At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Beautiful, expansive show
- Nice audio system
- Superior software program
- Glorious battery life
- 5G possibility accessible
Cons
- Not one of the best for gaming
- Nerfed multitasking capabilities
- Poor cameras
Our Verdict
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 impresses with its giant, shiny show and wonderful battery life. It’s extra highly effective than its predecessor, and it’ll deal with day-to-day duties with ease, nevertheless it may not have sufficient grunt for eager avid gamers. A 5G-connected possibility sweetens the deal, and makes for a really tempting iPad different.
Worth When Reviewed
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Greatest Pricing At present
Greatest Costs At present: OnePlus Pad Go 2
We completely cherished the OnePlus Pad 3. It’s a pill that basically offers you a large number for an asking value of simply over £500 – however what in order for you one thing extra inexpensive? The OnePlus Pad Lite is another choice. It’s less expensive and options the identical nice software program, nevertheless it would possibly minimize too many corners to supply a premium expertise.
That’s the place the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is available in. It inherits a number of the options that make the Pad 3 so nice, and has significant benefits over the Lite mannequin. For lots of people, it might be the candy spot.
I’ve been testing it out for the previous week to search out out what it’s like use every day, and the way it compares to its predecessor. Right here’s what I’ve realized.
Design & Construct
- Plastic body, matt end
- Shadow Black and Lavender Drift choices
- Wi-Fi model 597g, 5G model 599g
The design of the OnePlus Pad Go 2 has modified fairly dramatically from the earlier era. The digicam, which was as soon as centrally positioned, has been pushed up right into a extra typical place within the nook, and the two-tone rear has gone, too. You now get a uniform color throughout the whole again panel.
Luke Baker
The Pad Go 2 is out there in two colors. I’ve the Shadow Black model for testing. It’s a reasonably anonymous-looking pill with a matt black end throughout. It’s wholly inoffensive, nevertheless it lacks the persona of its predecessor, and it’s a little bit of a smudge-magnet. Some are certain to favor this new minimal design, however the older mannequin was extra interesting to me.
For those who go for the Lavender Drift possibility, you possibly can count on a extra eye-catching end. OnePlus says it options precision-etched grooves that make the color shift as the sunshine hits it. Sadly, I haven’t seen it in individual, so I’ll need to take the model’s phrase for it.
The body appears to be created from plastic this time round, as there aren’t any seen antenna strains, which had been current on the unique. It definitely feels hardy sufficient, although, and there’s no noticeable flex, regardless of the pill being on the slim aspect.
Luke Baker
With a 12.1-inch show, up from 11.35-inch, it’s noticeably larger than the outdated mannequin, and it’s pretty heavy, too. In fact, this comes with the territory, and when it comes to weight, it sits proper between the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air fashions.
You’ll be able to go for a mannequin with 5G mobile connectivity, somewhat than simply Wi-Fi
One large change this era is that you would be able to go for a mannequin with 5G mobile connectivity, somewhat than simply Wi-Fi. Because of this, there’s now a SIM card tray, and there’s nonetheless room for a microSD card to broaden the pill’s storage, too.
Elsewhere, you’ll discover the same old mixture of an influence button, quantity rocker and USB-C port. There’s nonetheless no headphone socket, and no fingerprint-reading capabilities, both.
I used to be despatched two elective equipment with the Pad Go 2: a folio case and an lively stylus. The case has an fascinating design, with a frosted, clear, acrylic shell and a black, leather-effect, folding cowl that doubles up as a kickstand. The case has ridges operating throughout it; it’s similar to the circumstances that RedMagic has been transport with its telephones these days, and it jogs my memory of privateness glass or a corrugated plastic roof. It’s definitely distinctive, and it feels very properly constructed.
The stylus works properly, with excessive responsiveness and minimal latency, however the design might be higher. It doesn’t magnetise to the aspect of the pill, as an alternative counting on a plastic clasp that juts out from the aspect of the folio case. It doesn’t cost from the pill, both; you’ll have to plug it in with a USB-C cable to juice it up infrequently. These are minor annoyances, however while you’re used to a magnetic wi-fi charging design, this one feels a bit missing.
Display & Audio system
- 12.1-inch IPS LCD show
- 7:5, 2800×1980, 900 nits
- Quad audio system
The brand new show is the one most impactful improve on the OnePlus Pad Go 2. I’ve already talked about that it’s bigger, nevertheless it’s additionally considerably brighter, has a quicker refresh price, and has higher color accuracy.
