OnePlus Pad Go hands-on review

Introduction

The OnePlus Pad Go is the company's second tablet and the first one to compete in the mid-range segment. The flagship OnePlus Pad impressed us earlier this year with its design, display, performance, speakers, and fast charging. It also had some great first-party accessories in the form of a pen and a keyboard folio case.

The OnePlus Pad Go loses a fair bit of that to achieve its lower price. The chipset has been downgraded to Helio G99. The display only refreshes up to 90Hz. And there is no support for the pen and keyboard made for the more expensive model.

Still, these seem like necessary compromises to make. After all, the OnePlus Pad Go costs nearly half that of the original model, despite having a very similar design, nearly the same display size and resolution, and a four-speaker system. Moreover, the OnePlus Pad Go also adds cellular connectivity, something the OnePlus Pad lacks.

OnePlus Pad Go specs at a glance:

• Body: 255.1x188.0x6.9mm, 532g; aluminum frame, aluminum back; Stylus support.
• Display: 11.35" IPS LCD, 90Hz, 400 nits (typ), 1720x2408px resolution, 12.6:9 aspect ratio, 260ppi.
• Chipset: Mediatek MT8781 Helio G99 (6nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13, OxygenOS 13.2.
• Rear camera: 8 MP.
• Front camera: 8 MP.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 8000mAh; 33W wired.
• Connectivity: LTE; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.2, aptX HD.
• Misc: Accelerometer, proximity (accessories only), gyro, compass; stereo speakers (4 speakers).

Compared to the more expensive model, the OnePlus Pad Go specs are lopsided in favor of having a better visual and audio experience rather than focusing on things like gaming, heavy productivity, or even photography. Considering the intended usage, the compromises here may not be that detrimental.

Unboxing

The OnePlus Pad Go comes with simple packaging, consisting of the tablet, a 33W fast charger, and a cable.

While the OnePlus Pad doesn't come with any additional accessories, either, it does support the OnePlus Stylo pen, the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard with trackpad, and the OnePlus Folio Case. The Pad Go only gets a OnePlus Go Folio Case, which attaches using clamps as it does not have magnets to attach the case. It is not compatible with any of the OnePlus Pad accessories.