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Lenovo Tab 4 8 Tablet Review

Family friendly. Lenovo's Tab 4 8 is marketed as a tablet computer for the entire family, and it attempts to achieve that through optional accessories. Find out whether or not the tablet itself is worth the money in our review.
Lenovo Tab 4 8

For the original German article, see here.

Dubbing an 8-inch tablet “family friendly” is a fairly straightforward process. After all, its small size means it is much better suited for small kids’ hands than larger tablets are. However, Lenovo’s attempts to make this the ultimate family tablet don’t end there, and thanks to optional accessories the tablet can be rendered virtually resistant to drops. The Wi-Fi model starts at around $130; the LTE model should cost around $20 more but is currently not yet available in the US.

If you’re not interested in spending extra money on additional accessories you get what you would expect in this class: an HD screen, 2 GB of RAM, and somewhat decent cameras. The question is whether or not the Tab 4 8 has that one killer feature that makes it all worthwhile or whether it simply turns out to be a solid and adequate workhorse.

For the sake of comparability we’ve chosen the following competitors for this review: Amazon Fire HD 8, Asus ZenPad 8.0, Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4, and the larger sibling device, the Lenovo Tab 4 10.

Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Tab 4 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917) 4 x 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
8.00 inch 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixel 189 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 9.2 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD, Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, Miracast
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.2 x 211 x 124 ( = 0.32 x 8.31 x 4.88 in)
Battery
18.4 Wh, 4850 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 7.1 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 5 MPix
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: front-facing stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, SHAREit, SYNCit, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
310 g ( = 10.93 oz / 0.68 pounds), Power Supply: 48 g ( = 1.69 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
169 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The tablet’s lineage is clearly visible in its design language. The plain and simple case - available in black and white - with chamfered edges on both sides is far from fancy yet classy and ergonomic. Its rear side is roughened for better grip, and the rear-facing camera sits flush with the case and is therefore well protected. Torsional forces and pressure have immediate effects on the screen, and the infamous ripple effect rears its ugly head. At least the creaking remains fairly quiet overall.

Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo Tab 4 8

Size Comparison

214 mm / 8.43 inch 128 mm / 5.04 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 369 g0.814 lbs215.5 mm / 8.48 inch 124.2 mm / 4.89 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 310 g0.683 lbs211 mm / 8.31 inch 124 mm / 4.88 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 310 g0.683 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 125 mm / 4.92 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 354 g0.78 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

As mentioned in the introduction, the Lenovo Tab 4 8’s features are standard for its class and price range of roughly $130: 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage space, a MicroUSB port with support for USB-OTG, and support for MicroSD cards that can be formatted as internal or external storage yet are unable to take apps.

Software

Android 7.1.1 is fairly recent but the tablet’s patch level was dated June 2017 and therefore outdated. Lenovo hasn’t issued any statements regarding future updates but given the tablet’s price point we wouldn’t expect too much.

As is not uncommon for Lenovo tablets, the version of Android installed on the tablet is quite pure and clean with only a few extra applications. In order to save licensing costs some Microsoft apps can be found preloaded on the device in addition to Lenovo’s own SHAREit and SYNCit apps for - you’ve guessed it - sharing and synching your data with the cloud. In addition, an app showcasing the tablet and its features comes preloaded as well.

Lenovo allows for multiple user accounts on the tablet, meaning that it supports separate restricted accounts for children. 

Lenovo Tab 4 8 Software
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Software
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Software
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Software

Communication and GPS

GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

The Wi-Fi model that we’ve had in review supports 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and is therefore incapable of connecting to Wi-Fi networks in the lesser-used 5 GHz spectrum. It also lacks support for fast ac Wi-Fi networks and was slower overall than the already somewhat sluggish Lenovo Tab 4 10. The Amazon Fire HD 8 had much faster Wi-Fi communication modules as well. Close to the router with full signal strength pages loaded pretty slowly already, and at a distance of 10 meters with three walls in-between and 75% signal strength, it got noticeably slower.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 950, 32 GB eMMC Flash
209 MBit/s +404%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
Mali-T720, MT8163 V/B 1.3 GHz, 16 GB eMMC Flash
86 MBit/s +107%
Lenovo Tab 4 10
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
50.9 MBit/s +23%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
41.5 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 950, 32 GB eMMC Flash
209 MBit/s +349%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
Mali-T720, MT8163 V/B 1.3 GHz, 16 GB eMMC Flash
99.3 MBit/s +114%
Lenovo Tab 4 10
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
49.3 MBit/s +6%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.5 MBit/s

The integrated GPS module is incapable of indoor positioning, and obtaining GPS lock outdoors took a very long time. The GPS accuracy of 6 m was decent.

