REVIEW | Lumos Tablet Honest Review ~ Affordable All-Around Tablet
Thursday, April 24, 2025
I’m really not a tablet guy. The only tablet I owned was an Apple iPad a decade or so ago. And even that didn’t last, I quickly sold it off, finding no need for it in my life—my smartphone was more than enough for me.
That, however, was back then. Now in my forties, my eyesight hasn’t been the same as it was during my younger days. Glasses now sit above my nose—the texts on my phone swimmingly blurs and hurts my eyes on long reads. Rediscovering my love for reading books—now on its electronic form—I hanker for something better than my smartphone for my nightly book-reading sessions before heading off to dreamland.
I was actually debating on getting a dedicated eBook reader or a tablet. I was leaning on the latter, since it’s more versatile—I can watch movies, browse the Net, do social media, and all that, on a colored screen too—however, the ease of reading on the paper-like E Ink screens was also a big factor. That decision, however, was decided for me by LUMOS when they sent their latest tablet for review.
Goodbye, Kindle. Goodbye, Kobo. Hello, LUMOS Tablet.
| LUMOS TABLET REVIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? |
LUMOS TABLET PRICING
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| LUMOS TABLET WELCOME SCREEN ON FIRST BOOT |
LUMOS, known for their affordable home theater products—see my LUMOS Projector Review—has recently released their own tablet. Simply called LUMOS Tablet, they have it on two packages; a LUMOS Tablet only package (₱6,999.00), and the LUMOS Tablet Bundle, which comes with a wireless keyboard, mouse, and stylus (₱8,499.00).
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OUT OF THE BOX: WHAT’S INCLUDED
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| LUMOS TABLET BUNDLE UNBOXED |
I received the LUMOS Tablet Bundle. It was niftily packaged on a handsome 20 x 35 x 4.5 cm white box. Included inside are:
• LUMOS Tablet
• Bluetooth Keyboard
• Bluetooth Mouse
• Stylus Pen
• Case Cover
• Charger Head (type G electrical plug)
• USB to Type-C Cable
• Quick Start Guide
The LUMOS Tablet has a pre-installed screen protector. And like the LUMOS tablet itself, the Bluetooth keyboard is charged using the provided Type-C cable. The wireless mouse is powered by two AAA batteries, which are not included. The charger head provided has a Type-G plug, which doesn’t fit electrical outlets in the Philippines, so you’d need a socket adaptor to use it—or you can simply use any of your old USB charging heads from your phones.
Most people don’t really read the manual, but I’m not most people, lol, so read the Quickstart Guide, I did. It has an ultra-small font that I actually have to use a magnifying glass to read. Anyways, most of the stuff in it are pretty basic, although it helped me find where the MicroSD Card slot and the quick reset button’s location were.
I was also looking for any info on how to hard reset the LUMOS Tablet, but was unable to find it in the manual. I did try using the universal Power + Volume Up Button to reset it—the tablet has to be powered off first, by the way—and it worked.
Alternatively, if you have access to the Settings, this can easily be done by going to System > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Original apps will be restored).
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INSIDE THE TABLET: LUMOS TABLET SPECS
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| LUMOS TABLET SPECS |
LUMOS tablet has a physical size of 16.5 x 24.5 x 1.0 cm and weighs 490 g.
It uses a BigDroidOS 3 operating system on an Android 14 platform—note that the specs originally indicated that it is on Android 13, but it seems they have upgraded it to Android 14 now—running on an Octa-Core processor.
It has a 10.1 inches IPS panel capacitive screen with a native resolution of 800p (1280p x 800p), which supports 4k (3840p x 2160p).
It comes with a 64GB storage, which can be expanded to 1TB via a microSD card slot—subject to compatibility.
The tablet has a built-in 3.7V/6000mAh battery which they reportedly say can last up to 8 hours.
It sports two cameras, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.
There are the usual Google apps installed on the device, plus a couple of movie apps you can use to stream TV shows and movies, along with a few child apps.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there isn’t much bloatware included with the device. I also like how it allows multiple users to create different profiles. The Child Mode and Parental Controls on the settings are also welcome for monitoring and limiting a child’s tablet use.
