Lenovo Tab P11 Android Tablet
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For nearly 8 years (!!!) I had been happily using a 10 inch Toshiba Android tablet to
control my NexStar scopes but earlier this year I
decided it was time for an upgrade. Unlike the iPad world, there are
hundreds of potential models to sort through if you decide to go with
Android. Many of them are poor choices for general use, let alone for
astronomy. Samsung tablets have been a safe bet for years, but as I started my search, I discovered Lenovo got serious about offering mid- to high-end tablets at the beginning of 2021. Previews of the Tab P11 and Tab P11 Pro sounded promising. When the P11 was released in spring 2021, the online reviews confirmed it was worth a closer look. I purchased the Tab P11 in May 2021. |
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Included
in the box:
- Lenovo Tab P11 Android Tablet
- 20W rapid charger
- USB-C to USB-A power and data cable
- Setup guide
- Ejector tool for micro SD tray
Appearance and General Operation
The Tab P11 has narrow bezels; narrow enough that this 11" tablet is actually
smaller and lighter than the 10" tablet it replaced. The back is metal
along the bottom two thirds and plastic along the top third. The plastic
section is
reportedly to improve WiFi reception and doesn't detract from the looks though it
might get dinged up a bit. I recommend a case for protection as well as
improving grip. The
display glass is unrated, so definitely install a hardened, glass-type screen protector.
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The Tab P11 has no fingerprint reader, so unlock is
basically limited to PIN or face unlock. Face unlock will not work in the
dark and isn't 3D face mapping so it is not very secure. The P11 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor - a solid mid-range model introduced in 2020. This provides plenty of horsepower for astronomy apps, productivity apps like email/word processing/spreadsheets, and low intensity games. The only time it seems to struggle is with 3-D, real-time games. Lenovo offers a reasonably priced keyboard case and a pressure-sensitive stylus suitable for drawing apps. I elected to use a small Targus Bluetooth keyboard/mouse and a third-party case. |
Lenovo adds almost no software to the tablet beyond the standard Google apps so storage space is not wasted on "bloat-ware". The user interface is pure Android, which in my opinion is much easier to use than "skinned" interfaces like the ones used by Samsung and Amazon.
The one exception to the standard Android user interface is a feature Lenovo calls Productivity Mode. Productivity Mode converts the user interface into something similar to a PC - each app opens in a floating, resizable window. If you have the matching Lenovo keyboard case or a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse, the tablet automatically switches to Productivity Mode when the keyboard or mouse is connected (this can be disabled in Settings). Multitasking is much easier in Productivity Mode as compared to the native Android split-screen feature. One important caveat - many apps are not aware of Productivity Mode's ability to close the app with the X button in the upper-right of the floating window nor the left arrow button in the upper-left of the floating window. Such apps will not save your work if you close the window with either button. Stay away from the X button and close apps the usual way, using the native Android "back" button in the lower left of the screen.
The rear camera is only "okay", but who really wants to hold up an 11" tablet to take pictures anyway? It resides in a small bump, so again, a case is advised to allow the tablet to lay flat. The front camera is a nice 8 megapixel with autofocus which performs great for Zoom/Teams/etc. meetings.
The P11 sports four Dolby-tuned speakers - two on both sides. They provide excellent volume and pleasant sound for movies and streaming video, though not audiophile quality for music. The tablet does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you either need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter or Bluetooth headphones/ear buds. Streaming video services such as Netflix and YouTube work flawlessly with excellent video quality.
Astronomy Use
My primary astronomy app is SkySafari Plus connected to my NexStar telescopes via a Bluetooth adapter similar to the StarBT from Astro-Gadget. Note that StarBT and similar adapters are only compatible with the older serial port NexStar/StarSense hand controls, not the newer USB hand controls. Alignment is performed via the hand control after which SkySafari can direct the scope to any object and manually slew using on-screen buttons. This is a rock-solid solution in which I have never experienced a disconnect even after hours at the scope. I have not extensively tested this tablet with WiFi adapters such as the SkyPortal WiFi module, but expect solid performance in this mode as well.
By adding the Bluetooth adapter as a Trusted device in the Android Security, Smart Lock settings, the tablet remains unlocked when I am connected to the telescope alleviating the need to punch in a PIN/password.
An added feature of SkySafari Plus/Pro in this configuration is to provide date, time and location information to the hand control prior to starting alignment. In the Scope Setup screen of SkySafari, check the option for Set Time & Location. Then open SkySafari prior to starting alignment and Connect to the scope. You will find the hand control now has the current date, time and location as you start the alignment process.
A very pleasant surprise when using the P11 at night was to see the level to which you can dim the screen. The tablet is able to dim the screen to the extent that it does not interfere with your eyes' dark adaptation. Coupled with the red night mode in SkySafari, you will find this tablet does not interfere with your night vision at all.
One unpleasant surprise is the lack of a compass in the P11. This disables the compass mode in SkyPortal/SkySafari - the ability to hold the tablet up and have it scroll around automatically to match the actual sky behind the tablet. If this is an important feature to you, consider the Tab P11 Pro, which does have a compass.
One other app I use for astronomy is Chainfire's DSLR Controller - an app that remotely controls my Canon DSLR camera. The app allows full remote control of the camera without touching the camera and shaking the telescope. Additionally, DSLR Controller turns the tablet into a giant, real-time view of what the camera is seeing, allowing for more accurate focus.
The battery life, especially with the screen brightness at the lowest setting, is over 12 hours under these use conditions.
Conclusion
The Tab P11 excels at astronomy use and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Coupled with a
small Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, or the matching Lenovo keyboard case, it can
be a super-lightweight, reasonable laptop replacement for some people.
Along those lines, I
use MobiSystem's OfficeSuite Pro + PDF which is an excellent option for dealing with Microsoft Office files
(better than Google's productivity apps)
if you do not have an Office 365 subscription (required to fully unlock
Microsoft's productivity apps on Android).
The next step up in Lenovo's tablet lineup is Tab P11 Pro. The P11 Pro originally cost about $200 more than the P11, an increase in price which I did not deem to be worth the better hardware for my normal usage. The P11 Pro is built on the Snapdragon 730 - an upper-midrange processor introduced in 2019. This is a modest step up from the P11's Snapdragon 662 which offers a minor performance improvement for typical apps, but still not well suited for 3-D gaming. The P11 Pro has a slightly larger 11.5" OLED screen which offers slightly superior views of movies/video but no significant improvement for apps like SkySafari or word processing. For unlocking, the P11 Pro includes a fingerprint reader and an infrared front camera which allows face unlock to work in the dark. The face unlock is still just 2D though, so it does not offer an improvement in security. I have not used the P11 Pro but if one of these features is important to you, I expect it will provide a similar experience to the P11 when used next to your NexStar scope.
The Lenovo Tab P11 and P11 Pro are very popular items at the time of this writing and typically out of stock at most third-party vendors. I purchased directly from Lenovo, which included free shipping in the USA. Additionally, the Lenovo site usually offers these tablets on sale, often discounted as much as 20 or 30 percent. Out of stock models/configurations seem to simply disappear from their site so check back periodically if the item you are looking for is not immediately available.
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