The tablet went on sale in 2017, and is an improved version of the budget representatives of the Lenovo Tab3 series. The product was produced in different modifications, so a small clarification should be made: the review will focus on the model with the index 8703X, which is distinguished by support for 3G and 4G LTE mobile networks. In the international market, the device is known as Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus. At the same time, many Chinese online stores use a name to refer to this model that is relevant only for the domestic market of China (Lenovo P8).
In general terms, the Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus is a relatively compact 8-inch Android tablet with good multimedia capabilities and decent specifications for its price. In addition to the presence of a radio module, the tablet is interesting due to the fairly powerful and energy-efficient SoC from Qualcomm, as well as support for two stereo speakers with proprietary Dolby sound enhancement technology Atmos. However, this is not a complete list of features inherent in this model.
Equipment
The device comes in a small box with a color print on the front side. On the reverse side are the main features of the model and its main technical characteristics. In addition to the tablet, inside the box there is:
- USB-microUSB cable;
- power supply 5V/2A;
- brief operating instructions.
Initially, the display has a protective film glued from the factory.
Appearance Features
At first glance, there is nothing remarkable in the design of the Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus. Nevertheless, the tablet looks good and has a fairly compact, comfortable body that weighs 330 grams. Consequently, the user can easily hold the device suspended for a long time.
The body is made of fairly high-quality plastic, with a matte soft-touch coating - non-slip and tactilely pleasant to the touch. Due to the peculiarities of its structure, the surface of the case easily gets dirty during operation and is not particularly easy to clean. But the tablet is assembled well, the design does not creak or bend when pressed or squeezed. The model is available in gray and dark blue colors.
The entire front panel is covered with glass, on the surface of which an oleophobic layer is applied. And although the oleophobic coating is not the best possible, the finger glides easily across the glass, and fingerprints and dirt are erased without problems. The following elements are placed above the screen: an LED indicator for missed events, a proximity sensor, a light sensor and a front camera.
In the left corner of the rear panel there is a main camera module, complemented by an LED flash. The combined slot for installing a SIM and memory card is hidden under a metal insert with the manufacturer's logo located on the right side.
The microphone hole and the grille of one of the multimedia speakers can be found on the bottom edge of the case.
The second speaker, along with an additional microphone for noise reduction, is located on the opposite side. There was also room for a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones and a MicroUSB connector for charging and synchronization. Due to OTG support, you can connect external USB drives to the tablet using a special adapter.
To adjust the volume and control the power/lock, there are mechanical keys located on the right side.
Display
The tablet uses an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels (slightly more than FullHD). The final pixel density is 283 ppi: this is quite enough to create a clear and realistic image on an 8-inch screen. The installed matrix is characterized by good viewing angles, as well as high-quality, eye-pleasing color rendition. The brightness reserve is enough for working indoors, as well as outdoors during the day, provided that the screen is not exposed to direct sunlight.
There is no air gap between the display components: this technology ensures the transmission of more contrast and brightness of the image, reduction of glare intensity, and also has a positive effect on responsiveness touch panel. By the way, the touchscreen in Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus really pleases with the speed and accuracy of response to input, and is capable of recognizing up to 10 touches simultaneously.
Features of this model include the presence of an additional soft button on the panel with control elements, designed to quickly switch between screen modes. The user can choose between the “Children’s” and “Reading” modes, which are safer for eyesight, and the “Multimedia” preset, which is more comfortable for watching movies.
Performance, memory
Lenovo TB-8703X is built on the 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953) hardware platform, the maximum frequency of which reaches 2.0 GHz. The Adreno 506 accelerator is responsible for processing graphic data. Snapdragon 625 is a fairly well-known and widespread 64-bit processor, actively used in mid- and mid-budget smartphones released in 2017. The chipset has gained recognition from users due to its optimal balance between performance, heat dissipation and energy consumption.
Combined with a more than adequate amount of RAM (3 GB LPDDR3), the chipset provides decent multitasking and performance performance. The tablet copes without problems not only with ordinary everyday tasks, but also with 3D games, including the most resource-intensive ones among them. GTA: San Andreas, Modern Combat 5, as well as games from the Asphalt series run perfectly at maximum graphic settings. World of Tank Blitz runs well on low and medium graphics settings. And only on the highest presets the frame rate in “tanks” drops to 35-45 FPS.
