Lenovo Tab M9 in the test: 9-inch tablet costs only 99 euros

Updates: Currently, Amazon is offering the Wi-Fi variant of the Lenovo Tab M9 with a storage capacity of 32GB at a lower price. 99 euros At. When our test report was published on November 23, 2023, the recommended retail price was 149 euros.

The Lenovo Tab M9 is a border crosser and features a format that is rare for Android devices with a screen diagonal of exactly 9 inches. This means it has about 13 percent more display area than the 8.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (test report), but is still manageable enough to hold with one hand. It is also around 100 grams lighter than a typical 10-inch tablet. However, it doesn’t fit in the back pocket. Android 13 and GPS are on board. In this test we show how the useful border crosser performs in practice.

With an angular housing made of silver-gray metal, the Lenovo Tab M9 offers a surprisingly high-quality look for the price. There are also small triangles on the back that form an attractive pattern. The workmanship is impeccable, only the pressure points of the power button and volume rocker could be a little firmer, but they still feel solid and reliable.

Lenovo also includes a transparent protective case with an integrated stand. This is very practical, as you can set the tablet in both portrait and landscape formats. However, the width makes it more secure. However, there is no protection for the display with the case.

The display uses an IPS panel and its diagonal is exactly 9 inches (22.9 cm). The resolution of 1340×800 pixels is somewhat low, only at the HD level. With a resulting pixel density of around 173 ppi, individual pixels are still perceptible. At least the device offers certification for Widevine Level 1, so that an HD resolution of at least 1280 × 720 pixels is possible when streaming via Disney+, Netflix & Co. Tablets without this certification only allow SD playback at 720 × 480 pixels.

The image quality is really good and offers saturated colors, good contrast ratio and high viewing angle stability. There is also a reading mode with grayscale only, which should be easy on the eyes. It is also possible to reduce the blue content of the light on the display since the desired time. This can help you calm down and sleep better, especially in the evening. We were able to measure a maximum brightness of about 385 cd/m². This is comparatively high for the price range. This is more than enough for indoor use, but the display is still a bit dark for outdoor use in sunlight.

Camera equipment on tablets in this price range is usually simple, using 8-megapixel lenses on the front and rear. The camera is not suitable for more than the occasional snapshot. Image detail and sharpness are very poor. This also applies to video.

You shouldn’t expect a lot of performance from a cheap Android tablet. It’s powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 with eight cores. The tablet isn’t particularly fast, as evidenced by benchmark results of around 7000 points in PCMark Work 3.0. This is on par with the Nokia T10 (test report) and even the larger Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report).

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This is enough for surfing, news apps or simple games like Solitaire or Angry Birds. However, one or two short pauses for contemplation cannot be completely ruled out. The Tab M9 is available with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage as well as 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. We definitely recommend the latter option, as the model with the smaller memory fills up surprisingly quickly – even if you only use a dozen apps. Fortunately, expansion is possible via a microSD card.

There is also an LTE version for surfing on the go using a SIM card. Wi-Fi 5 is most unusual for home networks: the tablet also offers GPS in a pure Wi-Fi version – which is rare in this price range. In addition to the USB-C port (USB 2.0), the small tablet has an input for a 3.5 mm jack plug.

Facial recognition works reliably and quickly – even in dark environments. However, this method is not that secure and the photo can be tampered with. The stereo speakers offer very good sound for a tablet in this price range.

Shortly after activation, the Tab M9 already received the update to Android 13. However, the tablet is slightly behind in terms of security patches. At the time of testing in November, the update was from August. Patches are planned until April 2025, but it is questionable whether there will be further Android versions.

The user interface is largely unchanged and Lenovo spares buyers from bloatware. The bottom menu bar is a bit annoying since the update to Android 13, which is almost always present. The entertainment area also annoys us. It can be opened by swiping to the right, where various content from streaming services and YouTube can be found. You can disable the Entertainment Space, but you can’t choose Google News as an alternative. It’s a shame because we mainly use the tablet to read news apps.

The battery capacity is about 5100 mAh. In PCMark’s battery test, the Tab M9 showed great endurance: 11.5 hours is quite good and on par with larger models. There is also a power supply included, but it charges quite slowly at 10 watts. It takes two hours to bring the tablet from 20 to 100 percent.

The Lenovo Tab M9 has an RRP of 149 euros in the basic version with the smallest memory. The price has now increased 99 euros With 3/32 GB in the Wi-Fi version. With LTE, the model with the smallest memory costs the least 129 euros. Our tip is the WLAN version with 4/64 GB, which currently costs only 137 EurosWith LTE there are at least 174 Euros,

The Lenovo Tab M9 offers surprisingly good features and workmanship at a very reasonable price. Performance is adequate, the screen is very good. Although Full HD resolution would have been nice given the size, the Android competition rarely offers more. The 9-inch format is interesting as a compromise between compact 8-inch tablets and models larger than 10 inches. This is currently one of the best compact tablets with Android.