CUSTOMIZING THE LUMOS TABLET
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| LUMOS TABLET APPS, OUT OF THE BOX |
One of the things I really like about using an Android device is how easily it can be customized to one’s needs and taste. And since I find the typical Android look to be a tad boring, I downloaded my favorite Android customizing app, Nova Launcher. I replaced the wallpaper to a black and white Evangelion artwork by DC Comics illustrator, Evan Cagle, downloaded the ubiquitous time and weather widget, converted all the icons into monochrome, set my rotation permanently on vertical, and finally, my LUMOS Tablet feels more like home.
I also set the tablet to Dark Mode, set the Extra Dim screen setting on, put on the timer for the Blue Light filter to come on between 10PM to 6AM on the native Settings app.
To fulfill its need as an entertainment hub for traveling or even for just nighttime screen time before sleep, I installed a few more apps from the Google Play Store. For music, Spotify (online music streaming) and Musicolet (offline music). For videos, YouTube comes pre-installed, so I simply updated it to the latest version, then added Netflix, and VLC for offline videos.
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| MY CUSTOMIZED LUMOS TABLET HOME SCREEN |
For socmed duties, I plunked in the usual trilogy of Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit—yup, no X for me.
For my reading needs, I put in my eReader of choice, Moon+ Reader, and for good measure, added in GoodReads. I also installed CDisplayEx as my comic book reader. I’m actually pretty excited to use the LUMOS Table for reading Marvel, DC, and manga comics!
The tablet does not have a native photo gallery app, so you can either use Google Photos (which takes getting used to) or you can download your preferred Gallery app. I actually use the mod version of QuickPic, which you can download on GitHub, outside PlayStore, since its current version at the PlayStore isn’t what it used to be after the app was sold off.
For my open source app depository—or FOSS (Free and Open Source Software)—I also installed F-Droid.
REAL WORLD USAGE
ON-THE-GO WORK TABLET
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| LUMOS TABLET AS A MINI LAPTOP |
The LUMOS Tablet is effective as a light, on-the-go work tablet. You actually won’t miss your laptop if you get the LUMOS Tablet Bundle, since it already has a wireless keyboard and a mouse for easier typing and navigation.
WPS Office productivity apps are pre-installed, but you can also opt to download and install Microsoft Office, since it is free for devices with a screen size of 10.1” or less, or even Google productivity apps.
For traditional bloggers like us, there are dedicated Blogger and WordPress apps which you can use on the go.
Vloggers, Instagrammers, and Tiktokerists can utilize a variety of video editing apps, from InShot, CapCut, to Adobe Rush.
Performance is pretty smooth all around; the video quality is clear and fonts are easy to read. You do have to turn up the brightness to the max when using it outdoors.
ALL-AROUND ENTERTAINMENT TABLET
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| WATCHING YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON THE LUMOS TABLET |
While I might use the tablet for work from time to time—most probably on short trips, when it’s just too much of a hassle to bring a laptop—what I’m really gonna use it for is entertainment.
It’s perfect for watching movies and TV series on local flights where planes aren’t equipped with an entertainment console, also good for an entertainment hub while hanging out (i.e., drinking) somewhere—like on a resort balcony, perhaps—and playing online games, which I really don’t do much of. The tablet can also cast on smart TVs or even your LUMOS Projector.
Videos have sharp and vivid colors—you can actually make it more vivid by turning on Color Enhance and Smart Backlight on the local settings. Audio is as what you’d expect from any regular tabs or smartphones, which is understandably thin, but connecting it on a Bluetooth speaker, or even on a wired portable speaker using Bluetooth or a standard 3.55mm audio jack makes everything sound fuller.
Binge watching on YouTube—connected using a WiFi, with Brightness on max, and using the built-in speaker—the battery lasted for 4.5 hours on a full charge.
E READER
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| THE LUMOS TABLET AS AN EBOOK READER |
Reading eBooks is actually what I’m gonna use the LUMOS Tablet for. Using the Moon+ Reader app, I arranged my screen settings to mimic the most paper-like setting as much as I can on an IPS display. Here are my settings, if you’re interested
Daytime Indoor Reading Settings:
Device Blue Light filter: Off
Device Extra Dim: Off
Device Brightness: 0
Device Reading Mode: Off
Moon+ Reader Visual Options Font Color: Black
Moon+ Reader Visual Options Background Color: DCD7D1
Moon+ Reader Brightness: -1
Moon+ Reader Blue Light: 59
Nighttime Reading Settings:
Device Blue Light filter: Off
Device Extra Dim: On
Device Brightness: 0
Device Reading Mode: Off
Moon+ Reader Visual Options Font Color: Black
Moon+ Reader Visual Options Background Color: DCD7D1
Moon+ Reader Brightness: -1
Moon+ Reader Blue Light: 71
I love how it doesn’t strain my eyes that much, as compared to using a mobile phone to read a book. Although, of course, it is still no match for an actual E Ink device. It’s easy to use when reading indoors, but on outdoor use, glare becomes a factor. To combat this, I plan on installing a matte screen protector. I’ll update this how it fares once I have it installed.
