After owning this tablet for 18 months and having to reflash the firmware twice (thanks, bootloop), here is my brutally honest review of the software that runs this little machine. The TB-8505X shipped with Android 9 (Pie) in most regions, though some later variants received Android 10 (Go Edition) or light Android 10. If yours came with Android 9, you’ll notice a relatively clean, near-stock look. Lenovo’s skin here is minimal—no heavy Samsung One UI or Xiaomi MIUI layers. That’s a huge plus.
Let’s be honest: The Lenovo Tab M8 (TB-8505X) is not a flagship killer. It’s an $80-$100 tablet designed for kids, kitchen recipe viewing, or basic e-reading. Its success hinges entirely on one thing: the firmware . Hardware is mediocre (2GB RAM, weak MediaTek chip), but if the firmware is lean, the device is usable. If it’s bloated, it’s a paperweight. Lenovo Tab M8 -TB-8505X- Firmware
Device: Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen? 2nd Gen? – Model TB-8505X) Focus: Stock Firmware (Android 9/10 variants), OTA updates, performance, bugs, and manual flashing. After owning this tablet for 18 months and
Lenovo provides official firmware packages (in scatter format) for the MediaTek chipset. You can find them on Lenovo’s support site or trusted forums like XDA. Lenovo’s skin here is minimal—no heavy Samsung One
Before updating firmware, always back up your NVRAM (IMEI data). And if you see an OTA notification for Android 10, think twice – many users report that Android 9 firmware actually runs faster on this device.