Internationally unveiled back in January and commercially released already in a number of European and Asian markets, the Lenovo Tab M11 is still tagged as “coming soon” on its manufacturer’s official US website. But that’s not stopping Best Buy from putting the aptly named 11-inch mid-ranger on sale a few days ahead of the April schedule announced at the beginning of the year.
Yes, you can now order the storm grey-coated Tab M11 stateside in two storage configurations and hope to receive the variant of your choice on your doorstep by the end of March. That’s somewhat uncharacteristic of a company that’s mostly flubbed last year’s Lenovo Tab Extreme launch, for instance, so don’t be surprised if this new mid-end Android soldier goes out of stock shortly after its US debut too.
Just buy it right now!
The easiest way to avoid any potential inventory headaches is of course to make your purchase today, at least if you’re certain this is the best budget tablet for you. At a starting price of $179.99, the Lenovo Tab M11 undercuts the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Google’s first-gen Pixel Tablet while essentially going toe-to-toe with the Galaxy Tab A9 Plus.
Incapable of holding its own against the best Apple iPads out there in terms of raw performance, the Tab M11 should still be able to deliver a decent level of power (for the sub-$200 category) thanks to an octa-core MediaTek G88 processor. That’s paired with 4GB RAM, which is… not exactly ideal for heavy multitaskers, but the Dolby Atmos-enhanced quad speaker system and 90Hz FHD+ LCD screen promise to keep you entertained on the go in great audio and video quality.
While we’re on the subject of promises, we should mention that Lenovo is vowing to serve two OS upgrades to its latest tablet. That’s not as impressive as it sounds when you consider that the Tab M11 runs Android 13 out the box instead of Android 14, but it’s still better than what some affordable Lenovo slates have received in the past.
With a sleek dual-tone design, razor-thin 7.15mm profile, up to 10 hours of battery life in continuous video playback, 15W charging support, and 8MP cameras on both its back and front, this looks like the textbook definition of an average tablet capable of satisfying most cash-strapped users.
Or maybe wait for a potential discount!
The 128GB storage variant is only 20 bucks costlier than the entry-level 64 gig configuration and thus seems like the smarter overall buy, although both models also support easy external storage expansion with a microSD card slot. Unfortunately, the $179.99 and $199.99 list prices don’t appear to include any protective or productivity-enhancing accessories, so we’re afraid you’ll have to pay extra for a cover, keyboard, or stylus.
Of course, the same goes for the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus, which normally costs $220 and $270 with 64 and 128GB storage respectively and no S Pen or keyboard. The problem (for Lenovo, at least) is that the Tab A9+ can be currently purchased at a hefty $50 discount pretty much across the nation.
Should we expect similar price cuts as far as this new Tab M11 is concerned? It’s obviously too early to tell, but we feel like that’s a definite possibility, especially when you also consider how frequently the mid-range Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (Gen 3) and Tab P11 (Gen 2) are sold at cool discounts in the US.
