The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a fine Android tablet that benefits from a sharp screen, solid everyday performance, and helpful AI features, making it a good pick for OnePlus phone owners.<\/b>
\nThe OnePlus Pad Go 2 ($399.99) provides a large screen, quick performance, and fast charging with its included power brick. We like OnePlus’s relatively straightforward approach to Android, which is enhanced by AI tools that boost productivity, and its seamless integration with OnePlus phones. The 12-inch screen puts it near laptop-sized, and it’s fun for entertainment, though we wish it included a stylus in the box and faster Wi-Fi. For a little less, the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro ($389.99) ships with a stylus, has longer battery life, and proved snappier in testing, making it our Editors’ Choice for midrange Android tablets.Design: Doesn’t Reinvent the Wheel
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 feels like a plastic iPad, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is well-balanced and has good build quality, but lacks the finer materials and features (such as a fingerprint sensor or expandable storage) found on similarly priced Android tablets.
It measures 7.59 by 10.47 by 0.27 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.32 pounds, which is just a little bit larger than the original Pad Go (7.40 by 10.04 by 0.27 inches, 1.32 pounds). For comparison, the Idea Tab Pro is close at 7.44 by 11.49 by 0.27 inches and weighs a bit more at 1.37 pounds.
The front and back panels are slightly inset within the aluminum-alloy frame, creating a tiny lip that feels uncomfortable to hold. Panda Glass protects the large screen, which is framed by a small bezel. The back panel is simple with a single camera positioned on the top right, the OnePlus logo in the center, and regulatory markings below. There is no microSD card slot or 3.5mm headphone jack along the outer edges. The back panel resists fingerprints and finger residue, but you may want a cleaning cloth to keep the tablet looking its best.
The Pad Go 2, like the Lenovo Tab Pro, doesn’t have an IP rating, meaning it isn’t protected against dust or water. If you\u2019d like a tablet that can handle a splash or two, you\u2019ll have to spend more on a device like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE ($569.99).
Two speakers are located on each short side of the tablet. A power button is at the left edge near the top, while a USB-C port is on the right side. Individual volume controls are located on the left top edge near the power button. The volume buttons shift functionality depending on how you hold the tablet.
The Pad Go 2 does not have a fingerprint sensor, but it does have face unlock. I tested its security by showing the Pad Go 2 pictures of myself on a laptop and a phone; neither unlocked the device, which means the face ID tool is at least somewhat secure. The tablet is compatible with an optional stylus, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 Stylo, priced at $79.99. Lenovo, in comparison, includes a stylus with its Idea Pad Pro at no extra cost.
The OnePlus is available in one color, Shadow Black. Display: Roomy and Smooth
At 12.1 inches and with a resolution of 2,800 by 1,980 pixels, the tablet’s LCD provides ample room for apps and content while keeping the picture sharp. It supports four different refresh rates: 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. Higher refresh rates produce smoother animations, while lower ones help conserve battery life.
The screen reaches 600 nits on average and peaks at 900 nits in high-brightness mode. Visibility is fine indoors, but you may want to find shade outdoors. In comparison, the Idea Tab has a 12.7-inch LCD with a refresh rate up to 144Hz and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. Performance: A Competent Competitor
diaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra processor powers the Go 2, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This is the only configuration available. I believe 128GB of storage should be enough for most people, but the lack of expandability is disappointing, given that other tablets, including the Idea Tab Pro, support memory cards. Genshin Impact, for example, needs more than 40GB of storage, so the Pad Go 2’s drive could fill up quickly if you load it up with apps and games.
I ran a series of benchmarks to objectively evaluate the Pad Go 2\u2019s performance against the Idea Tab Pro, which has a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor with 8GB of RAM, and the pricier Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ ($649.99), which uses a Samsung Exynos 1580 processor paired with 8GB of RAM. For some perspective, MediaTek says its 7000 series is for upper midrange devices, while its 8000 series is for premium devices.
