Inexpensive Android tablets up to 250 euros are primarily suitable as entertainment devices for the couch for streaming, surfing or playing simple casual games. The most popular manufacturers from our price comparison include Samsung and Lenovo. The entry-level devices Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (test report) and Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report) should be mentioned , which left a good impression in the test. With the Blackview Tab 11, however, the established manufacturers now face unexpectedly strong competition.
The Chinese company Blackview has so far made a name for itself with outdoor smartphones and inexpensive tablets. However, the new Tab 11 offers features that stand out among cheap tablets. The successor to the Blackview Tab 10 (test report) has LTE, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a sharp and bright display and certification for Widevine Level 1. This is for playing content on Netflix & Co. in full -HD important. The test reveals how the tablet performs in comparison to Samsung, Lenovo and Nokia.
design
You experience the first positive surprise when you take the Blackview Tab 11 out of the box: The tablet is already in a protective cover. The display cover in bright cyan serves as a stand – similar to what Apple once did with the Smart Cover for the iPad. This is useful to provide additional protection for the Tab 11 and as a display option.
The tablet itself has a metal back, which in the case of our test device appears in a chic blue-green/turquoise metallic finish. Blackview calls the shade “Teal Green”. The model sets color accents – even if the design doesn’t look quite as cheeky as the Nokia T20 (test report) . If that is too colorful for you, you can also get the device in silver or dark gray. The rest of the shape is strongly reminiscent of tablets from other manufacturers.
The processing of the Tab 11 leaves a flawless and high-quality impression that is on par with the competition. There are no gaps, the power button and the volume rocker on the left, short side offer a firm pressure point.
Measuring 247mm x 157mm x 8.1mm, the Tab 11 is almost the same size as Nokia’s T20. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (test report) is similarly wide but higher, but it is around 1 mm thinner. The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report) is a touch larger overall. The Blackview Tab 11 offers a display with a diagonal of 10.36 inches with an aspect ratio of 15:9. This makes the screen slightly smaller than the current competition.
With a weight of 460 g, it weighs almost the same as the Nokia and Lenovo models. The Galaxy Tab A8 from Samsung is significantly heavier at over 500 g. The camera on the back is striking, embedded in a rectangular element that protrudes about 2 mm: There are two lenses and an LED flash. The Blackview Tab 11 does not have an IP certification for protection against liquids and dust – but that applies to almost every tablet.
screen
The LCD uses an IPS panel and offers a diagonal of 10.36 inches (26.3 cm). The resolution is 2000 x 1200 pixels, which results in a pixel density of 229 ppi for the screen. This is slightly above the level of the Lenovo Tab M10 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A8. That’s not much compared to a smartphone, but you usually hold a tablet further away from your face. With the Tab 11, pixels are virtually invisible to the naked eye, which makes the image appear really sharp. High-quality mid-range tablets such as the Apple iPad or Xiaomi Pad 5 (test report) achieve 264 to 274 ppi here.
The image quality is impressive. Colors appear with impressive luminosity, contrasts are balanced and balanced. The imaging always looks natural. The viewing angle stability is always given from almost all perspectives. The Blackview Tab 11 clearly trumps the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (test report) in terms of display and does not have to hide from the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report) under any circumstances .
Pleasing: The Blackview Tab 11 actually has certification for Widevine Level 1. This is necessary so that the DRM allows playback in Full HD (1080p) with streaming providers such as Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video. Inexpensive tablets in particular do not meet this certification for cost reasons – the result is that Netflix users, for example, have to endure films and series in pixelated SD quality with 480p. The important certificate is missing from the Nokia T20 (test report) . We explain more about the topic in the article Netflix & Co.: The best tablets and Chromebooks for streaming .
We measured 440 cd/m² as the maximum brightness. This is a good value for a tablet in this price range and surpasses the Galaxy Tab A8 from Samsung. The brighter the display is, the easier it is to use outdoors. A mid-range smartphone now achieves values of up to 700 cd/m² or more. However, tablets rarely exceed 500 cd/m². In sunshine, the readability of texts on the Tab 11 worked well. In the case of videos with a dark background, it was no longer so easy to recognize them well. Overall, the brightness is solid, but we still recommend a place in the shade or inside the apartment for long-term media consumption.
camera
The main lens of the camera uses the Sony IMX258 CMOS sensor and offers 13 megapixels. The second lens is a depth sensor only. The camera app does not offer a wide-angle or portrait mode. Videos are possible with 1080p. Photos look very neat in daylight.
The front camera in the edge of the display is used for selfies or video conferences and also uses a CMOS sensor from Sony (IMX219 Exmor RS). The resolution is 8 megapixels, videos are only possible with 720p. Selfies with the front camera look good. However, we could not find a portrait mode in the camera app.
So compared to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 or Lenovo Tab M10, the Tab 11’s lenses offer better resolution. Overall, the camera equipment roughly corresponds to the best smartphones up to 100 euros (best list) . Unlike a smartphone, a tablet is likely to be used less frequently for photography anyway.