When compared to the professional Garmin Edge 500 GPS on our bike tour the Lenovo Tab 4 8’s GPS track turned out slightly shorter than the Garmin’s. However, the difference was only around 50 m, and overall tracking accuracy was decent. Despite the noticeable difference when compared to the Garmin Edge the tablet is suitable for GPS navigation.

GPS Garmin Edge 500 overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 junction
GPS Garmin Edge 500 junction
GPS Garmin Edge 500 forest
GPS Garmin Edge 500 forest
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 overview
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 overview
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 bridge
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 bridge
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 forest
GPS Lenovo Tab 4 8 forest

Cameras

Photo taken with front-facing camera
Photo taken with front-facing camera

Both cameras are exactly what we would have expected them to be at this price point: a 5 MP rear-facing main shooter and a 2 MP front-facing camera. When compared to tablets, similarly priced smartphones tend to have much higher-quality cameras. For example, the Tab 4 8 lacks an LED flash and just like on the bigger Tab 4 10 photos taken with the front-facing camera tend to be overexposed and noticeably blurry. Color representation is on the cooler side but still okay overall, and the front-facing camera is decent enough for video chats.

The tablet’s main rear-facing camera fared much better in comparison. Photos turned out somewhat decent even in low-light conditions and color representation was okay. Unfortunately, large uniform areas suffer from pixelation and the photos were slightly blurry to boot. Videos are recorded in 1080p. Overall recording quality was quite good and the camera system adjusted very smoothly and quickly to changing lighting conditions.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

When tested in our lab under normalized conditions, the resulting photos turned out too dark and too blurry. It suffered from the same faults that we had already noticed outdoors: pixelated unicolor areas. At least color representation was decent here as well but the Lenovo Tab 4 8’s camera is only good enough for quick snaps. If you require a better camera you are better off with a smartphone.

ColorChecker: lower half shows the reference color
ColorChecker: lower half shows the reference color
Reference card overview
Reference card overview
Reference card details
Reference card details

Accessories and Warranty

The Tab 4 8 comes with a charger and a USB cable included in the box. The optional accessories that we have already taken a closer look at during our Lenovo Tab 4 10 and Tab 4 10 Plus reviews are noteworthy, though. In short, these accessories make the tablet much safer and better protected around children. In addition, an intelligent speaker with support for Amazon’s Alexa has been announced as well, but it is unclear at this point whether or not it will support the Tab 4 8. Like the productivity package with Bluetooth keyboard it might only support the more expensive 10-inch model. Nevertheless, it is worthy of praise that Lenovo is making optional accessories enhancing the cheap base model in the first place.

Input Devices & Handling

Lenovo’s choice of keyboard is TouchPal. Unfortunately (and, we might add, quite disturbingly) the full-featured version of this preloaded keyboard app is ad-supported, and the ads can be disabled by purchasing the premium version. Basically, Lenovo is preloading the free ad-supported version from the Google Play Store by default. Either way, the keyboard works very well, is easy to use, offers plenty of additional features over the stock keyboard, and it can easily be replaced by a different keyboard app from the Play Store.

The device’s touchscreen is very sensitive, quick to react, and it is overall quite nice to use. While it doesn’t support gestures it does light up on incoming notifications. The three Android software buttons are located at the bottom of the touchscreen, and the only physical buttons are located on the right side of the case. The easily palpable rippled power/standby button sits flush with the case and is well protected from accidental triggering. The volume rocker offers very clear and distinct feedback and is easy to use as well.

Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in landscape mode
Keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The 16:10 1280x800 pixel display is fairly common for tablets in the Tab 4 8’s price range. Higher-resolution displays can usually only be found in more expensive tablets. At 446 nits on average it is very bright, especially when compared with similarly priced competitors. Brightness distribution was very even, which means that large areas turn out very homogenous overall.

442
cd/m²
469
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
441
cd/m²
455
cd/m²
443
cd/m²
441
cd/m²
453
cd/m²
429
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 469 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 446.4 cd/m² Minimum: 6.58 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 455 cd/m²
Contrast: 892:1 (Black: 0.51 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
80.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.23
Lenovo Tab 4 8
IPS, 1280x800, 8.00
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
IPS, 1280x800, 8.00
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
IPS, 1280x800, 8.00
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
IPS, 2560x1600, 8.40
Lenovo Tab 4 10
IPS, 1280x800, 10.10
Screen
-13%
5%
3%
15%
Brightness middle
455
419
-8%
363
-20%
460
1%
316
-31%
Brightness
446
412
-8%
348
-22%
445
0%
305
-32%
Brightness Distribution
91
91
0%
90
-1%
90
-1%
86
-5%
Black Level *
0.51
0.39
24%
0.26
49%
0.45
12%
0.2
61%
Contrast
892
1074
20%
1396
57%
1022
15%
1580
77%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.5
8.5
-55%
5.8
-5%
6.2
-13%
5
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
14.8
13.8
7%
17.8
-20%
10.5
29%
8.7
41%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.5
10.3
-87%
5.5
-0%
6.5
-18%
5.7
-4%
Gamma
2.23 99%
2.6 85%
2.24 98%
2.33 94%
2.25 98%
CCT
7852 83%
6216 105%
7388 88%
8056 81%
7921 82%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17924 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Unfortunately, the display falls short when it comes to black value and contrast ratio: 0.51 nits result in a contrast ratio of only 891:1 - not too bad but also nothing to be proud of. In our test group, the Tab 4 8 had the lowest contrast ratio of the bunch. Consequently, colors don’t pop and dark areas are more grayish than black. At least the display doesn’t flicker at low brightness levels.

When measured with a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software, we found a very noticeable blue tint. Apart from that, color representation was pretty accurate. sRGB color-space coverage was only at 80.4%, and the display is thus not suited for professional color assessment.

CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color space
CalMAN color space
CalMAN grayscales
CalMAN grayscales
CalMAN saturation
CalMAN saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17 ms rise
↘ 15 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25 ms rise
↘ 21 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 76 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

Thanks to its high brightness, the tablet is easily usable outdoors. However, its lack of ambient light sensor means that brightness has to be adjusted manually at all times. Outdoors, the highest setting should work just fine. As is quite common for smartphones and tablets, the display is highly reflective. Bright light sources directly behind the user should thus be avoided.

Viewing angles were very good, and we found no traces of distortion even at acute angles.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoors at maximum brightness
Outdoors at maximum brightness
Outdoors at medium brightness
Outdoors at medium brightness
Outdoors at minimum brightness
Outdoors at minimum brightness

Performance

Like the Tab 4 10, the Lenovo Tab 4 8 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 with four cores and a clock speed of 1.4 GHz. As expected, our review unit performed just as fast as other similarly equipped tablets, including the aforementioned Tab 4 10. In other words: It is powerful enough for smooth overall operation and most apps.

