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Early hands-on with Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet from a wide array of reviews appears to be very positive at this point. While we won’t have our hands on the new Pixel device for a few more weeks, we are hopeful that Google has created a unique and viable product that consumers will actually want to buy. Before the Pixel Tablet was ever unveiled, another company tried its hand at making a dockable Android tablet that doubled as a smart display.
That company was Lenovo and while the Tab M8 lineup was never really a huge hit, the Android tablet and charging dock most definitely helped pave the way for Google’s Pixel Tablet. At 8″, the Lenovo Tab M8 Gen 3 is significantly smaller than the Pixel Tablet but I’ve used this device and it’s handy enough if you’re just using it for general consumption, light gaming or web browsing.
Like the Pixel Tablet, the Tab M8 has a charging dock that puts the tablet into a hub-like state and activates the Google Assistant’s Ambient Mode. Essentially, this turns the tablet into a smart display with quick access to home controls and updates. Ambient Mode also allows you to turn the tablet into a digital picture frame with pics from your Google Photos or curated images from Google’s various galleries.
Powered by a MediaTek Helio P22T Processor and 4GB of RAM, the Tab M8 isn’t going to win any performance competitions but it does make a nice device to have around the house or for the kids to pack around. With the included charging dock, it also makes a nice addition to your home space as a pseudo-smart display. The best thing about this Android tablet? You can pick one up from Lenovo right now for a mere $79.99 which is an absolute steal. My guess is that this is a liquidation price as the Tab M8 Gen 4 is now available on the site. So, get one of these on the cheap before they’re gone.
