Lenovo IdeaTab A2109 review

Lenovo has been slowly edging into the Android tablet space for the past few years, releasing a slew of IdeaTabs. However, despite generally being adequate machines, the tablets have by and large been ignored by the general public.

One reason for this may have been their use of Google's outdated Honeycomb Android version and Apple's dominance of the tablet space.

But with Honeycomb now a thing of the past, interest in Android tablets has finally erupted, with users clamouring to get their hands on Google's ultra-affordable, own-brand series of Jelly Bean-powered Nexus tablets.

Looking to capitalise on the new wave of interest, Lenovo's decided to take a shot at the Nexus 7 dominated affordable tablet space, releasing its £200 IdeaTab A2109.

Design and build
Looking at the IdeaTab's price we didn't have high expectations when it came to build quality. However, our concerns evaporated the moment we got our hands on the IdeaPad.

Unlike the Nexus 7, which is predominantly made of plastic, the IdeaTab's chassis is made of metal, which makes it feel significantly better built than most other tablets in the same price bracket.

Although the IdeaTab feels solidly built, it's not the most elegant tablet out there. Measuring in at a hefty 260x178x11.7mm the tablet is quite thick and looks slightly boxy. The IdeaTab's dull look isn't helped by its unilateral grey finish, which while proving fairly scratch proof, does nothing to help its fairly uninspiring visual appeal.

The tablet is also fairly heavy, weighing in at 570g. By comparison, the similarly sized Apple iPad Mini weighs a feather-light 308g.

What the IdeaTab lacks in looks however, it makes up for with ports. Lenovo's loaded the IdeaTab with microUSB, microSD and microHDMI ports, meaning it can connect to most devices.

 Next: Screen, performance and operating system.