OPPO Pad Neo Review | Geek Lifestyle

It’s been quite the first quarter for OPPO, having dropped some of the hottest phones in their latest Reno series, and they’re only cranking up the heat even further with the brand new OPPO Pad Neo. Yes, it was only inevitable that we step into the literal bigger picture, and with a stellar track record in delivering premium devices, even an entry into their more affordable gadget category would pique one’s interest.

The OPPO Pad Neo finds itself in a rather precarious position, having to be the following act to the bombastic launches of the Reno 11 series. For anyone simply in need of a bigger screen and a decent workhorse with a gaudy appearance, it would likely be a no-brainer. But OPPO aficionados would likely be a bit more discerning in their choices, as they demand the best. As they should.

So, that begs the question. Can the OPPO Pad Neo hold your interest long enough to give it a fair shake? We’ve had a bit of time with this sweet, not-so-little device, and it’s been quite the pleasant surprise.

Geeksthetic

We have but one color, and that’s a nice shade of gray with a two-tone finish–glossy up top, and matte downstairs. It’s such a relief to have a mostly matte finish, as fingerprints are the bane of everyone’s collective existence. Especially for those who like their devices pristine. No worries, for as long as you don’t wield the OPPO Pad Neo by the camera.

We get a generous 255.1 x 188 mm-sized body with a sleek 6.9 mm of wafer thinness. This is great, as far as tablets go. It’s even thinner than some phones. At 538 grams, it’s easy enough to whip out. We’re greeted by a singular camera lens which peers right into your soul if you look long enough. Opposite all that, we have the 11.4-inch ReadFit Screen which may be shorter than the tablet you had in mind, but perfectly emulates the size and shape of your usual book.

It’s simple, it’s sleek, and still manages to be a bit extra in the aesthetics department.

Binge-watching Factor

Arguably the OPPO Pad Neo’s bread and butter, they pulled all the stops in making sure you’ll have a good time catching up on your favorite shows. Going into more details on the ReadFit Screen, we get a 2.4K IPS LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. We have a 1720 x 2408 resolution with a 82.7% screen-to-body ratio. Yes, that means you’re getting some chunky bezels. However, the popping colors make up for this, just a bit.

The thickness of the bezels might a tad jarring at first–especially when letterboxes are involved. But you’ll soon forget about it once you start streaming your shows. The 7:5 aspect ratio is very nice when it comes to full-screen viewing. If you’re tired of tinkering with settings just to avoid having your videos stretched, you’re in luck. It’s also worth noting that the OPPO Pad Neo is TUV Rheinland certified, with Full Care Display 2.0. This means longer periods of watching with less eye strain.

Last but not least, we get four Dolby Atmos Speakers that are loud as they are clear. You won’t have any problems, even if you choose to crank up the volume.

Gaming Prowess

Running video games without a hitch is probably one of the first concerns people have when it comes to tablets. Even our moms have to play Homescapes after all. But, I digress. The OPPO Pad Neo comes equipped with a Helio G99 chipset and 8GB of RAM. Not the strongest of processors for sure, but powerful enough to run a few demanding games.

Honkai Star Rail was the first on our chopping block, running quite smoothly at medium settings and 30 FPS. Going any higher garnered a few frame drops and jitters once the action got too hot. Given that result, you can safely run any multiplayer FPS, or any MOBA very easily.

As for Final Fantasy: Ever Crisis–a technological anomaly that runs differently on various devices, yielded interesting results. The in-game “lobby” with cycling animated wallpapers was surprisingly slow. However, things would pick up nicely once the action started. It’s a strange trade-off, but we’re glad that the game was very much playable–even at its default highest settings. The Mali-G57 GPU can still pull its weight, so it seems.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

The OPPO Pad Neo comes clad with two 8MP cameras for the front and back side. You’ll get some decent shots under good lighting, but expect all the noise if you decide to shoot anything in a dimly lit room. This clearly isn’t the tablet’s flagship feature, but it’s still nice to see that you can get a few good snaps if you really need to. Of course, don’t expect Reno series levels of clarity.

As for video, you can shoot up to 1080p at 30 fps for both sides. It’s good enough for video conferencing and those impromptu online meetings. You’ll be needing a stand or a tripod if you want to keep things stable, though. Of course, we wouldn’t recommend it for vlogging.

Everyday Reliability

Now, here’s an area where the OPPO Pad Neo has tremendous potential. Aside from having the latest ColorOS 13.2 and Android 13, you also have some very work-efficient features at your disposal. Split View, Flexible Window, and Dual Window make navigating and multi-tasking a breeze. It also helps that you have an extra 8GB of expandable RAM to work with. It may not have any major effect in gaming, but it does wonders on your workflow.

Multi-screen connect is also something you can utilize effectively. Just take note that you might need a firmware update or two to get things up and running. That was the case when we tried it out on our OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G. Otherwise, you’ll be able to mirror your phone’s screen and sync content, and use apps simultaneously between devices in real time.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we forgot the beefy battery that lies within this device. The 8000mAh battery offers up to 14.5 hours of continuous video playback and a good 8-10 hours of heavy internet usage and gaming. If things go sideways for your batter, you have 33W SUPERVOOC charging to help you get back up. In our experience, you can go from 0 to 100% in just above an hour. This is pretty snappy, considering the battery size.

All-in-all, the special features that can curtail the stress in your work day make the OPPO Pad Neo something worth checking out.

OPPO Pad Neo – Final Verdict

The OPPO Pad Neo, while the newest in the bunch, comes in as the tablet middle child–spec-wise. It gives the OPPO Pad Air a run for its money, but it’s still outdone by the OPPO Pad 2. Nonetheless, it carves its own little niche by having a newer OS, some additional work-efficient features, and a compelling price. It’s a good choice for those who aren’t exactly on a budget, but don’t require the pizzazz that a higher-end tablet would offer. It’s a decent tablet that can get the job done–and then some.

If you’re interested in getting one for yourself, it’s currently priced at PHP 15,999, and available in OPPO’s official online portals in Lazada and Shopee. It’s quite the piece of hardware, so it sells out rather quickly. So, keep your eyes peeled or follow OPPO’s official website for updates.