Lenovo has solidified its position as a solid contender in the affordable tablet market. The latest addition to their budget lineup is the Lenovo Tab M9, catering to entry-level tablet consumers by delivering all the basic hardware components.
Priced at INR 14,499, the Lenovo Tab M9 boasts a dual-tone metal build, a budget-friendly MediaTek Chip, WiFi, and LTE connectivity, along with a 9-inch LCD screen. So, how does the Lenovo Tab M9 stack up against the competition? Let’s find out in our review.
Lenovo Tab M9 Specifications
Before starting with the Lenovo Tab M9 review, let’s look at the tablet’s specifications.
- Display: 9-inch HD IPS LCD panel
- CPU: MediaTek Helio G80 Processor
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB internal storage, expandable via microSD card
- Software: Android 12
- Main Camera: 8MP
- Front Camera: 2MP
- Connectivity: USB Type C, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.2
- Fingerprint Scanner: No
- Battery: 5,100mAh, Li-ion Polymer, 10W charging
Box Contents
Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:
- Lenovo Tab M9 Tablet
- USB Type C Cable
- Plastic Case
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Documentation
Design & Display
The Lenovo Tab M9 adheres to the standard tablet design, featuring a slim profile and an aluminum body that feels premium in the hand. It offers two color choices, Frost Blue and Silver, complemented by a dual-tone rear panel. The tablet maintains a slim 7.99mm thickness and a lightweight 344g build, ensuring it remains portable enough to effortlessly slide into a bag. Furthermore, its flat edges and rounded corners facilitate one-handed usage with ease.
On the tablet’s back, you’ll find a single camera accompanied by an LED flash. Positioned at the bottom is a 3.5mm audio jack, alongside a USB-C port for charging. The left edge houses a SIM tray capable of accommodating a SIM card (for LTE models) and a microSD card. Meanwhile, the volume controls and power button are conveniently located on the right side of the tablet.
The Lenovo Tab M9 features a 9-inch IPS LCD display with HD resolution and a 5:3 aspect ratio. As a budget tablet, it offers a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, lacking the high or variable refresh rates found in pricier options. With a peak brightness slightly above 300 nits, it doesn’t rank among the brightest displays but performs adequately.
While the display performs competently overall, it doesn’t claim the title of the best in its category. Colors are satisfactory, and users can select from natural, enhanced, or adaptive color profiles to suit their preferences. Notably, its Widevine L1 certification enables high-definition streaming on platforms like Netflix and YouTube, a notable advantage compared to its rivals.
The Tab M9 includes support for Dolby Audio and is equipped with two speakers positioned at the top and bottom. These speakers deliver sound that is loud and impactful, although it may not match the audio quality of other tablets in its segment. Nevertheless, it serves well for activities such as watching Netflix, enjoying podcasts, or casual music listening.
Software and Performance
Opting for a Lenovo tablet offers a significant advantage in the form of a near-stock Android experience, ensuring users enjoy a smooth interface devoid of unnecessary bloatware or added features. While the Tab M9 ships with the Android 12 operating system, it’s worth noting that it’s not the latest iteration from Google. However, Lenovo has committed to delivering the Android 13 OS update in the near future, along with three years of security updates.
The Tab M9 primarily serves as a content consumption device and includes some third-party applications like Prime Video, Netflix, Spotify, and Dolby Atmos. Furthermore, it comes pre-installed with essential Google apps and introduces two noteworthy additions: Google Kids Space and Entertainment Space along with a host of other productivity apps.
Powering the Lenovo Tab M9 is the MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, combined with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128 GB via a microSD card. This MediaTek chip has been previously seen in several other budget tablets. Although overall performance doesn’t exhibit significant sluggishness, it aligns closely with what one would call a basic tablet. Notably, app switching times may be slightly prolonged at times, which could be mildly inconvenient. Nonetheless, the tablet capably handles tasks such as streaming, note-taking, e-book reading, and web browsing without major issues.
Camera & Battery
Tablet cameras typically don’t receive as much effort as their smartphone counterparts, and this holds true for the Lenovo Tab M9. The Tab M9 is equipped with an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera.
For video calls or Zoom meetings, the front camera often falls short in terms of performance. In well-lit conditions, the rear camera impresses with its image quality. The rear cameras support video recording at 30 fps, offering auto-focus capability and featuring a portrait mode as well as filters for basic image and video editing.
The Tab M9 houses a 5,100mAh battery, promising a usage time of 13 hours on a single charge. In our testing, we found this claim to be reasonably accurate, achieving just under 12 hours of total usage on a single charge. The tablet supports 10W charging, and using the standard charging brick, the Tab M9 takes approximately 2 hours to reach a full charge.
Lenovo Tab M9 Review – The Verdict
The Lenovo Tab M9 presents itself as a reliable tablet featuring an elegant metallic build, a large screen, decent battery life, and a range of other enhancements. Nonetheless, it’s not without its flaws, including a budget-friendly processor, and relatively slower charging, among others. Starting at INR 9,999 for the WiFi-only variant and INR 14,499 for the WiFi+LTE calling version, the Tab M9 unquestionably stands as a tablet offering great value and should not be overlooked.
