OnePlus Pad Lite review: Almost brilliant budget tablet

Greatest Costs Right now: OnePlus Pad Lite

OnePlus’ Pad Lite is the newborn sibling of the corporate’s current flagship pill, the Pad 3. The Chinese language big is pushing an inexpensive, entry-level Android pill into the market, claiming lengthy battery life, higher connectivity options (for these with different OnePlus units), and multitasking options.

It is a pill constructed for on a regular basis duties: streaming, gentle gaming, video calls, and note-taking. On these fronts, by itself, there’s little to actually fault it, and OnePlus’ minimalist design makes it a easy expertise.

However there are numerous rivals within the Android pill market, together with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ and the Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2. Whereas the Pad Lite performs decently, it lacks the technical chops that may put it prime of the leaderboard. Right here’s my full overview.

Design & Construct

Design & Construct

• Slim and durable
• Modern end
• No fingerprint sensor

The Pad Lite has a clear, symmetrical design and is available in a single matt ‘Aero Blue’ end, which is pleasurable to carry and immune to fingerprint smudges.

The mushy texture provides it a extra refined really feel than many plastic-bodied rivals, and the aesthetic is in step with OnePlus’s broader design philosophy.

At 530g and simply 7.39mm thick, it’s barely heavier than the Galaxy Tab A9+, however nonetheless feels straightforward to hold round and deal with one-handed.

Adam Smith / Foundry

Its further heft truly gives the look of a extra premium machine, with a well-balanced weight distribution that helps it relaxation comfortably within the hand. The rounded edges and flat again make it secure on a desk or lap, though the digital camera bump does give it a slight wobble.

One factor notably lacking is a fingerprint scanner, which might be way more handy than the facial recognition functionality that OnePlus has in-built.

Whereas face unlock is responsive underneath regular lighting circumstances, it’s not safe sufficient for use for authenticating funds or accessing software program equivalent to password managers, which means customers might want to enter their lock display password each time. It additionally doesn’t carry out nicely underneath low gentle, which is very annoying when streaming reveals late at evening.

The Pad Lite additionally lacks a headphone jack, which is a disgrace on a price range machine, although its Bluetooth 5.2 connection is secure and responsive with wi-fi headphones.

Display & Audio system

• 11-inch, FHD+ LCD show
• Clean 90Hz refresh price
• Respectable audio system however odd placement

The Pad Lite has a 1920 x 1200 LCD show with a 90Hz refresh price – a stable providing at this worth level.

It’s one of many few within the price range section to supply smoother-than-average scrolling, but it surely doesn’t match as much as the sharpness or brightness of the Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2, which boasts a 1600 x 2560 decision and 600 nits of brightness, in comparison with the Pad Lite’s 500.

Adam Smith / Foundry

However, the Pad Lite’s 11-inch panel is crisp and comfy for the likes of studying, shopping, and media playback.

When streaming reveals, the show delivers first rate distinction. Whites are clear, blacks are fairly deep for an LCD, and general image high quality is nice, particularly indoors.

Eagle-eyed customers would possibly spot the lighter color calibration, which might make pores and skin tones seem a contact washed out, and the decrease decision means some tremendous textures get misplaced.

Nonetheless, for almost all of customers, particularly these coming from older tablets, the advance in fluidity and readability will likely be instantly noticeable.

Adam Smith / Foundry

OnePlus has additionally packed in a four-speaker setup with help for stereo playback. Audio is loud sufficient to fill a room, and spatial separation is nice when the pill isn’t being dealt with. Voices come by clearly, and music sounds fuller than anticipated at this worth.

The one disadvantage is the location. Because the audio system are situated on the brief edges, your arms could inadvertently cowl them when watching in panorama mode.

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Helio G100 chipset
• Handles gaming nicely
• No expandable storage

With 8GB of RAM and a MediaTek Helio G100 chip, the Pad Lite handles typical duties – internet shopping, HD streaming, video calls, and lightweight gaming – with out noticeable stutter or slowdown. For informal customers, the efficiency is greater than sufficient, and at no level did the machine really feel sluggish throughout day-to-day multitasking.

Loading speeds are fast, and extra intense Android video games like Genshin Affect run impressively with out slowing down mid-slash or spell, even with no adjustments to the default graphics or movement settings.

One of many Pad Lite’s standout options is Open Canvas, OnePlus’s multitasking system which permits two apps to run concurrently – both split-screen or with one floating above the opposite. It’s well-implemented and advantages from the additional RAM, making it straightforward to take notes throughout a video name or message whereas watching content material. Typically, each apps run fluidly facet by facet with none perceptible lag.

