The OnePlus Pad Go was great value for money. It seems like the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is not drawing double or nothing. In every aspect, OnePlus has doubled everything – at least – to give you a product that is even better. There are more colors to choose from, a more detailed display with a larger battery to facilitate uninterrupted content consumption, and a design that punches above its weight in almost every sense of the word. In fact, when you first look at the OnePlus Pad Go 2, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell that it’s the most affordable tablet OnePlus makes today.

India Today Tech spent some time with it and we were impressed with everything about the OnePlus Pad Go 2. For the most part, the quirks we encountered during this review were easier to ignore and live with rather than detract from the experience, which we can confirm was top notch. So, what’s it like to live with this new budget Android tablet in daily life? Let’s find out in this detailed review.

-OnePlus Pad Go 2 price in India: Rs 26,999

-Sale starts from 18th December

Design: Familiar but sophisticated and surprisingly premium

At first glance, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 clearly takes design cues from the more premium OnePlus Pad 3. The tablet looks modern and clean with a minimal back panel and a reassuringly solid build. One noticeable change is the camera placement. Unlike the centrally aligned camera module on the original Pad Go, the Pad Go 2 moves the single rear camera to the corner. Thankfully, this doesn’t cause the device to wobble when the tablet is placed on a flat surface.

The OnePlus logo still sits proudly in the center of the rear panel, and the matte finish does a good job of blocking fingerprints and smudges. OnePlus has also managed to keep the tablet relatively thin, which helps it look sleek despite its size. The company has opted for a 7:5 aspect ratio, which offers more useful screen space than the traditional 16:10 display. This layout works especially well for reading, document editing, and Web browsing, as it feels closer to the book-style format.

That said, weight is something you’ll notice right away. With the screen size increasing to 12.1 inches, the Pad Go 2 weighs 597 grams for the Wi-Fi version (599 grams for the 5G model), up from 532 grams in the older version. Holding it for long periods of time, especially without a case, can be a little uncomfortable.

The tablet comes in two color options in India: Shadow Black and Lavender Drift. Our review unit is the Lavender Drift edition, and it looks mesmerizing. The soft pastel tone gives the tablet a premium, almost flagship-like look that stands out in the budget segment.

Performance: Best in class

-Display: 12.1-inch 2.8K panel with Dolby Vision support

-Display Type: LCD

The display is where the OnePlus Pad Go 2 really shines. OnePlus has equipped the tablet with a 12.1-inch panel with 2.8K resolution. It has 12-bit color depth, which you rarely see in the sub-Rs 25,000 category.

The pixel density is around 284ppi, which is absolutely adequate for a screen of this size. Text looks clear, images look detailed, and video content looks impressive. The panel can reach up to 900 nits in high brightness mode, which is enough for indoor use. Outside, visibility is good, but it could have been brighter.

Colors are vibrant but controlled, avoiding an overly saturated look that can feel tiring during prolonged viewing. Contrast levels are good for an LCD panel, and viewing angles are wide, ensuring consistent colors even if you’re not looking directly at the screen. The default is a slightly warm tone, but this can be easily adjusted in the display settings.

On a 12.1-inch screen, the bezels seem proportional and also help prevent accidental touches while holding the tablet. Motion handling is smooth, making scrolling, app switching and general navigation feel intuitive.

Streaming Dolby Vision content on Netflix was particularly enjoyable, and while the panel doesn’t offer the deep blacks of an AMOLED display or the dramatic HDR effect, it offers a mature, reliable viewing experience that’s easy on the eyes.

Performance and everyday use: a clear step up

-MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra

-RAM: 8 GB (LPDDR5X)

-Storage: 128/256GB (UFS 3.1)

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 offers a big performance upgrade over its predecessor, and in daily use the difference becomes immediately apparent. App launches are faster, animations feel smoother, and the overall UI experience is far more refined.

Benchmark results support this. The tablet scores around 6.6 lakh on AnTuTu, which is a huge jump from the original Pad Go’s score of 3.8 lakh. On Geekbench, the Pad Go 2 manages about 3,000 points on the multi-core test, which is about a 50 percent improvement over the older model. Considering that the price increase is only a few thousand rupees, this increase in performance seems justified.

