As much as premium Android tablets have done well to offer options to the iPad lineup, budget Android tablets have been making far too many compromises to be worthy of a recommendation. Xiaomi’s Pad 6 (INR 24,999) and the recently launched OnePlus Pad Go seem to finally be reversing that trend, the latter a pared-down version of the OnePlus Pad that launched earlier this year. Can the Pad Go continue the winning streak OnePlus has been having this year?
Expectedly, OnePlus has made a few cuts to achieve the Pad Go’s compelling sub-INR 20,000 price point, but you wouldn’t be able to tell straight up. The Pad Go looks rather similar to the OnePlus Pad, only the slightest bit smaller, thicker and lighter. The Pad Go benefits from inheriting the design cues from the Pad – similar curved edges with a dual-tone metal like finish on the polycarbonate rear (that OnePlus calls Twin Mint), as well as the distinctive centrally-aligned circular camera module - giving it a far more premium feel than its price segment would suggest.
There are no connector pins, which means the Magnetic Keyboard that launched alongside the Pad will not be compatible with the Pad Go, leaving you with only a Go Folio Case (INR 1,399). Without a companion OnePlus keyboard case, that selfie camera in landscape orientation makes a little less sense, but hey, it’s lacking a headphone jack as well, which is an odd omission. It does one up the Pad on one count – a card slot that adds LTE connectivity and expandable memory, which not only helps justify the 128 GB / 256 GB storage but also allows hotspot-free usage when you’re out and about.
Around the front, the 11.35-inch, 2,408x1,720 pixel display is somewhat middling, with a 90 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 400 nits. This doesn’t pose an issue indoors, but for an LTE-enabled tablet which is meant to be taken outdoors, readability under bright sunlight is hit-and-miss. Color accuracy and contrast levels were good and, coupled with the Dolby Atmos processing on the quad speaker system, makes for a good multimedia experience. No HDR support, though.
The story continues in the performance department, with the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset paired with 8 GB of LPDDR4X memory and 128 GB / 256 GB of slower USF 2.2 storage. These are a step down from the Pad’s specifications and can be at best described as adequate. Let’s be clear – the Pad Go is a media consumption and web browsing device, and has enough grunt for that, so as long as you don’t push it with several memory-draining browser tabs or graphics intensive games, the Pad Go should serve you just fine. Redemption comes by way of a clean Android 13-based OxygenOS 13.2 experience, with fewer pre-installed apps.
Battery life is a win for the Pad Go, and that comes down to the energy-efficient chipset managing the built-in 8000mAh battery well. You can get two days of heavy usage out of the device, so this is a good vacation/outstation drive entertainment tablet as well. Support for 33W charging means its best plugged in overnight to charge, but it charges past 30 per cent in a half hour, which is good in a pinch. Cameras are basic, and good for scanning documents or for quick video calls.
The Pad Go goes up against the slightly pricier Xiaomi Pad 6, which has a higher resolution, faster refresh rate display and a better performing chipset, but lacks the clean software experience and LTE connectivity/expandable storage of the Pad Go. If you’re largely buying a tablet for lightweight reading/viewing use cases, and don’t intend to game or edit videos, the Pad Go should do well, and save you some cash in the bargain.
Rating: 7/10
Price: INR 19,999 onwards