The CPU is accompanied by a Qualcomm Adreno 308 GPU with six cores. Again, the unit performed as expected and similar to other equally equipped tablets, and as expected it is not really made for gaming.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
86735 Points +135%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
36893 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
36868 Points 0%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
36440 Points -1%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
34714 Points -6%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
5204 Points +17%
Lenovo Tab 4 10
4518 Points +1%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
4507 Points +1%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
4457 Points
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
4125 Points -7%
Work 2.0 performance score
Lenovo Tab 4 8
3312 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
3307 Points 0%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
2907 Points -12%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
1800 Points +126%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
796 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
780 Points -2%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
712 Points -11%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
640 Points -20%
System
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
3581 Points +142%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
1477 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
1475 Points 0%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
1271 Points -14%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
1152 Points -22%
Memory
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
2212 Points +182%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
908 Points +16%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
784 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
758 Points -3%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
736 Points -6%
Graphics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
1302 Points +191%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
447 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
444 Points -1%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
339 Points -24%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
334 Points -25%
Web
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
1022 Points +32%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
773 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
745 Points -4%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
655 Points -15%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
593 Points -23%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo Tab 4 8
688 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
676 Points -2%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
628 Points -9%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Lenovo Tab 4 8
1908 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
1896 Points -1%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
1683 Points -12%
Compute RenderScript Score
Lenovo Tab 4 10
1398 Points +6%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
1324 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
20230 Points +229%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
6144 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
6100 Points -1%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
6006 Points -2%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
5986 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
22141 Points +303%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
5496 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
5456 Points -1%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
5435 Points -1%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
5326 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
15538 Points +49%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
10857 Points +4%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
10458 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
10388 Points -1%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
9274 Points -11%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
1139 Points +2049%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
246 Points +364%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
234 Points +342%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
53 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
53 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
997 Points +2274%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
203 Points +383%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
193 Points +360%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
42 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10
42 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
2261 Points +159%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
920 Points +5%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
881 Points +1%
Lenovo Tab 4 10
880 Points +1%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
874 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
970 Points
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
150 Points
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
143 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
832 Points
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
121 Points
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
116 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
2322 Points
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
878 Points
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
793 Points
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
23 fps +64%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
17 fps +21%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
17 fps +21%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
14 fps
Lenovo Tab 4 10
13 fps -7%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
29 fps +272%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
10 fps +28%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
9.9 fps +27%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
7.8 fps
Lenovo Tab 4 10
7.7 fps -1%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
9 fps +53%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
7.2 fps +22%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
7.1 fps +20%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
5.9 fps
Lenovo Tab 4 10
5.5 fps -7%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
13 fps +364%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
3.6 fps +29%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
3.6 fps +29%
Lenovo Tab 4 8
2.8 fps
Lenovo Tab 4 10
2.8 fps 0%

Legend

 
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 308, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 MediaTek MT8163 V/B 1.3 GHz, ARM Mali-T720, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A MediaTek MT8163 V/B 1.3 GHz, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch HiSilicon Kirin 950, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 308, 16 GB eMMC Flash

When browsing the web, the Tab 4 8 fared decently well and scored somewhere in the midfield. Website-loading times were not particularly fast and complex HTML5 sites can turn into a major problem.

Octane V2 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch (Chrome 54)
11404 Points +293%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 (Chrome 60)
2955 Points +2%
Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61)
2903 Points
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10)
2826 Points -3%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A (Chrome 52.0.2743.91)
2821 Points -3%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch (Chrome 54)
136 Points +97%
Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61)
69 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 (Chrome 60)
62 Points -10%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A (Chrome 52.0.2743.91)
57 Points -17%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10)
57 Points -17%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch (Chrome 54)
53.7 Points +192%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10)
19.52 Points +6%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A (Chrome 52.0.2743.91)
19.3 Points +5%
Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61)
18.36 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo Tab 4 10 (Chrome 60)
12386 ms * -3%
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A (Chrome 52.0.2743.91)
12161 ms * -1%
Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61)
12033 ms *
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10)
11818 ms * +2%
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch (Chrome 54)
2823 ms * +77%

* ... smaller is better

Storage performance was top-notch for its class. Like the Tab 4 10, it accessed our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card much faster than the entire competition, and accessing the internal storage was reasonably fast as well. Only the more expensive Huawei MediaPad M3 offered a more continuous and consistent read and write performance.

Lenovo Tab 4 8Amazon Fire HD 8 2017Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026AHuawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inchLenovo Tab 4 10
AndroBench 3-5
-25%
-38%
47%
-6%
Sequential Read 256KB
265.1
159.1
-40%
158.4
-40%
249.7
-6%
275
4%
Sequential Write 256KB
72.3
47.23
-35%
45.71
-37%
117.2
62%
45.3
-37%
Random Read 4KB
44
21.55
-51%
21.96
-50%
32.04
-27%
32.3
-27%
Random Write 4KB
7.1
11.51
62%
8.35
18%
31.35
342%
8.9
25%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
84.8
51.1
-40%
35.2
-58%
61.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-27%
84.5
0%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
61.1
34.15
-44%
24.9
-59%
23.52 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-62%
59.9
-2%

Games

Gaming isn’t really the Tab 4 8’s strong point and requires some compromises here and there. For example, complex games such as Asphalt 8 require significantly reduced details to run smoothly while Dead Trigger 2 runs just fine at 30 FPS. Casual games, such as Angry Birds, are no problem at all.