There are just a few quirks, although. Some apps, like the sport Hearthstone, don’t resize correctly until given a minimal quantity of display house – one thing OnePlus may enhance with software program tweaks. Nonetheless, for primary multitasking wants, it’s a superb expertise and rivals what is obtainable by different tablets on this bracket.

Storage is mounted at 128GB, which interprets to round 40 downloaded HD movies or 1000’s of pictures. For informal and cloud-first customers, the built-in house will doubtless suffice – but when not, you’re caught. The Pad Lite lacks a Micro-SD slot, which is a disgrace since units just like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 provide expandable storage.

OnePlus Pad Lite benchmarks

Cameras

• Fundamental 5Mp entrance and rear sensors
• Satisfactory color steadiness
• Poor zoom efficiency

Cameras on a pill are not often a precedence, particularly within the price range house, and the Pad Lite does little to problem that expectation.

The primary digital camera is satisfactory for fast snaps in good lighting. Color steadiness is respectable, with the reddish hues of unripe berries, the deeper purple of these prepared to select, and the inexperienced foliage all rendered comparatively precisely.

The picket fence backdrop seems barely desaturated, however doesn’t skew the general palette. It’s tremendous for informal seize, however this isn’t a digital camera you’ll need to depend on for something greater than useful use.

Adam Smith / Foundry

The place the Pad Lite struggles most is with element. The picture begins to blur in additional complicated areas like shadows or overlapping textures, and lacks significant depth of discipline. Its pictures lack that pop or readability you’d get from an older mid-range telephone, and texture turns into muddy with minimal zoom.

This isn’t a digital camera you’ll need to depend on for something greater than useful use

On the upside, the front-facing digital camera is first rate for video calls. It handles pores and skin tones naturally underneath first rate lighting and maintains a secure picture for platforms like Zoom or Google Meet.

Battery Life & Charging

• All-day battery life
• 80W wired charging
• No charger within the field
• Optionally available 80W improve

The Pad Lite impresses with its hefty 9,340mAh battery. The machine can simply energy a full day of continuous video playback or internet shopping with out breaking a sweat.

However the charging expertise feels a bit stingy. Out of the field, OnePlus solely features a USB-C to USB-A cable, and with a modest 12W journey charger, it crawls from 0 to simply 7% in quarter-hour, barely hitting 15% after half an hour. At that price, you’re shut to 2 hours for a full cost.

The machine can simply energy a full day of continuous video playback or internet shopping with out breaking a sweat

Whereas OnePlus at present sweetens the deal by throwing in a speedy 80W charger as a freebie on its web site, it’s irritating that such a robust accent isn’t normal. At minimal, a greater cable or sooner charger ought to be a part of the bundle, not an afterthought or promotional perk.

Software program & Apps

• OxygenOS 15 over
• Minor bloatware solely
• Useful machine mirroring

Working OxygenOS primarily based on Android 15, the Pad Lite delivers the clear, no-nonsense software program expertise that’s turn into typical of OnePlus units. OnePlus additionally says this may get 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of safety updates.

The interface feels snappy and minimal, with no aggressive theming or system adverts – a refreshing distinction to what you’ll discover on price range choices from different Chinese language manufacturers, the place bloatware and visible muddle are sometimes laborious to flee.

Adam Smith / Foundry

Out of the field, there’s some minor pre-installed software program – Netflix and WPS Workplace are the 2 most notable – however these are arguably helpful apps slightly than intrusive ones.

The Pad Lite additionally advantages from cross-device options, significantly for these already within the OnePlus ecosystem. This contains file and clipboard sharing between a OnePlus telephone and the pill, in addition to display mirroring.

The Pad Lite delivers the clear, no-nonsense software program expertise that’s turn into typical of OnePlus units

The OnePlus telephone show seems in a floating window, permitting you to pull and drop information or reply to messages with out switching units.

Compatibility extends to Apple customers too, through the O+ Join app, and though this isn’t as deeply built-in as AirDrop or iCloud, it really works reliably sufficient for informal use.

For households, the devoted Children Mode is a welcome addition. It permits mother and father to limit app entry, set display deadlines, and management web permissions, all inside a easy interface that doesn’t require extra downloads or third-party instruments.

Worth & Availability

The OnePlus Pad Lite is available in two configurations: a 6GB RAM + 128GB Wi-Fi mannequin for £199, and an 8GB RAM + 128GB LTE variant for £229. 

You may pre-order one through the OnePlus UK website now, ahead of the device being released on 14 August. However, OnePlus has confirmed to Tech Advisor that the Pad Lite won’t be coming to the US, at least initially.