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MagyarLenovo Tab M9 review: Intermediate-sized tablet with GPS tracking
10 inches is too heavy, but 8 inches is too small? The Lenovo Tab M9 attempts to present itself as the golden mean with a relatively light chassis and 9-inch screen that offers a little more screen space than conventional 8-inch tablets. For just around US$150, you get an affordable tablet with GPS and a fairly large battery.
In our review, we compare it with several other devices in the same price range and determine for whom the unusually-sized tablet is suitable.
Possible Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.2 % | 03/2023 | Lenovo Tab M9 Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2 | 344 g | 8 mm | 9.00" | 1340x800 | |
| 80.8 % | 01/2023 | Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) Helio P22T MT8768T, PowerVR GE8320 | 305 g | 8.15 mm | 8.00" | 1280x800 | |
| 82.2 % | 02/2023 | Nokia T10 T606, Mali-G57 MP1 | 375 g | 9 mm | 8.00" | 1280x800 | |
| 79.7 % | 08/2021 | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Helio P22T MT8768T, PowerVR GE8320 | 366 g | 8 mm | 8.70" | 1340x800 | |
| 80.4 % | 01/2023 | Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 MT8169A, Mali-G52 MP2 | 337 g | 9.7 mm | 8.00" | 1280x800 |
Case – Relatively light and made of metal
At 344 grams, the Lenovo Tab M9 even weighs a little less than some 8-inch competitors. Of course, it is larger due to the 9-inch screen. The edges around the screen are well sized so that you can easily hold the tablet without accidentally triggering the touchscreen. At the same time, they are thin enough that the tablet still looks modern.
The case is made of metal and the central part is printed with a pattern of triangles. Gaps are quite even and the transition to the screen is haptically pleasing; the edges are hardly noticeable here. Overall, the tablet feels very good to hold.
Lenovo offers two colors, Arctic Grey and Frost Blue, but only the gray version was available in Central Europe at the time of review. The tablet absorbs targeted applications of pressure and torsional stress quite well; only when twisting do ripples become visible in the liquid crystal on the sides of the screen.
Equipment - Storage shortage in the Lenovo tablet
A somewhat meager 32 GB of storage space is common for this price range, but anyone who likes to save photos on the tablet will quickly reach the storage capacity limits.
At least Lenovo also offers a variant with 64 GB, but this is only available in combination with an LTE module and the model is not widely available at present.
You also have to do without NFC, so no mobile payment services can be used. The USB-C port is only connected internally according to the USB 2.0 standard and is therefore somewhat slow when transferring data.
microSD Card Reader
At least Lenovo offers a microSD port for storage expansion. Under testing, this operates at a speed typical for this class and does not come close to the transfer rates of our microSD Angelbird V60 reference card.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Nokia T10 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Update guarantee to Android 13
Android 12 is preinstalled, and Lenovo also leaves Google's operating system largely unchanged. At the time of review, the security updates were from November 2022 and are thus already quite outdated.
On the positive side, Lenovo installs very few of its own apps and hardly any third-party apps ex works.
The tablet should also receive an update to Android 13 in mid-2023. Lenovo has not specified whether further new system versions are planned. But the company does say that the security update supply will expire at the end of April 2025.
Communication and GNSS - GPS even on the WiFi model
Lenovo's tablet provides users with WiFi 5, so it achieves WLAN transmission rates of around 300-350 Mb/s, which is typical for this class. Looking at the chart from our test with the Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 reference router, we see that the transmission is quite stable and shows no dips.
When close to the router, signal strength is perfect, and is still sufficient at a distance of 10 meters and through three walls for websurfing and smooth video streaming.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Nokia T10 | |
Even the WiFi version of the Lenovo Tab M9 has a tracking module. A solid accuracy of 2 meters is quickly achieved outdoors, but the number of detected satellites is not so high.
We also carried out real-world testing of the tablet's localization capabilities, i.e. we went for bike ride and took a Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch for comparison purposes.
The result: the Lenovo Tab M9 occasionally deviates from the actual route taken, but the accuracy is still generally usable for everyday location tasks. However, those wanting precision accuracy will have to look elsewhere.
