It was only a matter of time. We’ve seen a slew of Android tabs rolling out of assembly lines across brands, and now OPPO has joined the bandwagon. While tab sales may be booming, it’s still not an easy win. Android still doesn’t have a serious alternative to the iPad OS and even the iPad isn’t everyone’s favourite productivity device. OPPO has opted to play in the sub Rs 20K segment with a strong content consumption pitch. The OPPO Pad Air comes with a lightweight form factor and a vibrant display. Does it have what it takes to be your next binge watch screen?
Light as Air
From Nike trainers to MacBooks, Air has become a synonym for lightness. OPPO joins the ‘Air’ party with a device that truly deserves the Air suffix. It’s under 7mm thin and weighs just 440g. The dual-tone finish with OPPO’s ‘Sunset Dune 3D texture’ lends it a premium vibe. The Pad Air is one of the best lookers in this segment. It’s not just good looks, this finish repels smudges and the textured corners make it easier to clasp. Despite its featherlight form factor, the device feels solid. I used this tab for over a week without a case and it didn’t feel fragile.
Weekend proof
The Pad Air is a sorted device. It doesn’t make claims to be a workhorse but focuses instead on its EQ (Entertainment Quotient in this case). We like the thin bezels (just 8 mm) that add to its immersive appeal and the vivid colours of the 10.36-inch 2K screen. Sound is impressive with Dolby Atmos Stereo Quad speakers. All this is backed with a robust 7100mAh battery. OPPO claims 12 hours of video playback and that’s a fair estimate based on our tests.
Clean UI
We saw Xiaomi unveil a tab-specific UI for its Xiaomi Pad 5. OPPO’s ColorOS for Pad is OPPO’s layer over Android and it is a cool spin on Android 12. We’re accustomed to OPPO smartphones loaded with bloatware, the Pad Air has a lesson for these smartphones with a clean UI. There are some handy touches like Split Screen and Dual Windows that make multitasking easier but this tab is not quite ready to be pushed over the edge. Even though things were smooth while gaming and watching videos, opening too many apps did choke the tab slightly. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor is a decent option at this price. We checked out the 4GB/64GB option, there’s also a 4GB/128GB variant. The Pad Air notched a score of 1654 on our Geekbench benchmark test.
Best in class?
OPPO is off to a great start with its first foray in the tab segment. The choice of processor might be a point of contention especially among heavy duty users but it should work for most folks looking to do a spot of gaming and catch up on their favourite shows. We like the design language, build quality and the clutter-free UI which was the biggest surprise. The OPPO Pad Air is one of the best tabs under Rs 20,000.
The OPPO Pad Air comes in Grey and costs Rs 15,999 (4GB/64GB) / Rs 19,999 (4GB/128GB). There’s an instant 10% off on Bank of Baroda credit cards.
