OnePlus’ new budget tablet shrinks the hardware but grows the battery life
Following the September tease, OnePlus has officially unveiled its new mid-range tablet: the OnePlus Pad Go.
Compared to its big brother, the premium OnePlus Pad, the upcoming device is more portable, although at the cost of top performance. The screen is smaller, clocking in at 11.35 inches (288.5mm) and delivering 2K resolution diagonally – more specifically, 2,408 x 1,720 pixels. The refresh rate has dropped a bit, from 144 Hz to 90 Hz. However, it retains the same 7:5 aspect ratio as before; “perfect for viewing and surfing the web”. Moreover, the OnePlus Pad Gos the display has eye protection features such as Low Blue Light technology to reduce eye strain.
Under the hood, the tablet is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 SoC (system on a chip), 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage, although it can be expanded up to 1 TB. The camera system consists of two 8MP lenses on the front and back, both of which can record 1080p video at 30 FPS. The rear option features electronic image stabilization to ensure crystal clear recordings.
Hardware agreements
Despite the performance differences, there is one area where the OnePlus Pad Go actually outperforms the other model, such as the battery. The new device has an 8,000 mAh battery, which is smaller than the 9,510 mAh battery of the OnePlus Pad. However, it may take a little longer. The company states that the Pad Go has a maximum “play time of up to 14 hours of video,” while the older tablet has a maximum play time of 12 hours.
It’s a small upgrade, but it can make a difference, especially if you’re in the middle of watching something really good on Netflix. Naturally, it supports fast charging via the 33W SuperVOOC charger.
There are some similarities between the two that we haven’t mentioned yet. The OnePlus Pad Go features a quad-speaker setup powered by Dolby Atmos and the company’s proprietary Omnibearing Sound Field for a fully immersive audio experience. On the software side you have Auto Connect to quickly connect to your smartphone. From there you can cast content from your mobile device to the tablet via Screen Mirroring.
Availability pending
We’re really excited to get our hands on the OnePlus Pad Go as we’re big fans of the original. However, we worry that the company may be cutting corners too much here. It’s great to see that the future tablet can pump out 2K resolution on its screen, but OnePlus also equips it with weaker hardware and still offers limited customization options. It would have been nice to see more variety. So far the only color it is available in is Twin Mint Green. The battery life is at least slightly better.
At the time of writing, the OnePlus Pad Go is only available for pre-order in India with prices starting at 19,999 rupees or approximately $240 USD. It will be launched in the country on October 20. No word on an international release, although we asked for one. This story will be updated if we hear back.
Until then, check out TechRadar’s list of the best Android tablets for 2023.