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The Lenovo Tab M8 line of devices are cheap Android tablet with HD displays, entry-level processors, and the kind of specs you’d expect to find in a tablet that tends to sell for around $100.
A few months ago we learned that Lenovo was working on a 4th-gen model, so it’s not surprising to see that the Lenovo Tab M8 (4th-gen) is now listed on Lenovo’s Japanese website and that specs are now available for versions of the tablet that will eventually ship in the United States and other countries. What is a little surprising is that the new model isn’t really an upgrade over the third-gen model. In fact, in most respects it’s probably safe to call it a downgrade.
While the 3rd-gen version of the Lenovo Tab M8 had an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, the 4th-gen model has a processor with just four Cortex-A53 cores. Both tablets have the same 8 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel displays, 2GB of LPDDR4x memory and 32GB of eMMC storage.
The new model does ship with a newer version of Android and has stereo speakers instead of mono. And some models are available with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (the older model tops out at 3GB/32GB). But it also loses a couple of features that the 3rd-gen model had, including a proximity sensor and vibration motor.
Here’s a comparison between the previous and current-gen tablets, with better features highlighted in bold:
| Lenovo Tab M8 (4th-gen) | Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd-gen) | |
| Display | 8 inches 1280 x 800 pixels IPS LCD 350 nits 10-point multitouch | |
| CPU | MediaTek Helio A22 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 2 GHz | MediaTek Helio P22T 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 2.3 GHz 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.8 GHz |
| GPU | Imagination PowerVR GE8320 | |
| RAM | 2GB / 3GB / 4GB LPDDR4x | 2GB / 3GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 32GB or 64GB eMMC 5.1 microSD card reader (up to 128GB FAT32, up to 1TB exFAT) | 32GB eMMC (eMCP4x) microSD card reader (up to 128GB FAT32, up to 2TB exFAT) |
| OS | Android 12 (Go Edition) or later | Android 11 (Go Edition) or later |
| Cameras | 5MP (rear) 2MP (front) | |
| Speakers | Stereo | Mono |
| Microphones | Mono | |
| Sensors | Ambient Light Accelerometer | Ambient Light Accelerometer Proximity |
| Vibration motor | None | Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) |
| Battery | 5,100 mAh | |
| Charging | 5V/2A (4 hours for full charge) | |
| Wireless | WiFi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 4G LTE (select models) | |
| Ports | 1 x USB 2.0 Type-C 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x microSD card reader | |
| Material | Plastic | |
| Dimensions | 197.97 x 119.82 x 8.95mm 7.79” x 4.72 x 0.35″ | 199.1 x 121.8 x 8.15mm 7.84″ x 4.79″ x 0.32“ |
| Weight | 320 grams 0.71 pounds | 305 grams 0.67 pounds |
I suppose it’s possible that the slower processor and missing features means that Lenovo will offer the Lenovo Tab M8 (4th-gen at a lower price). But it’s also possible that Lenovo is just looking for a way to cut costs while continuing to offer a budget tablet… with inflation being what it is these days, I suppose launching a new(ish) tablet with the same price tag as its predecessor is sort of like giving customers a discount. Sort of.
Or you could just pick up a previous-gen tablet. While it has a list price of $110, Lenovo is currently selling the Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd-gen) for $93.
via Phablet.jp
Thanks for this article. I have been eagerly waiting for your piece, as there isn’t much information on these 8 inch tabs. A week before Halloween, I picked up this M8 2nd Gen and around Thanksgiving I learnt that a 3rd Gen also exists. Eventually I stumbled upon your article and other links and thought, “this cant be, they can’t just stick a 2nd Gen processor in their 4th Gen”. That’s what they exactly did. It also could be that the A22 maybe a more reliable processor, even if it’s a bit slower than the P22. Anyhow, I might still get the 3rd Gen now, since it has Android 11. This is my 2nd Android tab or any Android device, it does crash when I am watching Netflix occasionally but it has phenomenal battery life and works fairly decent for a “Hub” for security camera apps and baby monitor, all for a less than a 100 bucks.
I like tablets, but I suffer from the lack of tablets with normal Linux mainline
Yeah, keeping prices the same right now with inflation is a feat in and of itself and nice of companies which could easily justify a price hike. At least for a budget tablet four cores should be enough though it’d have been nice if they had upgraded them to A55 (then they could say they were less but more powerful, unlike these which are less and slower).
That said, you mixed up the RAM in the table (or at least according to what you wrote).
Whoops, sometimes I forget which column I put the new model in 🙂
there are better soc, they just dont want to use them, Unisoc T310 with 1 cortex A75 and 3 cortex A55 is best Quadcore they could use and its cheap, most devices with that soc cost under $100.
Xiaoxin Pad 2022 (Rebranded Tab M10 FHD 3rd) 4+64 model cost 129 usd or even 111 usd in China, Lenovo probably wants to make some profit in oversea market?