OnePlus Pad Go 2 review: Looking for an iPad alternative? This may fit the bill.

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iPads are not the be-all and end-all of tablets. There’s a wider world beyond iOS, and Android tablets are equally suited for all your streaming and work needs. OnePlus, a maker of Android smartphones and smartwatches, also makes tablets.

The brand’s latest, the OnePlus Pad Go 2, is a sub-$500 tablet. On the surface, it looks very similar to Apple’s iPads, but how does it compare under the hood? This is where the difference comes from.

I tested the OnePlus Pad Go 2, a tablet for students and creators alike, to see how it stacks up.

OnePlus Pad Go 2 specifications and price

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is an affordable product tablet. It doesn’t have the computing power and memory we’d expect from a laptop, but it still has more than you’ll find on a phone.

• Amount: $399.99

• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra

• Memory: 8GB RAM

• Storage: 128GB of ROM

• Display: 2.8k resolution, 900 nits brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate

• Ports: 1 USB-C port

• Camera: 8MP front and rear camera

• Sound: 4 speakers

The perfect interface for those switching from iOS

After testing a variety of Android tablets, I declare the OnePlus Pad Go 2 to be the most iPhone-friendly. When I opened the OnePlus Pad Go 2, I was happy to see how the home screen looks, with its widgets and beautiful display. The biggest difference is that Apple uses square app icons, while OnePlus tablets use round ones. Gestures are the same, too, pulling down to access menus or swiping up to close apps.

Compared to other Android tablets I’ve tested, it felt very accurate. It’s not fair to blame it only on iOS, because the OnePlus Pad Go 2 has a lot of features that iPads don’t have. In the bottom app bar on the Pad Go 2, there’s a directory so you can quickly browse your apps alphabetically rather than swiping through all your display pages.

Split screen feature is not available

The split-screen feature of the Pad Go 2 isn’t nearly as efficient as the tablet’s multi-window functions.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

A hot feature on tablets are multi-window displays — now available on iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs. Instead of true adjustable windows, on OnePlus, you can use split screen displays that split the screen in half, although you can slide the divider to adjust the split. What you can’t do is move the organic windows to create a fully customizable workspace.

You can also use the OnePlus floating window feature; However, the windows are still locked to one side of the screen, so you don’t have complete freedom to move them. The OnePlus Pad Go 2’s split-screen functionality is a little nicer, but it’s not as useful as the multi-window functionality of tablets.

High quality streaming with just the right speakers

The small speakers on the OnePlus Pad Go 2 deliver disappointing sound.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

I spent a lot of time streaming on the OnePlus Pad Go 2; it became my friend when I was working or cooking in the kitchen. I have never once been disappointed with the quality of the broadcast. A fast processor that never buffers, leaving me on an unintended cliffhanger. Its 2.8k resolution and 900 nits brightness result in clear, bright image quality.

What impressed me the most about the OnePlus Pad Go 2 were its speakers. The tablet has four speakers, but I found the sound to be very flattering. It sounded like a smartphone speaker, very clear but dim and small.

Computer power is disappointing

For everyday use, I found the OnePlus Pad Go 2 to be a fast, well-equipped device. It loads pages easily and requires very little storage space. I expected it to be compatible with the Apple iPad with the A16 chip, but I was surprisingly disappointed.

In the Geekbench 6 test, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 scored 3,030 points in the multi-core test. That’s less than half of the iPad’s 6,233 points. That score doesn’t weigh the Pad Go 2 down; for simple tasks like streaming, reading, mobile games, and browsing the Internet, it has plenty of power. But I won’t use this tablet for photo or video editing or any other demanding tasks.

Extensive battery life

One of the most impressive features of the Pad Go 2 is its battery life. Run the battery test, it took 13 hours and 57 minutes. That’s an amazing amount of time, which means you won’t need to charge it every day, and it can keep you company on long-haul flights.

Cameras flatter no one — human or animal

I just watched you take pictures with your tablet. But hey, there is time in the place. The front and rear cameras on the OnePlus Pad Go 2 leave a lot to be desired. I know it’s winter, but when I took the selfie, I felt pale and washed out. The rear camera is no better. I went to take a picture of my puppy, Milly, and found that it didn’t do her much justice – the picture still came out washed out and green.

Should you buy the OnePlus Pad Go 2?

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is good enough
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a great tablet. For basic functions, it works fine. I had no problem while using it for streaming and browsing. For a budget Android tablet, it definitely does the job. That said, there is still room for improvement with its camera, computing power, and speaker.

I recommend the basic iPad over the Pad Go 2. It’s almost identical in shape and interface; however, it has a high Geekbench score of 6 and is $50 cheaper (and often on sale for even less).

But if you’re not down with iOS, the Pad Go 2 is a comparable, albeit less powerful, Android alternative.