With the Pad Go 2, OnePlus may have a credible iPad challenger in its portfolio. Here’s our review.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 price begins at Rs. 26,999
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When it comes to the affordable tablet segment, the base iPad often ends up being the default choice for many buyers. This is largely due to its simple yet intuitive design, long-term software support, and overall reliability, which continue to give it an edge over similarly priced Android alternatives. That said, brands haven’t stopped trying to challenge Apple’s dominance. Samsung’s Galaxy A-series tablets and Xiaomi’s Pad 7 have both attempted to close this gap. And now, OnePlus is entering the fray with its newly launched OnePlus Pad Go 2.
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 price starts at Rs. 26,999 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage (Wi-Fi-only). While it isn’t a perfect device, OnePlus may have a credible iPad challenger in its portfolio. Here’s why.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Design: iPad-esque
- Dimensions — 266.01 x 192.77 x 6.83mm
- Weight — 599 grams (5G)
- Colours – Lavender Drift, Shadow Black
- Ingress rating – NA
Aiming squarely at the iPad, the OnePlus Pad Go 2’s design appears to draw clear inspiration from Apple’s tablet. It features a flat frame and sides and rounded corners, giving it a clean and modern look. The tablet is slightly taller and wider than the original Pad Go, but these changes have been accommodated within a thinner chassis measuring just 6.83mm. Despite being a 12-inch-class tablet, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 has excellent ergonomics, even if you opt for the slightly heavier 5G variant. It is comfortable to hold and easily slips into a backpack.
The new OnePlus tablet has undergone a major design shift compared to the previous Pad Go, the most prominent of which is the camera deco. Gone is the centrally placed single camera; it’s now tucked into the corner, remarkably similar to the base iPad. Thankfully, it remains unobtrusive and does not cause the tablet to wobble when placed on a flat surface.
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is available in two shades — Shadow Black and Lavender Drift, and we have the former. Both colour options have a plastic rear panel, but it does not feel cheap. The Shadow Black unit looks sleek and understated.
In our OnePlus Pad Go 2 first impressions, I mentioned that the matte back finish, while it gives it a very premium appearance, could prove to be a fingerprint magnet, and my extended usage has only solidified this concern. The Pad Go 2 picks up fingerprints and smudges easily, so you’ll need to keep a microfibre cloth handy to wipe it off after each use.
The power button is at the top of the tablet (in portrait), and the volume rockers are on the sides. You get a USB Type-C port on the bottom, flanked by speaker grilles at both ends of the frame. One notable omission on the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a magnetic connector, which means, sadly, there’s no hope for a future keyboard accessory.
The tablet also lacks an official IP rating for dust or water resistance, limiting it to indoor use only.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Display: Packs a Punch
- Size and resolution – 12.1-inch 2.8K LCD, 2800 x 1,980 pixels
- Refresh rate – 120Hz
- Protection – NA
Display is one of the strongest suits of the OnePlus Pad Go 2. It features a 12.1-inch 2.8K screen with a 284 PPI pixel density and Dolby Vision certification. The panel produces vibrant content with crisp text, accurate and vivid colours, and good HDR implementation. Despite being an LCD screen, black levels are fairly deep, and I did not notice any backlight bleed. It is certainly a great display for media viewing and content consumption.
What adds extra benefit is the 7:5 aspect ratio, which brings it closer to the OnePlus Pad 3 than the affordable Pad Lite. It sits nicely in between the iPad’s 4:3 ratio and a Galaxy Tab’s 16:10 ratio, ensuring that you neither experience letterboxing nor a narrow display when watching a film. That said, like the base iPad, the bezels are on the thicker side, slightly detracting from an otherwise excellent viewing experience.
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate. It is an LTPS panel, which means the tablet switches between preset modes based on usage, making it a flexible choice for browsing the web, scrolling through social media, and streaming. The panel also has TÜV Rheinland Smart Care 4.0 certification, which should help with eye comfort during longer sessions.
The company claims a peak brightness of 900 nits (HBM), and outdoor legibility is decent. However, the highly reflective nature of the screen means reflections can be distracting when using the tablet under direct sunlight.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Software: Multitasking Champion
- Software – OxygenOS 16
- Version – Android 16
- Updates Promised – 5 years OS + 6 years security
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 runs on Android 16-based OxygenOS 16. As such, it inherits most of the features from the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R; you can learn more about them here. What’s additional here is the support for the Open Canvas software, which delivers excellent multitasking on a large display. It offers intuitive touch controls for actions like split-screen mode and switching between multiple windows.
You can run multiple windows side by side, stream something via a picture-in-picture video player, and take notes — everything done simultaneously. In effect, up to four apps can remain active at once, and the software manages this surprisingly well.
