Whether you're preparing for a long flight or a road trip, tablets have become must-have additions to any summer travel packing list. The best tablets for travelers should have great battery life, good-looking displays, and enough power to access your favorite streaming services or games without skipping a beat.

But with so many options to choose from, how can you select the Android tablet that's best for you and your needs? It's going to depend on a few factors, from budget and size to use case, so before you hit the road, let's take a look at the best Android tablets for travel in 2026.

What is the best tablet for travel?

As with most device purchases, the right tablet for you really depends on how you plan to use it. Need a versatile device with incredible battery life? The OnePlus Pad 3 is probably the best all-rounder, with impressive performance, a stunning display, and a reasonable price tag to match.

Need a laptop replacement? Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra can handle heavy media consumption and large file management with ease. There are also plenty of great options if you just need an e-reader or something kid-friendly. Needless to say, we've tested all of the tablets listed above and can vouch for their quality, regardless of your needs or budget.

What features should I look for in a tablet for travel? 

The tablet you choose for your journey should have a nice display, a lightweight-yet-durable build, and enough battery life to handle those long travel days. The dimensions are important as well, so take a moment to think about the size of your luggage before you commit to a specific model. If you want to use accessories like a detachable keyboard or stylus, it's also important to confirm that the tablet is compatible.

Last but not least, I'd recommend confirming that the device you choose has enough storage to hold all of the stuff (movies, games, etcetera) that you need for those long trips when you won't have access to a cellular connection or Wi-Fi network. Some tablets might even come with a microSD slot so you can expand your storage capacity if necessary.

Finding a cheap tablet that still gets the job done doesn't have to be difficult, especially if you know when and where to look. For example, this year's Big Spring Sale from Amazon includes a 28% discount on the Lenovo Idea Tab, which is our top pick for the best cheap tablet for productivity needs.

Despite the low price, the Idea Tab has a large, 11-inch display that makes it perfect for work or class, along with featuring a massive battery that has no problem making it through an entire day. It also includes both front and rear cameras, stereo speakers, and a wide range of AI features that we loved when it came out.

It's worth noting that the device offers 256GB of storage, which is plenty for most casual users. Fortunately, however, it also features a microSD port in case buyers do require more than that.

• See the full list of deals during Amazon's Big Spring Sale

✅Recommended if: you need a cheap tablet that's still powerful enough to handle tasks for work, school, and beyond; you want a tablet with several useful AI features and a decent audio profile with the built-in stereo speakers; you like having a tablet that measures around 11 inches.

❌Skip this deal if: you'd prefer a tablet that comes with a stylus and keyboard with purchase; you'd rather upgrade to a tablet with an AMOLED screen than go with one that has an LCD screen, such as this one; you need a tablet with more than 8GB of RAM.

The Lenovo Idea Tab is the best cheap Android tablet for productivity on the market, especially because of its power and compatibility with several styluses and keyboards (though they'll have to be purchased separately).

It boasts an 11-inch LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a MediaTek Dimensity 6300-8 processor that packs a pleasantly surprising punch.

To be sure, users who prefer an AMOLED screen may want to upgrade, though some of the other specs and features may make this worth compromising on. At just $180, this might be a tablet worth considering for those who want something large, useful, powerful, and crucially, affordable.

As MWC 2026 comes to an end, we at Android Central are highlighting the products that stood out the most to us. Several of us were on the ground at the show, testing tons of new products, including those that were entered for a chance at the spotlight in our Best in Show awards, which we held alongside our sister sites TechRadar and Tom's Guide.

So, without further ado, here are the products that were awarded Best in Show at MWC 2026!

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 Ultra launched ahead of MWC 2026 at a separate Unpacked event, but its presence was still felt at the show. The phone steps things up by featuring the latest Qualcomm chipset, exclusive to Samsung phones, while sporting several notable upgrades that should help this phone stand out.

Aside from a brighter 200MP camera and improved telephoto lens, the new Privacy Display arrives as the first of its kind on a smartphone, allowing you to hide the contents of your screen from onlookers. I’ve tried it myself and the effect is truly, well… effective! Now you don’t have to bother with privacy screen protectors on your phone, although we still recommend picking up a regular Galaxy S26 Ultra screen protector!

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

Xiaomi is no stranger to making terrific camera phones, and the 17 Ultra is a masterstroke. The phone's global debut brings the 1-inch 50MP main camera to a wider audience, and it's clear that Xiaomi has been busy over the last year — its camera and tuning algorithms are noticeably better than the 15 Ultra and its predecessors. This alone makes the Xiaomi 17 Ultra one of the best camera phones.

What's also notable is that the rest of the cameras are just as good, and the new zoom lens is unique in the industry: It handles 3.2x to 4.3x mechanical zoom, and that's just not something you see on a phone. It's evident that Xiaomi is looking to make a statement, and the 17 Ultra is thoroughly deserving of the award.

Xiaomi Watch 5

Xiaomi's Watch 5 doesn't look quite as good as the Pixel Watch 4, but that's okay; its sheer size gives it a decent presence, and its 1.54-inch OLED panel is one of the brightest in its category.

Xiaomi deserves credit for its ability to combine the best of Wear OS with its own unique extras, and this allows the Watch 5 to be a true standout. Another plus point is the battery life; thanks to a bigger silicon-carbon battery, the smartwatch easily lasts over four days between charges, and you just rarely get that with other Wear OS products. Xiaomi's health and fitness monitoring features are among the best around, and the Watch 5 doesn't really miss out on anything else

Tecno Modular Phone concept

Modular phones never quite took off, but the idea was always a cool one, and Tecno is reviving it with its latest concept. It starts with an impossibly thin phone, measuring 4.9mm, which features different zones on the back where you can magnetically attach various accessories. This includes battery backs, a speaker, a microphone, and even a camera grip with a telephoto lens, allowing you to extend your optical range as far as 20x! The best part: You can stack accessories for the ultimate media phone.

Unfortunately, it’s just a concept, but it’s the best example of a modular phone I’ve seen in a long time. It’s no wonder there was such a commotion at Tecno’s MWC booth.

Honor Magic V6

Honor somehow managed to make its svelte foldable even thinner; the Magic V6 is one of the thinnest devices in its category. But what truly stands out is that Honor managed to do this while slotting a bigger battery into the Magic V6. The foldable has great cameras as well, and Honor's software has a few cool new features that bridge the divide to Samsung.

Interestingly, it also gets the same level of ingress protection as the Magic 8 Pro, and that's another achievement in Honor's favor — it's just difficult to build a foldable with IP69 dust and water resistance. The result is that the Magic V6 is doubtless one of the best foldables of 2026.

Honor Robot Phone

The Magic V6 was not the only thing Honor showed off at MWC 2026. After teasing it for months, the company finally showcased the capabilities of its Robot Phone during the event. The device features a 200MP camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal, letting you use the smartphone almost like a DJI Osmo Pocket. The built-in gimbal helps capture smooth and stable videos even when you are moving. Honor also uses AI to power the motorized camera, so it can automatically track subjects and keep them in the frame.

Beyond that, the Robot Phone is quite playful as well. It can nod, respond, and even dance based on its surroundings, giving the device a bit of personality. Honor says the Robot Phone is intended to be a commercial product. It's not available yet, but the company expects it to go on sale sometime in the second half of 2026.

MemoMind One

If Meta Ray-Bans feel less like smart glasses and more like regular glasses with a camera and speakers, the MemoMind One from XGIMI, showcased at MWC 2026, might be closer to what you expect from a true pair of smart glasses. Unlike Meta's approach, the MemoMind One includes a built-in projector that displays information directly in your field of view. Once you put them on, the glasses create a virtual screen that can show the time, phone notifications, news updates, and reminders. They also feature built-in speakers for calls, meeting recordings, and live translation.

The MemoMind One is still in development according to XGIMI, but the company expects the glasses to launch sometime in Q2 2026.

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro

The U.S. market is finally getting a TCL NXTPAPER flagship. In a rare move, TCL is bringing the NXTPAPER 70 Pro stateside soon with the brand’s unique NXTPAPER 4.0 display technology and higher-quality specs. The highlight is certainly the 6.9-inch FHD+ display, with a matte finish, e-paper viewing modes, and zero display flicker. There’s also a minimalist smartphone mode that activates a black-and-white e-paper experience to limit distractions and let you focus on your content.

On the inside, you get a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor and a 5,200mAh battery. The camera system is capable, too, with a 50MP primary shooter. A slider on the side of the phone lets you switch between one full color viewing mode and three e-paper modes.

While some low-end TCL phones like the 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G made their way to the country last year, getting a premium offering with eye-friendly tech is exciting for U.S. buyers.

Motorola Razr Fold

Motorola's biggest win of MWC 2026 was the announcement that the Razr Fold will be supported for seven full years of Android OS updates. The complete specs reveal for the Razr Fold confirmed Motorola's upcoming foldable will beat the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold in key ways, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor and up to 16GB of RAM, although the highlight is the battery.

The company crammed a silicon-carbon battery inside the Razr Fold with a capacity of 6,000mAh, surpassing every foldable on the U.S. market and falling short only compared to the Honor Magic V6. It will also charge at up to 80W speeds with a cable and 50W wirelessly. We also learned the Razr Fold will sport an 8.1-inch, 2K OLED main screen and an outer 6.6-inch screen with a 165Hz variable refresh rate. Another thing to like is Motorola's Razr Fold design, which has a square camera bump that doesn't rock on a table and silky PANTONE finishes.

All told, it’s a valiant effort for Motorola's big-screen foldable that should prove a real challenge for Samsung and Google in the U.S.

Lenovo ThinkTab X11

Lenovo's line of "Think" products reigns in enterprise spaces, and the company is taking it to another level with the ThinkTab X11. This tablet features a rugged build and comes with a case for even extra protection, ensuring that it can handle even the toughest environments. It features a 10.95-inch 2.5K display, a very capable Snapdragon 7-series chipset, a large 10,200mAh battery, and MIL-STD-810H/IP68 certifications for durability

Even more, the battery is easily removable without the need for screws, and you can use it in a batteryless mode with a compatible adapter, that way there's less concern for battery depredation, especially when the tablet is in constant use.

It's that time of the year again. CES 2026 is behind us, and now our attention turns to Europe as MWC 2026 Barcelona is just a couple of weeks away. For those unfamiliar, MWC, or Mobile World Congress, is one of the biggest annual events in the mobile industry. It is a trade show similar to CES, where brands from around the world showcase their latest gadgets and innovations.

Like in previous years, the Android Central team will be on the show floor bringing you hands-on coverage and highlighting what truly matters. Several brands, including Honor, Meta, and Tecno, have already confirmed their presence at MWC, and we expect plenty of new product announcements.

With that in mind, here's everything we know will be there and what we anticipate seeing at MWC 2026. In the meantime, if you want a sense of what to expect, you can revisit the best products from our 2025 Best of MWC awards and the coolest things we saw at MWC 2025.

MWC 2026: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? Mobile World Congress, or MWC, is the world's largest consumer and business trade show where brands showcase their latest innovations. Expect new smartphones, wearables, consumer tech, and of course, plenty of AI-focused products on display.
• Who is it for? Tech enthusiasts, industry professionals, telecom experts, analysts, and members of the media who want to see what is next in communications and consumer technology.
• Where is it? MWC 2026 will take place at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain.
• When is it? MWC typically runs in late February or early March. This year, it will take place from March 2 to March 5, 2026.
• What does it cost? Standard exhibition passes start at €989 and can be purchased directly from the official MWC website.

What companies will be there at MWC 2026?

Given the scale of MWC 2026, you can expect just about every major player in mobile tech to have a presence in Barcelona. That said, in recent years, some brands have chosen to host their own standalone events around the same time to grab headlines.

Samsung, for instance, is holding its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 to launch the Galaxy S26 series, while Nothing has the Phone 4a series event scheduled for March 5. Even so, many brands are expected to be on the show floor. Here are some notable ones we expect to see:

• Google
• TECNO
• Honor
• Nothing
• Xiaomi
• Samsung
• Dell
• RedMagic
• Vivo
• Lenovo and Motorola
• Qualcomm
• MediaTek
• Microsoft
• Arm
• Meta
• TCL
• ZTE
• Adobe
• Huawei

What to expect from MWC 2026?

Unlike the past few years, not many brands have officially confirmed their presence at MWC 2026 just yet. That could change soon, though, since the main show is still a couple of weeks away and announcements typically ramp up closer to the event.

Even so, we already have confirmation from a few companies. Here are the brands that have confirmed so far, along with those we expect to see at MWC 2026, although this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Google

Google typically has a big presence at MWC with a sizeable booth on the show floor, but it usually reserves its biggest software announcements for Google I/O, which is now confirmed for May 19, 2026. So if you're hoping for major Android 17 news, this probably isn't the event for it.

The Pixel 10a launched recently, so we could see it showcased on the show floor. That said, you can still expect some AI and Android-related updates from Google during MWC. It's also worth noting that Android 16 QPR3 is scheduled for March, so the company could officially roll it out around the event with a few new features.

Honor

Honor is one of the brands riding high right now. The company has posted strong growth recently and also impressed us with the Magic 8 Pro. It's also one of the few major names that has officially confirmed its presence at MWC 2026. While Honor hasn't revealed the exact date and time of its keynote yet, we're expecting at least two big hardware launches from the brand.

There's a good chance we'll see a new foldable as a follow-up to last year's Magic V5. In addition, Honor's microsite hints that its anticipated Robot Phone will be on the show floor. We still don't know exactly what the Robot Phone will offer, but it appears to be a smartphone paired with a gimbal-style camera setup and AI features on top.

Samsung

Samsung usually has a big presence at MWC, but this year it's hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event just days before the show, on February 25 in San Francisco. That means the Galaxy S26 series will already be official by the time MWC kicks off.

Even so, MWC could be the first opportunity for both media and the public to go hands-on with the new Galaxy S26 series.

Last year, Samsung also showcased the Galaxy S25 Edge again at MWC after unveiling it at Unpacked, so we are hoping to see a few surprises from the Korean brand this time as well.

Tecno

Alongside Xiaomi and Honor, Tecno has also become a regular at MWC, and the company is hosting another showcase this year. Last year, Tecno grabbed attention with its Spark concept phone, which managed to pack high-end specs and a bigger battery than the Galaxy S25 Edge in a 'slim' form factor.

This year, we're expecting something equally fun. Tecno has already confirmed that it'll unveil the CAMON 50 Series and the POVA 8 Series at the show. And if past years are anything to go by, we won't be surprised to see another bold concept device or a few ecosystem products make an appearance alongside the new phones.

Nothing

Nothing has confirmed that it will host the Phone 4a series launch event in London on March 5, just after MWC 2026 wraps up. That said, the company is known for building hype ahead of its launches, and MWC would be the perfect stage to tease what's coming.

Rumors suggest Nothing will launch two devices as part of the lineup, the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro, with updated cameras, a slightly refreshed design, and a new chipset. Nothing has already confirmed that there will be no flagship release from the brand this year, so these could be the only smartphones we see from the company in 2026.

HMD

HMD usually has something interesting to unveil at MWC. Last year, the company showcased earbuds that doubled as a MagSafe power bank, and this year we're once again expecting something creative from the brand.

Xiaomi

For the past few years, Xiaomi has used MWC as its global launchpad for flagship phones, and 2026 should be no different. We're expecting to see the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra make their international debut in Barcelona. The global variant of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is rumored to feature top-tier specs, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and a sizeable 6,000+ mAh battery.

As usual, the real highlight will likely be Xiaomi 17 Ultra's Leica-tuned camera system. Beyond the phones, Xiaomi typically brings along a few ecosystem products as well, so we wouldn't be surprised to see new wearables, tablets, or smart home devices share the stage.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm typically has a large presence at MWC. While we do not expect the company to launch any new consumer hardware on the show floor, it usually showcases a range of demos highlighting its latest SoCs and chip capabilities. This year, however, could be slightly different.

Qualcomm's SVP of Engineering, John Smee, recently revealed in an interview that the company will showcase 6G technologies at MWC 2026 and "not just theoretical innovation but live applications."

MediaTek

MediaTek has confirmed that it will host its 'AI for Life' keynote on March 4 at 10:30 AM CET, which is 4:30 AM ET. The company says the keynote will highlight its newest products and innovations, along with insights into its latest partnerships, so this is one event we will be watching closely.

Beyond the big phone launches, expect plenty of AI gadgets across categories. Smart glasses had a major moment at CES, and I wouldn't be surprised to see even more brands push into that space at MWC. We'll be on the show floor all week, so make sure to check back for all the latest updates from the show floor.

What you need to know

• Lenovo and Motorola are moving beyond simple chatbots with Qira, a personal ambient ntelligence that lives at the system level rather than inside a specific app.
• Unlike current assistants that live on one device, Qira creates a single, continuous experience that moves with you across PCs, tablets, smartphones, and wearables.
• Qira hits select Lenovo devices in Q1 2026, with support for Motorola smartphones rolling out afterward via over-the-air updates.

Motorola and Lenovo think app-based AI is already old news. At CES 2026, they demonstrated this by launching Qira, a system-level intelligence that works across all your devices rather than being limited to a single app. Motorola also teased something even more ambitious: a wearable AI companion that works on its own, without your phone.

Lenovo calls this idea personal ambient intelligence, and Qira is the first real example of it. Instead of being a chatbot you only use when you think of it, Qira is built right into Lenovo and Motorola devices. It learns your habits, understands context, and helps you with tasks without needing you to manage it all the time.

This shift may seem small, but it matters. Qira works across phones, PCs, tablets, and wearables as one system, so you can move smoothly from one device to another. You can say “Hey, Qira,” tap a button, or press a key to use it. If you don’t need it, it stays out of the way.

Qira is built on three main ideas: presence, actions, and perception. It can suggest your next steps, manage tasks across different apps and devices, and get a full view of your digital life using only the data you allow.

Lenovo says most of the processing happens on your device, with the cloud helping out while keeping privacy a priority.

Project Maxwell: Motorola’s bigger vision

Motorola is taking things further with Project Maxwell, an "AI Perceptive Companion" that hints at where Qira could go next. This wearable prototype is hands-free and fully aware of your surroundings.

It can see what you see, hear what you hear, and listen when you talk. The aim is to make things easier so that using your phone wouldn't interrupt what you’re doing.

Motorola gave an example of how this works in the real world: Imagine sitting at a conference keynote. You could ask Maxwell to listen to the speaker and draft a LinkedIn post summarizing the event. Because it utilizes "multimodal perception fusion," it combines the audio from the stage with visual data to build that content while your phone stays in your pocket.

You can’t buy this product yet, and Motorola makes that clear. Project Maxwell is just a proof-of-concept, a way to test ideas that might show up in future devices. Still, it helps explain what Motorola wants Qira to become.

Lenovo Qira will be available on select Lenovo devices starting in early 2026. After that, Motorola Qira will come to supported smartphones through over-the-air updates. Current Lenovo AI Now users will switch over easily, and more devices will be supported later on.

What you need to know

• Lenovo showcased Meta Ray-Ban-style AI glasses at CES 2026 as a proof-of-concept focused on AI-powered assistance.
• The AI glasses rely on a connected smartphone and offer voice and touch controls, music playback, and teleprompter features.
• Lenovo's Qira AI enables live translation, image recognition, and notification summaries across multiple connected devices.
• The lightweight glasses promise up to 8 hours of battery life, but there is no confirmation of a commercial launch yet.

Alongside the reveal of Motorola's first book-style foldable phone, Lenovo has showcased its proof-of-concept Meta Ray-Ban-style AI glasses at CES 2026.

This year's CES has been packed with companies showing off new AI smart glasses. Xreal unveiled new smart glasses in collaboration with ASUS, while Rokid also introduced its latest AI eyewear. Lenovo has now joined that growing list by revealing its AI Glasses Concept at CES 2026.

Lenovo's AI glasses follow a design similar to the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, featuring a camera on the front left corner of the frame and another on the right. The glasses appear to use a nose-pin design instead of the Meta Ray-Bans style and also seem to include an additional camera positioned between the two lenses.

Like the Meta Ray-Bans, Lenovo's AI Glasses rely on a tethered smartphone for processing and do not operate independently. Lenovo says the glasses support touch and voice controls for hands-free calling, can act as a teleprompter during presentations, and also offer music playback.

Lenovo joins the AI glasses race (sort of) at CES 2026

The glasses also integrate Motorola's and Lenovo's new Qira AI assistant, enabling features like "sub-millisecond" live translation and image recognition. Lenovo adds that users can access the Catch Me Up feature, which can display a summary of notifications from multiple devices.

The company hasn't explicitly shared details about the display used in its AI Glasses concept. However, since the company claims the glasses can display notification summaries and has shared images showing visual output, it is likely using some form of Meta Ray-Ban Display-like technology.

Beyond that, Lenovo says the smart glasses weigh just 45g for comfortable all-day wear and offer up to 8 hours of battery life on a single charge.

For now, the AI Glasses remain a proof-of-concept device, and Lenovo hasn't shared any plans to bring them to market. We will update you if the company announces anything about a commercial release.

What you need to know

• Lenovo showcased a new Chromebook Plus 15" i with Google AI features, a 2K display, and up to 11 hours of battery life.
• Lenovo refreshed its Yoga and ThinkPad laptops, led by the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition with Intel Core Ultra 9 and OLED display.
• New accessories include a 140W 2-in-1 power bank and a multi-port 100W charger launching later this year.

Lenovo showcased its Meta Ray-Ban-style AI Glasses concept at CES 2026, but alongside that reveal, the company also shared details about a new Chromebook Plus model as well as refreshed laptops across its Yoga, IdeaPad, and ThinkPad lineups.

Like previous Lenovo Chromebooks, the new Chromebook Plus 15" i is a low-powered device running on an Intel Core i3 processor. That said, it still offers Google AI features and a large 15-inch 2K IPS display. The laptop includes audio tuned by Waves, a full-size keyboard with a dedicated numpad, and a large touchpad. Lenovo claims up to 11 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Designed for both education and personal use, the Chromebook Plus 15" i meets MIL-STD-810H durability standards. Lenovo says the Chromebook Plus will launch in Q2 2026 with a starting price of $470.

Beyond Chromebooks, Lenovo also refreshed its Yoga and ThinkPad series, which run Windows out of the box. Leading the lineup is the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, featuring up to Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processors and a Tandem OLED display.

One of the more interesting additions across several Yoga laptops is the new Force Pad. It offers a larger touchpad that can also double as a drawing surface. Paired with the Yoga Pen Gen 2 powered by Wacom, users can use the trackpad for precise sketching and annotation.