Cameras - OK for snapshots
Camera quality was clearly not the focus of the manufacturer: there is only an 8-megapixel camera on the back. It takes decent pictures at close range, but the dynamics leave a lot to be desired. This is also noticeable in environmental photos, where bright areas are overexposed. Some areas are also very blurry and lack detail. The sky appears grainy.
In low light and high contrasts, the sharpness is actually quite good, but the brightness is only very moderate. In the lab, the camera shows average sharpness and reasonably good contrast in good lighting. At only 1 lux illuminance, nothing more can be seen in the pictures.
In general, the camera is best suited for snapshots in very good lighting conditions, otherwise it is quickly overwhelmed.
Videos can be recorded in 1080p and 30 fps. The autofocus stutters from time to time, but is generally reliable. The brightness adjustment is also a little slow at times. In good lighting conditions, the resulting videos are satisfactory, but cannot cope in more difficult conditions.
The front camera has a resolution of only 2 megapixels, which means that even without zooming in, selfies are somewhat grainy and offer little detail in dark areas.
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.
Main camera - plantMain camera - environmentMain camera - low light
Accessories and Warranty - Case included
Another positive aspect is that Lenovo includes a clear case, i.e. a milky-transparent cover that even has an integrated stand which can be used to position the tablet in landscape or portrait mode.
A tool is included for opening the microSD slot. A charger and USB cable are also included in the package.
A folio case is available from the manufacturer for just under US$30, otherwise there are no specially adapted accessories available for purchase.
The warranty within the EU is 24 months. This may differ from region to region, so interested buyers should double-check before purchase.
Input Devices & Operation - Good facial recognition
The 60 Hz screen is easy to use, and the similarly pried competition does not offer screens with a higher frame rate either. The operation could be a little smoother, but even so, users can navigate through the menus fairly quickly.
No fingerprint sensor is available, but facial recognition can be used as a biometric unlocking method. The front camera does a good job and facial data is saved very quickly. Facial recognition also works well at different distances and even when we hold it in landscape instead of portrait format. But there is a one-second delay before the face is recognized. In dark environments, the light on the screen is sufficient for facial recognition.
However, since no additional hardware is used here, someone who looks similar to the user could possibly unlock the tablet, and photos may also be sufficient for unlocking under certain circumstances.
Display - Too dark for outdoor use
At 1340 x 800, the resolution is slightly higher than most 8-inch tablets in this price range, so the pixel density is still acceptable. Nevertheless, it is evident that the tablet could have used more pixels for its screen size: the display does not look as sharp as on Full HD screens.
At 368 cd/m², the IPS panel provides comparatively high brightness for the price range, albeit still quite dark for outdoor use. On the other hand, the tablet offers a fairly good black level of 0.17 cd/m², so that a very good contrast ratio and comparatively strong colors are possible on the display.
No PWM flickering was detected, so sensitive users can use the tablet without issue.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 405 cd/m²
Contrast: 2382:1 (Black: 0.17 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.15 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
84.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.287
| Lenovo Tab M9 IPS, 1340x800, 9.00 | Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) IPS, 1280x800, 8.00 | Nokia T10 IPS, 1280x800, 8.00 | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite TFT, 1340x800, 8.70 | Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 LCD, 1280x800, 8.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -64% | -45% | -32% | -17% | |
| Brightness middle | 405 | 353 -13% | 446 10% | 360 -11% | 388 -4% |
| Brightness | 368 | 330 -10% | 429 17% | 332 -10% | 364 -1% |
| Brightness Distribution | 83 | 81 -2% | 94 13% | 85 2% | 90 8% |
| Black Level * | 0.17 | 0.64 -276% | 0.65 -282% | 0.24 -41% | 0.36 -112% |
| Contrast | 2382 | 552 -77% | 686 -71% | 1500 -37% | 1078 -55% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.15 | 6.5 -26% | 4.87 5% | 6.7 -30% | 4.38 15% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10.12 | 11.36 -12% | 9.85 3% | 12.4 -23% | 10.7 -6% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.7 | 7.3 -97% | 5.7 -54% | 7.6 -105% | 2.9 22% |
| Gamma | 2.287 96% | 2.118 104% | 2.189 101% | 2.33 94% | 2.232 99% |
| CCT | 7379 88% | 8264 79% | 7781 84% | 8744 74% | 6221 104% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| 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 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
In our measurements with the spectral photometer and CalMAN software, we observed a minimal blue cast in bright grayscales, but the display performs well overall with fairly accurate reproduction values. The colors don't really give cause for complaint either, as only the blue and brown tones deviate a little too strongly from the optimum.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 32.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 13.7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.5 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. » 86 % 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 | ||
| 42.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 23.7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 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. » 66 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). | ||
Reflections on the display make outdoor use difficult, and the display's brightness is barely sufficient, even on cloudy days.
