OnePlus Pad Lite Review: Almost Brilliant Budget Tablet

Value When Reviewed

Not accessible within the US

Greatest Costs Immediately: OnePlus Pad Lite

OnePlus’ Pad Lite is the infant sibling of the corporate’s latest flagship pill, the Pad 3. The Chinese language large 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, mild gaming, video calls, and note-taking. On these fronts, by itself, there may be little to essentially fault it, and OnePlus’ minimalist design makes it a clean expertise.

However there are various 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 will put it prime of the leaderboard. Right here’s my full overview.

Design & Construct

Design & Construct

• Slim and durable
• Smooth 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 tender texture provides it a extra refined really feel than many plastic-bodied rivals, and the aesthetic is per OnePlus’s broader design philosophy.

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

Adam Smith / Foundry

Its additional 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 much more handy than the facial recognition functionality that OnePlus has inbuilt.

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

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 screen & Audio system

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

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

It’s one of many few within the price range phase to supply smoother-than-average scrolling, however it 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 respectable distinction. Whites are clear, blacks are fairly deep for an LCD, and total image high quality is nice, particularly indoors.

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

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

Adam Smith / Foundry

OnePlus has additionally packed in a four-speaker setup with assist 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 via clearly, and music sounds fuller than anticipated at this worth.

The one disadvantage is the location. Because the audio system are positioned on the brief edges, your palms might 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 – net shopping, HD streaming, video calls, and lightweight gaming – with out noticeable stutter or slowdown. For informal customers, the efficiency is greater than satisfactory, 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 simple to take notes throughout a video name or message whereas watching content material. Usually, each apps run fluidly aspect by aspect with none perceptible lag.

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

Storage is fastened at 128GB, which interprets to round 40 downloaded HD movies or 1000’s of photographs. For informal and cloud-first customers, the built-in area will seemingly 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 supply expandable storage.

OnePlus Pad Lite benchmarks

Cameras

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

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

The principle digital camera is satisfactory for fast snaps in good lighting. Color stability 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 wood fence backdrop seems barely desaturated, however doesn’t skew the general palette. It’s advantageous for informal seize, however this isn’t a digital camera you’ll wish 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 advanced areas like shadows or overlapping textures, and lacks significant depth of subject. Its photographs lack that pop or readability you’d get from an older mid-range cellphone, and texture turns into muddy with minimal zoom.

Working OxygenOS based mostly 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 litter are sometimes arduous to flee.

Adam Smith / Foundry

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

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

The OnePlus cellphone show seems in a floating window, permitting you to tug and drop recordsdata or reply to messages with out switching units.

Compatibility extends to Apple customers too, by way of 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 Youngsters Mode is a welcome addition. It permits mother and father to limit app entry, set display screen cut-off dates, and management web permissions, all inside a easy interface that doesn’t require further downloads or third-party instruments.

Value & 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 by way of the OnePlus UK website now, forward of the machine being launched on 14 August. Nonetheless, OnePlus has confirmed to Tech Advisor that the Pad Lite gained’t be coming to the US, no less than initially.

That UK worth places it in direct competitors with the Redmi Pad 2 (from £169) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (from £239). Take a look at our information to the very best price range tablets to see our prime suggestions.

Must you purchase the OnePlus Pad Lite?

The OnePlus Pad Lite is a reliable price range pill, however it falls in need of being really aggressive.

It will get the fundamentals principally proper: the 90Hz refresh fee is welcome on this worth bracket, the 9340mAh battery delivers glorious longevity, and OxygenOS is refreshingly clear in comparison with the bloated interfaces discovered on many low-cost Android tablets. If all you want is a straightforward streaming and shopping machine, it’ll do the job with out fuss.

However the satan is within the particulars. The LCD display screen, whereas clean, is dimmer and fewer sharp than rivals just like the Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2. The shortage of expandable storage, a fingerprint scanner, and a headphone jack are all noticeable omissions on a price range machine the place practicality must be prioritised.

In the event you’re already utilizing a OnePlus cellphone and wish tight integration, the Pad Lite makes an affordable case for itself. However, at full worth, it’s caught between entry-level tablets that price much less and better-rounded mid-range choices that don’t price way more. 

Specs

• Android 15
• 11-inch, 1920 x 1200, 90Hz LCD show
• MediaTek Helio G100
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB inner storage
• 5Mp entrance digital camera
• 5Mp rear digital camera
• Face recognition
• Wi-Fi 5
• Bluetooth 5.2
• 5G
• USB-C
• 9340mAh battery
• 33W wired charging
• 166.5 × 254.9 x 7.4mm
• 530g
• Launch color: Aero Blue