Simple review on Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD (2nd Gen)

About the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD

This tablet comes in several different SKUs and those SKUs are available at different places and with different specs/prices. In the US, the model we reviewed is specifically available only at Walmart.com and your local Walmart store. Walmart charges a low $129.99 for this tablet, which is a great price.

The Walmart variant of the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD has a 10.1-inch display, a MediaTek processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, a 5,100mAh battery, and an 8MP main camera, and 5MP user-facing camera. Iron gray is the only color available, but it has an aluminum chassis. It also ships with a charging dock.

What’s the advantage?

Lenovo designed and built a solid piece of hardware with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD. The 10-inch screen makes for a sizable device. Its aluminum chassis is strong and feels good. You’ve got plenty of amenities, too. Lenovo gave the Smart Tab M10 HD a USB-C port for charging and a tray for microSD memory cards to allow for expanded storage (up to 256GB). The tablet features stereo speakers, a headphone jack, good buttons, and pogo pins on one side for the included charging dock. The dock is sturdy and holds the tablet at a decent angle for watching content while it charges, though it’s not adjustable.

The screen technically packs high definition resolution at 1,280 x 800 pixels. The pixels are good sized and the screen is fine for everyday use. It looks a lot better than the same resolution 8-inch display of the Amazon Fire 8 HD Plus tablet. It’s plenty bright, and not overly reflective. I found I was able to use it in bright spaces without any visibility issues.

Well..what is the disadvantage?

Some might consider the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD to be a little awkward to use. First, the screen employs a 16:9 aspect ratio, so the tablet has an elongated shape when compared to the shape of tablets that have 4:3 or 3:2 displays. Further, it’s a bit top-heavy when using it in portrait orientation, which causes hand fatigue. This would definitely impact kids more so than adults.

It also feels underpowered. The octa-core MediaTek P22T just doesn’t have enough oomph sometimes. It could be the limited amount of RAM holding the tablet back. The Smart Tab M10 HD definitely got bogged down when multitasking or running multiple apps in the background. I tested Asphalt 9 and found gameplay to be choppy at best, but everyday tasks such as browsing the web or checking email are smooth enough.

In summary

If you’re looking for a basic tablet to enjoy Netflix or browse the web, then you’ll do fine with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD. It covers the simple stuff with ease and has nearly all the features you could want. If you’re looking for something specifically for kids, the Smart Tab is also a solid choice. As long as you don’t mind creating a full-on child Google account to manage, it handles the tasks of controlling kids’ use with ease. I wouldn’t recommend the M10 HD for gaming or other hardcore uses.