The OnePlus fell behind the Lenovo in CPU performance on Geekbench 6, which measures raw processing power. The Go 2 scored 1,022 on the single-core test and 3,112 on the multi-core one. Meanwhile, the Lenovo tablet reached 1,406 and 4,204 on the same tests, respectively. The Galaxy Tab falls between the two, with 1,358 on the single-core test and 3,886 on the multi-core test.
In the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which measures everyday mobile performance, the Go 2 was outclassed again. It scored 10,190 compared with the Idea Tab\u2019s 19,029. Again, the FE+ sits in the middle with a score of 13,361.
To assess graphics performance, I ran the 3DMark Wild Life test. The Pad Go 2 produced 19.4 frames per second (fps), while the S10 FE+ reached 29.14fps. The Lenovo did not run this test.Battery: Fast Charging, Below Average Life
The Pad Go 2 has a 10,050mAh battery capable of charging at up to 33W using OnePlus\u2019s proprietary SuperVOOC tech. OnePlus includes a 33W charger in the box. That’s a good start.
In our battery rundown test, where I stream a 1080p video over Wi-Fi with the screen at full brightness, the Pad Go 2 lasted 7 hours. The Idea Tab\u2019s 10,200mAh battery lasted 8 hours and 21 minutes, while the FE+ lasted 7 hours and 45 minutes. The Go 2’s run time is fairly short for an Android tablet. Moreover, the Lenovo and Samsung tablets can charge at up to 45W using standard (non-proprietary) chargers.
When connected to the included charger, the Pad Go reached 22% in 15 minutes, 45% after 30 minutes, and 100% in 1 hour and 20 minutes. That\u2019s speedy for a tablet, but don\u2019t forget to bring the OnePlus charger with you if you want to charge at that speed.Connections: Reliable, But Could Be Faster
The Go 2 supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6; both are improvements over the original Pad Go (Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 5), but not fully up to speed with the latest specs (Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7).
When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 router in my home, the tablet reached a maximum download speed of 284Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 22.4Mbps. Comparatively, the Tab S10 FE+ reached a max download speed of 401Mbps and a top upload speed of 22.6Mbps. When I tested both devices at the outer range of my Wi-Fi network, the OnePlus hit 231Mbps down and 22.3Mbps up while the Samsung pulled 379Mbps down and 22.8Mbps up.
OnePlus doesn’t make a 5G-equipped version of the Pad Go 2.Audio: A Quartet of Quality Speakers
With four speakers, the Pad Go 2 gets pretty loud. When playing Metallica\u2019s \u201cEnter Sandman,\u201d the Pad Go 2 reached 96.4dB and produced well-rounded sound. However, the lowest bass notes of our test track, The Knife\u2019s \u201cSilent Shout,\u201d were not audible unless you pressed your ear to the tablet. As always, look to a pair of Bluetooth earbuds for better audio. Cameras: 2 of a Kind
The tablet has two 8MP cameras, both with an aperture of f\/2.0: one on the back and one on the front. Both cameras produce the same oversaturated colors with average contrast. Video capture tops out at a resolution of 1080p at 30 frames per second and produces video of the same quality as stills. The photos and videos should be good enough for basic snaps and video conferencing. Software: A Modern UI With a Dash of AI
The Go 2 ships with Android 16 and OnePlus\u2019s OxygenOS 16, which introduces some AI features. The tablet will receive five years of OS updates and six years of security fixes, which is a much longer support window than the Idea Tab Pro (two OS upgrades, four years of security), but it falls short of Samsung\u2019s seven-year commitment to its Tab S10 FE+.
AI Writer, AI Translator, and AI VoiceScribe are a part of OxygenOS. Circle to Search by Google and Gemini are both preinstalled, as well. The device does a good job transcribing speech, but it did not recognize commands like «Next paragraph.» After transcription, the OS cleans up the text by adding punctuation. Its summary feature can organize your thoughts, which is helpful for stream-of-consciousness people (like me).
Otherwise, the tablet provides a basic Android experience. I find Lenovo and Samsung\u2019s productivity tweaks, like running more than two apps on the screen at once and alternate desktop-like experiences, add versatility that OnePlus lacks.<\/p>\n