Affordable tablets have come a long way, and the OPPO Pad Neo, which quietly launched in the Philippines last month, might just be a prime example of that.

This big 4G-capable tablet offers a well-rounded package headlined by its extra-sharp display and thoughtful metal design with a quad-speaker setup. But does it punch above its price tag of P15,999 (roughly $283 converted) in the Philippines, where the tablet faces stiff competition? Here’s our take on the recently released OPPO Pad Neo.

Premium metal build, thoughtful design

OPPO continues to prove its hardware chops with the Pad Neo. We like the build quality and design of this tablet. The metal body with a two-tone rear design and large camera ring feels well-thought-out, especially with the rounded corners making the device much easier to handle and operate. The mirror-like plastic section that houses the rear camera is a nice touch as well, although it can be a pain to clean.

We also appreciate that the OPPO Pad Neo is slimmer than the average smartphone — only 6.89mm in thickness. Perhaps more importantly, it gets the basics right in landscape mode. You’ll find the power and volume buttons conveniently tucked into the top left corner, making them easy to reach without fumbling.

@revuphilippines Have you checked out this "Neo" tablet from #OPPO yet? 😉 We've been using the #OPPOPadNeo for a while now. Our review should be up at #RevuDotComDotPH within the week. Stay tuned! #OPPOPhilippines #OPPOPH @oppophilippines @oppoglobal @Alora Uy Guerrero @monch ♬ original sound – Revu Philippines

OPPO Pad Neo unboxing video we posted last week

OPPO has even included dedicated SIM and microSD card slots between the left-side speakers for LTE connectivity and expandable storage. The right side keeps things clean with a single USB-C port for all your charging and data needs. It’s a smart design that feels practical and looks polished.

The OPPO Pad Neo has a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support, offering a richer audio experience than you might expect from a tablet in this price range. It gets loud, offers a sense of surround, and even manages a bit of bass (for tablet speakers, obviously). While you won’t ditch your headphones anytime soon, the audio is clear and punchy enough for podcasts, Spotify binges, or your favorite streaming shows.

The headphone experience is good, too. Support for a wide range of codecs — including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC — means your higher-end headphones should sound their best. It’s a perk that sets the Pad Neo apart from some of its rivals.

We paired the Pad Neo with OPPO’s P2,499 ($44) Enco Buds2 Pro with large 12.4mm drivers, which sound excellent for the price. The buds offer great separation, letting you appreciate certain instruments like the drums and keyboard individually. Highs have some presence as well.

The company has equipped the tablet with 8-megapixel cameras on the front and back. They’re built for practicality, not fancy portrait shots or selfies. The rear camera takes decent pictures suitable for documents or quick notes, while the front camera keeps video calls looking clear. Don’t expect award-winning photos, but for everyday tasks, they get the job done.

A screen built for readers

Obviously, one of the major attractions here is the 11.4-inch LCD display. OPPO calls it a 2.4K ReadFit Screen, and it boasts an impressively sharp 2,408 x 1,720 resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and 10-bit colors for improved color accuracy, especially in photos and video content. The listed specs are more in line with a midrange device rather than an entry-level one. The unorthodox 7:5 aspect ratio coupled with the generous screen size, meanwhile, should translate to a wide viewing area as well as a book-like reading experience, according to the brand.

In short, this tablet ensures a comfortable reading experience, which we can attest to following weeks of testing. Compared to other Android tablets out there with a 16:9 aspect ratio, we found the OPPO Pad Neo better suited for web browsing and reading ebooks, documents, and comics — many of which are tied to our Google Books library. Video-streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix are a whole different ball game, though, since they favor devices with wider displays in landscape mode.

Nevertheless, the Pad Neo is decent for media consumption, thanks to its picture quality and size, provided you’re okay with huge black bars on the top and bottom of your screen when watching movies and shows on your go-to streaming apps. Netflix and Disney Plus support high-definition playback as well. Additionally, the sharper-than-average resolution means you can play 1440p content on YouTube. Sadly, there’s no HDR here.

