Lenovo Idea Tab Pro

A great-value rival to the iPad due to its 12.7in screen and bundled stylus, even if the OS can't match Apple's

-  DASHIELL WOOD

PRICE 128GB with stylus, £317 (£380 inc VAT) from lenovo.​com

Lenovo's latest tablet costs roughly as much as a basic iPad (see issue 364, p91), but it offers a bigger screen and stylus at no extra cost. Expansion is cheaper, too: while the 128GB model costs £380 inc VAT, you can find the 256GB variant on the high street for only £20 more.

The design isn't the most thrilling, but the smooth metal casing is pleasant to the touch and gives an impression of durability. At 620g it's on the weighty side, but that's down to the large 12.7in display. While the 8mm bezels are chunky, they help you easily hold the tablet by its edges without accidentally triggering the touchscreen.

Another nice design touch is the strong magnetic patch at the back of the Idea Tab Pro, to which the stylus attaches with a secure snap. The stylus doesn't charge when it's attached in this way - it tops up via a standard USB cable - but it has great battery life with more than 150 hours of standby time, so recharging isn't tedious. Although the stylus isn't quite as accurate as the latest Apple Pencil, I found it worked brilliantly, with impressive precision and pressure sensitivity.

Most unusually, the Idea Tab Pro also has a microSD card slot - ideal for expanding your storage or transferring files from a laptop - along with three accessory connector pins at the bottom, for connecting the optional Lenovo keyboard. Buy direct from Lenovo and you'll find various bundles that include this.