Most tablet makers chase thinness above all else. Lenovo, it seems, has other priorities — and its newest slate proudly wears the proof on its back.
A tablet that puts audio first
Lenovo has announced the Tab Plus Gen 2, the follow-up to its speaker-stuffed Tab Plus that launched two years ago. Like the original, the Gen 2 is unapologetically built around sound. Where the first model crammed in eight built-in speakers — already enough to require a 13.58mm bulge on the rear — the sequel bumps that count to nine.
Fitting all that hardware comes at a cost to the tablet's waistline. The new circular speaker bump on the back measures a hefty 22.7mm thick, making the Tab Plus Gen 2 one of the chunkier tablets you'll find on a shelf. In an era where flagship slates compete to shave off fractions of a millimetre, Lenovo is happily zigging while everyone else zags.
The kickstand does double duty
To justify that extra heft, Lenovo gave the speaker bump a second job. Integrated into the bulge is a fold-out kickstand that rotates a full 360 degrees, letting you prop the tablet up in both portrait and landscape orientations. That makes it easy to stand the device on a kitchen counter for a recipe video, set it upright for a video call, or angle it for a movie without buying a separate case or stand.
It's a smart bit of design reasoning: if you're going to add bulk for better speakers, you might as well make that bulk useful. The result is a tablet that leans into being a portable home-entertainment hub rather than a featherweight productivity device.
Built for media, not multitasking
The whole pitch here is clear. The Tab Plus Gen 2 is aimed at people who want a tablet for watching shows, listening to music, following along with cooking or workout videos, and casual browsing around the house — not necessarily for hauling to and from work in a slim bag. With nine speakers and Bluetooth connectivity, it positions itself as a kind of portable boombox that happens to have a screen attached.
That's a different philosophy from the iPad and most premium Android tablets, which emphasize sleek profiles and stylus-driven creativity. Lenovo is betting there's a real audience for an affordable, sound-focused slate you can move from room to room.
Launch details still unclear
The one big question Lenovo hasn't answered is the most practical one: when and where you'll actually be able to buy it. The company has confirmed the Tab Plus Gen 2 exists and detailed its audio and kickstand upgrades, but it has not yet announced specific regional availability, release timing, or pricing.
For now, anyone intrigued by a deliberately thick, speaker-heavy Android tablet will have to wait for Lenovo to share more. If the original Tab Plus is any guide, expect it to land at a price that undercuts the premium tablet crowd.
Source: The Verge.