And though the refresh rate can go as high as 90Hz, there’s no way to force it in the display options; the tablet will switch between 60Hz and 90Hz modes as needed after you toggle the High setting on. Not that that’s surprising given the unit’s modest internals.

On a more positive note, the OPPO Pad Neo is designed to protect your eyes and improve your sleep. It has a special screen that filters out much of the harmful blue light that can cause eye strain and disrupt your natural sleep cycle.

With Bedtime mode enabled in the settings, the screen’s color temperature automatically adjusts throughout the day, becoming warmer in the evening to prepare you for a restful night. This makes using the tablet more comfortable, whether you’re working, reading, or watching videos, especially during the evening and late at night. Natural Tone Display, on the other hand, will automatically adjust your screen’s color temperature in response to ambient lighting.

Just enough power for everyday tasks

The OPPO Pad Neo packs a MediaTek Helio G99 4G chipset that prioritizes what people want most in an affordable, big-screen tablet: capable web browsing and media consumption and robust battery life. You’ll probably enjoy using this device as long as you’re not expecting a portable powerhouse that delivers the smoothest experience.

You can play AAA games, but you need to lower the graphics settings to make certain titles like Honkai: Star Rail and GTA: San Andreas playable. Using the Low graphics preset, Honkai: Star Rail runs fine without major performance issues on our unit, which has 8GB of physical RAM, even after hours of play.

Navigating OPPO’s colorful in-house interface based on Android 13 is mostly a pleasant experience — the Pad Neo is generally smooth and responsive, though we wish it shipped with the latest version of Android out of the box. The March 2024 Android security patch is also integrated for added peace of mind.

On top of that, the Pad Neo comes with a new and handy taskbar, which isn’t baked into the mobile version of ColorOS. Think of it like a simplified Windows-style bar for your favorite and recently used apps. No more digging through menus — just tap and go. It’s a small change that makes a big difference in how quickly you can navigate the tablet.

As far as performance is concerned, the only thing that really stood out to us is the occasional choppiness of 1080p content on the Disney Plus app. Thankfully, switching to 720p solved the issue, albeit at the expense of a lower resolution.

All-day entertainment

Under the hood, the OPPO Pad Neo sees a decently sized 8,000mAh battery, and OPPO claims some lofty usage figures — 14.5 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 514 hours of standby time. While we can’t verify those exact numbers, we easily got two full days out of this tablet with regular use. That’s fine given the large and high-res display and battery capacity.

An hour of Disney Plus streaming knocked the battery down to 31%, and four hours of YouTube dropped it to 44%. Those aren’t groundbreaking figures, but they confirm that the OPPO Pad Neo can handle a day of entertainment without needing a desperate search for a charger.

When it comes to charging, this tablet ships with OPPO’s 33-watt SUPERVOOC standard, which should take the device from empty to full in about 120 minutes. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get PCMark’s battery benchmark working on our unit, so we can’t provide specific performance stats.

Final thoughts

The OPPO Pad Neo is a well-rounded tablet that prioritizes the basics. It isn’t flashy, but it delivers where it counts. Its metal build feels reassuringly sturdy, the display is perfect for reading and media, and the battery life can stretch two days. While not a powerhouse, it offers a good experience for the price. Overall, you’re looking at a solid choice for anyone seeking an affordable, no-nonsense tablet for everyday entertainment, web browsing, and reading ebooks and comics.

Where to purchase the OPPO Pad Neo online: Shopee and Lazada

OPPO Pad Neo specs

• 11.4-inch 2.4K LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
• 6nm MediaTek Helio G99 processor
• Mali-G57 GPU
• 6GB/8GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• nano-SIM and microSD card slots
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 8-megapixel front camera
• Dolby Atmos quad speakers
• 8,000mAh battery
• 33-watt charging
• ColorOS based on Android 13
• Color: Space Grey

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