Lenovo also introduced new charging accessories at CES 2026, including a multi-port 100W charger with three USB-C ports. It can simultaneously power a smartphone, a laptop, and an additional device.

The more notable accessory is the new 2-in-1 Combo Power Bank, which combines 140W charging with a 10,200mAh battery in a single unit. Like others in its category, it features a display showing input and output wattage, along with battery status, as well as the temperature of the device.

The 2-in-1 Combo Power Bank starts at $150 in the U.S. and will be available next month. The multi-port 100 W charger starts at $75 and will go on sale in April 2026.

With 2026 rapidly approaching, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that we've been doing a lot of thinking about what the future holds. Not just because of the current global component shortage that's wreaking havoc across the board, but also because it's just how we do things around here for everything from phones and smartwatches to Chromebooks and tablets.

That being said, over the past year, we've seen a lot of ups and downs across the market. But it's probably safe to say that Google and Qualcomm kind of put the whole market on a "pause" during Snapdragon Summit 2025. And no, I'm not just talking about Chromebooks or just talking about tablets, but both categories.

It's not an "if," but a "when"

I get the feeling we'll soon see a merger between Android tablets and Chromebooks. I wrestle back and forth between it being an adaptation of Android 16's Desktop Mode, a redesigned ChromeOS experience, or something else entirely.

There's a non-zero chance I'm just overthinking things, and it'll just be Android desktop mode, tuned for a laptop form factor. If Google takes this approach, it might be able to cut out much of the extra bloat that comes with providing both a mobile interface and a desktop-like one.

As a result, we could be looking at devices that are even faster and snappier than the current crop of Chromebooks and tablets. Plus, there is already evidence of Qualcomm adding support for Android 16, presumably for its Snapdragon X series of processors.

Seeing as MediaTek stole the show in 2025 by bringing the Kompanio Ultra to Chromebooks, this could be Qualcomm's way of fighting back.

Chromebook, tablet, who cares. Just give me Google hardware

Given the current smattering of Chromebooks and tablets, Google's only offering is the Pixel Tablet. The problem here is that the clock's ticking, with the final major OS update arriving in mid-2026, before Google's tablet is relegated to two and a half more years of nothing but security patches (and possibly Pixel Drops).

However, when the bombshell dropped at the Snapdragon Summit, there weren't any mentions of a third party making the hardware behind Google's Android laptop. Again, it's probably a case of me borrowing Jerry Hildenbrand's tinfoil hat for a minute (thanks, Jerry). But perhaps this new category of devices is what sparks Google to get back into the laptop hardware game.

I've been pretty vocal about wanting an upgraded Pixel Tablet, and even more vocal when it comes to the rumored Pixelbook 2. Instead of delivering either of those, Google might have just been playing the long game, waiting until the chips fell into place so it could do just that, but with this new software.

Chromebooks and tablets aren't dead, or dying

Regardless of the sensationalized headlines you might find yourself coming across, neither Chromebooks nor tablets is actually going anywhere. Even with the supposed Pixel Laptop expected to be debuted at some point in 2026, this will just be an additional hardware category, as opposed to being a replacement for an existing one.

"How can you be sure?" you might be asking. In November, a report from Omdia claimed that tablet shipments are up by more than 5% compared to 2023, with Chromebooks growing by about 3.1%. Arguably just as impressive is that tablets have continued to grow in popularity for "seven consecutive quarters."

So not only is there still an apparent demand, but it may also indicate that the market is ready for something different. We're already starting to see it with Android phones, courtesy of Samsung's and Huawei's new tri-foldable phones. Perhaps Google wants to perform one of its patented public product experiments.

As always, I want more

This time last year, I commented about how I wanted to see more compact flagship tablets. Although it didn't come to fruition in the way I thought it might, we did see smaller powerhouse tablets such as the Legion Tab Gen 3, Lenovo Y700 (Gen 4), and RedMagic Astra. None of these options is larger than 9.06 inches, and two of the three are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

I hope to see this trend continue in 2026, as I'm also hoping some of those region-locked devices expand to North America (i.e. Lenovo's Y700.) But more importantly, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that more companies enter the mix. It would be awesome to see Samsung release a flagship Android tablet in the footprint of the Galaxy Tab A9.

On the flip side of things, even with the Pixel Laptop thingamajig probably on the way, I'm still holding out hope for a Pixel Tablet 2. Hell, I'd be happy if it were nothing more than a spec bump, leaving everything else the same, including compatibility with the Charging Speaker Dock.

Or, at the very least, I hope Google will make a surprise announcement about a new smart home interface that will "replace" the Android build on the Pixel Tablet, extending its lifespan even further. It's not like Google couldn't do it. The Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are powered by ancient processors, so a streamlined smart home-focused interface should breeze through requests and tasks.

Who the hell knows anymore

I can sit here and keep beating the drum about how Chromebooks and tablets can keep improving. But the truth is, I have no earthly idea what's on the horizon. There is some concern about Google entering a new product category, potentially causing confusion in the ranks and throwing a wrench into everything.

We've been there before, and it wasn't until long after the Chromebook Plus branding was introduced that some semblance of order was restored. That's not to say I think this is what's going to happen, but I do think that Google has to walk a tightrope if that's the path it chooses to follow.

Then again, skyrocketing RAM and storage prices due to shortages could mean that 2026 ends up being another boring year with OEMs not willing to provide any groundbreaking releases.

When it comes to finding different deals to share, you'll rarely see me recommend a Chromebook for under $150. This is because those sub-$150 Chromebook deals just aren't worth it. But, I'm breaking my personal rule after seeing that Lenovo's Slim 3 Chromebook is just $119, a savings of $200.

In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that this is the only time you should really buy the Slim 3 Chromebook. It usually fluctuates in pricing whenever it's not Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Prime Day, but I've never seen this Chromebook for this cheap.

✅Recommended if: You're in the market for a cheap laptop or tablet to do some lightweight tasks, and don't care about a convertible design or touchscreen.

❌Skip this deal if: You're on the lookout for a cheap Chromebook, but need something with a bit more power or one that at least includes a touchscreen.

• Even more Cyber Monday Chromebook Deals

So what makes this such a compelling deal? The answer is simple, really: it's just a well-rounded machine. This is the case with many of Lenovo's other Chromebooks, regardless of how cheap, or expensive, they can get.

With the Slim 3 in particular, you're getting a 14-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution which makes for a nice and crisp screen. While this model in particular doesn't feature a touchscreen, that's not really a bother since you can't flip the screen back and use it as a tablet anyways.

As for performance, we have the MediaTek Kompanio 520 at the helm, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. This is usually the point where I would tell you to stay away, but Lenovo found magic in a bottle here. No, you won't be able to have a slew of app windows and Chrome tabs open at the same time, but it's great for lighter browsing.

What seals the deal for me is the battery life. Lenovo rates the Slim 3 Chromebook to last for more than 13 hours, and that's even with a 1080p display. A lot of times, I'll see a cheap Chromebook rated to last that long, only to find out that it's using a 720p screen, which isn't exactly ideal.

Cyber Monday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Cyber Monday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Cyber Monday
• The best Samsung deals of Cyber Monday
• The best Motorola deals of Cyber Monday

For years, I've wanted an Android equivalent of the iPad Mini, and leave it to Lenovo to answer the call. The Legion Tab Gen 3 is an absolute beast, thanks to its flagship power in a compact form factor. Best of all, it's on sale for $160 off when buying it directly from Lenovo.

Thankfully, we've seen an influx of smaller flagship tablets over the course of the past year, but it was Lenovo that got the fun started. Hidden behind the 8.8-inch display is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, along with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. With specs like that and an excellent Black Friday deal, it's tough to say no.

✅Recommended if: you want small small and powerful Android tablet that's readily available in the States.

❌Skip this deal if: you would prefer having an Android tablet that's available with expandable storage and/or multiple configurations.

Don't get me wrong, I love having a big tablet as much as the next person, especially as someone who likes to occasionally use a tablet as a laptop. But at the same time, I very much appreciate having a small tablet to lounge on the couch with, or toss in my bag without taking up a bunch of space.

One of the more frustrating aspects of the Legion Tab Gen 3 is that this isn't actually the latest tablet to come from Lenovo. That title is held by the Legion Y700 (Gen 4), which was announced and subsequently released in May 2025.

The Y700 retains the 8.8-inch display, but trades the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for the 8 Elite. Plus, there are different available RAM and storage configurations, not to mention the inclusion of a microSD card slot. Sadly, this version has yet to make its way to the States, leaving you to import it and potentially deal with tariffs.

That being said, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is still one of my favorite devices of the year. It's powerful enough to handle almost everything I've thrown at it, and after importing the Legion G9 gamepad, it's transformed into an Android gaming handheld.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday

If there's one thing we know about Black Friday, it's that you can count on finding more cheap Android tablets than you can shake a stick at. However, there's one Black Friday tablet deal in particular that stands out, as the Lenovo Tab One is currently on sale for 50% off over at Best Buy.

Take one look at Lenovo's tablet lineup, and it's basically an encapsulation of the wide variety that Lenovo offers as a company. It all starts with budget-friendly options like the Tab One, but with a Black Friday deal like this, we're venturing into "impulse-buy" territory.

✅Recommended if: You're looking for a good Android tablet that's cheap, portable, and is great for everything from playing games to catching up on your favorite book.

❌Skip this deal if: You want a small tablet that is more performant or has a newer processor than the Helio G85 from MediaTek.

Over the years, Amazon has dominated the cheap tablet sales, as you can often get a tablet for under $50. However, the problem with those super-cheap Fire tablets is that they lack the performance to really do much more than use one app at a time.

Thankfully, Lenovo's Tab One doesn't suffer from those problems thanks to the MediaTek Helio G85. This is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, giving you plenty of wiggle room for those who plan to use the tablet for more than just media consumption. And if you need more storage, there's a microSd card slot, which is just one of those "nice to have" features.

That said, this tablet is also great for catching up your favorite movies or shows with an 8.7-inch 1340 x 800 display. Lenovo also equipped the Tab One with Dolby Atmos-tuned dual speakers, providing a kind-of surround sound experience. Plus, the 5,100mAh battery is rated to last for over 12 hours on a single charge, which is better than much of the competition.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday

What you need to know

• Lenovo’s AI Glasses V1 weigh just 38 grams with 1.8 mm lenses, making them some of the lightest smart glasses ever.
• The 2,000-nit resin diffraction waveguide display promises crisp, stable visuals that stay clear even with head movement.
• A teleprompter mode and smart ring pairing make it handy for creators and presenters who want hands-free control.
• Users can expect up to 10 hours in translation mode, 4 hours in teleprompter mode, and 250 hours on standby, with a 40-minute full recharge time.

The race to put a useful computer on your face has been plagued by one major, forehead-squishing problem: bulk. Most AR glasses feel like strapping a paperweight to your skull. Lenovo is betting that its new solution isn't a more powerful chip or a brighter display, but a radical focus on shedding weight.

Lenovo rolled out the AI Glasses V1 in China with a price tag of CNY 3,999 (about $562) and preorders now open, with sales set to begin around November 9 (via Notebookcheck). The company is positioning them as a productivity-friendly wearable rather than purely a gimmick.

The build is the first thing you’ll notice: the glasses weigh just 38 grams, making them lighter than most leading smart glasses. The lenses are only 1.8 mm thick, and Lenovo uses a resin diffraction waveguide display with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

It supports a 15 × 11 mm eye-box designed to maintain stable visuals even if your head moves slightly. You also get the choice to switch between monocular or binocular display modes depending on how you wear them.

Built for productivity AI

On the software and features side: the glasses are powered by Lenovo’s own Tianxi AI assistant, which handles voice commands, real-time translation (voice and on-screen text) and information search. For productivity and creators, there’s a teleprompter mode (when paired with Lenovo’s smart ring accessory you can scroll slides or prompts without looking away).

Audio and input are covered by stereo speakers built into the frame’s temples and dual microphones, and connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.4. However, some advanced features, like the navigation overlays, are currently limited to Android smartphones only.

Battery wise, Lenovo claims up to 10 hours of use in translation mode, around 4 hours in teleprompter mode, and a standby time of up to 250 hours. Charging is fast, taking about 40 minutes for a full charge.

On the flip side, to hit that ultra-lightness, Lenovo trimmed a few things: there’s no built-in camera (which some competing wearables do offer) and the battery is smaller compared to higher-profile AR headsets.

If you’re into wearable tech and like the idea of glasses that do more than sit there, the AI Glasses V1 are definitely worth watching. That said, you’ll want to wait and see how they feel in the real world and whether Lenovo brings a version for international markets and different languages.

IFA 2025 is coming to a close, bringing major product launches from Samsung and others, innovative concepts from brands like Lenovo, and emerging AI innovations. Android Central was on the ground in Berlin, Germany, going hands-on with all the biggest announcements and showcases, and we awarded some of the best products and concepts at the show.

From Samsung's highly anticipated Galaxy Tab S11 series launch to Lenovo's stunning ThinkBook VertiFlex concept, and everything in between, here's what made it into the list for the best of IFA 2025. This year, many of the event's standouts are things you can actually buy, which is particularly exciting for consumers!

Best phone: TECNO Spark and Pova Slim

The TECNO Spark and Pova Slim are two phones you really have to see or hold in person to believe. If you thought the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge or the rumored iPhone 17 Air were thin, the Spark and Pova Slim will blow you away. The former measures just 5.93mm thick, and the latter is only 5.95mm while adding 5G and still delivering a flagship experience.

TECNO managed to cram a 5,160mAh battery inside the Pova Slim, addressing the biggest drawback that comes with thin phones — battery life. When it's time to charge, 45W fast wired charging will get you topped off in a pinch.

The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6400 chipset and runs Android 15. Best of all, it's no longer a concept and will soon be available for purchase in certain markets. Pricing and availability are to be announced, but nevertheless, TECNO's new Slim lineup is a feat of engineering that represents the best of smartphone technology at IFA 2025.

Best concept: Lenovo ThinkBook VertiFlex

Android phone lovers are very familiar with emerging form factors, like foldable phones and rotating screens (LG Wing, anyone?). Now, Lenovo is showing off a proof-of-concept at Lenovo Innovation World 2025 that brings a rotating screen to the ultrabook category. The Lenovo ThinkPad VertiFlex concept feels like your average 14-inch notebook until you flip the display upward, switching from horizontal to vertical orientations.

At 17.9mm thick and weighing just over three pounds, the ThinkPad VertiFlex won't feel out of place at a coffee shop or in your bag while packing a neat party trick. Switching to a vertical orientation on the fly might make common tasks like writing or coding easier in a way we've never seen on a laptop.

I briefly played around with the VertiFlex concept and was surprised at how natural and premium the experience felt. Despite the moving parts and complex engineering, rotating the display back and forth was natural and simple. It's also cool that you can place a phone or tablet next to the rotated display when it's in a vertical orientation.

While the ThinkPad VertiFlex might never see store shelves, it's the best new concept to come out of IFA 2025.

Best tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

No one in the tablet space is doing what Samsung did with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. While it might not be my personal choice for a daily driver, it's impossible to ignore this tablet — it's the biggest and best on the Android side of things. You get a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen and a chip upgrade in the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus.

This time around, it's only 5.1mm thin. You might be thinking, "Why does a tablet need to be thin?" It doesn't, unless you want to use it as a laptop alternative with a keyboard case. The thin tablet paired with Samsung's Book Cover Keyboard Slim helps make the entire package more compact.

More importantly, Samsung is taking real steps to make sure tablet users can actually take advantage of the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra's raw power. There is still work to be done, but the new version of Samsung DeX called Extended Mode is a major addition. It lets you take advantage of both your Galaxy Tab S11 screen and an external monitor at the same time. With workspaces, you can create up to four separate desktop environments for different processes and goals in DeX mode.

It's not for everyone, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the best tablet we saw at IFA, by a long shot.

Best wearable: Hypershell X Ultra

Robotics, machine learning, and wearable tech always make for an interesting product. The Hypershell X Ultra is an exoskeleton that combines all three, and after a natural degree of skepticism, my extended hands-on time with the gear left me amazed. It uses ML algorithms to analyze your walking patterns and motions, anticipating your next step while using motors to lift your leg up before you do. This is all happening in real-time with low latency.

Hiking with the Hypershell X Ultra is still physically taxing, and you might end up out of breath depending on your cardiovascular endurance. However, it requires significantly less leg power and reduces stress on your legs and joints. I walked, hiked, and ran with the exoskeleton, and immediately noticed a difference between turning assistance on and off.

It sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, but following an announcement at IFA, you can actually buy this.

Best smart home: Philips Hue

The Philips Hue ecosystem received a major refresh at IFA 2025, taking one of smart home's best brands to the next level. The center of the upgrades is the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, the first new connected hub for Hue devices released in a decade. Aside from adding new features, Hue Bridge Pro triples the number of supported devices compared to the older Bridge V2.

To me, the more exciting addition is the new Philips Hue Essential A19 lightbulbs, which can be had for as little as $15 in a bundle. The smart lightbulbs now work with Matter-over-Thread, and that's a big deal. The functionality allows users to connect A19 lightbulbs with any Matter platform, including Apple and Google Home, without needing an expensive Philips Hue bridge. All these upgrades are also available on Philips' more expensive bulbs, too.

The addition of Matter-over-Thread support to the best lightbulbs in the market makes Philips Hue our pick for best smart home tech at IFA 2025.

Best AI innovation: Rokid Glasses

Rokid Glasses are the XR wearable that Rokid has been building up to for years, and they incorporate AI at the core. They're a pair of minimalist AR glasses weighing only 49 grams with microLED waveguide displays inside the lenses. When I wore them at IFA 2025, they felt no bigger or more cumbersome than my typical prescription glasses. That's despite cramming in a battery, speakers, displays, and a 12MP camera.

The smart glasses have native integration with AI voice assistants, including ChatGPT, for real-time help with answers. When you wear Rokid Glasses, the answers to your questions appear both on the displays overlaid atop your environment and are spoken aloud. Beyond chatbots and assistants, AI is also used on the Rokid Glasses to reduce background noise coming from the four microphones for videos and calls.

By far, the coolest Rokid Glasses feature can translate a foreign language for you in real-time using AI, showing what someone is saying in your preferred language on the displays. At only $599, these smart glasses, currently in the Kickstarter stage, are the best AI innovation to launch at IFA 2025.

Note: Lenovo and Hypershell provided travel and lodging for part of my IFA 2025 trip, but had no input in this article.

Lenovo's Android tablets often strike a balance between affordability and feature set, offering a solid value proposition. The company continues that trend with the Lenovo Yoga Tab, a mid-range tablet, and the Lenovo Idea Tab Plus, a budget productivity tablet. Both arrive this month following their official reveal at Lenovo Innovation World 2025.

I went hands-on with the Yoga Tab and Idea Tab Plus, and they're Android 15 tablets with specific users in mind. The Lenovo Yoga Tab is creator-focused, down to the high-resolution display and preloaded Adobe Creative Suite software. Meanwhile, the Idea Tab Plus is a no-frills option for people who want a decent Android tablet on a tight budget.

Here's what you need to know about them, and who should buy each one.

Note: Lenovo provided travel and lodging for Innovation World 2025, but did not have any input in this article.

Specs

Lenovo Yoga Tab

Oftentimes, when you think of a "creator" tablet, the word expensive also comes to mind, with tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra costing anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000. However, the Lenovo Yoga Tab aims to meet creators at the $550 price point, undercutting both premium and cheaper options, such as the base Galaxy Tab S11 and the OnePlus Pad 3.

The highlight of the experience is the display. I think the 11.1-inch panel is the perfect size for a basic tablet. The screen uses LTPS LCD technology, and while it's not OLED, it'll look better and feel more responsive than the old LCDs you may be used to. The resolution stands out at 3.2K, helping the Yoga Tab double down on its creative focus.

The resolution makes the Yoga Tab ideal for drawing, photo editing, or video editing, and it looks great in person. It'll even be able to handle color-accurate work, as Lenovo says it covers 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. It's not often you see a tablet validated for color accuracy, especially at this price point. The 144Hz refresh rate will be beneficial for basic responsiveness and light gaming.

I had no issues with the quality of the Lenovo Yoga Tab screen, but the brightness capabilities stuck out to me as a potential concern. The tablet can only hit 800 nits of maximum brightness, which is half that of the Galaxy Tab S11 series. Granted, the Yoga Tab is cheaper, although some creatives might find they need that extra brightness, especially when outdoors.

Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. Originally, I wished Lenovo equipped the Yoga Tab with the better Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 actually makes sense for this price point.

Lenovo touts 20 TOPs of NPU power, but many of the tablet's AI features rely on cloud processing anyway. Lenovo's suite of AI features includes those we've come to expect from mobile devices in 2025, like generative text editing and sketch-to-image generation.

The tablet comes with Adobe Creative Suite pre-installed, plus a free trial, which is a nice touch. However, being that Adobe products are heavily reliant on subscriptions, it doesn't add much extra value to your Yoga Tab purchase. You get a two-month free trial of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Express, plus a three-month free trial of Perplexity Pro.

All told, I came away from my brief hands-on with the Yoga Tab pretty impressed — it's a thin, premium-feeling tablet with a few tweaks specifically designed with creators in mind.

Lenovo Idea Tab Plus

The Idea Tab Plus is a slightly larger but cheaper Android 15 tablet. This 12.1-inch tablet starts at just $270, which is much lower than many of the best Android tablets. At this price point, you're looking at a basic device and expect a few compromises, which is why Lenovo is positioning the Idea Tab Plus toward basic productivity and content consumption.

Notably, it has the same great in-hand feel as the Yoga Tab, with an aluminum chassis and a thickness of only 6.29mm at its thinnest point. The bigger display is a basic LCD panel with a 2.5K resolution — lower than the Yoga Tab but still more than suitable for everyday use. The refresh rate tops out at 90Hz, and the brightness can only reach 800 nits peak.

For what it's worth, even the budget Idea Tab Plus manages to grab 96% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is pretty impressive.

You might not be able to do photo editing or video editing on the Idea Tab Plus due to hardware limitations, but the display itself is pretty good for color-accurate work. The processor is the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6400, which resides firmly in mid-range territory. I didn't notice any lag or general slowness while playing around with the Idea Tab Plus.

However, it's unlikely to win many benchmarks or crush demanding tasks, even with up to 12GB of RAM onboard.

While there are a handful of cost-cutting measures taken to make the Idea Tab Plus more affordable, there are also a few neat perks that come with this tablet. There's a dual microSD and SIM card slot for the 5G model, so you get cellular connectivity and expandable storage. There are more color options, too: Luna Grey, Cloud Grey, and Sand Rose.