The viewing angle stability is very much without criticism; only a slight decrease in brightness at very flat viewing angles can be seen.
Performance - A lot of power for an affordable tablet
The Lenovo Tab M9 comes with a SoC from MediaTek, namely the Helio G80. Although a 4-year-old SoC, it offers slightly more performance compared to other inexpensive tablets. In benchmark comparisons with similarly priced tablets, the test device always comes out on top.
In everyday use, you can expect reasonably smooth system operation, but you shouldn't overload the small tablet. After all, it is a mid-range SoC and not a high-end processor.
| Antutu v9 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (92766 - 1416727, n=52, last 2 years) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (204040 - 232228, n=5) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| CrossMark - Overall | |
| Average of class Tablet (172 - 1585, n=51, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (325 - 348, n=3) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Tablet (1662 - 44323, n=49, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (3400 - 3992, n=3) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| AImark - Score v3.x | |
| Average of class Tablet (84 - 156427, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (311 - 780, n=2) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
The ARM Mali G52 with two pipelines is used as the graphics solution. The Lenovo Tab M9 is also usually superior to other comparison devices in the graphics benchmarks.
Again, you shouldn't expect high-end performance, but you can assume that somewhat more graphics-intensive applications will run on the tablet.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | |
| Nokia T10 | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | |
Compared to other low-priced tablets, the Lenovo Tab M9 does very well when surfing the web and is significantly faster in the benchmarks. In everyday use, however, you still have to wait every now and then for large websites to appear in full, and when scrolling, images only appear after a certain loading time.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (19.9 - 236, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Chrome 110) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (29 - 40, n=8) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Silk Browser 106) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Chrome 92.0.4515.115) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Tablet (21 - 227, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Chrome 110) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (44 - 45, n=2) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Silk Browser 106) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Tablet (14.7 - 376, n=52, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Chome 110) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (21.8 - 32, n=8) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Silk Browser 106) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Chrome 92.0.4515.115) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Chrome 110) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (10432 - 12744, n=9) | |
| Nokia T10 (Chrome 109) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Silk Browser 106) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Chrome 92.0.4515.115) | |
| Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) (Chrome 109) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Chrome 92.0.4515.115) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 (Silk Browser 106) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G80 (3227 - 4076, n=8) | |
| Lenovo Tab M9 (Chrome 110) | |
| Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
Our test device also has to make do with a sluggish eMMC storage, but the storage controller performed well under testing, so that the Tab M9 at least gets good read and write rates out of the flash storage.
However, one should not hope for lightning-fast transfers and short loading times.
| Lenovo Tab M9 | Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) | Nokia T10 | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Tablet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -51% | -11% | -37% | -44% | -47% | 135% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 274.3 | 262.1 -4% | 273.5 0% | 271.1 -1% | 270.37 -1% | 242 ? -12% | 850 ? 210% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 184.4 | 66.7 -64% | 191.5 4% | 87.2 -53% | 113.44 -38% | 100.5 ? -45% | 532 ? 189% |
| Random Read 4KB | 95.2 | 50.8 -47% | 71.4 -25% | 60.8 -36% | 39.46 -59% | 43.2 ? -55% | 167 ? 75% |
| Random Write 4KB | 91 | 9.9 -89% | 71.5 -21% | 39.51 -57% | 19.81 -78% | 22.4 ? -75% | 150.8 ? 66% |
Games - Graphic errors in some games
Gaming above 30 fps is difficult on the Lenovo Tab M9, at least according to our benchmarks, which we carried out via GameBench. Neither PUBG Mobile nor Diablo: Immortal managed more than 30 fps, regardless of the settings. In Diablo, we were beset by severe graphic errors that made playing impossible. Even restarting the game and tablet did not eliminate these errors.
