Following its September tease, OnePlus has officially revealed 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 it comes at the cost of a top-tier performance. Its screen is smaller, clocking in at 11.35 inches (288.5 mm) diagonally outputting 2K resolution – more specifically, 2,408 x 1,720 pixels. The refresh rate has fallen a bit tool, down to 90Hz from 144Hz. It does, however, keep the same 7:5 aspect ratio from before; “perfect for viewing and browsing the internet”. Additionally, the OnePlus Pad Go’s display has eye protection features like Low Blue Light tech to reduce eye strain.
Under the hood, the tablet is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 SoC (system on a chip), 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage space although it can be expanded to 1TB. Its camera system consists of two 8MP lenses at the front and back both capable of shooting 1080p video at 30FPS. The rear option has electronic image stabilization to ensure crystal-clear recordings.
Hardware similarities
Despite the gaps in performance, there is one area where the OnePlus Pad Go actually outclasses the other model, such as the battery. The new device has an 8,000 mAh battery which is smaller than the OnePlus Pad’s 9,510 mAh battery. However, it can last a bit longer. The company states the Pad Go has a maximum “playtime of up to 14 hours of video” whereas the older tablet peaks at 12 hours.
It’s a small upgrade but it can make a difference especially when you’re in the middle of watching something really good on Netflix. Of course, it supports fast charging through its 33W SuperVOOC charger.
There are some similarities between the two that we haven't mentioned yet. The OnePlus Pad Go sports a quad-speaker setup powered by Dolby Atmos and the company’s own 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 pretty excited to get our hands on the OnePlus Pad Go as we’re big fans of the original. However, we worry that maybe the company is cutting too many corners here. It’s great to see the future tablet can pump 2K resolution on its screen, but OnePlus is also equipping it with weaker hardware and it's still offering limited customization options. It would've been nice to see more variety. So far, the only color it comes in is Twin Mint Green. At least the battery life is a bit better.
At the time of this writing, the OnePlus Pad Go is only available for pre-order in India with prices starting at 19,999 rupees or about $240 USD. It launches in the country on October 20. No word on an international release although we did ask. This story will be updated if we hear back.
Until then, be sure to check TechRadar’s list of the best Android tablets for 2023.
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