With a top-flight technical sheet and perfect finishes, can the Lenovo P12 Pro win the premium tablet market?
On the high-end tablet market, two behemoths compete: on the one hand Apple with its high-performance iPad Pro, on the other Samsung, which delights Android fans with its Galaxy Tab S7+. Despite a few attempts from the competition, it must be admitted that no other brand had really managed to rise to their height… Until now?
Design and technical sheet
| Lenovo P12 Pro | |
|---|---|
| Screen | – 12.6-inch AMOLED – Screen in 16:10 format – 2560x1600p resolution – 240dpi density – 120Hz |
| Design | – Plastic back – 565 grams – 5.6mm thick – Precision Pen 3 |
| SoCs and GPUs | -Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 – Adreno 650 GPU – Engraving in 7 nm |
| Memory | – 6GB or 8GB of RAM – 128GB or 256GB of storage – MicroSD slot |
| Camera | – 13 MP wide-angle sensor – 5 MP ultra wide-angle sensor – 8 MP front sensor with ToF sensor – 4K video capture |
| Audio | – 4 JBL stereo speakers – Dual microphone – Dolby Atmos sound – no 3.5mm jack |
| Drums | – 10200mAh – Fast charge up to 45W (30W block supplied) – USB-C port |
| Connectivity | – Fingerprint reader under the screen -Bluetooth 5.0 – Wi-Fi 6 – nano-SIM – 5G (optional) – Project Unity for Windows and Android |
| Software | -Android 11 |
| Price | – €899 for the Wi-Fi 6+128 GB version – €949 for the Wi-Fi 8+256 GB version – €949 for the 5G 6+128 GB version – €1099 for the 5G 8+256 GB version – Optional keyboard at 219€ |
| availability date | October 2021 |
Determined to undermine Samsung, Lenovo is starting the year with a Tab P12 Pro looks like a war machine. Direct heir to the Tab P11 Pro, the new high-end tablet from the Chinese manufacturer immediately makes a very good impression on us: with its large screen of 12.6 inchesits fine borders and its impeccable finishes, it shines by its design as much as by its technical data sheet.
Without playing the originality card, the P12 Pro looks great. Compared to Samsung and Apple in particular, it stands out for its back in two levels of gray and especially its thickness: only 5.6mm, is a little better than its direct competitors, which respectively record 5.7 mm (Galaxy Tab S7 +) and 5.9 mm (iPad Pro 11). At this level, the size matters, and in the hand, it is a real impression of finesse that dominates, especially when the tablet is not protected by its case.
At the back of the tablet, there is a magnetic area designed to accommodate the Precision Pen 3 stylus, which we will come back to in more detail. Even if we would have preferred that the latter is fixed on the edge, the thickness of the tablet makes the operation logically impossible. You can’t have everything, but again, the decision is mastered by Lenovo: firmly magnetized, the stylus is recharged with a simple gesture, and remains in place when handling the device.
With its 285.6 x 184.5 mm format, the P12 Pro offers substantially the same dimensions as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+. However, its thinner borders allow it to grab a few more millimeters of screens, with a 88% display rate. The 8 MP front photo module is housed on the right edge of the device, confirming its optimization for use in landscape mode. On either side of the tablet, we finally find the volume adjustment buttons on the right edge, as well as the power supply at the top. On the lower edge, a USB-C port is intended for charging.
Beautiful screen, high-end performance
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful assets of the P12 Pro, the tablet is equipped with a large 12.6″ AMOLED display at the definition of 2560 x 1600 pixels with a 16:10 aspect ratio. With its non-adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz, it promises high-end performance, and it is clear that it did not disappoint us.
Unsurprisingly on AMOLED, the screen offers a excellent level of contrast without any visual afterglow. With its maximum brightness of 600 nits, the screen remains visible even in direct sunlight, but requires some color adjustments, rendering being a little too warm by default.
Under the hood, Lenovo’s high-end tablet packs the processor Snapdragon 870, already at work on the Yoga Tab 13 and the Poco F3. In addition to offering 5G compatibility, the device also has 8 GB of RAM and rock-solid optimization : responsive and enduring, the P12 Pro suffered no slowdown during our test. Even with the stylus, the latency is almost non-existent, and the device does not overheat. A particularly pleasant grip therefore, which is felt as well in daily tasks as on a game of video game, or a drawing session.
Precision Pen 3: the best on Android?
We have to admit that despite our attachment to the Samsung S-Pen, the Lenovo’s Precision Pen 3 does just as well, if not better. In particular thanks to its design: with a diameter slightly larger than that of Samsung, the stylus ensures a comfortable grip which is very close to a real pencil. His mine finally, imitates more that of the Apple Pen, with a wider base than that of the S-Pen. We simply regret the lack of grip of the mine on the screen, which tends to slip too much when drawing, as well as the weakness of the Palm Reject, which forces us to draw without touching the screen.
The Precision Pen 3 does not compromise on accuracy: with 4,096 levels of pressure and tilt detection, an automatic Bluetooth connection, and an alert system in the event of loss, the stylus is equal to the tablet it accompanies: very high-end. On a daily basis, its use is a pure pleasure. Ergonomic, it allows fluent writing and more than ten hours of autonomy thanks to its 30 mAh battery. Its unscrewable mine is easily replaced, and its single button also allows it to act as a remote control, to control the music or the locking of the tablet.
Photo and audio
At the rear, the P12 Pro offers a dual photo sensor, consisting of a 13MP wide-angle and 5MP ultra-wide-angle. A configuration reserved for high-end tablets, which is also found identically on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 +. As often, the device does honorably without being perfectly convincing. Tablets rarely revolutionize photography, and this will not come from the P12 Pro: the colorimetry is too red, and despite rather discreet software smoothing, the rendering is not really optimal. It should be noted however that in low light mode, the increase in ISO allows good management of the brightness, which without performing miracles, remains rather satisfactory.
It is especially in frontal mode that the user will have to turn on his camera. An observation that Lenovo has understood, with particular attention paid to its 8 MP front device. In good light conditions, the selfies are of good quality, but it is in video that the device stands out. With 1080p image quality, video calls look great, even in low light or backlight.
OS and software
equipped withAndroid 11, the Lenovo P12 Pro also offers a relatively discreet software overlay, which without standing out from those offered by Samsung or Xiaomi, has the merit of being pleasant to use. Many additional features are exclusively dedicated to the Precision Pen 3, which in addition to being responsive, is equipped with some very practical tools, ranging from quick note taking to shortcuts for copying and pasting text, taking a screenshot or navigate between slides in a PowerPoint presentation.
In addition to easily taking on the role of an extra computer for work, the tablet can also be transformed into additional screen for an existing computer. All you have to do is download the Project Unity application from the Windows Store, and make sure that the two terminals are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. On paper, this feature is a real revolution, since it replaces a wireless graphics tablet. In use, however, we feel that the software lacks completion. Between the instability of the connection and the crippling latency, the task proves to be almost impossible. Too bad, we can’t wait to see what the next updates will give.
Finally, on the autonomy side, the P12 Pro keeps its promises, with its 10200 mAh battery, which allows all-day use without showing the slightest sign of weakness. Thanks to its supplied 30W charger, it provides a full charge in just under two hours. By opting for a 45W mains unit (not supplied), it will take barely an hour and a half.
Price and availability
Offered from 899€ in the Wi-Fi version, and the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro makes a sensational entry into the middle of the high-end tablet, with a price positioning that places it in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+, or the iPad Pro 11” entry-level. For the fully equipped model (8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage and 5G), count all the same 1099€, with an optional keyboard at 219€.
Discover the Lenovo P12 Pro
