Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 10.1″ Android Tablet Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

At the start of this review I made a comment on the relative pricing of Android based tablets compared to that of the cheapest iPad available today. It is well-known that Apple products are not necessarily the cheapest options out there and the fact that within 6 months of you buying one of their products, there is the strong chance that a new version will be out and what you have is now ‘old technology and design’. Fortunately Android tablet don;t follow the same turnover patterns and high pricing – even on the low-end of the product lineup. For $229.99 at Newegg.com, the S6000 is a great starting point for anyone who is looking to jump into the world of tablets. In the UK the pricing is also similarly impressive with both John Lewis and Argos stocking this tablet for under £200.

Overview

Going back to the tablet market that I talked about at the start of this review, the way that we now communicate and interact in the internet around the world has been drastically shaped by the modern smart phone and tablet devices. Their convenience and in some cases their simplicity has brought the power of second by second information updates right to our finger tips and on the other hand their sheer power for their size has revolutionised our information driven lives with hospitals, fire services, businesses and so on now using tablets as a part of their infrastructures. Simply put, we would no be where we are today without this revelation in information and communication.

Coming back down to earth and looking a little closer at Lenovo’s IdeaTab S6000, we have a great example here of how things are shaping up on the entry-level end of the consumer market. Whilst there is a wide user base of tablet devices, the spectrum of technical ability and tech ‘savviness’ believe it or not is very wide. Whilst there are a number of power users such as myself that know the in’s and out’s of the technology world, there is also a huge number of people who only know what a tablet looks like. Having the knowledge as to what is best suited for a persons needs is what reviews like this are all about; and more commonly we are finding our reviews being read on tablet devices.

On the grand scale of the tablet market, the S6000 is aimed at the entry-level user base where simplicity and a just-do ability os more focussed taking the price also into account as many first time users won’t want to pay over the odds for a new bit of tech that packs a ton of features and power that they simply won’t be able to or know how to use. Consequently we do see the S6000 looking a bit like a low performer and when we compare it to the high-end tablets that push forward the level of tablet performance, in a way it is a low performer. What you have to consider though is the fact that entry-level users are only likely to use the tablet for light web browsing, social interaction through the likes of Facebook and some recreational gaming such as crosswords, sodukus and puzzles. When we look at the S6000 and how it fits the needs of this basic market, Lenovo have got things set in the right gear. Granted it won’t play some of the more demanding games that can be found on the mobile market but this is not what the lever of user that this is aimed for is typically after.

Lenovo have also got the looks and feel of the IdeaTab S6000 just right for the market it is in as well. The tablet does have a sturdy feel to it, although the plastic casing on the rear could do with a little more support as it does flex a little when put under pressure, but everything is in the right place and the touch screen responds very well to your fingertips whilst being used. continuing on with the display, the 10.1″ IPS panel is nice and bright and outside in the sunshine the tablet is still usable with the screen brightness automatically adjusting depending on the ambient light levels. The only thing that I feel a little disheartened about is the lower pixel count. Coming from a phone which has a full HD display in a 5″ screen down to a 1280×800 resolution does make things look a little low in quality, however everything is still clear and easy to read all the same and this is relational to the entry-level market that Lenovo have pushed this tablet towards.

Overall I’m rather contempt with this tablet, granted it’s not going to whet the appetite of pixel and frame counting enthusiasts, but for a tablet that fulfils the basic needs for your everyday Joe, you can’t fault it and that is why I’m happy to give it our editors choice award.

Pros:

• Full Android feature set with Jelly Bean 4.2
• Lightweight build
• Easy to use and operate
• Ideal for entry-level users
• Widely available
• Well established brand
• 2 year warranty as standard

Cons:

• Plastic casing does flex a little under pressure

“The tech market is virtually inundated with countless Android tablets to choose from and picking the right one for your needs can feel like a real challenge. Lenovo’s IdeaTab S6000 is one fine example of a budget tablet that will cater for the needs of today’s basic users, giving them the first steps into the world of Android devices and the mobile connected world.”

Thanks to Lenovo for providing us with this review sample.