For casual tasks like browsing, streaming, document editing and multitasking, the tablet handles everything with ease. Gaming performance is good, but with limitations. Titles like BGMI or Genshin Impact are playable at lower settings, though the larger screen may feel unwieldy for fast-paced shooters unless you pair the tablet with a wireless controller or keyboard. This is not a gaming-focused tablet, and is best suited for casual gaming rather than extended sessions.

Audio: Strong with room for improvement

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 has a quad-speaker setup, and it offers a wide, balanced soundstage that works well for movies, web series, and YouTube videos. Dialogue remains clear, and the audio doesn’t feel directionally limited even when changing direction.

The volume level is more than enough for indoor use, making the tablet suitable for video calls and media consumption without earphones. However, increasing the volume to maximum introduces some limitations. Treble could be a bit harsh, and bass is clearly lacking. Bass-heavy music sounds flat, and the audio doesn’t have the richness you get from a dedicated Bluetooth speaker or good headphones.

For general viewing, the speakers are perfectly serviceable, but pairing the tablet with external speakers or headphones improves the experience for those who want a cinematic experience.

Cameras: business as usual

-Rear Sensor: 8MP

-Front Camera: 8MP

Let’s be honest here. Tablet cameras are rarely a selling point, and the OnePlus Pad Go 2 doesn’t try to change that. It has an 8-megapixel rear camera, the same as its predecessor.

Daylight photos are average at best. Colors are acceptable, but detail is limited, especially when you start zooming in. OnePlus has included a 2x digital zoom option, which feels unnecessary on a tablet. An ultra-wide lens would have been far more useful for those occasional emergency shots when your phone isn’t available.

The camera supports EIS for video, though it’s unlikely that many users will rely on the tablet to record footage. There’s no dedicated night mode, and low-light performance is fine with visible noise and soft details. You’ll need steady hands and a steady subject to get usable results.

That said, the camera is fine for basic document scanning, the occasional photo or video call. Just don’t expect much more than that and it’s perfectly acceptable for a tablet in this category.

Stylus support: Thoughtful addition for note takers

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 now supports a stylus, although it is sold separately. In use, the Optionsna stylus functions reliably with minimal lag and precise palm rejection, even when keeping your hand on the screen while writing.

The Notes app includes a number of really useful features. Live Refine, currently in beta, automatically cleans up handwritten notes and corrects mistakes. It works well about 95 percent of the time, especially with English text, though it sometimes struggles with more complex handwriting.

It also has a Write Calculate feature that solves handwritten math problems instantly, responding within a second. The Pencil Sound option adds a tactile, paper-like feel when writing, which makes for a surprisingly more satisfying experience. Plus, you can also choose different paper styles (lined, dotted or plain) or take a screenshot using a button on the stylus, which is nice. For students and note takers, it offers a perfect experience in the budget segment.

Battery life: reliable and long lasting

-Battery Unit: 10,050mAh Battery

-Is the box charger included? Yes

-Charging Support: 33W

Battery life is another strong point. The Pad Go 2 has a 10,050mAh battery, up from 8,000mAh in the previous model. OnePlus claims up to 15 hours of video playback and up to 60 days of standby time.

In real-world use, the results are impressive. Watching a 2.5-hour Netflix movie drained about 32 percent of the battery. One hour of YouTube usage dropped by about 17 percent, while scrolling through Instagram Reels consumed only 10 percent. With Balanced Performance mode enabled, the tablet easily lasts a whole day and often up to another day depending on usage.

In my two weeks of use, the tablet only needed charging three times, which is a solid result for a device of this size.

Charging is handled by a bundled 45W charger, although the tablet only supports up to 33W. It takes about 2 hours 28 minutes to fully charge, which is reasonable considering the battery capacity.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 review Verdict: A sensible budget tablet

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 doesn’t try to be everything, and that’s why it works. It offers a large, high-quality display, excellent battery life, and thoughtful stylus features. It also offers a premium design and solid performance in a budget price range.

One needs to keep in mind that the Pad Go 2 is not meant for heavy gaming, high-end photography or power users looking for a laptop replacement. Instead, it’s ideal for users who want a large, portable screen for streaming, browsing, studying, casual gaming, and note taking.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly Android tablet that feels sophisticated and reliable, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is an easy recommendation.