The touchscreen and gyroscope worked very well and were reliable while gaming.

Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Asphalt 8
Asphalt 8
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high18 fps
 very low30 fps
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps

Emissions

Temperature

GFXBench battery test
GFXBench battery test

Given that frame rates during GFXBench’s battery test remained fairly consistent, even after 30 iterations, it is safe to assume that the Tab 4 8 is capable of delivering peak performance over prolonged periods of high load.

The case’s maximum surface temperature was 40.1 °C at the back - noticeable but not yet alarmingly high. When idle, the maximum surface temperature was measured at 33.3 °C and thus imperceptible.

Max. Load
 35.8 °C
96 F
31.2 °C
88 F
34.6 °C
94 F
 
 38.5 °C
101 F
32.1 °C
90 F
35.1 °C
95 F
 
 31.8 °C
89 F
33.2 °C
92 F
35.2 °C
95 F
 
Maximum: 38.5 °C = 101 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
32 °C
90 F
32.2 °C
90 F
37.7 °C
100 F
33 °C
91 F
31.8 °C
89 F
40.1 °C
104 F
32 °C
90 F
31.8 °C
89 F
36.3 °C
97 F
Maximum: 40.1 °C = 104 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  43.7 °C = 111 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.5 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Heat-map front
Heat-map front
Heat-map rear
Heat-map rear

Speakers

Speaker test "pink noise"
Speaker test "pink noise"

The preloaded Dolby Atmos app includes various sound profiles for the two front-facing speakers as well as a manual equalizer should you require additional adjustments. The differences between the available profiles are enormous, and the “music” mode allowed for a very nice listening experience for a tablet at this price point. The Asus ZenPad 8 was unable to keep up with the Tab 4 8, and the latter offered much more pronounced low mids with no bass whatsoever. At 84.8 dB(A), the speakers get reasonably loud and don’t suffer from distortion at maximum volume either.

A 3.5 mm headphone jack and Bluetooth can be used for connecting external speakers and headphones to improve the device’s soundscape even further. Both options worked without a hitch and emitted a very clear sound.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.529.233.52532.529.332.53132.830.732.84036.241.136.25032.532.732.56333.531.633.58036.628.336.610035.427.535.412542.828.742.816041.323.641.320049.522.649.525052.426.952.431555.521.755.540059.32159.350064.920.864.963071.31871.380075.817.575.8100077.517.377.5125075.416.875.4160075.515.875.5200071.615.871.6250070.316.170.3315072.715.972.7400073.91673.9500072.415.972.4630066.21666.2800061.916.161.91000059.11659.11250049.11649.11600033.915.833.9SPL84.829.784.8N59.21.359.2median 64.9median 16.8median 64.9Delta10.7310.724.330.828.624.325.930.22725.926.329.83026.329.130.334.929.127.627.531.627.623.624.935.323.622.824.528.122.827.627.728.827.638.638.236.338.620.12321.720.122.926.720.422.92933.620.12939.943.921.139.947.752.123.347.755.159.72455.151.25618.751.258.462.918.458.46164.518616265.916.5626064.414.36058.162.515.658.156.760.714.156.75963.314596165.214.36158.96314.858.959.263.513.759.257.361.313.457.351.955.913.251.960.263.913.260.256.960.613.156.97175.129.47126.734.41.326.7median 56.9median 60.7median 16.5median 56.9109.93.910hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo Tab 4 8Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
Lenovo Tab 4 8 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 68% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.5% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (18.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes are selectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Overall power consumption was lower than with the Tab 4 10 but above average for its class, especially when idle. The Tab 4 8’s maximum power consumption under load was measured at 6.13 W. While the Huawei MediaPad M3 drew significantly more energy, it also offered much more than the Tab 4 8.