To get into the finer particulars, this panel now maxes out at 900 nits, up from 400 nits, it’s 120Hz, up from 90Hz, and it has 12-bit color depth, up from 8-bit.
Luke Baker
It’s an enormous improve, and it makes the pill really feel a lot extra premium. Provided that these gadgets are largely used for media consumption, these show particulars actually matter. Positive, OLED would have been nicer still, but given the price point, this IPS panel punches well above its weight.
Given the price point, this IPS panel punches well above its weight
For my needs, I have no complaints. The colours look vibrant and accurate, swiping around the OS feels as smooth as can be, and the contrast level is very, very good for an IPS display. I haven’t been contending with too much sunlight thanks to the dreary British weather, but the screen is more than bright enough around the house – and that’s where I use tablets the most.
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 features a quad-speaker arrangement with two speakers on the top, and two on the bottom (or left and right when held horizontally). The physical size of the tablet means there’s quite a pronounced stereo effect, which is great for watching TV and movies.
Luke Baker
The speakers are fairly powerful, but they’re not the loudest I’ve come across. What impressed me the most was how “full” they sound; there’s a bit of weight to the low-end, and they never sound tinny. They get the job done nicely when watching content around the home.
Specs & Performance
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB / 256GB storage
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra, the same chip that we saw in the Poco X7 at the start of the year. It’s not going to rival the power of more premium tablets, but it’s a hefty upgrade compared to the Helio G99 processor in the original Pad Go and the G100 in the Pad Lite.
Luke Baker
It comes with 8GB of RAM, and it can be paired with either 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. Of course, since there’s a microSD card slot, you can expand that storage much further if you need to.
For basic tasks such as writing, sketching, watching videos and scrolling social media, the Pad Go 2 feels extremely quick and responsive. The majority of the time, I’d have trouble noticing the difference between this and a flagship chip.
For basic tasks such as writing, sketching, watching videos and scrolling social media, the Pad Go 2 feels extremely quick and responsive
It’s only when playing a graphically demanding game that this tablet starts to struggle. With Wuthering Waves, for example, I had to use the lowest preset and play at 30fps to get a smooth experience. That said, it’s a challenging game to run, and if you opt for something less graphically impressive, you’ll have a much better experience.
Luke Baker
For gamers, there are many better options available, but if your performance requirements aren’t so high, you’ll have no problems with this tablet. For instance, I was able to play a high-res YouTube video in split-screen mode while answering emails on the other side, and the tablet barely broke a sweat.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 benchmarks
Cameras
- 8Mp rear camera
- 8Mp selfie camera
- Up to 1080p 30fps video recording
No one expects the best of the best from tablet cameras, but with the OnePlus Pad Go 2, you should really temper your expectations further. There’s a single 8Mp camera on the rear, and one on the front, and neither is likely to impress very much.
Luke Baker
The low resolution of these cameras is immediately apparent when you open up the camera app. With such a large display, the graininess and lack of detail are clear as can be. You can also record video at up to 1080p 30fps with either camera, and there’s not much in the way of stabilisation.
There’s no autofocus on the selfie camera, which is to be expected with a tablet, but I was surprised to see that the rear camera also lacks autofocus.
That said, this is a tablet, so realistically, the cameras are only going to be used for video calls and scanning QR codes, and they’re absolutely fine for that. I appreciate that the front camera is placed in the centre when held horizontally, as it makes for a very natural eyeline, especially when the tablet is propped up with a folio case or similar accessory.
However, I always think it’s a waste when tablets include decent cameras. Personally, I’d prefer no rear camera at all if it meant a lower MSRP, or better specifications elsewhere. Perhaps OnePlus is striking the right balance here.
Battery Life & Charging
- 10,050 mAh battery
- 33W wired charging
- No charger in the box
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 has a massive 10,050 mAh battery, a substantial increase over the previous generation’s 8000 mAh cell. OnePlus reckons it’s good enough for 15 hours of playback on a charge, but that might be underselling it.
Luke Baker
In our usual PCMark Battery Drain Test, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 survived for an impressive 15 hours and 22 minutes – and that’s with 20% left in the tank. To clarify, this test was on Wi-Fi only, with the brightness set to the recommended 200 nits, so you’ll get less than that with 5G and the brightness cranked, but still, you can expect it to last a long time on a charge.
For me, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 only needs charging about once a week, which is pretty impressive
My typical tablet use sees me picking it up for a few hours at a time. I don’t typically use it for a full workday, or anywhere near as much as my phone. So, for me, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 only needs charging about once a week, which is pretty impressive. Of course, that statistic will vary depending on how you use the tablet.