A few things remain consistent across the Yoga Tab and Idea Tab Plus, like quadruple Dolby Atmos speakers and dual microphones. Both are available with accessories, including keyboard cases, folios, and pens.

Availability

My takeaway from spending a bit of time with these new Lenovo tablets is that budget and midrange Android tablets have come a long way. At these prices, the Yoga Tab and Idea Tab Plus seem to offer a worthwhile value proposition for the right user. We'll have to spend a bit more time putting each model through its paces to be sure.

Both the Lenovo Yoga Tab and Idea Tab Plus are available starting this month.

What you need to know

• Lenovo announced its official partnership with FIFAe, bringing its powerful gaming hardware to the eSports Finals in December.
• The post states the brand's Legion Tower 7i will be there for the competition, as well as its gaming monitors, mice, keyboards, and more.
• The FIFAe Finals 2025 competition is set for December 10 through 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Lenovo's announcing a major partnership with FIFAe, an eSports competition for FIFA, that will bring its devices to the forefront.

A press release from the Lenovo StoryHub announced official confirmation from FIFAe about its partnership with the company. Lenovo states this new collaboration with FIFAe is another part of its work together, including other collabs with the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, 2026, and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027.

Regarding its eSports appearance, the post states competitors will have access to the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i, gaming monitors, mice, keyboards, and other accessories. Aside from the competitors having full access to Lenovo's suite of gaming devices and products, the company states it's also providing items to FIFAe presenters and staff.

Lenovo states its gaming computers and accessories support this higher level of gameplay and should set the "standard" for future football esports competitions.

Across its FIFAe and other FIFA-related collaborations, Lenovo states it's also providing AI solutions, data center services, and smart devices to further enhance the player and viewing experience. The FIFAe Finals 2025 competition is set for December 10 through 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This will feature the FIFAe World Cup with Rocket League, eFootball on console, and eFootball on mobile.

Lenovo's ventured into powerful gaming

Lenovo's continued to venture into more powerful hardware and specifications for gamers, especially when you think about its tablets. While the brand's PC's are nothing to scoff at, the Legion Tab Gen 3—and the Gen 4, though it's only in China right now—brought decent flagship power in a small tablet form factor. One of its hallmarks is that the Legion Tab Gen 3 is compatible with a variety of mobile gaming controllers, further enhancing those longer sessions you want in the evenings.

Just before the Legion Tab Gen 4's May launch in China, Lenovo teased the device with an 8.8-inch display, a singular camera, and AI software. Another major highlight was its confirmation of AI software, which focuses on gaming. There was a feature called "AI combat support" that could assist users when playing games like PUBG and others.

Traditionally, when you think about flagship Android tablets, it's usually those that try to replace your laptop. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 helps to buck that trend, offering an almost 9-inch display for around $550. And while there have been a few deals here and there, you can now save over $100, as the Legion Tab is down to its lowest price ever.

Since the Legion Tab was released, it has ushered in a wave of other smaller flagship tablets. We've seen RedMagic release two of its own, and even Lenovo released its latest Y700, but that has yet to be released on this side of the world. There are also rumblings that OnePlus might be looking to do something similar, now that the OnePlus Pad 3 has been released.

• See our ultimate back to school shopping guide

✅Recommended if: You want a powerful Android tablet with flagship specs, but don't want something that tries to replace your laptop.

❌Skip this deal if: You need (or want) an OLED display, expandable storage, a larger screen, or cellular connectivity.

In terms of specs, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and includes 12GB of RAM to go along with 256GB of storage. It sports an 8.8-inch 2.5K display, offering a 165Hz refresh rate, and a 6550mAh battery.

Unlike many other tablets out there, the Legion Tab Gen 3 has another unique benefit, as it features two USB-C ports. This is great for plugging in a controller with one and using the other to transfer files or keep it charged.

Although I'm a big fan of the Legion Tab and am keeping my fingers crossed that the new Y700 makes it this way, I also understand that the Gen 3 might not be for everyone. There are some omissions with this iteration that weren't found in previous releases, such as its lack of a microSD card slot.

Lenovo also didn't go with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and instead, gave the Legion Tab Gen 3 the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Those two points alone might be enough to dissuade you from considering the Legion Tab, but with this kind of discount, I urge you to at least give it a chance.

Performance is pretty incredible, and I don't just mean for gaming and emulation. It's a productivity tool too, thanks to being compatible with USI pens. Pair that with a matte screen protector, and you can forget all about Samsung ditching the S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Heading into 2025, I was hoping that we would see powerful tablet options come in smaller sizes. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 has become my favorite tablet of the year, and is now $120 off in a Lenovo Doorbuster deal.

When it was announced, I was already excited, seeing as it packs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 behind a gorgeous 8.8-inch screen. It was also expected to be pretty affordable with a $499 launch price. However, the U.S. tariff situation resulted in the price being increased to $549 just days after it was released.

Since then, we've seen the Legion Tab Gen 3 drop as low as $449, but now, you can get it for even less. Lenovo is hosting its own Prime Day sale, with a smattering of "Doorbuster" deals, such as this one for the latest flagship tablet.

• Prime Day 2025 ends tonight! See the full list of Amazon deals

✅Recommended if: you want a flagship tablet that doesn't try to act as if it's a laptop replacement.

❌Skip this deal if: you need a tablet with expandable storage, a SIM card slot, or a fingerprint scanner.

Besides the power and portability, another reason why the Legion Tab Gen 3 could be your next tablet is the display. Unlike many other premium tablets out there, Lenovo opted against using an OLED panel. This is great news for those who suffer from PWM, such as my colleague Nick Sutrich.

While I could continue gushing about how great this tablet is, there are a couple of sticking points. The first of which is that you're stuck with one RAM and storage configuration (12GB/256GB), and there's no microSD card slot. Lenovo remedied this with its latest Y700 tablet, but that has yet to see a release here in the States.

Another surprising omission is that the Legion Tab Gen 3 lacks a fingerprint scanner. When the tablet was announced, I just assumed it would be embedded in the power button. That's not the case, so you're left relying on the traditional unlock methods, and while there's Face Unlock, it's the rather basic version that adorned older and cheaper phones.

Despite those pitfalls, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is still my favorite tablet of the year, to this point. It's so good that I ended up picking up a second one that will be used for my various tinkering projects without needing to worry about something happening to the one I already have. As someone who already has more tablets than common sense, my wife wasn't too pleased to hear about another one being added to the bunch.

There are deals on accessories too

Prime Day 2025 Android deals — quick links

• Prime Day ends TONIGHT: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to 45% off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

• For more on Prime Day 2025, check out our ultimate shopping guide.

I'll admit that I've been a fan of larger tablets for as long as I can remember, as they're more comfortable for my aging eyes. But at some point last year, my brain switched things up on me, and I started wanting something in between my foldable phone and laptop. Enter the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, with its 8.8-inch, 165Hz display, and the fact that it's currently on sale for around $450.

Until recently, our only options for a flagship tablet meant that we had to deal with larger displays, maxing out with the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Most tablets around 11 inches and below usually meant you were going to end up with a mid-range or budget tablet, none of which offered flagship power.

That's no longer the case, as options like the Legion Tab Gen 3 have arrived here in the States. Previous iterations were only available in other regions, with Lenovo's offering falling under the Y700 branding umbrella.

Top-notch performance, surprisingly good visuals

With the Legion Tab Gen 3, you're getting Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 along with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Although it's not the latest and greatest chip, it's not like you'll really experience any slowdowns, even when messing around with higher-end emulation.

It's also worth pointing out that the Y700 4th Gen was released in China last month, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, we don't yet know if it'll eventually make its way here.

Still, all of this power is housed within a slim and compact form factor, hidden behind an 8.8-inch IPS panel. Normally, this is where I would complain about the decision to forego an OLED screen, but that's not the case here. It almost feels like Lenovo stumbled upon a stockpile of the best LCD panels at this size, as the Legion Tab Gen 3 looks absolutely fantastic.

It's very similar to the screen found on previous Y700 models, which was the same panel used in the original Lenovo Legion Go. No matter what the reason, this is one of the few times that I actually don't have any problems with the decision to go with an OLED screen.

Go small or go home

There are a couple of reasons why I enjoy having a powerful tablet that's smaller than my iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. The first is that the Legion Tab has essentially become my digital notebook, especially with a matte screen protector installed.

Oh yeah, the Legion Tab supports stylus input when paired with Lenovo's Tab Pen Plus. While there are times when a larger canvas is nice to have, it gets pretty cumbersome if you need a scratchpad by your side throughout the day.

The other main reason why I enjoy having a flagship tablet at this size is the obvious one — gaming and emulation. Technically, it's possible for me to use the 14.6-inch Tab S10 Ultra with the GameSir G8 Plus, but as you might suspect, it's beyond comical.

Instead, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is compatible with a variety of mobile controllers, and you won't look absolutely absurd if you were to pull this out while waiting at the airport. Okay, maybe a little absurd, but nowhere near as bad as the Tab S10 Ultra.

A few gripes, but still worth every penny

Admittedly, this isn't the perfect tablet for everything I want it to do. For instance, my biggest gripe is that you're limited to just one storage configuration. Anyone who's messed around with higher-end emulation knows that won't last very long, at which point you're either transferring files back and forth, or need to rely on a portable SSD.

I'm also very confused as to why Lenovo didn't include biometrics beyond "Face Unlock." It's also not the good version from the Pixel, meaning it's not as secure. Surely Lenovo could've spent a few pennies and embedded a fingerprint scanner in the power button. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but more of a curious and confusing omission.

Nevertheless, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is still one of my favorite tablets of the year, and as mentioned before, you can save a few bucks. Currently, it can be had for around $100 off, which is $50 below the expected retail price before the tariff nonsense forced OEMs to raise prices.

One of the complaints with a lot of Chromebooks is that you have to either sacrifice performance for the sake of battery life or vice versa. There really hasn't been an option that provides both, but I think the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is exactly what we've been looking for.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a briefing for the device launch, alongside a bunch of other creators and executives from both Google and Lenovo. We were told about a lot of new features that are on the way for all Chromebook owners, such as "Select to search with Lens" and "Text Capture."

It's been rather difficult to be excited about Chromebook hardware over the past eight months or so. There was such a significant gap between device launches earlier this year that I pondered whether consumer Chromebooks were on their way out the door. However, all of that excitement has come rushing back with the debut of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.

Power, performance, and features

What drives that excitement is a few things. First and foremost, we have the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 at the helm, making this the first Kompanio Ultra-powered Chromebook. As you might suspect, this is an ARM-based processor, which should mean we'll have excellent battery life, with Lenovo claiming the Chromebook Plus 14 will last for up to 17 hours on a single charge.

That's not completely unheard of in the Chromebook world, but it's impressive considering that the Kompanio Ultra 910 features both a dGPU and NPU. What this amounts to is an on-device Gemini experience that is said to be 32% faster and 44% more efficient. These aren't insignificant improvements; we're looking at the type of boost that was last seen when the Apple M1 was introduced.

When the various demos were being performed, the Chromebook Plus 14 didn't break a sweat. And the thing that I kept reminding myself of is that more and more of these features are being handled on-device, as opposed to being offloaded to the cloud. I'm excited about the prospect of having access to more Gemini features, even if I'm not connected to the internet.

Unique to the Chromebook Plus 14 are "Smart grouping" and "Image editing in the Gallery app." As someone who has at least 20-30 tabs open at any given time, I breathed a sigh of relief during the presentation.

And while I'll probably still rely on Photoshop or darktable for photo editing, just having the ability to use Gemini in the Gallery app to remove a background will save me hours of time. Both of these are on-device and powered by Gemini and will be joined by a slew of other new AI features that will be available for all Chromebooks.

What about the design?

Okay, so performance and battery life make up for most of what people care about, leaving the design. Lenovo definitely nailed it here, as the Chromebook Plus 14 is sleek and lightweight. It screams "premium" from top to bottom, starting with the display.

We have a 14-inch 2K OLED display that looks fantastic, with great viewing angles and vivid colors. There's even a slight protrusion along the top, where you'll find the admittedly disappointing 5MP webcam. It's serviceable, but definitely leaves a bit to be desired.

Regarding the keyboard, if you've used a Lenovo Chromebook or laptop in the past few years, you'll feel right at home. Oh, and I was happy to see the return of the Quick Insert Key, something that debuted with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but has yet to be added to other Chromebooks.

If there's one concern I have here, it's with the trackpad. Apple spoiled me with its Magic Trackpad, and outside of the HP Dragonfly Pro, I've yet to find anything that comes close. While it didn't feel like the Chromebook Plus 14 was using a glass trackpad, it also didn't feel very cheap like some of the other options out there. So this is something I'll be paying closer attention to once my review unit arrives.

The last thing I wanted to touch on regarding the design is the bottom casing. While aluminum adorns the lid and keyboard deck, we have plastic on the bottom, and it might look familiar to those who owned a Pixelbook Go.

Neither Google nor Lenovo explicitly came out and said that it was inspired by the Pixelbook Go, but it's pretty obvious that's the case. Lenovo did share that it opted for this design because it makes it easier to carry around the Chromebook Plus 14 without feeling like it is going to slip out of your hands. No matter the reason, it's kind of cool to see, if not just for adding another layer of uniqueness to this device.

This could be the "change" Chromebooks needed

Ultimately, I think what makes me so excited about the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is that this might just be the "Apple M1 moment" we've been waiting for. Lenovo and Google have been working on this specific device for some time, culminating in a Chromebook that is elegant, powerful, and cuts very few corners.

I already know it's not perfect, as we should definitely have something better than a 5MP webcam. Plus, offering a version with 256GB of storage is a good start, but I do wish there were configurations with more storage. There's a specific reason as to why (cough AI cough), but I'll save those thoughts for later.

Nevertheless, on the surface, Lenovo and Google checked most, if not all, of the important boxes for a flagship Chromebook Plus device. I'm seriously excited to spend more time with the Chromebook Plus 14 and will report back soon with my final thoughts, once my review unit arrives and I can dig in.

I recently wrote about how we don't actually need to buy new hardware just for the sake of gaming. Then Lenovo did something unexpected when announcing the Y700 4th Gen — it also introduced a dedicated controller. But this isn't like anything you've ever seen.

Instead of adding another expandable controller to a market that's already saturated, Lenovo introduced a dedicated "controller shell." Basically, you're able to remove the backplate, slot in the Y700, reattach the back, and be ready to go.

There are a few reasons why this is so exciting, starting with the fact that it basically turns your tablet into an Android-powered Legion Go handheld. In case you weren't aware, the Lenovo Y700 2nd Gen actually uses the same screen as the original Legion Go that was released in 2023. And while I'm not 100% positive, I'm fairly certain it's the same screen that's found in the Legion Go S that was announced at CES 2025.

After translating some of the material shared during the announcement, it appears that Lenovo is actually set to release two versions of the "Controller G9." Most of the features look to be the same for both, with at least one notable exception, as the G9 Pro features a different speaker system.

If you were to spend a bit of time on either r/SBCGaming or r/EmulationOnAndroid, I would be shocked if you didn't come across a post about the previous Y700 models. This tablet has become a darling in the emulation and gaming community, as the 2nd Gen has a compact design and a microSD card slot. The 3rd Gen fell off a bit in popularity, not because of its functionality, but mainly because Lenovo decided to ditch the expandable storage.

It seems that Lenovo is listening to the community, as the Y700 4th Gen brings back the microSD card slot. Plus, it's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which has been a mixed bag in terms of emulation but is still a powerhouse chip.

While it might seem counterintuitive to use a tablet inside a controller shell, to me, it just adds another layer of flexibility. Instead of trying to get the tablet to connect to an external controller, I can just pop it into the shell and start playing. But it comes with the added convenience of being a "regular" tablet when the situation suits me.

Lenovo has yet to confirm whether the Y700 4th Gen will actually make its way to this side of the world. For one, the Legion Tab was only just recently released, which is basically a Y700 Gen 3 with different branding. It will seem a bit odd if we see a new iteration, less than six months after the previous one.

The other thing holding Lenovo back from bringing this to the States is the current economic and political climate. The back-and-forth tariff situation between the U.S. and Chinese governments has been wreaking havoc on everything, not just electronics. Because of that, a number of companies raised prices, whether on devices or accessories.

With that in mind, the Y700 Gen 4 is priced at either 3299 CNY for the 12GB/256GB model or 3799 CNY for the 16GB/512GB variant. That works out to around $455 and $525, respectively, with the G9 controller priced at $69. In total, you're looking at about $600 for everything, which doesn't sound completely terrible compared to the Legion Tab and its $549 price tag.

Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that we would see Lenovo offer similar prices if it were to release the tablet and controller here in the U.S., but we'll see as the tariff situation progresses.

Despite Lenovo seemingly having a difficult time keeping the Legion Tab stocked, I'm not sure that the same would be true if it were more expensive. With that in mind, I'm not holding my breath for the latest Y700 and its controller to actually come to the States, but who knows what will happen. It's just awesome to see a company think outside of the box for once.

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What you need to know

• Lenovo has started teasing its Legion Tab (4th-gen) for consumers on Weibo, which confirms an 8.8-inch display, single-rear camera, and AI software.
• Another teaser highlighted Lenovo's focus on making the next tablet even "thinner" and "lighter."
• The company's AI for the next Legion Tab could focus on gaming, which was a strong focus for the 3rd-generation when it launched in January.

Lenovo is already teasing its next-gen small tablet on social media, which is shaping up to be thin and loaded with new features.

The company posted a couple of teasers on Weibo (Chinese), which involve a short video clip and a poster about its form factor (via 9to5Google). Lenovo's image teaser reportedly states its upcoming Legion Tab (4th Gen) will be "thinner" than its previous iteration and "lighter."

Specifics on both of these important specs are sitll unknown; however, Lenovo dives deeper into what consumers can expect in its video clip.

The highlight of the Legion Tab is its small form, which is how the video begins: showing a model pulling the tablet out of their pocket like a phone. The clip shows it in hand and an apparent single-camera lens on its back panel. The video also confirms the 4th-gen Legion Tab will feature an 8.8-inch display.

Lenovo teases AI software for its Legion Tab, too. The publication states its teaser highlights an upcoming feature dubbed "AI combat support." The running theory is that this could concern an assistant for mobile games like PUBG or League of Legends: Wild Rift.

That's unconfirmed at the moment in the teasers. The company then reportedly alluded to an upgrade in its SoC — and it seems Lenovo is sticking with flagship quality. The Chinese teaser suggests a "new Qualcomm" chip will enter the tablet, like the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Double the Legion Tab

Rumors claim the next Legion Tab could launch in May (Chinese market first), and a recent leak speaks of its power supply. A prominent Weibo tipster suggested the tablet could pack a battery between 7,000mAh and 8,000mAh.

There are a few things that appear similar between the 4th and 3rd-gen Legion Tab, which debuted back in January. First, the 8.8-inch display seems to live once again for the tablet while a single-rear camera was spotted, too. The latest tablet offered a 13MP camera. It seems likely we'd see that again, but we'll have to wait for more information. The battery of the 3rd-gen is also smaller than what we've seen rumored for the 4th-gen.

Lenovo's January launch offers a 6,500mAh battery with 45W fast charging. While we could see an expanded capacity, its charging remains unknown.

Moreover, gaming was a cornerstone with the last tablet, and Lenovo seems poised to focus on that aspect once more. The 3rd-gen tablet offers the Legion Coldfront Vapor Chamber for the influx of heat it generates during longer gaming sessions. This vapor chamber was said to enable gamers to go longer without worry. If Lenovo is looking to pack AI features, the next Legion Tab could be quite the secondary option for tablet gamers.

One of the reasons why I’m such a big fan of foldable phones and some tablets is the versatility they can offer. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 operates as a phone, tablet, and even a computer when it’s connected to an external display. Tablets are a different beast, but most of the time, they can be turned into productivity machines with the right accessories and a bit of patience.

In order to get that laptop-like experience, I do need at least a keyboard, if not a keyboard and monitor. However, when Lenovo showed off the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 earlier this year, I immediately thought that this could actually be the best way to use Android and Windows at the same time. All without needing to worry about making sure I have the right peripherals to pair with whatever foldable or tablet I’m using.

After spending a bit of time with one of Lenovo’s latest creations, I’ve come to a few realizations, some good, and some not so much.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Price and availability

Lenovo debuted the ThinkBook Plus (Gen 5) at CES 2024, before it was officially released in September 2024. There is only one configuration available, with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. The retail price listed on Lenovo’s website comes in at $3,518, but it’s currently available for 42% off, or about $2,040.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: What I like

Let’s get this out of the way really quickly. When everything works as advertised, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 does everything one could think of and then some. I mean, it’s a Windows laptop AND an Android tablet, complete with built-in software that marries the two. How much better can it really get?

On top of that, the Hybrid Tab detaches from the Hybrid Station, and you can still use both of them at the same time! Well, as long as you have a monitor to plug the Station into. It’s just an absolutely wild experience.

What’s even more wild is that I’m able to pull up the Android experience from the Tab, while also making use of Phone Link, all from Windows. With that, I’m able to have an app open from my Galaxy Z Fold 6, the entire Android tablet experience, and Windows, all without actually needing to pick up and use another device.

Of course, things get crowded pretty quickly on this 14-inch display, but you won’t be able to find another device that can offer this same experience. It’s also not something that I actually use very often, but it has come in handy when I want to test something out, but I’m too lazy to pick up my phone or don’t want to reboot into tablet mode.

Back when Lenovo first showcased this beast, I was a bit concerned about the actual performance. Surely, Lenovo would manage to cut costs in ways that would leave us feeling a bit frustrated. But I don’t actually think that’s the case here.

You could argue that opting for the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 over the 8 Gen 3 is one corner that was cut, and to a certain extent, you would be right. However, given the overall package of what the ThinkBook Plus provides, tossing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 into the tablet would be too much.

Clearly, this device is the epitome of “overkill” for mobile work, but it would also introduce another layer of potential problems. For one, you’d have to deal with thermals, and what good is having a combination like this if your laptop or tablet is constantly overheating?

While not quite as performant as its successors, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is still more than capable. If anything, I probably would have liked to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but it’s really not that big of a deal.

Okay, enough of that. What’s it actually like to use this laptop that’s also a tablet, but is actually both? Well, it’s really not any different from using the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra or a convertible Chromebook. Let me explain.

With the push of a button, I’m able to switch back and forth between Windows and Android, as there’s a dedicated key in the function row. Fundamentally, it’s not so different when switching from One UI to DeX on a Samsung tablet. The most obvious difference is that I’m going between different operating systems, as opposed to different interfaces.