When the device was turned off we were still able to detect a trickle, and leaving the tablet turned off for several weeks without charging in between will result in partial or total discharge. At least power consumption in standby was reasonable.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.12 / 0.16 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.1 / 3.51 / 4.14 Watt
Load midlight 4.86 / 6.13 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo Tab 4 8
4850 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
 mAh
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
4000 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
5100 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10
7000 mAh
Power Consumption
16%
13%
-24%
-3%
Idle Minimum *
1.1
0.99
10%
1.32
-20%
1.51
-37%
1.09
1%
Idle Average *
3.51
2.74
22%
2.71
23%
3.64
-4%
3.71
-6%
Idle Maximum *
4.14
2.83
32%
2.83
32%
3.68
11%
3.84
7%
Load Average *
4.86
4.51
7%
4.24
13%
6.95
-43%
5.07
-4%
Load Maximum *
6.13
5.69
7%
5.01
18%
9.11
-49%
6.88
-12%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The battery life of the Tab 4 10 was much better than that of the Tab 4 8 thanks to its higher-capacity battery. Our review unit came equipped with a 4,850 mAh battery while the Tab 4 10 featured a 7,000 mAh battery. Even though the battery was fairly large when compared to its competitors this did not result in longer battery life. The Tab 4 8’s 7:32 hours in our Wi-Fi test was beaten by the entire competition, and the Amazon Fire HD 8 did exceptionally well in this test in particular. Overall battery life was as expected of a device in this price range, but given the high-capacity battery we would have loved to see more.

Charging from near empty to 100% with the included charger takes more than 2 hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 07min
WiFi Websurfing
7h 32min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
10h 03min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 36min
Lenovo Tab 4 8
4850 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 8 2017
 mAh
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380M-6B026A
4000 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 inch
5100 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10
7000 mAh
Battery Runtime
51%
5%
2%
40%
Reader / Idle
1207
2032
68%
1305
8%
1110
-8%
H.264
603
744
23%
624
3%
583
-3%
WiFi v1.3
452
770
70%
472
4%
546
21%
632
40%
Load
276
393
42%
287
4%
268
-3%

Pros

+ ergonomically designed case
+ decent front-facing speakers
+ bright display with wide viewing angles
+ comparatively cool
+ pure Android with user account management
+ fairly precise GPS
+ smooth usage
+ fast storage devices

Cons

- GPS lock is pretty slow
- blue tint
- photos sometimes blurry
- no ambient light sensor
- slow Wi-Fi

Verdict

Lenovo Tab 4 8. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de
Lenovo Tab 4 8. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de

Lenovo’s Tab 4 8 is an affordable tablet that fails to stand out. Its design is rather restrained and conservative, the case is susceptible to torsional forces and pressure, and camera resolution, image quality, performance, and connectivity are typical for its class.

In other words: Lenovo’s tablet is not special in any way but at the same time is solid in many ways. The bright display’s viewing angles are superb, the GPS is accurate, and the device doesn’t get very hot under load. Its front-facing speakers, its pure version of Android, and its large battery (despite which Lenovo has failed to squeeze out extra battery life), are particularly noteworthy. It can be made childproof with optional accessories, and we would once again like to emphasize the fact that unlike other manufacturers, Lenovo has actually spent time, money, and energy thinking about how to improve a cheap tablet with optional accessories.

The Lenovo Tab 4 8 is a solid 8-inch tablet without any bells and whistles but has a solid overall performance.

Overall, tablets such as Lenovo’s Yoga-series are much more innovative than the Tab 4 8. However, the latter offers solid performance with no real flaws at a decent price.

Lenovo Tab 4 8 - 10/06/2017 v6(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
74%
Keyboard
65 / 80 → 82%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
27 / 65 → 41%
Weight
86 / 40-88 → 96%
Battery
91%
Display
83%
Games Performance
6 / 68 → 9%
Application Performance
39 / 76 → 52%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
61 / 91 → 67%
Camera
62 / 85 → 73%
Average
67%
79%
Tablet - Weighted Average

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Florian Wimmer, 2017-10-12 (Update: 2017-10-13)