Today, new research from Lenovo reveals that Gen Z students are turning to tablets as an everyday essential for creativity, study and student life. As university life evolves in response to AI-driven change, shifting career pathways and growing demand for flexible learning, students are rethinking the tools they rely on day to day. Devices must now support hybrid schedules, multitasking and creative problem-solving in real time. With advanced mobile processors, AI-enabled learning tools and lightweight, adaptable design, tablets are increasingly meeting that need.
In response, Lenovo has developed a new generation of AI-powered tablets designed to keep pace with how this generation works and expresses themselves. On devices like the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, that means combining powerful performance, immersive visuals and built-in AI tools designed to support everything from focused and efficient study to everyday creativity. Now featuring Lenovo Qira, Lenovo’s Personal Ambient Intelligence, a built-in, cross-device intelligence that understands context and supports users continuously without needing to open or switch between apps. This reflects a shift from AI as a tool students occasionally use to an intelligence that works alongside them continuously throughout the day. It helps maintain continuity across devices and platforms while bringing together information and insights to support everyday tasks, creativity, and communication.
The findings show that creativity is no longer confined to set study hours. Instead, it moves fluidly through lectures, commutes and late-night revision sessions, powered by technology that helps students stay organized, focused and in control. In fact, 99% of Gen Z students surveyed say technology plays an important role in supporting their creativity, showing how deeply digital tools are embedded in modern student life.
The research surveyed 8,035 Gen Z students aged 18 to 25 in full-time university education across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. It reflects a generation whose creativity, learning and leisure increasingly overlap, and whose technology is expected to move seamlessly between all three.
“At Lenovo, we spend a lot of time designing technology, starting with our end user needs,” said Alberto Spinelli, Chief Marketing Officer, Europe and META, Lenovo. “For Gen Z, creativity can strike at any point in the day, so they need tablets that are intuitive and supportive, helping them stay in that creative flow for as long as possible. We’re committed to building ideal devices that also serve as powerful AI tools, helping students stay ahead, master new skills, and gain confidence on their creative journey.”
Students now shape their devices as extensions of themselves
For Gen Z, technology is deeply personal. Just over nine in ten students surveyed (91%) say they personalize their devices to express their creative identity, with 94% customizing app layouts and organization to match how they think and work. [1] Creative tools are tailored too, with 92% personalizing pen tools or digital brushes to suit individual styles. [2]
Lenovo’s Idea Tab range, including the Idea Tab Plus and the all-new Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, is carefully designed with the latest technology to enable smarter learning, more seamless creativity and greater flexibility throughout the day. Thoughtfully integrating AI alongside premium performance and portability, the range supports curious minds with a versatile experience across both study and play.
Design plays a role in confidence as well as function. 81% of Gen Z’s asked say device design is important for creativity, reinforcing how self-expression, comfort and identity are increasingly part of the tech choices that students make, particularly during intense academic periods.
Technology is supporting a generation of everyday creators
Looking at a typical student week, creativity is blended into the entire day, showing up little and often rather than in dedicated blocks of time. Among students surveyed who use a tablet weekly or more, 75% do so once a week or more, while of those who use tablets for sketching or drawing, 73% do so once a week or more.
Tools that feel intuitive matter most – 92% of students surveyed say pen precision is important for creativity, while 88% value keyboard setup, demonstrating the importance of technology that keeps them in flow rather than breaking their concentration. AI also plays a growing supporting role, with 83% saying AI tools that generate ideas help support their creative process, acting as a springboard or productivity boost rather than a replacement for originality.
On devices like the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, these experiences are further enhanced by AI features designed to support the full creative process, from capturing ideas in the moment to refining them more efficiently later.
Studying is no longer confined to the desk
Learning no longer happens in one fixed place. 94% of students surveyed say a tablet is or would be useful for student life, reflecting how studying now moves between lecture halls, libraries, cafés, bedrooms and commutes, especially during busy term-time weeks.
Among those who see tablets as useful, portability and ease of use are cited as the joint top reasons, and almost three in ten lightweight devices are a priority in their ideal study setup. Tablets support this by allowing students to read, write, research and create wherever the day takes them, rather than tying productivity to a single desk.
Built for students who want to learn smarter, work faster and stay focused, the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 delivers smooth performance for multitasking, creative apps and AI-supported idea generation, all in a practical and portable package. Its 13-inch 3.5K PureSight Pro display provides sharp, immersive clarity for reading and research, while the 10200 mAh battery is built to support long days without interruption.