Lenovo tries to bridge the gap between Android and Windows in another way, and that’s with the help of File Sync and the Hybrid Folder. There’s a dedicated Hybrid Center app built in on the Windows side, which includes an easy way to launch Hybrid Stream to use both OSes at the same time, along with accessing File Sync settings.

Hybrid Folder is rather nifty in that it gives a folder that’s shared between devices, without needing to really configure anything. So I can toss files into it, and know that they’ll be synced, regardless of what OS I’m using. The only limitation is that the Hybrid Folder is limited to 25GB in size.

That might seem a bit frustrating, but not all hope is lost. When using Windows, you can access the storage of the Hybrid Tab, and transfer files back and forth as if it were a USB drive. No, the files won’t be synced between the two, but it’s definitely come in handy on a few occasions.

Most of the time, I’m using the ThinkBook Plus the same way that I use any other laptop or tablet that lands on my doorstep. Why? Because this is the most (relatively) compact and easiest option to use Windows and Android side-by-side.

It also lets me compartmentalize things while also letting me use Android apps in Windows, something that is no longer easy to do thanks to Microsoft dropping support for WSA. There are ways around that with Windows, but I don’t have to fiddle around with that, thanks to the ThinkBook Plus.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: What I don't like

Up to this point, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using the ThinkBook Plus. While that’s definitely the case, the “honeymoon phase” actually wore off pretty quickly.

For one, this thing is a behemoth to carry, whether it be in a backpack or just walking from room to room. Every time I pick it up, I feel like it takes more effort than it should. Part of that is just a “me” thing, as I went from using the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, which weighs just north of 2.5 pounds, to the ThinkBook Plus, coming in at almost four pounds. Talk about a night and day difference.

It’s not so bad when detaching the screen and just using the tablet, but that leads me to another pain point. While the ThinkBook Plus Hybrid feels like it’s built like a tank, I’m still worried that something is going to break when I try to detach the Tab from the Station.

That feeling hasn’t changed at all since I started using the ThinkBook Plus, and I don’t know if it ever will change. Part of the problem is that I regularly struggle to actually detach the screen. Per Lenovo’s FAQ, the screen must be at a 90-degree angle (+/- 5 degrees), and then you just pull straight up.

First, I’m not a fan of just grabbing onto the display, even though I know I won’t break it. It’s just not a very natural feeling, and then I end up needing to grab a microfiber cloth every time I separate the two. I also think Lenovo put the strongest magnets imaginable into this thing, which is obviously a good thing, but it adds a bit of a wrinkle when trying to detach the screen.

On top of that, even with the incredibly strong magnets helping to line everything up, I either don’t push the screen down far enough or have to give it a few tries before getting things to work. There have been a couple of occasions when I would reattach the screen, think that everything was working fine, and try to fire up Hybrid Stream, only to be told that I needed to disconnect the screen and try again.

While convenience and flexibility are the goal, I can’t help but wonder how many people are going to struggle with this, too, and just end up never removing the display. At this point, that kind of defeats part of the purpose of what the ThinkBook Plus aims to provide.

Something else that really got on my nerves was the reminder that I wasn’t using the included 100W charging brick every time I plugged the laptop in. I know that the charger I was using isn’t 100W, but it’s 65W, and I still charged the ThinkBook Plus perfectly fine, even if it was slightly slower. Stop reminding me, and don’t put a special icon on the battery indicator just as a reminder.

Last but certainly not least, we have to talk about the elephant in the room: price. Lenovo’s “Estimated Value,” or retail price, for the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is listed at an eye-watering $3,518. For that, you could have grabbed the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, Galaxy Chromebook Plus, Galaxy Tab S9 FE, AND the Galaxy Watch 7.

However, if you head over to Lenovo’s website at the time of this writing, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is “discounted” to $2,753. Sure, that’s a savings of almost $1,000, but it’s still going to be a steep hill to climb for anyone who’s even remotely interested in a device like this.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Competition

Let's be honest here — there's nothing quite like the ThinkBook Plus. There are 2-in-1's, tablet PCs with detachable keyboards, and even laptops that have two screens built-in. None of those quite offer the same experience as what Lenovo is attempting to achieve.

It was rather difficult trying to find devices that could be considered as competition to the ThinkBook Plus. The first one that popped into my head was the Microsoft Surface Pro 11. It's kind of the "ultimate" 2-in-1 device, blending an ultra-sleek design with incredible performance. This is especially true now that it seems like Microsoft has figured out a software transition layer for the Qualcomm CPU.

The other device that came to mind was the Microsoft Surface Book, which too featured a detachable display. However, we haven't seen a refresh since 2022, while the Surface Laptop Studio 2 has seemingly taken its place. Although the display can't be removed, it does swing out and lay down so you can use it like a tablet.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want (or need) both a Windows and an Android device
• You enjoy having truly unique pieces of technology

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You're on a budget
• You need something lightweight

On one hand, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is something that I want to recommend to anyone and everyone. On the other, I think that between the price and how cumbersome it can be to detach the screen, it needs a bit more time in the oven.

However, I'm really (and I mean REALLY) hoping that Lenovo doesn't give up on this idea. Lenovo has a tendency to try out different things, releasing one iteration and then moving on to something else. I'd like to see Lenovo continue attempting to refine the design to make it both less heavy and somehow easier to detach the screen.

Even still, I won't lie and say that I haven't thought about picking one of these up for myself. Between the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid and my foldable phones, it truly makes me feel like I'm living in the future.

What you need to know

• The Lenovo Tab, Idea Tab Pro, and Yoga Tab Plus have been officially announced at CES 2025.
• The Lenovo Tab is aimed at the budget market, while the Idea Tab Pro and Yoga Tab Plus are mid-range and flagship alternatives.
• These tablets will begin arriving later this month with the Lenovo Tab coming in June.

CES 2025 is underway, and while there aren't very many Android-centric releases, Lenovo has a few surprises. The company is announcing a wide number of new devices, including a few new tablets with the Lenovo Tab, Idea Tab Pro, and Yoga Tab Plus.

Starting with the Lenovo Tab, this is the company's budget option with its 10.1-inch display and a 1920 x 1200 resolution. Under the hood, we have the MediaTek Helio G85 paired with 4GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. Battery life should be pretty solid with the 5,100mAh cell, but with just 15W Quick Charge speeds, getting it back to 100% will definitely take a bit.

Some of the other specs found on the Tab include a 5MP Fixed Focus selfie camera, an 8MP rear camera, and dual Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers. Lenovo is also planning to offer a few different cases, including a Clear Case with stand, Folio Case, and a "Play Suite case for the young kids at home."

Moving up a tier, the Idea Tab Pro looks to offer a compelling option for those who want a mid-range productivity tablet. It features the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The cameras also offer an upgrade, courtesy of the 8GB selfie camera and a 13MP lens on the back.

The star of the show here is the display, as Lenovo is utilizing a 12.7-inch IPS LCD panel with a 2944 x 1840 resolution. Thankfully, the Idea Tab Pro also features a 144Hz refresh rate, which is a surprising, yet welcome, inclusion. Battery life should also be pretty impressive thanks to the 10,200mAh battery which includes support for up to 45W fast charging.

While the Dimensity 8300 might not be the most exciting chip, Lenovo claims it "delivers 60% more power than the previous model." That's already pretty enticing, but those who want to get work done, will also enjoy the fact that Lenovo is offering bundles with a 2-in-1 keyboard case and the Tab Pen Plus.

Last, but certainly not least is the Yoga Tab Plus, which is easily the flagship option of this trio. It shares the same 12.7-inch display as the Idea Tab Pro, complete with the 144Hz refresh rate and the 10,200mAh battery.

However, that's where the similarities come to an end as it ditches the Dimensity 8300 in favor of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This is paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, making it a true competitor to the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus in the battle for most powerful Android tablet.

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but Lenovo is also packing some AI into the Yoga Tab Plus, courtesy of Lenovo AI Now. The company claims the Tab Plus offers "built-in large language models," while also providing "local data processing."

The Tab Plus can also be used with Lenovo's 2-in-1 keyboard case and Tab Pen Pro, making it a productivity powerhouse. It has the added benefit of featuring Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, which is the only tablet of this trio to include this combination.

All three tablets will be released within the first six months of 2025, starting with the Yoga Tab Plus later this month, which is priced at $699. The Idea Tab Pro is slated to arrive sometime in April with a retail price of $349.99, and the Lenovo Tab will land in June, priced at $159.

What you need to know

• In addition to a trio of more traditional Android tablets, the Lenovo Legion Tab was also announced.
• This is geared towards mobile gamers with its 8.8-inch 165Hz display and the Legion Coldfront Vapor Chamber.
• The Legion Tab is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and will arrive later this month.

As someone who has been hoping to see a powerful tablet in a smaller form factor, the new Lenovo Legion Tab looks to check almost all of the boxes. This is actually the fourth tablet that Lenovo has announced at CES 2025, but is the only one that falls under Lenovo's "Legion" gaming brand.

Out of the gate, the Legion Tab features an 8.8-inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate, HDR10 support, and a 2560 x 1600 (QHD+) resolution. Although we're a bit surprised to see Lenovo opt for an IPS panel over OLED, all of your games and media are expected to still look incredible.

That's rather important, as the Legion Tab is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and will be available with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unfortunately, Lenovo decided against including a microSD card slot, which is rather disappointing if you were hoping to use this as an all-in-one gaming device.

As this is a gaming-focused device, Lenovo understands the higher-concern for potential heating problems. However, the Legion Coldfront Vapor Chamber "handles the heat," so you can play games for longer without worrying about thermal throttling.

The only tablet that we've seen come close to offering this level of power is the RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet. And while the Nova provides an excellent gaming experience, the 11-inch display might still be a bit too big for some.

In addition to the premium performance and display, Lenovo isn't skimping out on the build quality. The Legion Tab features a "full-metal design," while being 7.79mm thin and weighing just 350 grams. By comparison, the Nova Gaming Tablet comes in at 530 grams, making it rather unwieldy for longer gaming sessions.

Out of the box, the Legion Tab runs Android 15, and Lenovo states that it's hitting the market sometime this month. Pricing for Lenovo's latest gaming-focused tablet starts at $499, putting it right in line with the competition.

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week, Google dropped a second Android 16 developer preview, Motorola is at risk of being banned in the U.S., OnePlus teased the 13R with a huge battery, Samsung's Android 15 beta continues, and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses just got a huge update.

Android 16 is one step closer to beta

Read more here.

Android 16 is set for an early launch in 2025, so it's no surprise Google has already pushed the second developer preview to eligible Pixel smartphones. With this new update, we're starting to get a better idea of what to expect from the next major update.

There are plenty of under-the-hood changes to help improve app startup, support for adaptive refresh rate, and haptics. There are also updates to Health Connect with support for more data types and APIs for sharing health records. The cloud photo picker is getting a search function, and there are new APIs for predictive back animations and behaviors.

Of course, as is usual with developer previews, there are tons of features under the hood that Google is working on, but it's likely not all will make it to beta or stable. Fortunately, we don't have to wait long to get a good look at the user-facing features, as the Android 16 beta is expected to arrive in January.

Motorola could be banned in the U.S.

Read more here.

If Ericsson gets its way, Motorola's best phones could be banned from the United States and other regions. This is due to a patent dispute between the companies that found Lenovo infringing on Ericsson's 5G patents.

The phones in question? The Moto G, Edge, and Razr lineups, according to Reuters. Those are the company's primary smartphone families, with the Moto G lineup performing strongly among cheap Android phones, while the Edge and Razr lineups have been popular enough in the U.S. and globally that the company is set to double its business by 2026. As such, the prospects of a ban in the U.S. would be pretty catastrophic for the company and the market, especially after the loss of LG years ago.

Ericsson has won preliminary rulings against Motorola before and is also involved in patent disputes in other regions, but Lenovo has so far managed to stave off a ban in South America. Hopefully, Lenovo can do the same for the U.S., and the two companies can come to some sort of agreement.

The second One UI 7 beta is already here

Read more here.

Samsung is finally giving us a taste of its Android 15 software, and the second beta is now available for Galaxy S24 models in various countries.

So, what's new in this beta? It's mostly bug fixes aimed at addressing issues that cropped up from the first One UI 7 beta released just a couple of weeks ago. This includes faster transitions, improved GPS, Quick Panel fixes, and much more. However, per the changelog, one known issue that's been pointed out is that the Tool panel sometimes does not appear in the Edge Panels.

If you're new to the One UI 7 beta, the update may come in at around 4GB, while those updating from the first beta may have only a 1GB download. For now, the beta remains exclusive to the Galaxy S24 series in select countries.

We recently published our first impressions of the One UI 7 beta, highlighting the new UI elements (a vertical app drawer!), new features, and more. The stable update is expected to arrive with the Galaxy S25 series in early 2025.

The OnePlus 13 series includes a mighty mid-ranger

Read more here.

OnePlus recently revealed the launch date for the OnePlus 13 series, which made us wonder if there was also a OnePlus 13R coming along. It turns out there is, as the company confirmed shortly after that we are getting an R-series midranger alongside the flagship.

The phone will seemingly feature a nearly identical design to the regular OnePlus 13, which launched in China in October. According to OnePlus, the 13R will feature a massive 6,000mAh battery, which is larger than the 5,500mAh battery on the OnePlus 12R. It will also apparently feature a new Gorilla Glass 7i, a thickness of 8mm, and a flat display.

There's still a lot we don't know about the 13R, such as the chipset, charging speed, and price. It will likely sport a lesser chip than the Snapdragon 8 Elite that will be featured in the OnePlus 13 and likely less RAM than its flagship sibling's 24GB max.

Both phones will launch globally on January 7, 2025.

More reasons to buy the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Read more here.

If you've been holding off on buying the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (like I have), this latest update may make you want to finally hit the "Buy" button. Meta just updated its impressive smart glasses with more features that would make even Google jealous.

The new v11 update brings Live AI, which uses video that lets the smart glasses continuously see what you see, allowing it to gain more context and converse more naturally with users without the "Hey Meta" wake word. It sounds a lot like what Google is promising with Project Astra, which aims to use AI to see and remember things for the user that can be brought up later.

Additionally, live translate will automatically translate speech to English, supporting Spanish, French, or Italian, and it will either be played through the built-in speakers or appear as transcripts on your phone.

These new live features are available via Meta's Early Access Program, which is available in the U.S. and Canada.

Lastly, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are gaining support for Shazam in the U.S. and Canada, meaning you can ask it about a song that's playing, and it will use Shazam to identify it for you. One less reason to pull out your phone.

More stories this week

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• T-Mobile customers can register now to test its upcoming satellite service with Starlink
• Files by Google has a new PDF viewer, and it's ditching Google Drive
• Leaked Unpacked Event teaser image reveals Galaxy S25 series launch for next month
• OnePlus Open 2 tipped to introduce improved IPX8 rating and wireless charging
• Android 15 QPR2 Beta 2 is here with our first look at the working Linux Terminal app
• Google ditches the Play Store's easy 'Share apps' in new System version
• Leaked hands-on Galaxy S25 Plus images double down on old rumors
• Gemini 2.0 Experimental Advanced is Google's best AI model yet, and it's available now
• Gemini Advanced subscribers can now use Gemini Flash 2.0 Experimental in latest Gemini app beta
• Google tipped to bring MediaTek's modem for the first time through the Pixel 10 series

Motorola's comeback tour in the U.S. might be quickly coming to an abrupt halt. The brand, still a minor player in the overall market for the best Android phones, found recent success with the Motorola Razr line of budget and flagship foldables. However, a patent dispute between Sony Ericsson and Motorola Mobility (owned by Lenovo) could eliminate the availability of Motorola handsets in the U.S., according to Reuters.

In an initial ruling Tuesday, Dec. 17, a judge for the U.S. International Trade Commission decided that Motorola's phones infringe on key 5G patents held by Sony Ericsson. The smartphones in question include those in the Moto G, Edge, and Razr lineups. If the initial ruling by the ITC stands, imports of Motorola phones in the U.S. could be banned, all but eliminating their availability.

The ITC will issue a final ruling in April 2025, and if its initial decision is upheld, a ban on Motorola phones in the U.S. is likely to happen. That would have ripple effects throughout the U.S. market, because Lenovo made up 14% of the country's mobile market share as of Q3 2024, according to Counterpoint Research. Crucially, some of the brand's most successful smartphones are involved in the dispute.

Motorola's absence would leave a hole in the market, notably where clamshell foldables are concerned. There simply isn't another player making affordable foldables in the U.S. like Motorola did with the Razr 2023 and Razr 2024. It's possible that instead of elevating a growing brand like OnePlus, a ban on Motorola phones would just make the big three of Apple, Samsung, and Google even more dominant.

In November 2024, one industry report indicated that a major competitor in the foldable market was considering an exit. Entering 2025, we could be down at least one foldable manufacturer if that report turns out to be accurate. Motorola could represent another, and it's possible that no one steps up to replace it. We could be back where we started, with Samsung as the only major clamshell foldable manufacturer and no need to innovate due to a lack of competition.

It seems like patent disputes in the mobile sector are becoming increasingly common. OPPO and Vivo recently ended a dispute with Nokia about 5G patents, and OnePlus is now in hot water again in Germany over a similar issue. While it's great that brands are being held accountable for their use of patents, it's a shame that these decisions only decrease the number of phones that are available for consumers.

Motorola phones could be banned: How we got here

If that sounds familiar, it should. In recent years, multiple Chinese brands have become involved in patent disputes surrounding their uses of 5G technology in smartphones. Notably, Motorola itself is fighting the same battle with Sony Ericsson in multiple markets. Initial court decisions in Brazil and Columbia already ruled in favor of Sony Ericsson, and more legal battles are taking place in South America and the United Kingdom, per Reuters.

How did we get here? The tide started to turn in Sony Ericsson's favor earlier this month when an ITC judge rejected Motorola's best defense against the patent infringement claims. Motorola said that a 2011 license agreement between it and Sony Ericsson covered use of Ericsson technology in Moto G, Edge, and Razr phones. In other words, the company isn't denying it used the technology — it's arguing that it was allowed to.

The problem with Motorola's claim is that the 2011 agreement was penned ages ago, before the company was sold to Google and then sold again to Lenovo. More importantly, a clause in the licensing agreement explained that Motorola would be able to use the licensed technology in "commercially reasonable updates or extensions of such Licensed products." The ITC judge ruled in favor of Ericsson, tossing aside Motorola's argument on the basis that none of the three phone lineups in question even existed at the time the 2011 agreement was reached (via IP Fray).

Motorola could explore other legal avenues to block the move — lawyers for Lenovo previously argued that the licensing agreement was covered by U.K. law, and suggested that the ITC should wait for U.K. courts to rule before issuing its own ruling. Of course, in light of the ITC's preliminary decision, that didn't happen. And if the ITC's ruling is upheld, Motorola phones could be off the shelves for the foreseeable future.

Maybe you haven't had time to check out all of the different Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but I've got one more for you. This deal is absolutely crazy, and I don't know how it managed to fly under the radar, but Lenovo is on a different level with its last-minute "Doorbuster" deals.

The IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus is $300 off, with FREE shipping. It normally retails for $550, meaning that this sweet, sweet Chromebook can be yours for just $250.

No, there's nothing super-fancy about the Slim 3i Chromebook Plus, and it's not even the latest Chromebook to be released by Lenovo. So by that logic, you might be wondering why I'm even talking about it. It's simply because you're getting an excellent Chromebook Plus model, from Lenovo, for just $250.

What makes the Chromebook Plus branding so great is that it helps weed out the potentially frustrating Chromebooks from the good ones. Google has a set of requirements that a Chromebook needs to meet in order to qualify for that branding, and the Slim 3i Chromebook Plus does just that.

It sports a 14-inch FHD touchscreen display, that even has an anti-glare coating which is great for those that need to work on the go. It's also powered by the Intel Core i3-N305, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and even has a backlit keyboard.

But wait! There's more!

Battery life is rated to last for up to 11 hours, but we'd venture to guess you can squeeze even more out of it. And if not, fear not, thanks to the 65W charger that takes you from 0-80% in just one hour. Knowing how good Lenovo Chromebooks are with battery life, I have a feeling you might only end up charging this once every three to four days, if not longer.

Oh, and I didn't even mention that the Slim 3i Chromebook Plus has a bunch of ports! There's a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, AND a Kensington lock slot.

Again, all of this for just $250. I mean, what more could you really ask for?

When the Black Friday sales kicked off, we were surprised to see the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 included. Despite being the 4GB/128GB model, we didn't expect this new Chromebook to be discounted already. As it turns out, there's an early Cyber Monday deal for the higher-end model, as you can get the 8GB/128GB Duet 11 for $125 off.

To put it plainly, this is the Chromebook deal that I'd recommend to anyone who asked, even more so than the Black Friday deal. This is because I'm a big believer in having as much RAM and storage as possible and having 8GB versus 4GB of RAM will pay dividends in both the short, and long term.

Lenovo last refreshed its Chromebook Duet lineup back in 2022, and many of us were hoping that a new version was on the way. The company answered those prayers with the Chromebook Duet 11, refining it even further, and easily making one of the best Chromebooks out there.

With the Duet 11, you'll get a beautiful 11-inch display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, which is also capable of reaching up to 400 nits of brightness. Sandwiched between the glass and aluminum is the MediaTek Kompanio 838, which does a fantastic job at being both performant and efficient.

There's a lot of competition in the space, but part of what has helped the Chromebook Duet stand out is that it includes a detachable keyboard. Much like the tablet, the keyboard cover has also been refined, making for an excellent typing experience.

On top of all of that, the Duet 11 supports USI 2.0, and as a bonus, Lenovo is including its USI Pen 2 in the box which would set you back another $45! So when this lands on your doorstep, you'll have everything you need to start using it, without needing to pay more by ordering other accessories.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is as basic as it gets as far as Chromebook laptops go, but sometimes, it's good to get back to basics. At it's usual price of $319, we thought it was good value. But this Black Friday offer slashes the price down to just $159, making it an absolute steal! If you need a secondary laptop at home or need to get your kid their first computer, I'd say strike quickly and scoop this up while stocks last.

In our Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook review, we loved how lightweight it was and the fairly sharp 1080p display. The MediaTek processor is capable of handling basic tasks, but don't expect to do any sort of crazy multitasking. Battery life is also great, which makes this a good option for students looking to get through a whole day of classes on one charge.

✅Recommended if: You want a cheap Chromebook; you need it to be lightweight; you need long battery life.

