Slim, metal, and featuring a big screen unlike most Android tablets, the Oppo Pad 2 looks to grab customers on looks and specs.
The iPad isn’t for everyone, and if you’re one of those people who isn’t into what Apple offers, chances are you’ve taken a browse of the Android tablets available on the market.
<insert the sound of crickets here>
Our tongue-in-cheek reference aside, Android tablets aren’t typically all that varied, with high-end models from Samsung, a tablet on a stand from Google built largely to stay home, low-end models from TCL and Lenovo, and then the occasional option sitting in the middle of all of these.
Design isn’t always considered that highly, and outside of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab range, you’re typically buying a plastic-backed tablet under a 10 or 11 inch screen, though sometimes a 7 or 8 depending on the model you’re eyeing. It can be all a little unimpressive at times.
Oppo appears keen to do something more premium, though, this week launching the a new generation of its “Pad” product, a tablet Australians saw a first generation clearly inspired by another big tablet in the Pad Air.
In version two, that inspiration is still very much there, though Oppo is making some changes, departing from the typical tablet screen size. Rather than opt for a widescreen 16:10 display, or even the iPad’s 4:3, Oppo is looking for a bit of middle ground, adopting a 7:5 aspect ratio a little like the 3:2 Microsoft uses in its Surface Pro Windows tablets.
While this will all likely look like a bunch of numbers, Oppo’s reason for switching to a different aspect ratio is very much like Microsoft’s original reason on the Surface tablets, following similar dimensions to a piece of paper.
Wider yet still long, the approach means more screen real estate for notes, drawing, writing, and apps, all without sacrificing an optimal screen experience for watching movies and shows.
It also makes the Oppo Pad 2 different from much of the competition, including a slightly higher resolution screen, covering 2800×2000 on a fast 144Hz display. That’s more than many Android tablets will offer right there, and it’s not alone.
The screen will support a stylus, an optional extra in the $79 Oppo Pencil, with the display handling Dolby Vision HDR and a four speaker sound system delivering support for Dolby Atmos spatial sound.
Inside, Oppo is using a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip with 8GB RAM and Android 13 with ColorOS 13.1, offering 256GB storage for apps and media, and sitting atop a 9510mAh battery the company says can offer as much as a little over 12 hours of battery life.
There’s also a keyboard accessory on the way with a touchpad, the $159 Oppo Pad 2 Smart Touchpad Keyboard, while the tablet itself will cost $699 locally.
From what we can tell, however, 5G isn’t a part of the package making the Pad 2 reliant on the mobile connection of your phone if you want to keep it connected.
However, that $699 price could well be the draw card, giving Oppo something made for the mid-range that delivers just that little bit more for your dollar, similar to how Oppo’s phones have, as well.
The Oppo Pad 2 looks set for release this week, available from Oppo Australia’s online store.