Luke Baker
Standby battery drain also seems impressively well controlled. OnePlus claims that it’ll go for 60 days in standby before the battery runs out. I haven’t had the tablet long enough to know if that’s true, but it barely lost any charge when left on standby overnight, which is always a good sign.
When it comes to charging, the speeds are fairly modest. It supports up to 33W charging with a suitable adapter, and a full charge from flat will take around 129 minutes. It’s easy enough to live with, but if you’re used to a slate with speedier charging, you won’t be too impressed.
Luke Baker
There’s also no charger in the box (unless you live in India or North America), and you’ll need an official SuperVOOC charger to get the maximum advertised speeds.
Software & Apps
- OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16
- Stylus and handwriting support
- Lots of AI features
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 runs OxygenOS 16, which is built on Android 16. I’ve been using the Oppo Find X9 Pro as my main phone recently, which runs ColorOS, and OxygenOS is functionally almost identical. There are styling differences, like the default clock displaying the signature red “1”, but the features are basically all the same, even down to the iOS-inspired Flux themes.
Luke Baker
To be clear, this is a very good thing. I’ve said before that ColorOS is my favourite Android skin, and by extension, OxygenOS and RealmeUI are tied for the top spot, because they’re basically all the same. The OS looks great, has smooth and speedy animations, and plenty of handy AI features built in, as well as Google’s own Circle to Search and Gemini.
The OS looks great, has smooth and speedy animations, and plenty of handy AI features built in
What I found slightly disappointing, though, were the multitasking capabilities. They’re just as intuitive and convenient as they are on other OnePlus devices; you can still run apps in split-screen mode or as floating windows. However, there’s a major downgrade compared to the flagship OnePlus Pad 3. That tablet will let you run three apps in split-screen configuration, while the Pad Go 2 only allows for two apps.
Luke Baker
In fairness, you can run a third app as a floating window, so the functionality is there, it’s just not as slick as the triple split-screen configuration. This slate feels more than capable enough, if only the software would allow for it.
Otherwise, aside from a selection of first-party apps, the software is almost completely bloat-free. It also feels snappy despite running on modest hardware. It’s great. OnePlus promises five years of Android updates and six years of security patches for this device, which isn’t class-leading, but it’s a very generous offering for a mid-range device like this.
Price & Availability
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is available to pre-order now directly from OnePlus, before it goes on general sale on 24 December 2025. There are two models to choose from. The base mode, which is Wi-Fi only and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, will cost you £319 in the UK or $399 in the States. The 5G model comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it’ll set you back £399.
The protective folio case is sold as an optional accessory for £39.99, and the stylus costs £79. If you get in early, you can take advantage of numerous pre-order offers, including £50 off and a free gift worth up to £249.
At the time of writing, I only have pricing information for the base model in the US, so it’s unclear if the 5G model will be available Stateside. Otherwise, it’s expected to be released in most European markets and in India.
The tablet is very competitively priced. It undercuts the base model iPad (£329) while offering a noticeably larger display, and if you factor in cellular connectivity, the gap widens further, as the 5G model will set you back £479.
For our top recommendations and to see how the OnePlus Pad Go 2 stacks up against the competition, see our round-up of the best tablets.
Should you buy the OnePlus Pad Go 2?
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a capable tablet at a very affordable price. It’s a significant improvement on the previous model, with a larger and brighter display, a bigger battery and a better processor inside. It nicely rounds out OnePlus’ tablet lineup, with meaningful advantages over the Pad Lite, and a much lower price than the full-featured Pad 3.
The long battery life was a definite highlight for me, as was the excellent software, which was a pleasure to use. Performance was good for the most part, but if you’re a gamer or a video editor, you will likely be left wanting more. That said, if you’re looking for something that’s more of a content consumption and productivity device, you’ll probably be satisfied with the power available here.
There’s no shortage of excellent competitors around this price point. The Xiaomi Pad 7 and Honor Pad V9 are two that immediately spring to mind (and can often be found discounted). However, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 still manages to stand out with its larger display and 5G option. It’s a solid option that’s easy to recommend.
Specs
- OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16
- 12.1-inch, 2800×1980, IPS LCD, 120Hz
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB / 256GB storage
- Camera:
- 8Mp rear camera
- 8Mp selfie camera
- Up to 1080p @ 30fps rear video
- Quad speakers
- 5G version available
- Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
- Bluetooth 5.4
- 10,050 mAh battery
- 33W wired charging
- 266.01 x 192.77 x 6.83 mm
- No IP rating
- 597g
- Colours: Shadow Black, Lavender Drift