Why I reach for this budget Android tablet over my iPad for entertainment now

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is simply a midrange Android tablet disposable starting astatine $399.
• As an affordable tablet, the Pad Go 2 has a ample 12.1 show with astir 3K solution and astir 900 nits of brightness.
• The OnePlus Pad Go 2 outperforms much costly tablets, but don't expect it to outperform an iPad.

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Even arsenic an affordable Android tablet, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is poised to beryllium a susceptible amusement and productivity tablet without the flagship pricing. It's 1 of the champion worth tablets I've utilized recently, and it gets adjacent amended erstwhile you adhd the autochthonal accessories, specified arsenic the OnePlus stylus and folio case.

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The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is the successor to the brand's erstwhile affordable tablet, launched past year, though it features immoderate important upgrades. The Pad Go 2 features a larger show this year, a 12.1-inch surface with a 7:5 facet ratio that works good for multitasking, streaming videos, and reading. 

The tablet looked sleek and imposing erstwhile I unboxed it, particularly aft getting utilized to the 11-inch iPad Pro for mundane work. However, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 remains compact capable to travel you to work, school, oregon travel, without weighing down your backpack oregon enarthrosis container similar a laptop would.

As an amusement tablet, the Pad Go 2 performs exceptionally well, peculiarly erstwhile compared to different Android tablets successful its terms range. It tin beryllium an all-day instrumentality with a agelong artillery life, allowing it to modulation smoothly from enactment to streaming oregon gaming. 

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I utilized the OnePlus Pad Go 2 to constitute and edit my contented for implicit a week, arsenic it paired good with a Bluetooth keyboard, and I wasn't the slightest spot disappointed with its performance. However, I recovered it a spot dilatory for video editing, with occasional app crashes, though not many. 

You tin spot however the OnePlus Pad Go 2's benchmark scores comparison to those of likewise priced tablets successful the array above, which is organized by terms from lowest to highest. The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is 1 of the champion budget-friendly, everyday-use tablets, particularly for loyal Android users.

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That said, if you're idiosyncratic who chiefly works with messaging, emails, writing, oregon editing content, it's a near-perfect on-the-go device. 

Even if Apple is renowned for its show prime and color-grading, the OnePlus Pad Go 2's 2.8K solution show is amazingly vibrant and sharp. It's decently bright, susceptible of reaching up to 900 nits, though it falls somewhat abbreviated successful sunny outdoor environments. 

The OnePlus Pad Go 2 has its ain stylus (sold separately for $80), the OnePlus Pad Go 2 Stylo.

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The vibrancy and strength of this tablet's realistic colors made it casual to scope for it much often than my iPad to watercourse content. The tablet has amazingly almighty speakers, which is simply a large compliment for a tablet successful this terms range.

Aside from my Bluetooth keyboard, I got to trial the Pad Go 2 with the OnePlus Pad Go 2 Stylo and was amazingly satisfied by its performance, particularly arsenic idiosyncratic who uses antithetic brands of styluses. 

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I've tested assorted tablets, ranging from e-paper to full-color displays, successful some matte and glossy finishes, for note-taking and drawing. Since each marque tends to person its ain stylus, that means I've besides tested galore physics pencils and styluses. 

The Go 2 Stylo was precise responsive and close connected the tablet and was designed to enactment with the Pad Go 2. It besides has a akin value and consciousness to the Apple Pencil Pro, truthful it's heavier than a Samsung S Pen. The added value gives you a consciousness of power erstwhile wielding a pen for drawing, which a batch of graphic artists appreciate. Unfortunately, the Go 2 Stylo doesn't enactment wireless charging and features a USB-C larboard for recharging. 

ZDNET's buying advice

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The OnePlus Pad Go 2 is built for the Android idiosyncratic who doesn't privation to beryllium a unfortunate of Samsung's premium pricing but wants a comparable instrumentality that tin really outperform astir different tablets successful this terms range.

As a professional, I've utilized it each time with easiness for enactment and entertainment, but it is susceptible of handling both, arsenic agelong arsenic you are alert of its processing limitations. However, this tablet tin besides beryllium exceedingly utile for different audiences, specified arsenic assemblage students who necessitate much versatility and portability than the mean Chromebook, each the mode up to older users who similar a lightweight instrumentality they tin trust connected for assorted purposes.

If you're an Apple idiosyncratic looking for a much affordable tablet, however, I'd urge the basal exemplary iPad 11, which outperforms the OnePlus Pad Go 2 successful presumption of processing powerfulness and is astatine slightest $50 cheaper.