❌Skip this deal if: You want to do multitasking; you need a convertible design; you need more than two USB ports.

Chromebooks are highly versatile devices as they don't need powerful components and are often very affordable. Lenovo makes some of the best Chromebooks for students, and this IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is worth a look at if you need something for casual use. Surprisingly, the 14-inch Full-HD display has touch input, and a max brightness of 300 nits. It's powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 SoC, which is decently powerful, but you only get 4GB of RAM which is not great for multitasking.

The Slim 3 Chromebook weighs just 1.3kg, making it quite light for a laptop. You even get a 720p webcam with a privacy switch, which is a nice touch. There's 64GB of onboard storage, but this can be expanded using the microSD slot. Some of the things we found lacking when we tested it was the performance and a fingerprint reader. Apart from this, it's really hard to complain when you're paying so little for a full-fledged laptop.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how I hoped to see the Android equivalent of an iPad Mini. While we have plenty of options to choose from if you want a powerful tablet with a big screen, smaller tablets are usually packed with less-than-impressive specs. More recently, I've wondered whether a small and powerful Android tablet is really necessary, given that I always carry a foldable phone with me.

In terms of performance, foldables take the cake, and it's not even close. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus Open uses the 8 Gen 2, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold relies on the Tensor G4. Sure, the Pixel might fall short of the other two foldables I mentioned, but it's no slouch.

As for tablets, there just aren't that many options if you want flagship specs but a screen under 10 inches. Lenovo is really the only game in town, as the Legion Y700 sports an 8.8-inch screen and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That presents a different problem, however, as the Y700 isn't officially sold in the States, meaning that you have to go through Giztop or AliExpress to get one.

The smallest flagship tablet that I've come across that is readily available, is the recently-released RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet. It too makes use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but comes with a 10.9-inch screen. While Samsung ditched the 11-inch model with the Galaxy Tab S10, the Tab S9 and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still available. But even then, we don't know how long that will be the case, and it's still too large.

All the while, foldable phones offer screens that fall right within the size range that I would want. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of the smaller ones with its 7.6-inch display, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers up an even larger 8.03-inch panel. Unfortunately, Vivo's foldable presents the same problem as the Y700, as you can't just pick it up in Best Buy or on Amazon.

With all of that being said, do I really need to jump through a bunch of hoops just to get a powerful tablet? Or are foldable phones simply the better overall option for those who either have one or are considering one?

The short answer to this question should be fairly obvious. But there are a few wrinkles that have kept me from coming to a definitive conclusion.

Foldable phones are mostly the better option, simply because they're both a phone and a tablet in a single device. With the work that Samsung, Google, and OnePlus have been putting into the software, the experience is also largely the same between each company's foldable phone and tablet offerings.

The biggest difference comes in the form of multi-tasking, at least to a certain extent. Many of the best Samsung phones and tablets include the ability to use DeX Mode, essentially turning your device into a Chromebook. However, unlike the Galaxy Tab S9 or Tab S10, the only way to use DeX on the Fold 6 is to either plug into an external display or connect to one wirelessly. Meanwhile, you can just tap a button on the Galaxy Tab keyboard and switch over from the traditional tablet interface to DeX mode.

This isn't the case when looking at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel Tablet. Even while running the latest Android 15 beta, I'm unable to do anything but mirror the screen from the 9 Pro Fold, which is simply disappointing. My disappointment is further compounded by the fact that you can use desktop windowing on an external display with the Pixel 9 Pro XL but not the Pro Fold.

On the bright side, after enabling the "Freeform windows" toggle in Developer Options, I can have up to four free-floating windows on the Pixel Tablet. Things work surprisingly well, and Google has done an excellent job of making things look more aesthetically pleasing than in the days of old. The only downside is that this isn't a feature that's enabled out of the box, but I expect that to change sooner rather than later.

Although OnePlus doesn't have a specific desktop mode for its Pad 2 or the OnePlus Open, it has another trick up its sleeve. You can actually use your phone from the Pad 2, bringing Phone Mirroring to a tablet, which is something I didn't have on my bingo card. Much like the experience is largely the same with Samsung devices, the various features and multitasking options are pretty similar between the OnePlus Pad 2 and Open.

One area where all of the tablets mentioned have an advantage is when using a stylus. Samsung includes one in the box, Google doesn't sell one at all but relies on the USI 2.0 standard, and while OnePlus does offer one, you have to buy it separately. But that's not the advantage that I'm talking about.

Excluding the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which lacks stylus support, you'll have to contend with the crease on foldable phones. It's fine for the most part and is a lot better than it used to be, but the crease can still be a source of frustration. None of those problems exist with the slabs of glass on a tablet. Drawing a straight line is entirely dependent on your ability to actually draw a straight line.

On the flip side, you don't exactly want to whip out the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra while you're waiting in line at the store and want to turn a picture into a meme. The same sentiment rings true even with the OnePlus Pad 2 and Galaxy Tab S9. Meanwhile, provided that you have the S Pen Fold Edition or Oppo Pen you can do exactly that with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or OnePlus Open.

There's no arguing or denying that foldable phones are more versatile compared to the best Android tablets or even phones. However, there is one argument to be made, and it's the most important one of them all — price.

Without taking trade-ins or deals into consideration, you could import the 16GB/512GB model of the Lenovo Legion Y700 2024 from Giztop for about $600. Heck, you could even go so far as to toss in the official leather case, Legion Gaming Controller G7, and Lenovo's Stylus Pen, and you would be looking at around $760.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,899, which includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you want to match up the storage, the 512GB model will set you back just north of $2,000. Samsung doesn't offer the Fold 6 with 16GB of RAM, and that doesn't include the S Pen or case.

You're looking at another $60 for just the stylus or $100 if you want the official S Pen case. At that price, I could buy two Y700 tablets, complete with accessories, and still have money left over to snag a couple of different controllers or an external SSD to house my ROM collection.

Now, there's a good chance that you might be swayed into changing your mind in the very near future. The 2024 holiday shopping season is already underway, with Black Friday right around the corner.

If Prime Day was anything to go by, then I suspect that we'll see some pretty incredible deals pop up for both foldable phones and tablets. With that in mind, don't just jump at the first deal that you see just for the sake of it. Even still, I'm hoping to see some steep discounts on foldable phones, but I suspect there will also be plenty of tablet deals to be had.

For as much as I want foldable phones to take over the world and replace the slabs of glass that we've been reliant on for years, we're just not there yet. Frankly, I don't know if we'll ever actually get there with book-style foldables as flip phones continue to rise in popularity.

Simply based on the price alone, and ignoring all of the convenience that foldables offer, tablets are still better. Now, I just need companies to release these small and powerful tablets in the U.S., so I don't have to pay extra just to get one imported.

• Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T

For years, we had to deal with a bunch of Chromebooks with little ability to differentiate one from another. That all changed with Google's Chromebook Plus initiative, making it easy to decide. And thanks to Prime Day, the decision is now much easier, as there are a few fantastic Chromebook deals to be had. 

It all starts with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, which has helped play a part in the Duet line being "the best selling Chromebook of all time." Just recently, Lenovo launched its successor, but that's fine by us, as the Duet 3 can be had for $150 off at Best Buy. 

• Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial: Most deals are Prime-exclusive 
• See all the October Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India
• Rival sales: Best Buy | Walmart | Dell | Newegg | HP | Target

Part of what makes the Duet 3 so unique is that it's one of a handful of Chromebook tablets. It sports an 11-inch display with a gorgeous 2000 x 1200 (2K) resolution, while also including the Keyboard Case in the box. With this, you're able to get up and running in no time, without needing to worry about buying a case or keyboard separately. However, you will need to snag a USI 2.0 Pen if you want to use this to take notes.

If there's one device that I can't wait to review, it's the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus. I was fortunate enough to spend a few hours with it and I came away quite impressed. Coming as little surprise, this is about as premium of a Chromebook as it gets, before you get into the $999+ range. 

It offers a beautiful 15.6-inch AMOLED display, along with the latest Intel Raptor Lake chip for power. However, this is also the first Chromebook to debut with the new "Quick Insert Key." This aims to make you even more productive, giving you access to documents and tools that you rely on. 

Although this isn't technically a deal specific to Prime Day, you'll get a $50 gift card for free when picking one up from Best Buy. Plus, Google includes 12 months of Gemini Advanced for free with every new Chromebook Plus device.   

Speaking of high-end Chromebooks, Acer's Chromebook Spin 714 remains a favorite of ours, even if it lacks the "Plus" moniker. You'll still enjoy all of the same great features as the updated Chromebook Plus Spin 714 but without the higher price tag.  This is thanks to Best Buy slashing the price by almost $300, bringing it down to just $429 for a limited time. 

With the Chromebook Spin 714, we have a convertible design, allowing you to use it as a traditional laptop, or flip it over to write on the screen. Under the hood, it's powered by Intel's Core i5-1335U, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Not only that, but it also features a variety of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1. 

Another fantastic deal to be had is for the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX3402 over at Best Buy. Normally, this Chromebook retails for about $500 but is down to just $349 as part of Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale. 

When looking at the CX3402 next to the Spin 714, there's really not much in the way of differences between the two. At least when it comes to what these two Chromebooks are capable of. However, something that helps justify the lower price of the CX3402 is the non-convertible design and the omission of a touchscreen display. That's probably more of a concern if you were paying full price, but thankfully, you don't have to worry about that. 

Rounding out the pack for some of the best last-minute Chromebook Prime Day deals is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. This one has already been replaced by the Chromebook Plus 516 GE, but much like the Spin 714, that's not really a big deal. It also helps that with a newer version available, we're able to enjoy deals like saving $90 on the 516 GE at Amazon. 

Most of the time, I'm a fan of high-end options like the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook or the Framework Chromebook Laptop. However, Acer managed to surprise me with the Chromebook 516 GE. The "claim to fame" of the 516 GE is that it's one of a few gaming-focused options in the space. These include things such as RGB keyboard backlighting, along with a 120Hz refresh rate packed into the 15.6-inch IPS display. 

The Lenovo Tab M9 (2023) has the perfect screen size that's not too big or small, and you can now get this budget tablet for even less at just $99.99 on Amazon Prime Day. That's a 33% saving from the list price, making this a pretty good deal. 

This deal is for the 32GB storage variant that comes with 3GB of RAM. I'd recommend spending a bit more and getting the 64GB variant with 4GB of RAM, for a slightly smoother usage experience. On the other hand, if you just need an Android tablet for automating smart home devices or streaming videos, you could save big with this Prime Day deal.  As a bonus, this deal includes the official folio case, making it superb value.

•  Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial: Most deals are Prime-exclusive 

✅Recommended if: you need a compact Android tablet; you need a large display on the cheap; you need a value for money budget tablet.

❌Skip this deal if: you need good gaming performance; you need a sharp display; you need a tablet that charges quickly.

The Lenovo Tab M9 is an Android 12 tablet that typically costs $149.99, but you can now get it for $50 off with this Prime Day deal. This is good for those that want a basic tablet for a bit of couch surfing, checking the video feed of their front door, or catching up on streaming shows. 3GB of RAM is not ideal for Android, so doing anything other than the basic tasks might be a struggle. The 4GB variant of the Tab M9 is something worth considering, and that's something that's usually discounted too.

You'll have to manage your expectations with budget tablets as they simply cannot offer the same level of performance and features as the best Android tablets. Still, for the price, the Tab M9 offers an interesting set of features like Dolby Atmos-enhanced speakers, USB-C, Wi-Fi 5, and two cameras for the front and back. The tablet is also pretty slim at 8mm and doesn't weigh much, so it should be comfortable to hold for longer durations like for reading ebooks.

In a world where value is king and functionality is secondary, Lenovo's Chromebook Duet series has reigned supreme for years. It all started with the original Duet back in 2020, before it was refreshed in 2022. Keeping with the two-year cadence, there's a new Duet in town with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11.

It comes as little surprise that Lenovo released a refreshed version of the Chromebook Duet. Not only has it been two years since the previous iteration, but, I was interested to see what kind of improvements Lenovo would make. More importantly, Google shared that the Duet is the "best-selling Chromebook of all time." So in order to keep that train moving, a new version was inevitable.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with this new Chromebook tablet as part of Google's Chromebook Fall Event. At which point I came away feeling as though Lenovo has mostly hit its stride in this form factor. After spending more time with it for this review, I still largely feel the same, but with a few caveats that you should keep in mind.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: Price and availability

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 was announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus on October 1, 2024. There are two models available for order, with a 4GB/64GB model and an 8GB/128GB version. Pricing for the former comes in at $339, while the latter comes in at $399.

As an added bonus, whichever variant you decide to go with, Lenovo includes the Folio Keyboard with stand and the Lenovo USI Pen 2. This might not be the case with every retailer, but it should be available at many of them.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: What I like

Before we take a look at the Duet 11 itself, it's important to talk about something that I'm extremely happy about. In my hands-on, I said, "I can't help but feel as though Lenovo missed an opportunity by not including the stylus in the box."

It turns out that this isn't the case, as Lenovo is including both the Folio Keyboard with Stand and the Lenovo USI Pen 2 in the box. This makes me happy because it means that you'll get everything you need to start using the Duet 11, without making separate purchases.

When Lenovo released the IdeaPad Duet 3, the biggest upgrade came in the form of an incredibly improved display. Thankfully, Lenovo didn't really try to make too many differences with the Duet 11, as it still sports a 10.95-inch 2K screen. While my aging eyes aren't what they once were, it's still a joy being able to adjust the display and text size to fit more on the screen, while providing a crisp screen.

Speaking of the screen, Google explained that the palm-rejection has been improved at the OS level. It's not really something that can be measured, but I have enjoyed using the Duet 11 as a digital notebook. Most of the time, it's right next to my mouse, so I can start jotting down notes whenever I need.

I've used my fair share of USI pens over the years, but I did notice something about the Lenovo USI Pen 2 that's included with the Duet 11. I thought something was different compared to the last one that I bought, and after digging in my desk drawer, it turned out that I was right.

There's nothing functionally different than before, but Lenovo ditched the pen cap-like design with the clip on the end. Instead, it's more similar to the Penoval USI 2.0 Pen, with the exception of the replaceable AAAA battery.

I'm not much of an artist, outside of just drawing stick figures, but I have mostly enjoyed using the Duet 11 paired with GoodNotes. It's still not as smooth compared to using Samsung's S Pen with the Galaxy Tab, or the Apple Pencil with an iPad. But it's really just a solid experience, and I doubt you'll run into any issues.

As a tablet, the Duet 11 feels just like any other 11-inch tablet that I've used over the past couple of years. If Lenovo was aiming to create a premium device, the company definitely nailed it. Although hefty, you won't find anything that feels cheap when holding and using the tablet.

This extends to the physical webcam switch found on the top, which happens to also be another change over last year's model. There's an attention to detail here that I really didn't expect, but I guess that's what happens when a device reaches its third generation.

One of the biggest upgrades I was hoping for out of a new Chromebook Duet would be an updated processor. Not just because the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is getting long in the tooth, but we need a bit more "oomph" with all of the AI features being implemented into ChromeOS.

For the most part, the Dimensity 838 seems to deliver, a chip that was introduced in May 2024. Along with simply being more powerful than the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, the Kompanio 838 also has an "AI-enabled NPU," which should mean that the Duet 11 shouldn't struggle when you're using the on-device Gemini AI features.

I'm also a fan of the new "Welcome Recap" feature that appears whenever I wake the Duet 11 from sleep. Although I don't use it all of the time, I enjoy having the option to either pick up from where I left off or get the day started with a clean slate. It's important to point out that although the Welcome Recap feature was announced alongside the Duet 11, it's not limited to the Duet, and is coming to all Chromebook owners.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: What I don't

So far, I've been pretty darn positive on the Chromebook Duet 11, and for good reason. However, it's not been all sunshine and rainbows, Since I kind of left off with performance in the last section, I'll touch on a couple of things that stuck out.

I'm not entirely sure if it's just a "me" thing, but I can't help but feel like the cursor isn't as smooth as it should be. There seems to be the slightest bit of stutter, regardless of whether I'm using the trackpad that's built into the keyboard case or a Bluetooth mouse. It could have something to do with being on the ChromeOS Beta Channel, but I've already tried to Powerwash it for a different reason, and the stutter is still there.

Another problem that I ran into was that the Duet 11 just completely froze while I was working on this review. There were about 10-15 Chrome tabs open, on one side of the window, with the Obsidian app open on the other.

I was going back and forth between the different tabs and then tried to open the Slack PWA only to end up with a frozen screen. The weird thing was that after I left Panera and got home, I grabbed the Duet 11 out of my bag, opened it up, and everything was still right where it was.

While that might seem like a lot going on all at the same time, there's really no excuse as the model I'm using is equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There shouldn't have been any bottle-necking to speak of, but that leaves me a bit worried about Duet 11 with 4GB of RAM.

Having multiple configurations of a Chromebook is great, and I completely understand that the 4GB/64GB model should be sufficient for many. But is that really going to be the case a few years from now? Frankly, I would have liked to see the 8GB/128GB version as the starting point, and then either an 8GB/256GB or even a 16GB/256GB variant.

This isn't something directed solely at Lenovo, as there are plenty of Chromebooks out there with just 4GB of RAM. We already know how popular Chromebooks are in classrooms, so perhaps reserve the lower-end models for deals Google makes with school districts. In relation to the Duet 11, I can't help but feel like it takes away from the premium hardware experience.

Even with the 8GB Chromebook Duet 11, you might find yourself bumping up against the 128GB limit. There are ways to work around this, but not everyone has fast internet speeds to take advantage of cloud storage solutions such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Of course, there's also the option of relying on a portable SSD or hard drive, and while that's convenient, it doesn't help if you left it behind and you need an important file.

This could have been solved by implementing a microSD card slot, and it's not like there isn't room in the chassis. Not only did Lenovo add a 3.5mm headphone jack, but there is also the physical webcam switch on the top. At the end of the day, it feels like a missed opportunity, even if some companies are trying to phase out expandable storage.

Lastly, it's a bit disappointing to see another new Chromebook released in 2024 without some form of biometrics. There are a variety of ways that ChromeOS attempts to keep unwanted people from using your Chromebook, but all it takes is just one time for the walls to come crashing down.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: The competition

As I've mentioned a few times here, there's not much standing in Lenovo's way when it comes to Chromebook tablets. The ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3001 is the most recent contender and is almost $100 cheaper. However, it also has some rather thick bezels and isn't nearly as powerful with the Kompanio 520 at the helm.

Your next best bet would be to get either the Chromebook Duet 3 or the Duet 5, despite these being a bit older. And if you like the idea of a ChromeOS tablet, but want a larger screen, then the Duet 5 is still your only choice. We were hoping to see a successor to Lenovo's larger Chromebook tablet, but I guess it just isn't in the cards.

The number of alternatives quickly begins to grow, provided that you're okay with a more traditional design. Acer's Chromebook Plus 515 costs the same amount as the higher-end Duet 11, coming in at $399. But thanks to the Intel Core i3, you'll enjoy all of the new and upcoming Chromebook Plus features that won't be available on the Duet 11.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You want the best Chromebook tablet.
• You're ready to upgrade from the IdeaPad Duet 3.
• You a lightweight and portable device to take with you anywhere.
• You're looking for a Chromebook that's a step above the budget options.
• You want a companion device that's incredibly versatile.

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You need the fastest and most powerful Chromebook out there.
• You want to enjoy the various Chromebook Plus features that are available.
• You don't want to be limited to just two RAM and storage options.

There's no such thing as the perfect device, but it feels as though Lenovo is getting closer and closer to creating the perfect Chromebook tablet. The original Duet provided a solid foundation, and it was one that Lenovo has just been building on since then. The Chromebook Duet 11 is a great example of when a company makes meaningful improvements, listens to feedback, and implements changes in the "right" way.

Sure, there are gripes and complaints to be had, but in reality, I fully expect this new model to sell just as well as its predecessors. It also wouldn't surprise me if it flies off of the shelves as soon as the first round of discounts arrives.

I can (and will) wholeheartedly recommend the Duet 11 to anyone who asks, with one caveat — pay the extra $40 so you can get double the RAM and storage. We don't know what the future holds, but I would venture to guess that it won't be too long before performance takes a hit with the entry-level version.

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week, Oura launched its latest smart ring, Google announced new Chromebooks and ChromeOS features, Verizon dealt with a massive network outage at the most inconvenient time, Android 16 may get an early release, and Samsung reveals when One UI 7 will land.

The Oura Ring 4 shows everyone who's boss

Read more here.

After the Oura Ring Gen 3 launched in 2021, the Finnish company is back with the Oura Ring 4. While it may not look too different from the Gen 3 Horizon style, there are plenty of improvements underneath that make it a worthy upgrade. Thanks to a new all-titanium design, upgraded sensors, and a new Smart Sensing technology, the Oura Ring 4 is more accurate than its predecessor.

Improvements to automatic activity detection allow the ring to monitor heart rate, too. Instead of the five exercises you can manually track, this increases the number of activities with heart rate monitoring to about 40.

There have also been improvements to stress monitoring, menstrual tracking, and battery life. The ring can last up to eight days on a single charge, which isn't the longest battery life we've seen on a smart ring, but it's still impressive.

With this comes an improved app experience, with a new UI and simpler navagation. There's also a new timeline feature that will provide a glanceable view of your day, such as your automatically tracked activities and other entries you can manually input. For Android users, Oura is finally launching its Labs experience, which allows users to try new features like the AI advisor and meal tracking.

The Oura Ring 4 is available for preorder and will ship on October 15. It starts at $349, depending on the color, and comes in sizes from 4 to 15.

One UI 7 is coming later than expected

Read more here.

The wait for Android 15 continues, and it looks like Samsung owners will have to wait longer this time around for their update to arrive. This week at SDC 2024, Samsung revealed that the One UI 7 update will arrive alongside the Galaxy S25 series, meaning we can expect it sometime in early 2025.

It seems like quite a delay compared to recent years, with Samsung pushing major Android updates before the year's end. Android 14, for example, started rolling out on Samsung phones in October 2023, not long after Pixel's got the update.

It's not clear why Samsung is pushing the update back, but the company did show off One UI 7 during its developer conference, revealing the many visual changes coming with the update. For example, there will be a separation between the notification shade and the quick settings panel, which will show up depending on which side of the phone you swipe down from. There are also some changes that make it easier to use phones with one hand, such as the placement of the search bar in the app drawer at the bottom of the display.

But while we have to wait longer for stable One UI 7, Samsung also revealed that the beta will be available before the end of the year, meaning there will still be a chance to try it out before it reaches everyone. We hope you're patient!

