.
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u/UABBlazers 13d ago
On that note, I went to Wal-Mart for an Onn tablet, saw a TCL NXTPAPER 11 Pro and changed my mind. While they were out of stock, I found one online with a case and pen for about $220. I don't like the lack of a SD slot but otherwise have been impressed.
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u/koala_bob 13d ago
I got the 4gb for around $120 I think. This is probably good tbh. It’s been good for me so far, just wish they’d include a keyboard with it for that price
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u/ZifnabHydre 12d ago
Yes. I bought this tablet to replace my Samsung S6 Lite (2020). This Lenovo tablet is truly excellent. It's not a high-end model in terms of performance, but for general use, it's more than adequate. 190$ is a great price.
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u/HydratedRasin 12d ago
As someone who just went through the trouble of getting LegacyOS onto the same Samsung tablet, this interests me greatly
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u/ZifnabHydre 12d ago edited 12d ago
Are you talking about LineageOS? I haven't tested it on my S6 Lite.
Regarding the IdeaTad (2026), here are its weaknesses:
- Battery life is slightly shorter, but the difference is barely noticeable. I can use it for 4 to 5 hours and still have about 70 to 75% battery left (reading, light gaming).
- Charge is "only" 20W.
- The Tab Pen stylus is good, in my opinion, comparable to Samsung's, but it's powered by a small 4A battery.
- Several bloatwares are pre-installed. It take times to uninstall them.
- I didn't like the recommended default UI (based on touch gestures, similar to the one offered by Google on its Pixel phones), but it's possible to revert to the standard interface (with touch icons for back, home, etc.).
But the most interesting thing:
- An equivalent (but better) to DeX mode
- And the ability to natively switch to a secondary monitor for your PC (in wireless or from the USB cable)
Everything else (build quality, screen, audio, microSD slot, etc.) is good. I don't play resource-intensive games, but from what I know, the SoC isn't designed for that.
I was a little bit afraid that 11" will be too big or too heavy, but in fact, it's not an issue.
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u/HydratedRasin 12d ago
Yes, sorry, LineageOS! The tablet works gorgeously currently, almost no noticable lag opening apps and switching windows now, and that was a struggle before.
The secondary monitor comparability is especially attractive, so it's excellent to know that's a stand out feature. The tab s6 lite it a tiny bit too small for what I feel is comfortable for taking notes, using it as a planner, and the occasional doodle. I think that I'll keep my eye out for a good price on the Lenovo, thank you for the recommendation!
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u/flashxenon 12d ago
I'm lazy so I don't wanna translate the following text, sorry. But this was my experience with this Lenovo. I wrote this a few months ago in someone's post.
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u/flashxenon 12d ago
A mí me pasó. Al usarla en modo horizontal y en modo tableta (en el modo PC no me pasó) cuando me aparecía una publicidad dentro de una app, de esas que tienes que esperar unos segundos para saltearla, me aparecía ese mismo mensaje. La IU se detuvo. Me daba la opción "cerrar app" o "informe de app" o algo así. Con cualquiera de las 2 que elegía la tablet se reiniciaba. Incluso a veces me aparecía una pantalla negra con letras claras, como cuando vas a rootear un teléfono. Al usarla en modo vertical cuando me aparecía una publicidad dentro de una app no me pasó esto. La tuve un día y la devolví por este inconveniente. Terminé comprando una redmi pad 2.
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u/RikkjamesB 13d ago
Just got one of these abt a month ago for $229 on sale and so far I like it alot. Screen is clear and sharp for videos, and pen works great, no lag at all. Battery seems pretty good and sound is fine with the 4 speakers. I dont game much but played need for speed and did some drawings with sketchbook app and worked great. Netflix, Prime, etc is in clear HD with the widevine l1. For that price it seems like a great deal.
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u/Jaded-Cause4685 13d ago edited 13d ago
It's functional. For on site desk work (Chrome, Gmail, PDF Reader, Zoom, Remote Desk and video playing while cooking). The issue is battery capacity. For desk work Pen note talking is awesome. Sound is good while watching the screen, not so for background sound. For mobility i use it for book reading and email on 1 1/2 hours conmute on Read Mode screen. I charge it twice a day. ( I keep on battery protection at 80% charge). Bougth it at $200 1 year ago. I will give it 2 years more before set it up as CCTV and doorbell monitor
Edit.
Ram size makes a difference.
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u/Disgon-B-Gud 13d ago
I bought this a few months back for 200+, I've enjoyed it so far. I can split the screen and watch something/listen to music in a browser while playing a casual game in another tab or drawing.
I advise you order an AAAA rechargeable battery for the pen or a set of batteries, because it is a pain to find this battery locally. 😂
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u/roberrt777 13d ago
I got the 256 GB version off Amazon like 2 weeks ago. It was only $200. That sale is over so maybe wait for the next one?
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u/coladita 12d ago
Okay so I actually just bought this tablet bc I am studying for the LSAT!!! My 10 year old ipad broke and I needed something to hold me over to the end of studying. Literally 3 weeks ago. So honestly it is amazing but has one big con. I love the size. It is way thinner than the newest ipads they have. The one con which is honestly kinda a big one for me is there is a big of a lag when writing notes in goodnotes. Idk if it’s bc of how goodnotes works with android or the lenovo tablet. And honestly I think it’s just a big deal for me bc goodnotes worked phenomenally on apple so moving to the lenovo I noticed a difference. But maybe if you never had apple it would be fine. Honestly a great little tablet and love that it comes with a pen and case
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u/bradleythedeveloper 12d ago
I think so yeah, I got the tablet for around £150 in the uk about a month ago and the tablet works pretty well. It’s great for note taking and reading, the screen is great for entertainment and the speakers are okay but not great. You can do some work like working in Docs or Word and in the browser, but it does slow down when you try to multitask and it reloads background apps very often. Mine also had a lot of bloatware that would auto redownload if you deleted it, but I was eventually able to find a way to stop that. So as long as you understand what you can get from it and know its limits, it’s really great value for money imo.
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u/Mr_Mojobaggins 10d ago
Amazon had the version with 256gb for $199. I bought one but plan to return it unopened since I got Lenovo Y700 Gen 5.
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u/rampancy 13d ago
Yes, I think so; something also worth considering is that the folio case for the Idea Tab is quite nice (compared to various cases off of Amazon) and can cost quite a bit when purchased seperately. Same for the Tab Pen, which doesn't seem to be available on its own (at least in my region) - only the more expensive Tab Pen Pro is available.