Is the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro a Budget-Friendly iPad Alternative?

Lenovo IdeaTab Pro Review: A Surprising Android Tablet That Packs a Punch

The Lenovo IdeaTab Pro isn’t a tablet I had on my radar at first. But after so many of you asked about it, I decided to take a closer look. And honestly? I’m glad I did. This tablet has been turning heads for good reason—it offers a lot of value for the price, and while it’s not perfect, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable Android tablet with a big, beautiful screen.

Let’s start with that display. The IdeaTab Pro comes with a 12.7-inch, 144Hz IPS LCD screen. And let me tell you, it’s impressive. Even though it’s not an OLED panel, the colors pop, and the high refresh rate makes everything feel smooth. The resolution of 2944×1840 gives you a sharp image, and the 16:10 aspect ratio means it’s a bit more rectangular—great for productivity or media consumption.

One of the first things people wanted to know was how it compares to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE. The short answer? The Lenovo holds its own surprisingly well. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE comes in 11-inch and 13.1-inch sizes, so it’s slightly bigger in its Plus version, but spec-for-spec, the Lenovo is a strong contender. It uses a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor, which actually benchmarks better than the FE’s processor. The IdeaTab Pro also has that 144Hz screen, compared to the FE’s 90Hz. And while the Samsung might get a touch brighter, the Lenovo still gets plenty bright for indoor use.

But the real game-changer here is the price. I bought mine from Lenovo’s website for just $300, though it normally retails at $400. Compare that to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus, which is currently around $750, and you can see why this Lenovo is such a great deal. For the price of one FE Plus, you could almost buy two and a half IdeaTab Pros. That’s wild.

Now, specs only tell part of the story. When you actually use the tablet, it holds up surprisingly well. The screen looks fantastic, the speakers sound great (which is a rarity in Android tablets), and even the cameras are decent. They won’t win any awards, but they’re not the usual potato-quality cameras you see on cheaper tablets. It’s clear Lenovo put thought into the little details, and that makes a difference.

Of course, no device is perfect, and for the IdeaTab Pro, the biggest letdown is the pen. It comes with a USI stylus, which is the standard for most Android tablets, but it’s not great for artists. If you’re doing basic note-taking or simple handwriting, it’s fine. But for detailed art and sketching, it struggles—especially with precision linework. There’s noticeable wave and jitter when drawing slow, angled lines, and the pen can feel laggy at times. It just doesn’t compare to the Wacom-powered S Pens you get with Samsung tablets.

That said, it’s nice that the stylus is included in the box, unlike many other Android tablets that charge an extra $50 or more for the pen. The IdeaTab’s pen is battery-powered, charges via USB-C, and magnetically attaches to the back of the tablet for storage (though it doesn’t charge wirelessly there). There are also magnets on the bottom for sticking the pen, but not along the sides or top. If you’ve never used a digital pen before, you might not mind these quirks, but artists and creators will definitely notice the limitations.

You can improve things a bit by using software features like stroke stabilizers in drawing apps like HiPaint or Clip Studio Paint, but those come with their own downsides, like added lag. And while palm rejection is decent in apps like HiPaint (which is a Procreate clone), you’ll still get the occasional palm dot showing up on your canvas.

Another important factor to consider is software support. Lenovo offers just two years of OS updates, while Samsung now provides seven years of updates for their tablets. That’s a massive difference. After two years, you’ll stop getting new Android features, security patches, and bug fixes. So if long-term support is important to you, that’s something to think about.

At the end of the day, the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro really surprised me. For the price, it delivers excellent value. It’s not a budget brand I usually think of when it comes to premium Android tablets, but they’ve done a great job here. If you want an affordable tablet for media, note-taking, and some light sketching, it’s hard to beat at this price. But if you’re a serious artist or need precise pen input, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE (or even last year’s Samsung models) with the S Pen is still the better choice.

The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro is a great reminder that sometimes, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good product. And if Lenovo ever licenses Wacom tech for their pens? Watch out—then we’d really have something special.