Android 16 "Baklava"

Read more here.

Android 15 isn't even out yet, but we're already getting some information about the next version of the OS. Android Authority dove into some code and revealed that Google may be changing up the Android codename a bit by starting back at the beginning of the alphabet, giving Android 16 the codename "Baklava."

While it sticks to the dessert theme, Android 15 is codenamed "Vanilla Ice Cream," meaning we would still have a few letters left before having gone through the full alphabet, more or less.

But beyond the new codename, Android Authority also discovered references to the Android 16 release window, which may point to the update launching in Q2 of 2025. If this is the case, it would be much easier than normal, as major Android releases usually roll out in the second half of the year. Android 15 is already seemingly behind schedule a bit, so it would be quite surprising if Google pushed Android 16 in the Spring, although it would coincide with Google I/O.

And given Samsung's delayed Android 15 update, it would mean the company would have some catching up to do. For now, we'll have to wait and see if this release window pans out.

An Inconvenient Outage

Read more here.

This week, in the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation, Verizon experienced a massive outage that left many people without cell service for nearly an entire day. Problems started around 10 a.m. ET, with Verizon addressing the outage on its official X account hours later, stating that it was working on identifying and fixing the issue.

Hours after that, Verizon said its engineers were making progress on restoring its network, which was eventually fully restored just after 7 p.m. that same day.

The outage came at a very inconvenient time, as many people on the East Coast were no doubt relying on the network to contact emergency services or their loved ones in the aftermath of the hurricane.

Fortunately, as Android Central's Jerry Hildenbrand pointed out, there were other options affected users could rely on, such as "disaster roaming" and even satellite communication on phones that support the feature. However, he stressed that these features were more important than ever in times like this, and hopefully we'll see more phones support satellite communication.

New Chromebooks and ChromeOS features

Read more here.

On Tuesday (Oct. 1), Google unveiled two new Chromebooks, including a detachable from Lenovo and a Chromebook Plus model from Samsung. Android Central's Andrew Myrick went hands-on with both.

The new Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 features an 11-inch display 2K display and comes with a keyboard/kickstand combination. It's powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 838 chip, which unfortunately makes it ineligible for the Chromebook Plus branding but comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Still, users should have plenty of power to work with, and the device will be available this month starting at $349.

Samsung's new Galaxy Chromebook Plus is a bit more on the high-end side, powered by an Intel Core 3 100U with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The device features a 15.6-inch OLED and is touted as the "thinnest Chromebook Plus ever." The laptop is the first to feature Google's new Quick Insert Key, which opens a drop-down menu with access to various tools such as Help Me Write. And while this new key is currently only available on Samsung's new laptop, others will be able to access the functionality using the Launcher Key + F shortcut.

The Galaxy Chromebook Plus will be available in October for $799.

Lastly, Google announced several new features heading to ChromeOS machines, including an on-screen "Chat with Gemini" button, a "Welcome Recap" screen that will offer suggestions on what users should do based on their last session, a new Focus mode, and more. Acer Chromebook models will pick up a number of new AI features, followed by other Chromebook machines in the coming months.

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• The new Motorola ThinkPhone 25 is all business, comes with five years of updates
• Motorola's new Moto G phone now has 'military-grade' toughness and an IP68 rating
• Google could give its Phone app a fresh coat of Apple-inspired paint
• Google is making Gemini Nano available for all Android apps
• The OnePlus 13 display may have just been officially revealed
• Netflix and Disney Plus are on a password-sharing crackdown, and families are feeling the pinch
• Google Messages might add a special folder for annoying international texts
• Galaxy S10 phones bricked by recent update, Samsung quickly offers a fix
• OnePlus can't catch a break as more problems seem to arise in Germany
• Pixel 9a renders might shock you with the lack of this iconic design element
  

Although we've seen a few Chromebooks released over the course of the year, there haven't been any major announcements since the spring. That's no longer the case, as we're getting not one but two new and exciting Chromebooks. 

These devices were announced alongside a slew of new changes slated to arrive on ChromeOS in the coming weeks and months. Thankfully, I was able to spend some time with the new Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11" and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and I am here to share some thoughts about my experience.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11

In 2020, Lenovo released the original Chromebook Duet, a ChromeOS tablet that endeared itself to many. This remained true until its successor was introduced with the Chromebook Duet 3, which launched in 2022. It too became an instant fan-favorite, offering improvements across the board.

Fast-forward to now, and Lenovo is back again with the Chromebook Duet 11. Unlike the jump between the original Duet and the Duet 3, the changes this time around are much more subtle. For one, there's no Duet 5 successor to speak of, which comes as a bit of a surprise but seemingly proves that the masses prefer smaller tablets.

Notably, Google pointed out that the Duet is the "best-selling Chromebook of all time," which is downright impressive. Needless to say, it's safe to assume Lenovo and Google hope the new Duet 11 continues to sell like hotcakes.

If you're wondering about specs, we've got you covered:

After spending some time with the Duet 11, I have a feeling that Lenovo has another winner on its hands. The design is fairly similar to the Duet 3, with a few key differences. The first thing that I noticed, besides what was on the screen, was that Lenovo rearranged the ports with the Duet 11.

There's still a USB-C port on the left, but this is now joined by the 3.5mm headphone jack, something that was a surprising omission from the Duet 3. Lenovo also moved the USB-C port on the right side to the top of the Duet 11, likely just in an attempt to make plugging in USB-C hubs or other peripherals more accessible.

Another change that surprised me comes in the form of the new physical privacy switch at the top. This is one feature that has become a bit of a mainstay with "traditional" Chromebooks, so it's a nice surprise to see it land on the Duet 11.

If you decide to pick up the Duet 11 for yourself, you'll be happy to know that Lenovo includes its Case with Keyboard and Kickstand. This makes it much easier to start using out of the box, but the same can't be said about Lenovo's stylus.

The Chromebook Duet 11 is USI 2.0 compliant, and thankfully, we don't have to worry about any issues like we saw with the Duet 3. However, I can't help but feel as though Lenovo missed an opportunity by not including the stylus in the box. Instead, you'll either have to pick one up for yourself or rely on one that you already have.

One area of improvement that was pointed out is that palm rejection has been greatly improved when writing or drawing on the Duet 11. Apparently, some of this is being done on the OS level, meaning that the ML model changes should offer improvements to all Chromebooks featuring stylus support.

It's also worth noting that Google is partnering with Goodnotes, as you'll be able to get a three-month subscription to the app for free. Adding even more credence to the idea that Lenovo should have included a stylus in the box.

Nevertheless, I'm still happy to see the Case with Keyboard and Kickstand comes in the box, while also offering a slight redesign compared to the Duet 3's combo. Notably, Lenovo ditched the fabric finish from the previous version, opting instead for a rubber/silicone texture.

The keyboard has not changed much. Lenovo uses a mechanical trackpad and chiclet-style keys. The typing experience is still one of my favorites, even if it lacks the changes offered by the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.

As for the Kickstand, there's been a tweak to the design in an attempt to make the Duet a bit more functional. Along with being used to prop up the tablet in your lap or on a desk in a horizontal orientation, you can also adjust the kickstand and use the Duet 11 vertically. It's not exactly the most dramatic change, but it is definitely a quality-of-life improvement.

Speaking of which, if you do decide to pick up Lenovo's USI 2.0 stylus pen, it still magnetically attaches to the back of the Duet 11. Lenovo also tweaked the stylus cutout on the back shell to try to keep the stylus from accidentally falling off when sliding the Duet 11 in and out of your bag.

I didn't realize this until later, but I am kind of disappointed that the Duet 11 doesn't fall under the Chromebook Plus umbrella. The obvious reason is because of Lenovo's decision to rely on the Kompanio 838, as opposed to an Intel or AMD chip. Besides that, the Duet 11 has everything else needed to meet the minimum hardware specs for Chromebook Plus.

That's not to say that the Duet 11 won't be performant, but it will miss out on some of the new Chromebook Plus features that were also announced. On the bright side, Google is bringing more and more features to non-Plus models, which is great for not only the Duet 11 but all Chromebook owners.

Pricing for the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 comes in at $349, and it will be available sometime this month.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Arguably the more exciting announcement to come is that Samsung is getting back into Chromebooks in a big way. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is finally official, bringing with it a few major changes and features that aim to put it above the rest. 

Starting off, this is being touted as the "thinnest Chromebook Plus ever," as it's just 11.8mm thick. Another benefit of this is that the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is also incredibly light, weighing just 2.58 pounds. 

When hearing these numbers, the first thing that came to mind was whether there would be keyboard (or deck) flex to contend with. I'm happy to say that this won't be an issue for anyone. Even when holding it with my index finger and thumb in one corner and the laptop open, there wasn't any discernible flex. 

It's great to see, as that is usually one sticking point with quite a few different Chromebook models. But I'm happy to see that Samsung managed to work some magic to squash any potential concerns. 

Part of the reason why I was worried about the potential for deck flex is that the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is packing a 15.6-inch OLED display. With larger laptops, there's usually a compromise to be made somewhere, but I didn't get the same feeling in my time with Samsung's upcoming offering.

The display itself looks just as crisp and clean as you would expect from a premium Samsung product. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same panel that the company used with the Galaxy Book 4 360.

In terms of performance, I don't see very many issues, as the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is powered by the Intel Core 3 100U. This is part of Intel's Raptor Lake series, which seems to perform quite well on Windows, so I surmise the same will be true with ChromeOS. 

Paired with the Core 3 100U, Samsung includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which again should be fine for the majority of people. My biggest sticking point is that it seems Samsung is only offering a single configuration. So if you want more RAM and/or more storage, you're just out of luck. 

Along with being the "thinnest," the Galaxy Chromebook Plus also takes home the distinction of being "the first" in another major way. Much like we saw earlier this year when Microsoft mandated a Copilot key for Windows laptops, Google is now introducing a new Quick Insert key. 

However, instead of being used to invoke Copilot or Gemini, pushing the Quick Insert key will bring up a drop-down menu on your screen. From here, you can access a variety of different tools and features. These include things like Help Me Write and other Gemini-powered features. But it doesn't stop there, as you can view your browsing history, look for a specific file in Google Drive, or just insert an emoji.

I would argue that an even more important benefit is that the Quick Insert menu isn't confined to just being available with Google's apps. It's been integrated at the OS level, meaning that you can take advantage of it regardless of what you're currently doing.

Seeing as I have a tendency to switch between windows full of a variety of tabs, I can't wait to get my hands on the Galaxy Chromebook Plus to put the Quick Insert key to the test. You might be wondering whether this is coming to other Chromebook models, and there's both good news and bad. 

The "bad" news is that the Quick Insert key will only be available with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus for now. The good news is actually twofold: Google has confirmed that the Quick Insert key will be available on future Chromebook Plus models. 

If you're feeling a bit left out, don't. The Quick Insert menu will appear when using the Launcher Key + F keyboard combination. Part of what makes this so exciting is that even though you might not have the fancy new Quick Insert key, Google is still implementing a brand-new feature in a way that everyone can enjoy. 

In recent years, we've seen varying examples of what a premium Chromebook looks like. HP held that title with the likes of the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. However, with HP seemingly bowing out of the high-end market, this opens the door for some competition. 

Acer and ASUS are already there with the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip. However, there's no such thing as not enough options, and Samsung's re-entry into the space with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus comes at the perfect time.  

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus comes in at $699, and it will also be available sometime this month.

A lot to be excited about

The Chromebook space has been fairly quiet as of late, but there's no denying that the year is ending with a bang. We finally have a refreshed model of the best ChromeOS tablet with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11. Meanwhile, it seems as though Samsung is looking to redefine the term "premium Chromebook" with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. 

That doesn't even account for the influx of new and exciting features that are coming to ChromeOS across the board, regardless of whether you have a "regular" Chromebook or a Chromebook Plus. Keep your eyes peeled for more Chromebook content, as I hope to get both of these devices in for review just in time for the 2024 holiday shopping season. 

• Chromebook Deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Lenovo | HP| Amazon

What you need to know

• Google highlighted the launch of two new Chromebooks from Samsung and Lenovo.
• Samsung's new Galaxy Chromebook Plus delivers a 15.6-inch display and several Gemini features while Lenovo's Duet 11" offers portability and notetaking features.
• Existing Chromebooks will be treated to a massive ChromeOS update in October, bringing "Chat with Gemini" and more.
• Both laptops will be available in October.

Today (Oct 1), Google announced the launch of a new Chromebook Plus and a compact Chromebook from Lenovo, meaning your quest for the best Chromebook just got a little more complicated.

The first of today's debuts is the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, a new laptop offering a 15.6-inch OLED display with an "ultra-portable, thin" design. The laptop weighs 2.5 lbs and is less than an inch thick, coming in at 11.8mm.

Samsung's latest Galaxy Chromebook Plus equips a "Quick Insert" button on its keyboard. Google states the key can deliver "instant help where you need it" if you're trying to add a link somewhere or sending an emoji/GIF. Hitting the Quick Insert key will produce a menu on the Chromebook Plus, giving you access to "Help me write" from Gemini.

Additionally, users will find a comprehensive list of sites you've recently visited, your Google Drive information, and "tactical tools" for calculations, unit conversion, dates, and more.

While the Quick Insert key is unique and exclusive to Samsung's new Galaxy Chromebook Plus, Google states other laptops will gain it differently. "In the future," existing Chromebook users can use the Launcher Key + F shortcut to access Quick Insert's menu.

Internally, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus can offer an estimated 13 hours on a full charge. The Intel Core 3 100U Raptor Lake-R powers its processing and computing methods. Additionally, users will have 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS storage to handle all their data.

Aside from Gemini's "help me write" tools, the latest Chromebook Plus is picking up a host of other AI features, such as "help me read." The latter will assist users by summarizing PDFs and articles when right-clicked. Google states users can ask the AI a "follow-up" about what it summarized for extra context.

Live Translate makes its way to the laptop and is usable in Zoom meetings, YouTube livestreams, and video files. This feature supports over 100 languages and will be available once you unwrap the computer. The Chromebook Plus is also picking up the Pixel series' Recorder app. Google states this AI-powered tool can help transcribe conversations alongside speaker labels.

Lastly, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus includes a few video calling improvements, beginning with its studio-style mic. This is said to upgrade the clarity of your voice while the "built-in appearance effects" adjust your lighting to ensure you look just as crispy as you sound.

Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook Plus will be available on the market in October.

The second model to debut is Lenovo's new Chromebook Duet with an 11-inch display. The laptop's screen comes in at 2K resolution, narrow bezels, and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Internally, the laptop packs MediaTek's Kompanio 838 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

Lenovo's latest Chromebook features a spill-proof chassis, so you don't have to worry about that morning (or afternoon) coffee. The back of the laptop features an 8MP camera while the front delivers a 5MP lens.

This laptop separates itself from the Chromebook Plus by doubling down on portability and notetaking with Lenovo's USI Pen 2 (available separately). Enhancing your handwriting is the computer's palm rejection model, which is said to help you "sketch with precision."

Users can pick up the Chromebook Duet 11" in October. Moreover, users can grab three months of Goodnotes and free digital stationary "later this month" on all stylus-supported devices.

Existing Chromebooks are preparing to receive some extra updates in October, as well. AI leads the charge, and the company states Chromebooks will gain "Chat with Gemini." The AI model will be pinned "to the shelf of every Chromebook" so you won't have to visit its web-based app.

Returning to your Chromebook will produce its new "Welcome Recap" screen. Upon logging in, users will see an "overview" of what they were last doing and "suggestions" for where to continue. Google states the software may suggest that you finish your work or a reminder about a video call.

"Focus" helps users put their heads down and finish the job quickly instead of procrastinating. The feature can also activate DND (do not disturb). Additionally, users can pin important files to their home screen (Chromebook shelf).

What's more, consumers purchasing a new Chromebook will receive Google One AI Premium for free for three months. Google Gemini Advanced, 2TB of storage, and access to Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and more are included.

Several of Acer's Plus edition Chromebooks will also pick up AI features like "Chat with Gemini," Live Translate, "Help me read," and more. Google highlighted several of Acer's Chromebooks (and models) that will pick up Chrome Plus features through M129 and M130:

• Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CP714-1H/CP714-1HN, CPE794-1/CPE794-1N)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (CP714-2WN, CP714-1WN)
• Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (CBG516-2H)
• Acer Chromebook 516 GE (CBG516-1H)
• Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H, CB515-2HT)
• Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 (CBE595-2/CBE595-2T)
• Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-4HN, CPE594-1N, CPE594-1N)
• Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-3H, CB514-3HT, CB514-4H, CB514-4HT)
• Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-3H, CP514-3HH, CP514-3WH)
• Acer Chromebook Vero 514 (CBV514-1H, CBV514-1HT)

Although we've already received the above list of compatible Acer Chromebooks, the fun doesn't stop there. Many of the features introduced will be making their way to either Chromebook or Chromebook Plus models over the next month or two. 

Whether you're ready to upgrade to a new Chromebook, or just picked one up, there's plenty to be excited about. Not to mention that we expect these to be available ahead of the 2024 holiday shopping season, even if they aren't ready in time for the upcoming "Prime Big Deal Days" promotion. 

• Chromebook Deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Lenovo | HP| Amazon

Budget Android tablets are great devices when you need a large screen for catching up on your favorite shows on the go or at home. It's even better when you can find a great deal on them, like this Lenovo tablet. As part of the Amazon Prime Day sale, which ends tonight, you can snag the Lenovo Tab M9 (2023) for just $109.99, which is a whopping 27% drop from its regular price of $149.99. Plus, a folio case is included in the price, which is otherwise an optional accessory. 

It's one of our best cheap Android tablet picks if you're looking for tablet that's lightweight and relatively compact. The processor is decent enough to drive all your basic apps, and the LCD display is slightly larger compared to the previous model. 

•  Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial: Most deals are Prime-exclusive 

✅Recommended if: You need a headphone jack on a cheap and light tablet; your priority is casual media consumption. 

❌Skip this deal if: You need the latest Android software; you want to play heavy 3D games. 

The Lenovo Tab M9 (2023) is one of the best Android tablets if you want something not too large, but larger than your phone's display. It launched with Android 12 but it's upgradeable to Android 13, and is supposed to get three years of security updates. It only comes in one color, Arctic Grey. It doesn't look bland or drab as most  tablets in this segment do, thanks to a dual-texture finish for the back panel. 

This is the variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage, but there is a microSD card slot for expanding the storage. The Tab M9 (2023) features stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, a Type-C port, dual-band Wi-Fi ac, and Bluetooth 5.1. It's powered by the MeidaTek Helio G80 SoC, which should provide adequate performance for basic tasks. The rear 8MP camera has autofocus, so you can use it for scanning documents or performing visual serach queries via Google Lens. 

We've got you covered on all the great Prime Day tablet deals, so don't forget to check them out. 

When Prime Day rolls out around every year, you can't help but think of all the Lenovo tablet deals you can get your hands on. This year is no different, and there are various deals you can grab, such as a 26% discount on the Lenovo Tab P11 tablet. The tablet also comes with an Amazon Music offer and a four-and-a-half-star rating. 

You can use two apps simultaneously on the 11.5-inch display while you think of the cash you just saved.

• Check out our guide to the best Android tablet deals of Prime Day 2024

✅Recommended if: You're looking for a tablet for which you won't be doing heavy gaming or tasks that will require a high demand for the tablet's memory, processing power, or battery.

❌Skip this deal if: You need a tablet with a powerful processor for high-demand tasks such as heavy gaming and multi-tasking with several open apps. It's also best to skip the deal if you need a powerful camera and need one with the latest Android version and the promise of several additional updates.

I've used a Lenovo tablet in the past, and I have to admit that I have become one of the brand's happy customers. I was never tempted to return my tablet, and hopefully, you won't be either. So, if you're looking for your first Android tablet for light everyday use, such as web browsing, sending emails, and some light gaming, this might be the offer you're looking for.

The Amazon Prime Day sale runs today through tomorrow evening, but if you simply want a straightforward couch companion with a smooth 120Hz display, 10 hours of battery life, and decent quad speakers, this might just be the deal for you. 

What you need to know

• Lenovo and Motorola are facing a sales ban in Germany for devices with WWAN modules due to patent infringement.
• The ban came after a Munich court ruled in favor of InterDigital, which claims Lenovo infringed on its WWAN patents.
• The ban affects Motorola phones, including the Edge 50 series, and some Lenovo laptops, but not earbuds and chargers.

Lenovo and its subsidiary Motorola are in hot water in Germany after a court banned sales of their devices with modules that are key for mobile internet.

The sales ban in Germany comes after Lenovo was found guilty of infringing on InterDigital's patents for Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) modules. In early May, InterDigital won an injunction against Lenovo, and on May 8, a Munich court enforced the sales ban after InterDigital posted a four million euro security deposit, as per a WirtschaftsWoche report (via GSMArena).

Consequently, Motorola pulled all its smartphones from its German website after the court ruling. Apparently, the ban hits any Motorola phone, including the new Motorola Edge 50 series, along with some Lenovo laptops that use WWAN. The company's earbuds and chargers are still good to go, though.

Speaking of Lenovo laptops, the company's website says some models with internet connectivity won't be restocked once they sell out.

Android Central has reached out to Lenovo for a statement and will update the article soon. Meanwhile, Lenovo told T3 that it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.

The patent dispute is over a special kind of technology that's supposed to be available to everyone for a fair price. Basically, the company that owns it (InterDigital) can't charge an arm and a leg for it. However, Lenovo might not be happy with the price InterDigital is asking.

On the other hand, the court thinks Lenovo isn't being fair with InterDigital about the licensing terms. Lenovo argues that InterDigital is asking for way too much money, but the court disagrees.

For now, third-party retailers can still sell Motorola phones and Lenovo laptops until their current stock runs out. After that, they'll have to wait for the patent dispute to be settled before they can restock and continue sales.

This isn't the first time phone companies have gotten into trouble over patents in Europe. A couple of years ago, OPPO and OnePlus phones were pulled from several EU countries after a legal battle with Nokia. They eventually worked things out, so hopefully that's what happens here too.

Over the past 10-15 years, we've been seeing the slow decline of smaller devices in favor of ones with larger screens. "Bigger is better" is the motto that many companies now live by, and the same sentiment rings true with tablets. There are a few exceptions, such as Apple's iPad Mini, but in most cases, if you want the best tablet experience, especially on Android, it's big screen or bust.

One could surmise that the desire to use tablets as laptop replacements has led to larger and more obnoxious screen sizes. Unfortunately, there are still compromises to be found even with the best tablets. I mean, it's absurd to me that Samsung doesn't offer the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with cellular connectivity. That's reserved for the Tab S9 Plus, which is fine, but the Ultra is easily more of a laptop replacement than the Plus. 