Furnishing
A Unisoc Tiger T618 does its job as the processor in the Tab 11. The octa-core processor is also used in the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (test report) and offers solid performance. We achieved 7500 points in PCmark’s Work 3.0 benchmark. The system runs smoothly in everyday use, and apps open without excessive loading times. The Unisoc Tiger T618 is faster than the Helio G80 in the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (test report) .
Blackview also advertises the tablet as a gaming device. This may be true for simple games and casual games. However, the GPU in the Unisoc Tiger T618 lacks power for games with more complex graphics. We achieved about 520 points in the “Wild Life” benchmark from 3Dmark, so it’s more in the lower third of the results from our tests. Nothing speaks against a game of Asphalt 9 , but only with medium graphic details.
The storage equipment, on the other hand, is excellent: 8 GB of RAM is a statement in this price range, and 128 GB of internal flash memory of the type eMMC 5.1 is also lavish. An expansion via a micro SD card is also possible up to 512 GB. Nobody has to be claustrophobic.
The Tab 11 surfs through the home network with a maximum of Wifi-5 – which is normal for the price range. There are also two slots for nano SIM cards. If you want to use two SIM cards, you cannot use a micro SD card. The modem supports a maximum of LTE (4G) for mobile surfing. Localization is possible using GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. There is no fingerprint sensor. In return, the front camera supports face recognition – but only with 2D technology, which you can sometimes fool with pictures. But that is also normal for this price category.
External devices such as wireless headphones (guide) are connected via Bluetooth 5.0. A USB-C port with a maximum of USB 2.0 and a classic jack input with 3.5 mm are also available as connections. There is also a pogo pin on the underside as a docking connection. The stereo speakers offer a decent, clear and spacious sound for games and video clips. At higher volumes, however, they sound a bit too shrill.
The operating system runs Android 11. Blackview is pleasantly reserved with major adjustments to the user interface. The range of additional apps is also manageable and is limited to useful system tools and a few games. According to Blackview, there are currently no plans to upgrade to Android 12. The security patch dates from March and is therefore no longer up to date. An update should follow by July. The issue of support could generally be a sticking point. In the event of a repair, for example, the devices have to go to China due to the lack of authorized workshops in Europe.
battery pack
At 6800 mAh, the capacity of the battery is slightly lower than that of the competition. In the battery test, we were able to determine a value of 7 hours and 20 minutes with a brightness of 200 cd/m² in simulated use. This is a mediocre runtime, other tablets achieve between 9 and 11 hours in the benchmark.
The included power supply is not particularly powerful at 10 watts. Charging from 20 to 100 percent takes about 3.5 hours. A complete charging process should take almost 4 hours. The Tab 11 does not support wireless charging.
Price
The RRP for the Blackview Tab 11 was originally 299 euros. The manufacturer now sells the tablet directly through Amazon for 259 euros . With the code HEWMXU8A , Amazon buyers can also get a pair of Blackview AirBuds 1 headphones . To do this, put both products in the shopping cart and then apply the discount code. The tablet is even cheaper at Amazon Italy . With the discount code JVHRJSRR buyers get a discount of 15 percent. All in all, the Blackview Tab 11 costs just under 212.49 euros – a new best price.
Banggood is currently offering the Blackview Tab 11 in a flash sale for 189 euros instead of 229 euros, shipping from Hong Kong. With the discount code BGtecht11 , the price then drops to 184 euros . The code is valid until 09/30/2022.
The cheapest offers from our price comparison start at 216 euros . The colors are turquoise/green-blue (“Teal Green”), silver (“Moonlight Silver”) and dark gray (“Meteorite Grey”). In view of the ample memory and LTE, the price is extremely fair, but there is no cheaper version without mobile communications and with a smaller memory.
Conclusion
The Blackview Tab 11 is an ideal tablet for couch media consumption, surfing and casual gamers. The equipment and workmanship are extremely good for the price called. The 2K display is particularly appealing and thanks to the certificate for Widevine Level 1, content from Netflix, Disney Plus & Co. can also be played back in Full HD. Some inexpensive tablets don’t have this ability – even from well-known manufacturers.
The performance is good, but not enough for hardcore gamers. The battery life could also be better. The software is still running Android 11 with an outdated security patch. The price-performance ratio is nevertheless convincing. A Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 with 128 GB and LTE is over 300 euros. A variant of the Tab 11 without LTE with less memory as an additional cheaper alternative would have been interesting.
An inexpensive alternative, but with a weaker display, is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (test report) . The Lenovo Tab M10 (test report) is also a good tablet for streaming , but it uses a slower processor. The Nokia T20 (test report) is visually appealing and also quite fast – but without Widevine Level 1 .
We show other inexpensive devices in the Top 10 Top 10: The best tablets up to 250 euros – Lenovo and Samsung ahead of Blackview . If you have a bigger budget, you should take a look at our top 10: iPad, Samsung or Xiaomi? Throw the best tablets up to 500 euros .