The Pad Go 2 is also the first OnePlus tablet to support stylus input, with the introduction of the OnePlus Pad Go 2 Stylo. Stylus integration is well executed, especially within the Notes app, which offers handwriting recognition, a handwriting calculator, and other useful tools. Further, you can quickly take a note without turning on the tablet’s screen, while the dedicated button on the Stylo switches between different tools. There is an option to take partial screenshots with the stylus, too.
Software support is outstanding, too. OnePlus promises five years of OS updates and six years of security patches on the Pad Go 2, surpassing even some of its flagship phones. It is on par with Samsung’s long-term support for its tablets and other devices.
Overall, the software experience is polished and intuitive, making the OnePlus Pad Go 2 a genuinely compelling alternative to the iPad for productivity-focused users.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Performance: Gets the Job Done
- Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra
- Memory – 8GB, LPDDR5x
- Storage – Up to 256GB, UFS 3.1
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 isn’t the brand’s flagship offering, and its performance serves as a reminder of this. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra chipset, which is also found in other devices on the market, like the Poco X7. However, here it has to drive a significantly larger display alongside tablet-specific multitasking features.
Day-to-day use of the OnePlus Pad Go 2 leaves little room for complaint. Apps load quickly, and general navigation feels responsive. The tablet’s performance will be sufficient for university or work-related purposes. However, those looking to replace a laptop entirely may find its limitations apparent.
I played a couple of games to test its gaming and thermal management capabilities. In games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Call of Duty: Mobile, the tablet performs well at medium and high settings. However, it begins to struggle when everything is maxed out. During a one-hour session of Genshin Impact, I noticed fps drops around the half-hour mark, and the tablet got noticeably warm.
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 also marks another first for the company — built-in 5G. There’s now a SIM tray slot at the top of the tablet, which also accepts a microSD card for storage expansion. This provides the Pad Go 2 an edge, even over the flagship Pad 3, due to its standalone network connectivity when you’re away from a Wi-Fi source. Calling experience is decent, and the tablet has adequate signal retention.
Moving on, the tablet has an impressive quad-speaker setup. OnePlus says it has Omnibearing Sound Field technology that can detect the Pad Go 2’s orientation and adjust stereo channels accordingly. The feature works well, though it takes a second or two to recalibrate after rotating the tablet. The speakers produce clear mids and sharp highs, with good stereo separation. However, the audio lacks depth, and distortion creeps in above 85 percent of the volume. The tablet, disappointingly, misses out on Dolby Atmos support, too.
One other gripe I have with the Pad Go 2 is the lack of a fingerprint sensor. The tablet relies on PIN input or facial recognition for security, which may not suit everyone.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Cameras: Unremarkable
- Rear – 8-megapixel
- Front – 8-megapixel
Unremarkable — that is how the tablet segment is generally known for cameras, and it holds for the OnePlus Pad Go 2 as well. It features a single 8-megapixel rear camera that captures decent photos in good lighting. While the colours appear natural and the dynamic range is decent, details are often lacking.
The front-facing 8-megapixel camera is on the tablet’s longer edge, which works well for landscape orientation. This camera, too, has a similar story. It has enough punch for selfies and video calls, but it will not produce the most Instagrammable selfies.
Overall, the camera system is serviceable, but firmly unremarkable.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Battery Life: Impressive
- Battery Capacity – 10,050mAh
- Wired Charging – 33W
- Charger – 45W
What’s actually remarkable is the battery life. The OnePlus Pad Go 2 packs a 10,050mAh battery that delivers 15–18 hours of screen-on time with varied usage. If you use the tablet casually, it will easily last multiple days. The standby time is impressive, too. I charged the tablet to 100 percent and then placed it in my backpack for a two-day trip, and it dropped by a total of 5–6 percent during my entire stay.
Charging speeds, however, are slow. Even though the OnePlus Pad Go 2 ships with a 45W charger, it supports only 33W wired fast charging. It takes almost two hours to charge from 0 percent to the “fully charged” status. OnePlus has included a reverse charging feature that can come in handy for topping up your TWS or phone when it is running low on juice.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Verdict
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a capable, well-rounded Android tablet in the mid-range. Its strengths lie in a sharp, vibrant display and excellent battery life. The tablet delivers a polished software experience that handles multitasking extremely well. Performance is sufficient for everyday productivity and entertainment, though it falls short of being a true laptop replacement. Cameras remain unremarkable, and the lack of accessories, such as a keyboard, limits the tablet’s versatility.
But with built-in 5G and outstanding software support, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is an excellent choice for users seeking an iPad-like experience, without entering Apple’s walled garden. You may consider alternatives, like the Xiaomi Pad 7 or the iPad (2025).