Lenovo is a brand you will all know and in this review, we have the Lenovo Smart Tab P10 which costs £249 from Currys PC World.
Most of us have a tablet hanging around the house collecting dust and Lenovo have considered this and created a 2 in 1 device that is not just an Android tablet but also an Alexa powered smart display which is an odd combo but it’s won the hearts of the these at CES making it as a finalist for best of show.
I like the fact it has a multiple-use device which means even when not being used as a tablet you can use it as a smart display once docked which can be used like you would normally use an Amazon Echo show and you also have that photo slideshow we all love. On the first inspection, it has great Bluetooth speaker/charging dock and nice screen display.
The Smart Tab comes in two versions the M10 and the P10. The M10 is the entry-level at £149 with 32GB of storage and two Dolby atmos speakers and a 4850mAh battery. The P10 is a more premium level product with the main features such as 64GB of storage, 4 front-facing speakers, 8 megapixel rear camera and 4 megapixel camera on the front but positioned on the side if in portrait mode which I found very odd and the fingerprint sensor is on the left in portrait mode and on the bottom in landscape mode.
I was not happy with the position of the camera as in landscape mode it just got dirty with my fingers. I feel this is a much better smart display and was designed with that in mind otherwise why put the camera there.
Design-wise the P10 is clad in glass on both sides of the tablet which makes it look nice but does become a fingerprint collector.
The P10 alongside the M10 both have a 10.1 inch Full HD LCD Display that provides a rich and sharp display which is ideal for use when watching a film.
However, the set up was a little annoying as not only do you have to sign in to google but you also had to sign in to your Amazon account. What I also find confusing is when you use it as a tablet you use the google smart assistant but once docked you can’t use google your now using Alexa. Why not just keep both as an either all google assistant or all Alexa. Apart from that, it was easy to set up and you will get used to having 2 smart assistants.
Sound-wise the tablet has 4 Dolby Atmos speakers which provide an excellent sound but when placed into the dock you can take advantage of the 2x 3watt speakers that offer a full range sound but for the bass fans something like the JBL Link View is better for bass but overall the sound is quality on the P10. The dock also has 3 built-in microphones in the dock does pick up instructions even when you’re on the overside of the room.
One of the added extras is using youtube on this on the smart tab ask Alexa and it launches the youtube app on android which is the much simpler way to navigate in the app.
Overall, the Lenovo Smart Tab P10 is a nice option for anyone looking for a tablet and smart display but do not want two separate devices. I really like the dock and the sound either in the dock or taken out is decent and that matches with a great display for the cost.
However, it’s not perfect I don’t really understand the need of both Google & Amazon smart assistants in one device seems a little confusing if you ask me but once you’re used to that it’s a great device that would make me use a tablet more than I have in the past. I also find the camera seems to have been placed with the smart display in the front of their minds and not as a tablet as using in portrait mode the camera in the wrong spot.
Price-wise at £249 for a 2-in1 it’s not a bad price but if you just want a smart display you can find cheaper products but overall for the money its a great product.