For the most part, if a tablet is released and is smaller than ten inches, it probably features middling or laughable specs. This wasn't always the case, as the Nexus 7 from 2013 and the Galaxy Tab S3 from 2017 were both flagship tablets with sub-10-inch screens. 

Nowadays, a tablet larger than 10 inches usually means that it's a flagship tablet with more power and better screens. There are obvious exceptions to this rule, such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 FE and FE Plus, which are both above my made-up size threshold while using Exynos chips.

I've often wondered why this is the case, especially as flagship processors continue to get more efficient while still providing plenty of power. Take the Lenovo Y700, for example. It was released in China last year and offers an 8.8-inch display and a 2560 x 1600 resolution. Powering the Y700 is the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM.

Lenovo recently announced a refreshed model (Legion Tab) that keeps the same internals but swaps out the glossy display for a "micro-nano etched" glass. From everything that I've seen, it seems pretty similar to the etched glass found on the higher-end Steam Deck configurations. For what it's worth, this aims to minimize the glare without compromising the quality of the display.

Yes, I'm also aware that the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is an outdated chip, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 now powers many of the best Android phones. But, I would argue that there's still space in the market for tablets that bridge the gap between budget and flagship.

For reference, the Legion Tab is priced at €599, which translates to almost $640. Without accounting for any deals or trade-in promotions, the Tab S9 FE Plus retails for $600 but isn't exactly the ideal couch-surfing tablet. For an extra $40, I'd rather go with the Legion Tab, even if it lacks the extra software polish and features found in One UI.

You might be wondering why I'm complaining about this as a faithful believer in foldable phones. But, the recent launch of the Razer Kishi Ultra and its marketed compatibility with the 8.3-inch iPad Mini made me realize that there isn't really an equivalent on the Android side.

I also understand that the iPad Mini isn't technically a flagship tablet and hasn't been updated in more than two years. However, it still sets the bar for tablets in this form factor, even offering 5G connectivity to complement the reliability of iPadOS, and I think we need a similar device in the Android space.

One thing that I am surprised about is that Samsung hasn't tried to do this. The company seems content with refreshing its flagship lineup every year or two, then sprinkling in a few random mid-range and budget devices in between. And for whatever reason, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite keeps getting a spec bump every couple of years.

I've come to realize that while foldable phones are incredible, there are situations where a dedicated device just works better. This is partially why Samsung DeX hasn't replaced all of my computing needs, despite being quite convenient when the situation arises. Another example is when I reach for a dedicated gaming handheld as opposed to just firing up Steam Link or Moonlight on the OnePlus Open and streaming games from my PC.

A small-ish tablet that can get close to, if not match, the performance of my phone is something that I hope more companies explore. I mean, let's be honest here. The tablet market is already fragmented like crazy, so what's wrong with throwing in another wrench?

Unfortunately, I don't think Samsung or any other company will actually end up venturing down this path. Lenovo's Y700 was only available in China, and the Legion Tab is expected to launch only in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We haven't heard anything about a potential release in North America, but I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

What you need to know

• Meta Horizon OS is an open-source VR software system designed for third-party VR headsets.
• ASUS ROG will make a "all-new performance gaming headset" running Meta Horizon OS, while Lenovo will make a productivity headset.
• Meta and Microsoft are teaming up on a "limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox."
• Meta is going all-in on its own software after failing to partner with Google to bring Android apps to Quest headsets.

Meta Quest is going open-source. Meta Horizon OS, the rebranded name for the spatial software behind the Quest 3, is being lent out to partners like ASUS Republic of Gamers, Lenovo, and Xbox to make their own spin-off versions of VR headsets with Quest games and apps.

Meta will share popular Quest features like inside-out tracking, passthrough and room scanning for mixed reality, and the Meta Quest Store of hundreds of Quest games — now renamed the "Meta Horizon Store."

Mark Zuckerberg, who announced the news on Instagram, called this an update to the "metaverse" and said Meta is "partnering" with the brands above for their new headsets.

After Meta and Google failed to come to terms about bringing Android to Quest headsets, Meta is essentially trying to become Android, with Quest headsets as the stock Pixels of the VR world and other brands taking on specific niches like power gaming or productivity.

Meta's blog post announcement explains that ASUS ROG, for instance, will make an "all-new performance gaming headset." Just as the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is the fastest Android phone on the market, the unnamed ASUS Quest spin-off could be the fastest VR headset for gaming, with access to both Quest games and Air Link for PC VR. 

"With Meta Horizon OS, ASUS and Republic of Gamers will build the gaming headset of the next generation," says ASUS co-CEO S.Y. Hsu.

Lenovo, which helped Meta design the hardware for the Oculus Rift S, will make its own "mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment." This would presumably compete with the Apple Vision Pro and have similar features to the upcoming Quest Pro 2.

The splashiest news is that Meta and Xbox are making a "limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox." We assume it'll make Xbox Cloud Gaming the default app so you can stream Xbox games right away, but we don't know what other Xbox-themed features or console UI changes will come to the headset. We've asked Meta for more information and will update if we hear back.

Aside from offering the same Quest games, software, and UI, these headsets will use the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 (or XR2+) as the Meta Quest 3. So whatever Meta's partners call their headsets, they will be Quest 3 spin-offs in most respects. 

Meta, which has historically struggled to get app developers to buy into the Quest ecosystem, is using the Meta Horizon OS rebrand to tempt mobile developers onto the platform. 

"We're also developing a new spatial app framework that helps mobile developers create mixed reality experiences. Developers will be able to use the tools they’re already familiar with to bring their mobile apps to Meta Horizon OS," the post reads.

We'll have to wait and see whether the Meta Horizon OS rebranding pays off, and if they can successfully supplant Android XR as the ecosystem of choice for VR hardware makers. 

How will this succeed where Google Daydream failed

In early March, I talked about how Google abandoned VR years ago in my weekly ThVRsday column. Daydream was supposed to be the first major standalone VR operating system, as it was built on Android to help companies easily implement it into their own VR hardware. Like Android, it offered a unified app store and a basic set of capabilities to make VR development easier.

However, a problem happened just three years after its announcement: Google abandoned it. Google is infamous for abandoning products, and while it sometimes makes sense, few companies have a products and services graveyard as big as Google. The KilledByGoogle website proves that.

Ironically, the year Google killed off Daydream was the same year Meta launched the original Oculus Quest. As we now know, Meta's strategy of launching standalone headsets and shifting its focus was the right move.

If Meta has done anything right over the past 10 years since it acquired the Oculus brand, it's supporting its hardware. While dedicated Rift hardware is no longer supported — most of it launched at least half a decade ago now anyway — Quest hardware has been supported in ways that even smartphones would be jealous of.

Every single month, Meta delivers a new software update that brings new features to its headsets and even sometimes upgrades them. Not only that, but the original Oculus Quest is only just now being sent out to pasture five years after its release. That substantial because the Quest 2 sold at least 20x the number of headsets of the original Quest, yet, Meta kept supporting and updating it throughout that time.

What's not immediately clear is how well third parties will keep their headsets updated. Will this be similar to Android, where companies are responsible for their own headset updates? Or will this be more like Windows, where Microsoft updates the OS and the hardware has separate drivers?

Android Central has contacted Meta for answers to these questions and more, but they did not get back to us in time for publication. We will update the article once we have more information.

If nothing, Meta's penchant for keeping its OS regularly and quickly updated bodes well for the future of third-party headsets from companies like Lenovo, ASUS ROG, and Microsoft Xbox.

Plus, it looks like Meta has listened to feedback and is working on fixing its app store. The company says it's "beginning the process of removing the barriers between the Meta Horizon Store and App Lab." Currently, the Meta Horizon Store is tightly curated but offers no explanation for why some apps make it to the "real" store while others are stuck in "App Lab limbo."

Meta says that App Lab titles will receive a dedicated section on the Meta Horizon Store on all Meta Horizon OS-powered devices. This has the potential to address the biggest issue with the Quest's struggles with VR developers, but it doesn't quite solve Meta's lack of 2D apps.

The Apple Vision Pro famously launched with hundreds of thousands of iOS apps available on day one. Meanwhile, only a few dozen 2D apps exist on the Meta Horizon Store.

While Meta and Google continue to bicker about Google Play Store access, Meta says its new initiative will help developers bring spatial apps to the platform. Developers "will be able to use the tools they're already familiar with to bring their mobile apps to Meta Horizon OS." Meta says it's trying to work with Google to bring the Play Store to the Meta Horizon platform, but so far, talks have fallen through.

Meanwhile, Google is expected to unveil Android XR at Google I/O 2024 in mid-May, powering the upcoming Samsung XR headset along with headsets from other partners. Android XR will ship with the Google Play Store, although it's not clear yet how Google plans to adapt existing 2D apps into "spatial apps," as they're called.

It won't be long now until we find out who does it better, but one thing is clear: competition is good for everyone, and the XR industry is about to see a massive influx of competing headsets and operating systems in a way we haven't seen since Apple redefined the smartphone experience.

Let's face it: tech conferences are like the Oscars for gadget geeks. We get dazzled by impossibly thin phones, screens that wrap around your wrist like origami masterpieces, and transparent laptops that look ripped straight out of a sci-fi flick. But here's the thing: most futuristic concepts never see the light of day.

Forget labeling everything with AI (Samsung even tried it with an SD card) for a minute, because you'll at least be able to buy those AI-powered average things with buzzword titles. We always see phones, laptops, and crazy wearables that will never be sold, even if someone really wants them to be.

Why do companies keep showing off these "concepts" if they have no intention of actually selling them? Buckle up because it's a mix of hype, testing the waters, and sometimes just showing off.

The hype machine is real. These concept phones generate a ton of buzz. News outlets go nuts, social media explodes, and suddenly, everyone's talking about Brand X's revolutionary new idea. It's free marketing, pure and simple. Even if a product never comes out, people might remember the brand, and that association with cutting-edge tech can be valuable.

Sometimes, these concept phones are like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Companies use them to gauge public interest in certain features. Remember phones with bendy screens that never happened? Those ideas turned into those curved edge displays we all hate but are also used in foldable phones. Crazy concepts can spark discussion and help companies identify what features consumers actually want and are a head-start when it comes to making them.

Finally, there's the ego factor. In the cutthroat world of tech, companies love flexing their muscles. Showing off a mind-blowing concept is a way of saying, "Look at what our amazing engineers can do!" It's a display of technical prowess, a way to one-up the competition.

So, what's the problem? Here's the thing: eventually, this strategy is going to backfire. When companies constantly dangle these impossible-to-acquire gadgets in front of us, it can leave us feeling frustrated and jaded. We get hyped for features that never materialize, and the phones that actually do hit the market can feel like a watered-down version of the original concept.

So, what should phone makers do instead?

Think about what we just saw at Mobile World Congress, specifically the two things every tech news website covered (including Android Central): a flexible, wearable, plastic phone from Motorola that can be worn as a bracelet and a laptop from Lenovo that has a transparent screen and a touch keyboard like the one on your phone.

You probably don't want a heavy phone acting like a bangle bracelet on your wrist. It's also going to get scratched, and as my colleague Michael Hicks points out, it's going to be a magnet for thieves who can statch it right off your wrist.

Likewise, a laptop with a transparent screen is a nightmare for anyone who uses a laptop. Everything behind the display will continue to glow, move, or otherwise be distracting plus everyone gets to see exactly what you're looking at and what you've typed. I won't even comment about the productivity of using a touchscreen keyboard.

There could be useful ideas that come from these concepts. Those are what Motorola and Lenovo should have shown us. Phone makers can (and will) do whatever they like, but I think there's a better way: focus on innovation that's actually achievable. 

Continue to experiment in a far-off lab to see if things like slap-bracelet wearable phones can be made, but show us products that are closer to things we can buy. Refine existing technology instead of chasing pipe dreams.

If an idea is something a company feels it has to show the world, be transparent about which features are concepts and which ones are coming to a phone near you. And maybe, just maybe, surprise us with a genuinely groundbreaking phone that actually lives up to the hype.

At the end of the day, we, the consumers, deserve better. We deserve phones that are innovative, yes, but also practical and, dare I say, real. Let's hope the tech world takes note and gets off the hype train before it derails completely.

What you need to know

• A new tablet from Lenovo has leaked with a 3K paper-like display, the specs of an Android tablet, and pen support.
• It's called the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display and has many of the same features that are on the standard Lenovo Tab P12. 
• It seems like Lenovo has content creation and consumption in mind for the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display, and this tablet is said to have impressive speakers.

Should you buy an e-reader or an Android tablet? Lenovo hopes to simplify this predicament with a unique hybrid device that combines the power and utility of an Android tablet with the paper-like display of an e-reader. It's called the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display, and Windows Report claims to have exclusive leaks of the device. 

Although the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display is rumored to be identical to the standard Lenovo Tab P12 in many ways, it has one key difference. As the name suggests, that differentiator is the matte display. It's a 12.7-inch display panel with a 3K resolution and a matte, paper-like finish. Those are all good things, but the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display is supposedly keeping a 60Hz refresh rate, unfortunately. 

The tablet is said to feature a thickness of 6.9mm and a weight that's a little over a pound. When the rear 8MP camera is factored in, that thickness bumps up to 8.42mm.

As for the general specs, the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 system-on-a-chip, which has eight cores. It has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage but supports expandable storage via the SD card slot. You can throw in a card with up to 1TB of storage inside the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display, so that should address any storage concerns. 

There definitely appear to be some pain points with the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display already. It's set to ship with Android 13, according to the spec sheet leaked by Windows Report. Though Android 14 and Android 15 updates are promised, and so are four years of security updates, it's disappointing. Additionally, the spec sheet says that the promised four years of security updates "until 2027," which seems contradictory. 

The USB-C port used for data and charging only supports USB 2.0 speeds, and that's a slight bummer as well. As for the battery, it has a 10,200 mAh capacity and is said to last up to nine hours. 

Lenovo seems to be positioning this tablet as a content creation and consumption device. The Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display, aside from the notable paper-like display, will have pen support and Dolby Atmos speakers firing from all four corners.

Right now, this is all unconfirmed, and there are no concrete pricing and availability details for the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display right now.

MWC 2024 is like a wonderland for tech nerds, and we can't help but want to point out all the interesting devices we saw at the show. Android Central's Nick Sutrich and Derrek Lee were present at the show, and while we already named the best of MWC 2024, there are some devices that are just so cool but didn't have any space on our list.

So, without further ado, here are some additional cool tech toys that we noticed at MWC 2024 that deserve some recognition.

TECNO Phantom Ultimate

Foldable phones are still taking off, but that's not stopping companies like TECNO from looking into a possible future where rollables dominate. The company showed off its concept Phantom Ultimate at MWC, which extends the display outward with the press of a button, giving it a more tablet-like size (although not exactly).

It doesn't get too big and really only extends about an inch or so, but it has a similar effect to a foldable phone, and it's roughly the size of a smaller foldable. The mechanism is also fairly quick, although I did encounter one unit that was having trouble opening. TECNO told us that if the phone detected any obstructions, it would keep itself from opening to protect the device.

When closed, the back of the phone has a long, vertical window that shows a sliver of the display, which could be ideal for notifications.

Overall, the device is pretty solid, and it feels like we could get a rollable phone on the market sooner rather than later. Of course, the price would likely be a concern, but TECNO is known for launching phones that undercut the competition by quite a bit, so if any company could introduce a fairly affordable rollable, it would be TECNO.

— Derrek Lee

Motorola Rizr

Motorola showed off a rather interesting device at MWC 2024 with its wearable Adaptive Display Concept, but we also got to play with another concept phone, the Motorola Rizr. The phone harkens back to the old 2006 model that slides up to reveal a keypad, except this model rolls up to reveal more display.

We got to see it in person last year, but my hands-on at MWC 2023 really brought home how cool this thing really is, even if it might be a little impractical in its current form.

When the display detracts, the phone is fairly short and stumpy, and the part that rolls into the back of the device can be used for selfies with the rear cameras. When the display is extended, it's about the size of a normal smartphone, but the top half of the display feels a bit vulnerable since there's really nothing behind it to act as support. The phone is also fairly thick, which is understandable since you need to fit so many mechanisms inside a small body.

The Rizr may have its faults, but I like that Motorola is sticking to the idea of foldables and rollables, minimizing our current phones instead of expanding them.

— Derrek Lee

Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop

We've seen transparent TVs before, courtesy of LG and Samsung, but Lenovo wants to take your computing experience to the next level with the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop.

As the name suggests, this laptop features a completely transparent OLED display and is a fully functioning Windows 11 machine. Any black colors show up fully transparent — remember, OLED pixels turn off when true black is displayed — and it looks pretty trippy to see right through your laptop's display instead of a black screen.

The keyboard is also fully glass for the concept, although Lenovo suggested that it probably wouldn't ship a proper consumer device with this sort of keyboard since it lacks the tactile feel Lenovo keyboards are so lauded for. This keyboard is also transparent and features capacitive touch keys, helping to keep the transparent aesthetics intact.

— Nick Sutrich

 TECNO Dynamic 1

Not to be confused with the Tekno, the Robotic Puppy, the TECNO Dynamic 1 is a robotic dog that seemed to come out of left field. The company had the well-designed robot on display at MWC, showing off its tricks and interacting with passer-byers. Not only does the Dynamic 1 look incredibly cool, but its movements are surprisingly quick and smooth. Watching it prance around, hop toward onlookers, and shake hands with anyone willing to, I couldn't help but be impressed with just how natural it seemed.

Dynamic 1 features a high-powered chipset with a series of sensors to help it detect its surroundings. It can be controlled with a smartphone, controller, or voice commands, and the 15,000mAh battery promises to keep it going for up to 90 minutes at a time. That may not seem like a lot, but considering everything going on here, it's actually fairly impressive, and I hope TECNO considers launching it as a commercial product.

Alright, let me snap out of it before this turns into an episode of "Black Mirror."

— Derrek Lee

OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition

There's fan service, and then there's the OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition. The special edition comes in an elaborate collectible gift box filled to the brim with things fans will love. The phone is stylized after the character Keqing, including a lovely lilac color and enchanting etchings into the back glass that actually sparkle and project her name in the light.

The collectible gift box contains a treasure trove of content, including chibi pins and stickers, acrylic character stands, a special charger and matching cable, a gorgeous matching phone case, and even a special SIM tray eject tool. The phone has a special boot-up animation, custom ringtones and notification tones, special icons, and plenty of other extras that fans will love.

And let's not forget that OnePlus actually tuned the phone specifically for Genshin Impact! The OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition runs Genshin Impact better and even loads warp points faster than some of the best Android phones, showing how console-like optimization can even help smartphones. Plus, it comes with background task enhancements that keep Genshin Impact running in the background along with 5 apps for up to 72 hours, so you can minimize Genshin, look up tutorials on YouTube or chat with your friends, and head back to the game without having to load it up again.

This special edition phone retails for ₹49999/€749/$649, which is hardly any more money than the standard edition of the phone. It's also got the same excellent internal specs and superb display as the standard OnePlus 12R, so you're not getting a lower-specced phone just because it's special-looking.

— Nick Sutrich

Doom (1993) on Husqvarna Automower NERA

It might sound cool to have a display on your fridge, robot lawn mower, or other smart appliance, but the real question is, "Can it run Doom?" This age-old question has been the crown jewel of geekdom for decades now, as fans are always willing to code a special edition of the classic shooter game to work on hardware it was never intended to run on.

The latest iteration of that concept comes from Husqvarna and is an official update for its robot lawnmowers, coming in April to customers who own a Husqvarna Automower NERA robotic lawnmower.

I got to check it out at MWC and was blown away at how well it works. The game fits perfectly on the display on the top of the lawn mower and can be played with the two buttons and rotating dial below the display. Players turn left or right with the dial, move forward with the top button, and shoot by clicking on the dial.

Husqvarna engineers had a great time with this one and even came up with a way to remotely connect lawnmowers, especially for MWC 2024. I played a round of deathmatch with the head engineer in charge of the project at the show and, admittedly, wasn't as good with this controller as he was. As he told me, this won't enhance your lawn mowing experience, but it sure is a great way to kill some time and show off something ridiculously cool to your friends in the process.

— Nick Sutrich

Every year, we're immediately inundated (and overwhelmed) with a slew of announcements that come courtesy of CES. Of the hundreds of announcements and device showcases, only a small number of them ever make it to the market. Usually, I try not to get my hopes up about the different products that are shown off, as I don't want to be let down when it's later revealed to be just a prototype.

However, Lenovo has been bucking that trend in recent years, and while there are a few things I'm looking forward to, there is one device that sticks out from the crowd. Lenovo introduced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, basically giving you a tablet with a detachable laptop keyboard. But, there's more to the story, as not only is this device running Android, but it's ALSO running Windows.

I mean, talk about the ultimate 2-in-1, giving you flexibility that you truly won't find anywhere else. This is achieved by integrating the Android hardware into the display, with all of the Windows hardware built into the keyboard deck. You can read more about it in our hands-on, but being able to switch between Android and Windows with the push of a button is just insane.

Of course, this got me thinking about how cool something like this would be to have for Android and ChromeOS. Yes, you can install Android apps on Chromebooks, but going the other way, many Android phones and tablets don't have a desktop-like experience. The obvious exception to this is the various Samsung phones and tablets that let you switch over to DeX mode when connected to an external display. Google is working on a similar experience, and who knows when, or even if, it'll ever actually show up. However, a feature like DeX makes an even more compelling argument for a device like this running Android.

Using an Android tablet isn't all that much of an issue if you have one with a smaller screen, similar to like what the Galaxy Tab A7 offers. But, it's a completely different story once you start using a tablet with a larger display, such as the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. The Android interface just doesn't adapt very well when it comes to larger devices, leaving a bunch of empty and unused space. 

However, DeX mode offers a desktop interface and frankly looks pretty darn similar to what you'll find on a Chromebook or Windows laptop. Not to mention that tablet mode on a convertible Chromebook ditches the desktop interface altogether, only presenting you with an app drawer view.

The tablet experience on ChromeOS isn't great, even if you get something like the Lenovo Duet 3 or Duet 5. It's even more cumbersome if you have one of the best Chromebooks with a convertible design, as the keyboard gets in the way. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid solves the latter issue, as you'll just detach the screen from the keyboard and get a traditional tablet.