The device is not subject to throttling: even after an hour and a half of continuous play, the tablet body remains only slightly warm. The fact that there is no significant heating under conditions of prolonged and extremely intense loads indicates excellent optimization of the hardware used.
The only thing that doesn’t look particularly advantageous against the general background is the amount of internal storage (16 GB), of which only 10 GB is available for use. However, the device supports the installation of a microSD drive, which can be formatted to expand the internal memory and freely install all the necessary games and applications. According to the manufacturer, compatible drives up to 64 GB are supported, although It was experimentally established that the tablet successfully recognizes microSD format drives up to 128 GB.
Software
The tablet runs Android 6.0 OS, with support for Google services and a pre-installed Play Market application store. The firmware is multilingual and contains high-quality Russian localization. The system can be considered almost “clean”, since the manufacturer made only cosmetic changes to the interface (in the form of redesigned application icons), added a button to quickly switch screen modes, introduced several proprietary utilities and support for Dolby Atmos.
Wireless interfaces
High-speed and uninterrupted Internet access is provided using 3G and LTE mobile networks, as well as a dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac module operating in 2.4/5 GHz networks. In addition, a Bluetooth module is provided for wireless data exchange between compatible devices 4.0. All of the listed means of communication demonstrate reliable signal reception and a stable connection.
The tablet supports the installation of two nanoSIM and can act as a mobile phone to make calls and send SMS. And if there are no problems with typing and sending text messages, then, due to the lack speaker, during a telephone conversation you need to connect a headset, or use speakerphone communication
Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus supports GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS. The device copes with navigation functions flawlessly: even within a room, it finds satellites in a matter of seconds and allows you to determine your current location with high accuracy.
Cameras
The main 8-megapixel camera is complemented by autofocus and an LED flash with a fairly high brightness level. The camera application has a convenient, minimalistic interface with a retractable panel containing an impressive number of settings, among which you can find the HDR mode. In daylight conditions, the pictures taken are surprisingly good for a tablet.
However, the camera is only suitable for technical purposes, such as taking text and taking photo notes. It is possible to record FullHD videos of acceptable quality, with a frame rate of 30 FPS. Automatic focusing works during video shooting.
The 5 MP front camera is equipped with fixed focus, supports HDR mode and allows video recording with FullHD resolution at 30 FPS. Judging by the shooting results, the capabilities of the front camera are quite sufficient for comfortable video chatting.
Sound
The not most pleasant feature of the location of multimedia speakers at opposite ends is that both The sound source may be blocked by palms when the user is holding the tablet in landscape mode (for example, while games). However, high-quality, clear sound with a noticeable stereo effect and adequate volume reserve completely eliminates this drawback. It is worth noting the support for Dolby Atmos sound improvement software technology, the effect of which is most pronounced when listening to audio recordings through high-quality headphones.
Battery
A built-in battery with a capacity of 4250 mAh / 16.2 Wh, paired with an energy-efficient platform from Qualcomm, ensures decent autonomy of the device. In gaming mode, the tablet can work continuously for about 5 hours, and up to 9 hours in Internet surfing mode. With moderate intensity use in mixed mode, by the evening about a third of the charge remains. If you don't get carried away with games and turn off unused networks, the final battery life can reach from one and a half to two days.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- productivity, speed;
- good autonomy;
- minimal heating under load;
- sound quality;
- support for 3G/LTE mobile networks;
- high-quality display;
- good cameras (for a tablet):
- good assembly;
- Dual-band Wi-Fi support.
Minuses:
- low volume of internal storage (evened out by installing microSD);
- not the best placement of the speakers;
- The surface of the case is quite easily soiled.
Conclusion
Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus is equipped, although not flagship, but still with optimal “stuffing”, thanks to the vast potential of which the scope of application of this device is not limited to basic tasks. The power of the chipset used is enough to run modern 3D games, and the amount of RAM is enough to simultaneously work with several applications. At the same time, the device screen is perfectly adapted for reading and working with documents, as well as for viewing graphic content.
And finally, due to the compact size of the case, good autonomy, support for mobile networks and global positioning systems, this tablet can be considered as a convenient “travel” devices. Overall, the Tab3 8 Plus is a successful, balanced model from a well-known brand, with an excellent combination of features and a very reasonable price.
