This thing. Is freaking. Awesome. A perfect Echo Show replacement when docked; a swift, fully functional Android tablet when picked up.
I originally purchased a Kindle Fire HD8 + Show Mode Dock for my kitchen. In short, the speakers sucked, Show Mode was a pain to disable when docked and it couldn't even edit recipes. Returned promptly. Enter the Lenovo M10 (32GB).
Considering the reviews, I expected it to be almost useless as a tablet. You were all much too critical. It costs less than your trip to Costco for God's sake. I'm 24 and slightly impatient. I always have a current gen phone and a custom built PC. I can't stand waiting for things to load. Much to my surprise, this tablet lives up to my standard.
It's replaced the need to have my phone at all times when home. WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?! It's 2019 after all. When's the last time you were sitting on your couch and thought "Screw this iPhone's tiny 6-inch screen, lemme grab my tablet." Well, now for me, it's constantly. Especially because I made Alexa the default voice assistant. A long tap of the home button brings her up instantly. Perfect for the bedroom where I felt a dedicated Alexa device wasn't worth the cost.
-Show Mode
It's just as expected. An Echo with a display. Ask her what's on your calendar, she tells you AND shows you. Haven't missed an appointment in weeks. ADHD cured! Ask to show the backyard camera. Pops right up on your kitchen counter. My personal favorite: ask her to play a song. The lyrics are on the screen scrolling with the music. You can be the next Shawn Mendes while dicing avocados without even knowing a single word!
-Performance
I'm obviously writing this review on it. I read/watched a review that stated it was show to switch between apps but quick once it loaded. What? Are you running it with the storage maxed at 99% RAM utilization? It hasn't had a single hiccup. Day-to-day usage is flawless. It takes a lot to replace an iPhone. But Lenovo put just enough hardware in the M10 32GB to make it happen.
Features-
The default Swype keyboard in portrait orientation is perfect for single-finger typing. Full Google Play Store (tablet) options and Alexa built-in make it all you could ask for. Front and back cameras for video calling your Aunt in Zimbabwe during Christmas because when the hell else are you going to use a camera on a tablet? The screen is almost flagship quality and touch is very responsive. Alexa hears me perfectly when docked or in my hand. Did I mention it's a freaking Android tablet when you pick it up?! Screw the Portal and Echo Show. Try opening a spreadsheet on those cinder blocks.
The Dock-
Oh mah gawd. I have a normal sized apartment kitchen: 10x10, L-shaped, ugly cabinets. The usual. The dock's speakers fill the room and then some even at low volume. I will say there is a huge jump from level 3-4 volume. Not exactly preferred when you get home at 1am and want to listen to music while cleaning. But WHO CARES IT STILL SOUNDS AMAZING! I'm not an audiophile but I hated the Fire HD8's tin can speakers. The M10 is more than high enough quality for a kitchen. I would say it's on par with the other Echo devices. Oh and after initial setup, you can pair it to other Bluetooth devices as a Bluetooth speaker. Preeeetttyy coooool.
Gripes:
As of now, you can't add it to a group for multi-room music. AS OF NOW. I contacted Amazon asking for any way to make it work. They said it isn't supported as of yet and submitted a request to the development team. I was told it usually takes around two weeks for a high priority feature to roll out.
The first few days I had it, it kept saying the dock firmware needed upgraded. Tapping the banner bright you to the Lenovo Dock Super Updating Unopenable App in the play store. And... It did nothing. Until it magically did... Something... And the message stopped showing up. So yeah, that's fixed I think.
Summary-
If you want an Alexa device with decent speakers and a display, GET THIS ONE. The fact that you can pick it up and use it as a Kindle, large Android game device or even a giant Fire TV remote makes it worth every penny. I opted for the 32GB M10 for the added RAM without the unnecessary "premium" features of the 3GB RAM P10 like the upgraded camera, extra speakers and glass back. Plus I only paid 185 for a like-new, used one from an Amazon warehouse. STOP LOOKING AND BUY IT.
| Standing screen display size | 10.1 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920x1200 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Hard Drive | 64 GB Hybrid Drive |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Integrated Graphics |
| Chipset Brand | Qualcomm |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11abg |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 Hours |