What keeps blowing my mind is that there are two different sets of internal hardware with this hybrid device from Lenovo. The tablet is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and there's even a dedicated battery. When you want to switch over to Windows, you'll enjoy Intel's Core Ultra 7 SoC with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a discrete GPU.

One of the downsides to this approach is that the specs aren't shared between Windows and Android, which really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. It's two different systems built into a singular hybrid device, but it would've been incredible if somehow you could access files from one system when using the other, without having to switch. Baby steps.

The other downside is the more obvious one — price. Coming as little surprise, you're going to have to pony up some dough, as the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid will be priced at $1,999 when it hits the market. In the realm of laptops, that's a pretty steep price to pay, but, if you consider that this is both a rock-solid Android tablet AND an impressive Windows laptop, it's not that bad.

Admittedly, if there was going to be any company that would try and create a similar device, with ChromeOS instead of Windows, it would be Lenovo. I also won't be surprised if this is an avenue that has been explored, but it's probably just too expensive to turn into reality.

If such a device were to land amongst the best Chromebooks, it would probably have to be closer to the $999 mark. Unfortunately, we're probably at least a few years away from that being a viable option, not to mention that this might be just a "one-off" release for Lenovo with no other laptop makers following suit.

What you need to know

• The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is a combination Windows 11 laptop and Android 13 tablet. 
• You can switch between the two modes with a button press, with each OS using its own hardware.
• The Android tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
• The Windows laptop has an Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and discrete graphics. 

With CES tech, you never know whether a cool-sounding prototype will work in the real world. With Lenovo's new 2-in-1 Windows 11 laptop and Android 13 tablet hybrid, I had the chance to put it through its paces at a private event last month. One glaring issue aside, it seemed to fully live up to its potential, and I really want one for myself.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid has the form factor of a Surface Pro or Lenovo's own Chromebook Duet, with a detachable tablet magnetized to the keyboard. The difference is that it's not one device with different docked and undocked software. It's truly two devices in one: an Intel laptop and a 14-inch Snapdragon tablet. 

Why would someone buy a hybrid Windows/ Android laptop instead of both separately? The Lenovo engineers I spoke to suggested that it's tailor-made for frequent fliers who dislike having to pack both a laptop and tablet (or having to leave one behind).

Plus, of course, there's the benefit of getting both a high-quality laptop and a massive tablet for $1,999, when buying both separately might end up costing much more. 

You can see in the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid specs tablet below how each half of this hybrid functions entirely on its own. Both the "Hybrid Station" (aka the laptop) and Hybrid Tablet have their own CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, speakers, and battery. And in both cases, the hardware is pretty darn robust. 

On the Android side, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 falls between the Gen 2 found in the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and Gen 1 found in the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. A former flagship chip with 12GB of RAM to back it, it's now a couple of generations behind but still more than robust enough for most tablet software. For anything more advanced, well, that's what the Intel side is for!

Compared to the best Android tablets, you get a 14-inch, high-res display, Android 13 software with multitasking tricks, and an excellent attachable keyboard. Some specs like the 1W speakers aren't flagship-level — they match the size of Lenovo's $400 Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 — but in most respects, you have little to complain about.

The $1,199 Tab S9 Ultra and $349 keyboard cover add up to $1,548 total; you'd save $450 compared to the ThinkBook Plus and get better performance and software support, plus an S Pen. But put it another way: if you want a massive productivity tablet, would you spend an extra $500 to use Windows 11 instead of Samsung DeX, and get a far better Windows-style keyboard instead of Samsung's mediocre keyboard? I suspect plenty of people would say yes. 

Truly, my only real complaint is that the ThinkBook in tablet mode weighs 1.7 pounds, slightly heavier than the Tab S9 Ultra. Just like that tablet, the Gen 5 Hybrid isn't something you're going to want to hold for long. I can picture watching it in bed while it rests on my stomach or lap, but otherwise, this is going to need a flat surface and something to prop it up. 

The Lenovo team did show off an official "Universal Easel Stand," seen in the first photo above, which you can fold into a travel bag and then unfold out to prop up the ThinkBook. But in a case of refreshing honestly, the Lenovo reps admitted they're not the biggest fans of how big the easel is. They even claimed a TSA agent thought it looked like a weapon, making it an accessory you probably won't bring in your carry-on. 

Since you can't put a detachable tablet in a book cover keyboard without interfering with the magnet mechanism, I'm not sure there's another good way to keep it propped. It's something to keep in mind. 

As for the Windows side of things, I'll turn to my more-informed colleagues at Windows Central instead. Announced in December 2023, the Intel Core Ultra 7 has six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two low-power efficiency cores. According to WC's Daniel Rubino, this CPU puts a major emphasis on strong battery life, a cool-running processor, and a robust NPU for AI gains. 

Several well-known laptop lineups will use the Intel Core Ultra 7 in their 2024 models, like the Dell XPS 14 and Acer's Swift series. So in this case, you're getting a properly cutting-edge processor, which will probably matter more than a current-gen Snapdragon for serious productivity users. 

Backed by 32GB of memory, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid should offer some real power. Plus, it offers an Intel Arc GPU; Lenovo doesn't specify what model, and its reps seemed to suggest that its graphics might not compete with high-end Windows-only laptops. But I'm still happy that it will offer discrete graphics, not integrated. 

Lenovo's reps told me that its ThinkBook Plus lineup is all about experimentation. The ThinkBook Gen 4 had an e-ink display on the back, visible when you closed the main OLED display; the Gen 3 had a phone-sized touchscreen built into the laptop's bottom half, right next to the touchpad and keyboard. They were fun and bizarre concepts, ones that no one really asked for. 

I don't think anyone asked for a Windows/Android hybrid laptop, but the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid experiment looks like a more serious option this time around, one that consumers will find intriguing. And I'm impressed by the execution. 

Say you're working in Windows and want to switch to Android. There's a dedicated switch button on the keyboard; press it, and after a short stylized animation, you're right into stock Android 13 view, with a fully separate set of apps and tools. 

It's about as seamless as you could hope for, with minimal lag in my testing. You even know that the Windows side is waiting in stasis, ready to wake back up with another button press. You also switch to or from Android automatically if you yank the display away from the keyboard or reattach it.

I didn't get long with the ThinkBook Plus, but I found the performance reliably fast for either operating system, and I loved the OLED display. I'd say you should wait for a full review to be sure, since this is a unique and untested feature. But you have every reason to be optimistic. 

If you don't care at all about Windows, or about Android, then the 2-in-1 ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid isn't for you. But if you're the kind of person that wants flagship-quality specs for both, the ThinkBook Plus skirts the line and should theoretically save you money and desk space in the process. 

Lenovo says it will be available in Q2 2024 — between April and June — with "an expected starting price of $1,999." The Lenovo reps originally told me a lower number, which makes me wonder if they realized they had a winner on their hands and could charge more money for it. 

Regardless, I would trade my current Dell laptop for this funky hybrid in a second, for its versatility and the chance to access Android on my desk with a properly tactile keyboard — and no need to keep multiple devices charged at once. 

As I'm sitting down to reflect on everything that's happened in the past year, I feel as though this has been one of the wildest rides I've ever been on. We've seen the rapid decline of one of the most popular social media platforms, AI is rapidly taking over the world, and 2024 is already shaping up to be even wilder.

Originally, I was going to try and put these topics in a certain order, but, I ended up spending too much time going back and forth. Instead, I said, "forget it," and decided to go with the flow. So, without further adieu, these are my favorite things of 2023.

More foldables - OnePlus Open, Pixel Fold

I've been beating the foldable phone drum ever since I got my paws on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but my interest started to wane a bit. Mainly because Samsung has retained the same design for the past three years, and trying to import any of the cool foldables from overseas isn't exactly fiscally responsible. Thankfully, Google and OnePlus pulled me from the pits of despair, offering two similar, yet completely different, experiences.

For as long as I've been using foldable phones, I've been waiting for the day that Google would release one of its own. The Pixel Fold finally arrived, and I was able to get it on launch day, replacing my broken Galaxy Z Fold 4. It's pretty much everything I wanted from a Google foldable, but I also learned a few things about using non-Samsung foldable phones along the way.

The end of my daily use of the Pixel Fold came courtesy of OnePlus' foray into the market with the OnePlus Open. If you think the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is too narrow and the Pixel Fold is too wide, then the Open is the perfect middle ground. It continues to be the phone I reach for the most, thanks to the incredible cameras and a cover screen that feels more natural to use than the others.

Legion Go, Steam Deck OLED, and gaming handhelds galore

As of late, we've been doing a little bit more coverage in the way of gaming handhelds. This is simply because there are so many fantastic handhelds to choose from, and I'm not just talking about the Razer Edge or Logitech G Cloud. This year alone, Lenovo launched the Legion Go (a Windows handheld), Valve launched the Steam Deck OLED, ASUS came swinging with the ROG Ally, and countless other handhelds were released.

That's not to mention the likes of the Ayaneo Pocket AIR, AYN Odin 2, Retroid Pocket 2S Plus, Anbernic RG35XX Plus, Pimax Portal, and so many more. All of these run some version of Android, making it so you can either load up your favorite emulators or just install the best Android games. All without needing to worry about physically connecting a controller to your phone and worrying about battery life.

Honestly, these gaming handhelds have replaced mechanical keyboards as my current obsession. I just can't get enough, and following Ayaneo's announcement of the Pocket S, I couldn't be more excited to see how much more powerful these handhelds can get.

Framework

Something that I've come to learn in 2023 is that the inner tinkerer didn't actually disappear. I've started spending more and more time outside of Apple's walled gardens and fell right into the arms of Framework. The single Chromebook that I've kept coming back to over the past year is the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition, but it's gone beyond that.

I'm currently working on either getting a new Framework Laptop or Mainboard. The reason for this has to do with the new Framework Chromebox that I built using the Framework Chromebook's Mainboard and the Cooler Master Mainboard Case. Trying to figure out why I couldn't get it to work ended up taking me down a deep rabbit hole, but when I came out on the other side, it was so refreshing and exciting.

Despite having a MacBook Pro using Apple's M2 Max chip and understanding how much more powerful and efficient it is, I can't help but be frustrated. Nothing about the MacBook is replaceable, so instead, I'm trying to "future-proof" myself a bit by moving to Framework. Because I could write about Framework forever, just head over to my Framework Chromebox piece if you want to know more about why I'm moving away from Apple in some regards.

Chromebooks continue to get better

After years of being stuck in what felt like purgatory, Chromebooks have been thrust into the limelight. While I'd like to sit here and gush about the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Spin 714, and Framework, this isn't the place for that.

Google continued to show its commitment to the platform with the announcement of the Chromebook Plus initiative. Not only does this provide a set of guidelines for Chromebook makers, but it also opens the door for even more useful and exciting features down the line. Google also did the right thing and brought Chromebook Plus features to "older" devices, meaning that as long as the requirements are met, you don't need to rush out and buy one just to get specific features.

ChatGPT, Bard, Claude 2

ChatGPT burst onto the scene late last year and, in doing so, turned 2023 into the "year of AI." The prominence of OpenAI's chatbot was so impactful that it seemingly forced Google to launch its public-facing competitor in Bard. But those aren't even the only two LLMs that are easily accessible, as there are a plethora of options such as HuggingChat, Anthropic's Claude 2, and even Elon Musk's "Grok."

Not to mention that as the platform seemed to stabilize around GPT-4, OpenAI introduced extensions, while Google eventually did the same with Bard. Then, Google surprised many by introducing three new models, bringing Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 Pro and infusing Gemini Pro into Bard. We're also awaiting the arrival of Gemini Ultra, which could be Google's answer to GPT-4, but that won't come until sometime next year.

So many great games (old and new)

I could have just slotted this into the same section as gaming handhelds, but that would be a disservice. 2023 saw the launch of so many incredible games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, and the list goes on.

But, my passion for retro gaming was reinvigorated, largely due to the various gaming handhelds that have hit the market. Being able to play some of my favorite childhood classics on pretty much any device I want is simply incredible. The best part about it all, for me at least, is that I don't need to use my phone and can just rely on a dedicated device.

From a single device, I can go from playing Baldur's Gate 3 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to firing up Super Mario Bros. Wonder or Tears of the Kingdom. Now, the only thing I need to worry about is making sure that my portable charger has enough juice to last until I get home.

AR/XR glasses are a game-changer

Something that reared its ugly head in 2023 was having to deal with chronic headaches. It's not related to my eyes but instead is because of the pressure that I put on my neck when testing out Chromebooks and tablets or playing games on my phone or other devices. However, I've been fortunate enough to be able to mess around with smart glasses such as the XREAL Air 2s and TCL NXTWEAR S.

These largely work with pretty much any device out there, including the best Android phones and Chromebooks. It has come in handy when taking trips and riding shotgun, as the glasses allow me to get work done (or play games) without needing to stare down at my laptop or tablet screen. I've even started using these at the end of the day when I just want to lay down on the couch but want to finish my daily objectives in Call of Duty on my Legion Go or ROG Ally.

The return of the ultrawide monitor (to me)

One of my big WFH purchases after the pandemic started was an ultrawide monitor, as I needed something larger than what I had. Last year, I gave that up in favor of the LG C2, as it offers 4K/120Hz and can be used as a monitor for Windows, macOS, and even ChromeOS. However, my entire home office setup was again thrown into disarray after I laid my eyes on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9.

This behemoth of a monitor is 49 inches wide, with a 5120x1440 resolution and up to a 240Hz refresh rate, and offers me more flexibility than I even imagined. It gives me the same experience as using two 27-inch QHD monitors without the separation in the middle. Unless something breaks, I don't see myself going back to regular monitors anytime soon.

New tablets in all shapes and sizes

For the most part, I'm still of the belief that if you need a tablet, you should at least consider an iPad. However, the gap between the iPad and the best Android tablets got quite a bit smaller in 2023.

There's the Pixel Tablet that doubles as a smart home hub, even though Google says that wasn't the point. Amazon's Fire Max 11 remains one of my favorite tablets, as long as you get the one that doesn't constantly throw ads in your face. And Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is almost perfect if you want a laptop replacement.

I'm not sure whether Android tablets will be able to close the gap any further, as there are rumors that Apple is aiming to revamp its iPad lineup in 2024. This potentially includes using OLED displays for the iPad Pro models and introducing the latest M3 chips to certain models. At the same time, rumors also suggest a larger iPad Air getting thrown into the mix. Even still, I'm excited to see what kind of response there will be from the likes of Samsung and, maybe, Google.

A growing family

I don't talk too much about my personal life here or even on the podcast, but there's another reason why 2023 has been such a roller coaster. After years of pleading with me, I finally caved, and we adopted Leia, who has been the most incredible coworker that anyone could ask for. She's a mix of four different breeds and, unfortunately, has a personality that's a mix between my wife and me.

Just a few months later, I took a break from working only to have my wife share the wonderful news that we were expecting! Things have been a whirlwind since then, and we still have a little ways to go before the big day, but I have never been more excited (and afraid) of anything in my life. It's always exciting to start the next chapter of your life, and shortly after the calendar flips into 2024, my next chapter will begin.

2024 is already shaping up to be exciting

When the year started, I didn't expect to end up where I'm at now. Not only have there been some pretty massive changes in my personal life, but 2023 has helped to change the way that I think about everything.

As we get ready to turn the calendar over and start a new year, I'm excited about what we might see. Gemini Ultra should be making its way to us sooner or later, the Galaxy S24 launch is right around the corner, and who knows what the year could hold for Chromebooks and ChromeOS.

More importantly, I'm extremely grateful to be working with the team here at Android Central. You really couldn't ask for a better band of misfits to work alongside, and if this year has been any indication, it's only going to get better from here.

What you need to know

• Lenovo has announced the Chromebox Micro during the Digital Signage Experience conference and trade show.
• It’s powered by the Intel Celeron N4500, but also features a fanless and ventless design.
• The primary use case for the Chromebox Micro is to power kiosks and digital signage for businesses.

Normally, we don’t cover much in the way that ChromeOS is implemented on the enterprise side of things, but there’s a reason why we’re excited about Lenovo’s announcement of the Chromebox Micro. This new Chromebox was introduced during the Digital Signage Experience, a yearly conference and trade show, where companies get to show off or introduce new solutions for everything from the signs we see on the highway to the kiosks we use at the store. 

Getting the boring stuff out of the way first, the Chromebox Micro is powered by the Intel Celeron N4500 chip, paired with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage. There are a total of eight ports found on the Micro, including USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI, and more. Lenovo has even gone so far as to make sure that the case has the necessary holes for mounting to the back of a display or monitor, removing the need to figure out a different mounting solution.

What has us excited about the Chromebox Micro is the form factor, as the case is less than 6.5 inches long, and just over 3 inches wide, all while sporting a fanless and ventless design. To provide a bit of reference, the Acer Chromebox CXI5 launched earlier this year, but is more than 7 inches long and 7 inches wide, taking up much more space than the Chromebox Micro.

It’s not so much that Lenovo released a new Chromebox, but instead, this is a great example of what’s possible using this kind of form factor. No, the Celeron N4500 isn’t anything to write home about, and you can’t upgrade the RAM or the storage, but there are still eight ports packed into this case, and again, you’ll never have to worry about hearing the fans spin up. 

Now, imagine a small form-factor Chromebox that is powerful enough to handle all of your daily tasks, but can also be quickly and easily packed up to take with you if you need to go out of town. Another option is to mount a Chromebox to the back of the TV in your living room, providing a dedicated way to play your favorite cloud gaming services, without being inundated with ads or needing to rely on underpowered streaming devices. 

That’s probably not what Lenovo envisioned when it set out to create the Chromebox Micro, but there are more than a few different applications for a Chromebox like this that extend into the world of consumers. Now, we just have to hope that something like this actually comes to fruition and doesn’t just remain in the enterprise market. 

•  Chromebook deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Lenovo | HP| Amazon 

Buy your kid a brand-new Chromebook for a fabulous price this holiday season. Lenovo makes the best Chromebooks and is our go-to recommendation. Happily, you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3 for $110 off, all thanks to an excellent Cyber Monday deal on Best Buy.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3 has a lovely 11-inch IPS LCD display that has a 2K screen resolution. It's the perfect size for students to lug around on campus as it doesn't weigh much, but is still large enough to read, take down notes, and browse through the internet. This is student-friendliness is enhanced by the excellent companion accessories provided by Lenovo, which consist of a water-resistant magnetic keyboard case and a magnetic kickstand. If you have a USI 2.0 stylus lying around, it will work seamlessly with the Duet 3.

Just because the Duet 3 is ideal for students doesn't mean you can't use it for leisurely activities though. This Chromebook is just as enjoyable for media consumption, with stereo speakers and two USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 ports. There's no headphone jack, but you can always use a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a speaker to improve the experience.

• Android Central's Cyber Monday deal hubs:
  Tech | Phones | Tablets | Wearables | TVs | Smart Home 

You can use the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3 for up to 12 hours on a single charge. It has a decent 29Wh battery and speedy 45W fast charging. If you want to tap into the fastest compatible charging speed, the included 30W charging brick will not suffice. Consider grabbing a 45W charger separately while Cyber Monday lasts.

If you're looking for high-grade USB-C chargers to pair with your Duet 3, check out the best Anker deals that are live right now.

Cyber Monday Quick Links

• Amazon's Cyber Monday deals home
• Best Buy's Cyber Monday deals home
• Walmart's Cyber Monday deals home

What you need to know

• Owners of the Chromebook Duet 5 have reported a new boot-loop issue when trying to update past ChromeOS 116.
• It seems that this has something to do with the USB-C port and accompanying daughterboard.
• Google is investigating the issue, but there is still no official workaround or fix just yet.

When it comes to Chromebook tablets, Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 5 and Duet 3 are two of the best. Unfortunately, Duet 5 owners have not been able to update to the latest version of ChromeOS, and the reason why is pretty darn crazy.

If you head over to either cros.tech or Chromium Dash and look up the Duet 5, you'll see that the Stable build is currently ChromeOS 116. Considering that we're already up to ChromeOS 119, this is rather problematic, and it has nothing to do with the software.

As explained by About Chromebooks, "The problem is that ChromeOS 117 has a firmware update for that USB port on the Duet 5. When updating ChromeOS from version 116, the firmware update puts the tablet into a boot loop." 

There are a few Reddit threads of Duet 5 owners that have been dealing with these problems, and it wasn't until fairly recently that the problem appeared on Google's Issue Tracker. One Reddit user had to send their Duet 5 back to Lenovo for repairs, with the "USB BOARD H 82QS TypC C_L" being replaced. 

It seems that the USB-C is causing this boot-looping update issue, as a Google employee provided the following explanation:

"We've managed to get one device that was in the "Something Went Wrong" state and analyze it. As expected from all the logs provided by people (thanks!), the device was stuck updating the firmware of one of the components associated with the "Type C" port. We tried a number of ideas to try to make the update go through and talked to the vendor that provided the part but we had no luck there. The vendor has asked us to send the misbehaving part to them for failure analysis and we're hopeful that they will provide a solution to allow us to recover these parts, but we're back in the waiting game here.

We do know for certain that replacing the daughterboard containing this chip fixes the problem. Replacing it on the unit we had in hand made the device boot normally again. For the curious about what the part looks like, I managed to find the part on Lenovo's website. The one we had to replace was on the left side so I believe it's "USB Board H 82QS Typc C_L" (part number 5C50S25268), there's no reason that we're aware of that the same issue couldn't affect the right side board which would be "USB Board H 82QS Typc C_R" (part number 5C50S25269)."

Currently, there seems to be no solution for updating the Duet 5 past the Stable build of ChromeOS 116 without sending it to Lenovo to repair the daughterboard. It also seems that this isn't affecting everyone, as users have replied to either Reddit threads or through the Issue Tracker stating that they have been able to update their Duet 5s. 

Making this situation even more confusing is that you might be able to work around the problem yourself by switching your Chromebook to the Beta, Dev, or Canary channel. Obviously, this means that you won't have the most stable version of ChromeOS and could end up running into odd bugs that wouldn't otherwise be there. 

Considering how similar both the Chromebook Duet 5 and Duet 3 are, there's an obvious question of whether the problems are also affecting Lenovo's smaller device. One Google employee stated that they are "not aware of any reports of this failure happening on Duet 3." However trivial, it's also worth noting that we were able to update our own Duet 3 to the beta build of ChromeOS 120 without any issues. Of course, with a problem like this, your mileage may vary.

We're hopeful that the ChromeOS team will be able to provide some type of official workaround that doesn't involve sending the Duet 5 back for repairs. However, until then, you can try to update to the Beta Channel, stick with ChromeOS 116 until the issue is remedied, or check out some of the early Black Friday Chromebook deals to get a new device.