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| READING COMIC BOOKS ON LUMOS TABLET |
I am also absolutely enamored on how I can finally read comic books without constantly zooming in and out to read dialogue. The colors are absolutely vibrant! The LUMOS Tablet is perfect as a comic book reader.
ONLINE CLASS
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| OUR TODDLER ATTENDING ONLINE CLASS USING THE LUMOS TABLET |
Having a toddler who attends online class once a week, we actually found it easier for him to use Google Meet on the LUMOS Tablet more than our laptop. Besides being lighter, more compact, and easier to bring—great for when we’re traveling and he actually has a class—it’s also easier for our kid to use its touchscreen versus using a mouse to click on buttons. The sound is also adequate enough without the need to use an external speaker.
CAMERA
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| UNEDITED PHOTO USING THE LUMOS TABLET |
LUMOS Tablet has two cameras, an 8-megapixel rear main camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. While you probably won’t be using the tablet as your daily camera, it helps to know that it actually has a decent one for when the need arises.
Video resolution for the front camera tops at 720p, and 1080p for the back camera.
Its photo and video output are quite decent on well-lighted situations, but expectedly grainy on low-light environments. I noticed that it sometimes misfocus, so make sure you press-to-focus before shooting.
Its native camera app has a Portrait, Professional, Night, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, and (QR) Scanner mode.
I’m particularly looking for a RAW file output, for a bit more leeway in photo editing, but it only gives out JPEGs. It also doesn’t have a built-in gyro for video stabilization. There are also no optical zooms for ultra-wide and telephoto shots. Those are, of course, expected with the tablet’s very affordable price point.
IMPROVEMENTS & WISHLIST
Don’t expect the LUMOS Tablet to have all the bells and whistles of expensive high-end tablets, with its price point, it’s actually good enough. I do, nevertheless, have a few things I wish it can have on future iterations.
SCREEN PROTECTOR
The current screen protector, while welcome, can easily be scratched. I used it for about a week without using anything on it but my hands, but I can already see a lot of scratches. For this, I plan on replacing it with a tempered glass screen protector which is quite cheap—around ₱150.00 online.
AUTOMATIC AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR / ADAPTIVE BRIGHTNESS
Having a front camera, I’m actually quite surprised that the tablet doesn’t have an adaptive brightness setting. I think this can easily be fixed using a software update. Although I usually have the tablet brightness on the lowest setting, not a few people would probably love having this feature.
LED CHARGING INDICATOR
Not really essential, since I can just press the power button to see the tab’s battery level, but it’s a convenient touch that I wouldn’t mind having.
CLOSE DEVICE UPON LID CLOSURE
Again, not really that essential, but I just love this function. The front camera can probably be used as a proximity sensor for the tablet to detect lid closure.
AFTER-SALES SUPPORT
The LUMOS Tablet has a full warranty of one year from date of purchase.
Even if they’re a Singaporean brand, in case you encounter any issues with it, they actually have local support here in the Philippines. I have personally tried contacting their after-sales support and was quickly attended to with my concerns.
You may contact them at support@lumosprojector.ph or thru their FB Messenger Chat via their Facebook Page.
FINAL THOUGHTS
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| MY VERDICT ON THE LUMOS TABLET |
The LUMOS Tablet is indeed one of the most affordable tablets in the market today. Performance-wise, it is as good as any entry-level tablets out there; it is responsive, video quality is good, and battery life is adequate. If you’re on the hunt for a tablet that works quite well, at a lower price point, and actually has customer support, then the LUMOS Tablet is highly recommended.
~ LUMOS SENT US A TABLET FOR REVIEW. VIEWS AND OPINION, ALL MINE
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