Staying focused in a world of distraction
Today’s students navigate constant digital and social noise, with notifications, multitasking and competing demands all pulling at their attention. Against this backdrop, focus has become a valuable skill. Of those surveyed, 44% say a clear, high-quality display helps them concentrate on a tablet, alongside fast multitasking (35%) and pen support for quick notetaking (31%). Nearly one in four say tablets help them manage time and workload, reinforcing their role in maintaining day-to-day balance and academic momentum.
Technology is helping students feel more supported
With high academic pressure, students increasingly expect technology to support wellbeing as well as productivity. 89% of students surveyed say technology helps them feel more supported and in control during busy study periods. [8] As coursework, deadlines and part-time work compete for attention, devices that feel intuitive, reliable and easy to manage can support with stress rather than add to it.
Lenovo’s approach focuses on building support directly into the tablet experience. By designing all-in-one devices that help manage pressure, protect headspace and encourage balance -whether gaming, streaming or studying – the experience is made to feel lighter, not just faster. On the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, that includes AI tools that help students stay on top of reading, note-taking and written work more efficiently and without breaking concentration.
Entertainment, AI and everyday support
Entertainment is increasingly part of the same devices students use to study and create. Almost two thirds of students asked say they would choose a tablet over a traditional TV for watching content if picture and sound quality were comparable, reflecting changing lifestyles and living spaces. When it comes to entertainment, students say all they need is long battery life (33%) and a high-resolution display (33%).
AI is now embedded in everyday student routines. 98% of students surveyed say AI helps them in some way, particularly when managing creativity and workload during busy periods. Around seven in ten respondents who use AI use AI-powered tools weekly or more, with common uses including notetaking (73%), summarization (73%) and idea generation (72%). Rather than replacing effort, AI is viewed as a quiet support layer that helps students stay organized and maintain composure when deadlines stack up.
Tablets with built-in AI-powered learning tools are evolving to better support how students absorb knowledge. Lenovo Qira takes this a step further by working across devices, understanding context, and supporting students continuously without interrupting their flow, from summarizing content and organizing notes to helping them pick up where they left off more easily between study sessions. For students, that can mean using experiences such as Pay Attention to capture key points in the moment, Catch Me Up to quickly regain context, and Deep Research with Lenovo’s Perplexity partnership to explore topic Dashboards more efficiently, as well as turning notes and key ideas into audio summaries or podcast-style content to support learning on the go. Integrated into the Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 as Lenovo’s first tablet to feature the experience, it helps students stay focused in the moment and work more efficiently across reading, note-taking and written tasks.
The device also brings together Lenovo AI experiences such as Smarter Reader, AI Notes, Live Transcript and Smart AI Input, helping students engage more actively with content, capture lectures more easily and speed up everyday writing tasks in a more natural way. For example, with Smarter Reader, students can simply circle with a star, heart or question mark to flag key ideas or get instant clarity as they read.
Sustainability and safety are baseline expectations
Sustainability is a core consideration for Gen Z students. Of those surveyed, 99% say sustainability matters when choosing technology, with high-quality materials that can handle everyday life (36%) ranking among the top priorities. Repairability and long-term support (33%), devices made with recycled or lower-impact materials (32%), full recyclable packaging (30%) and responsible manufacturing (29%) also feature strongly among respondents. For many students, sustainability means choosing devices built to last physically and technically, with durable materials and long-term system support that extend usable life and reduce the need for frequent replacement – reflected in the 37% respondents who say a device that lasts a long time and stays fast is a key consideration when selecting technology.
Trust is equally non-negotiable. 96% of students surveyed say it is important that their device helps them feel safe, in control and protected online. As academic work, creative output and personal communication increasingly live on the same device, privacy and security are now expected as standard.
Tablets designed for modern student life
The findings reinforce Lenovo’s focus on developing tablets that combine AI-powered productivity, immersive display technology and all-day portability for students who expect one device to do it all.
The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, unveiled at MWC 2026, is purpose-built for this new generation of learners. Designed to help students learn smarter, work faster and stay focused, it combines Lenovo AI tools, Tab Pen Plus support, and Smart Connect ecosystem with powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Mobile Platform performance in a slim, lightweight design.