High graphics settings are often only possible with at very low frame rates or cannot be selected at all.
Input via the touchscreen works precisely, but the Tab M9 still struggles with some problems and is hardly suitable for gamers who don't settle such as simple games like Angry Birds or Candy Crush.
Emissions - Little heating in the Tab M9
Temperature
Even under prolonged load, tablet temperatures remain within reasonable limits: We measured a maximum of 34.9 °C on the chassis, and only to a very limited extent in certain areas. Even in hot environmental temperatures, the device should be pleasant to use most of the time.
No drops in performance were determined during prolonged use either: The 3DMark stress tests delivered consistent results even after 20 benchmark runs.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.9 °C / 95 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 34.8 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 21.1 °C / 70 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
The Lenovo Tab M9 comes with stereo speakers that sound quite good for such a cheap tablet. You shouldn't expect real bass, but you can expect well-balanced sound that makes individual instruments recognizable, even in classical music.
A 3.5mm audio port is installed. Otherwise you can use Bluetooth 5.1 for connecting external audio devices. Bluetooth codecs include SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX and aptX HD.
Lenovo Tab M9 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 51% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power Management - Good stamina
Energy Consumption
The Tab M9 is somewhat greedy in terms of energy consumption under low load. The consumption is also quite high under maximum load. In between, the tablet is more on the level of other devices.
The Tab M9 can be charged with a maximum of 10 watts, which means that with the fairly strong battery, you sometimes have to wait 3 hours until the device is 100% charged.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  1.6 / 1.7 / 1.8 Watt |
| Load |
2.8 / 8.1 Watt |
    
| |
| Lenovo Tab M9 5100 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 5100 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 4850 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -20% | 21% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.6 | 0.78 51% | 1.2 25% |
| Idle Average * | 1.7 | 2.88 -69% | 1.4 18% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.8 | 2.91 -62% | 1.7 6% |
| Load Average * | 2.8 | 4 -43% | 2.5 11% |
| Load Maximum * | 8.1 | 6.04 25% | 4.3 47% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
Due to the high consumption in idle mode, the runtimes in this usage scenario are limited despite the 5100 mAh battery. Samsung's Tab A7 Lite, for example, clearly outperforms here.
Nevertheless, our test device achieves values suitable for everyday use in all scenarios. With 15:55 hours in the WLAN test, you should expect two working days of normal use.
| Lenovo Tab M9 5100 mAh | Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) 5000 mAh | Nokia T10 5250 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 5100 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 8 2022 4850 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 1% | 3% | 0% | -2% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2132 | 2463 16% | |||
| H.264 | 987 | 800 -19% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 955 | 962 1% | 984 3% | 803 -16% | 935 -2% |
| Load | 206 | 245 19% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Good tablet for little money
The Lenovo Tab M9 is an affordable tablet that comes in a stylish and good quality metal case. It is slightly larger than the average 8-inch tablet, but not too heavy. At first glance, this makes it a good replacement for those looking for a little more screen space.
Lenovo promises two years of security updates and another operating system version. However, since the manufacturer does not say how often patches are distributed and the last security patches were quite some time ago at the time of review, it remains to be seen just how secure the operating system will be during the update period.
The tablet has a fast SoC that theoretically allows for mobile telephony, but the LTE version is currently not widely available. For this, Lenovo has activated the tracking module, which definitely can be used for localization if precision accuracy is not so important for you.
The screen is reasonably bright, but hardly sufficient for outdoor use on sunny days. Good battery life, usable speakers and very little heating make for a positive impression overall.
The Lenovo Tab M9 offers a slightly larger screen in a compact format, a fast SoC, and even a reasonably accurate tracking module in the Wi-Fi variant.
The third-generation Lenovo Tab M8 is hardly any cheaper, but also available in an LTE version. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite also offers GPS, which can save you a few dollars.
Price and Availability
Global availability of the Lenovo Tab M9 appears to be sporadic at present. Interested buyers are advised to check directly via Lenovo, where applicable, or via popular resellers in their region. We found, for example, that the model is available in:
This list is not exhaustive. Prices are as of 03.03.2023 and are subject to change.
Lenovo Tab M9
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03/02/2023 v7
Florian Schmitt
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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