Lenovo’s focus with these new devices is to continue to answer the needs of those who have gravitated toward remote work. Consumers have been faced with needing devices with longer battery life and better cameras for all the Zoom, Google Meets and other video conferencing meetings we all shifted to these past two years. Let’s dive deeper into what Lenovo has brought to the table this time. Maybe these two new tablets have a shot of joining our best tablets list.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook
Having actually held the latest iteration of IdeaPad, the 5i is truly a beautifully designed Chromebook, with its elegant two-tone coloring on its back cover giving it a far more sophisticated curb appeal than the average Chromebook. The IdeaPad 5i comes with a 2.5K LCD 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate and a claimed peak 350 nits of brightness. You also have the option of an FHD 1080p resolution screen at 60Hz with a peak 300 nits of brightness. Both display configurations feature a 180-degree hinge for flat use. The IdeaPad 5i comes with two CPU options. An Intel Core i3-1215U 12th gen processor or an Intel Pentium 8505 processor. The 5i will arrive with the option of 4 or 8GB of RAM, and either a 256 or 512GB SSD or 64 GB or 128 GB of eMMC flash memory. The Chromebook will feature an FHD 1080p webcam and is rated at up to 12 hours of battery life. Lenovo’s 16-inch IdeaPad 5i measures 14.3 x 10 x 0.8 inches and weighs 4.1 pounds. The 5i features several ports, including a microSD card slot, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one 3.5mm combo audio jack and a Kensington Nano Security Slot. The Storm Grey Lenovo IdeaPad will become available for purchase sometime this September, with pricing to come soon.
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3
Lenovo’s 16p Gen 3 uncorks a powerful blend of AMD Ryzen 9 6000 H-series processors and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU goodness to craft a mobile workstation that should appeal to creators on the go at about 4.4 pounds. With up to 32GB of dual-channel LPDDR5 memory and up to 2TB of dual SSD storage, this should be a workstation that delivers enough power without overwhelming on price. Open the lid and you are greeted by a gorgeous 16-inch 2.5K IPS display with TUV Rhineland Low Blue Light and Eyesafe certifications to protect your vision. You can decide between a 400 nit 60Hz panel or a new 500 nit 165Hz option with HDR400 certification. The 71Wh battery should get you through a full day of light usage or several hours of more intense tasks, but we’ll of course test that ourselves in due time. Taking a spin around the outside of the laptop you have a pair of USB Type-C ports (one is USB4), a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and an HDMI 2.1 port. The 1080p IR camera offers Windows Hello support and should let you leave that external webcam behind. Dolby Atmos audio should make this an excellent option for portable entertainment during your down time. Starting at $2,379 and arriving later this year, we’ll have a full review in the coming weeks.
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Gen)
The elevated sibling to the Lenovo Tab P11, the P11 Pro is a potent Android 12 tablet that features a cinematic 11.2 OLED touch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision HDR that will allow you to enjoy hours of entertainment or work. The screen is rated at 600 nits of brightness, so daylight viewing should be a breeze. If you’re a gamer, the 120Hz refresh rate screen and 360Hz touch response speeds will be right up your alley. The P11 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 1300T octa-core processor with RAM options running from 4GB to 8GB and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Unlike its sibling, the P11 Pro comes with a ThinkPad-inspired detachable keyboard with a built-in trackpad in case you want to use it as a laptop. You can purchase the optional Lenovo Precision Pen 3 if you so desire. You can also purchase the optional Folio case as well. Lenovo’s 11.2-inch P11 Pro features an excellent audio experience produced by the Quad JBL Speakers and Dolby Atmos, Dual microphones for when you’re taking those important Zoom calls. The P11 Pro comes with a USB Type-C 3.0 with DP-Out so you can connect it to an external monitor. The Lenovo P11 Pro weighs in at just 1.05 pounds and will enter the market with a starting price of $399.99 and expected availability starting in September 2022.
Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen)
The Lenovo Tab P11 is a very attractive Android 11.5-inch tablet that’s powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 Octa-Core processor. The P11 comes with three different RAM and storage options starting with 4 GB / 64 GB, 4 GB / 128 GB, and a 6GB RAM 128 GB option with an expandable SD card slot in case you want to add more storage. The P11 comes with an 11.5-inch 2K (2000 x 1200) resolution touch display, rated at 400 nits of brightness with a 120 HZ refresh rate. Your color options for the P11 are Storm grey and Sage, and I have to say they’re both excellent options. I did get a little time with the P11, and I found it to be quite adroit when I popped open several Chrome tabs; by the way, the quad speakers with Dolby Atmos are really excellent for a tablet, and the dual mics do a solid job too. Lenovo’s P11 weighs a hair over one pound (1.1) and comes with a 7700 mAh battery rated at 12 hours of usage. There is a USB Type-C 2.0` and a 3.5 mm audio jack ( remember these, Apple?) with the LTE model featuring Wi-Fi-5 and the non-LTE unit coming with Wi-Fi 6. As for as peripherals go, you can purchase an optional Lenovo Precision Pen 2 (2023), keyboard pack, and folio case to really take your user experience up several notches. Lenovo’s new Tab P11 starts at $249.99 and is expected availability starting in September 2022.
