Oppo Pad SE Review: Just buy the OnePlus Pad Lite

Introduction

At £219, the Oppo Pad SE fits comfortably into a budget tablet range that hasn’t seen much price movement in recent years.

But with a competing product from its own parent company’s offshoot nipping at its heels in the form of the fantastic OnePlus Pad Lite, it might not be the value opportunity it appears on paper.

Design

• Single colour option
• Fun two-tone finish
• Easy to hold

The Oppo Pad SE follows closely in the footsteps of the OnePlus Pad Lite. Available in a strikingly similar two-tone Twilight Blue colourway, its size, shape, and rear design match those of the not-so-indirect competition. At 530 grams, it’s equally weighty, which might put it out of the range of a comfortable reader. It’s more of a video device than a portable reader.

Both short sides sport twin speaker grills, with a USB-C 2.0 charging port and microphone on the bottom. There’s no MicroSD support, so you’re stuck to its 128GB storage allowance. Though it’s unlikely you’ll need more.

Why? The Oppo Pad SE also features matching cameras to those of the OnePlus Pad Lite. A 5MP shooter on the long side of the screen means landscape calls can involve everyone, with the 5MP sensor on the back working much the same way. That is to say, you won’t be taking shots worthy of blowing up for a nice print. More on that shortly.

Screen

• 11-inch HD LCD display
• 90Hz
• Poor viewing angles

The 11-inch screen rocks a relatively large bezel by today’s standards. It’s an LCD display, so glare is a concern, and viewing angles aren’t ideal. It’s a ‘movie for you’ type deal more than a movie for two, but some won’t mind. At 90Hz, smooth scrolling is a real possibility for avid readers and competitive gamers.

At 16:10, this wide display comes out at a 1920×1200 resolution, which makes it suited for multitasking with side-by-side apps without feeling too cramped. You might miss a little of the vertical real estate if you’re writing up documents or dealing with larger spreadsheets, but that’s the least of your concerns with this one.

With the brightness cranked up to its reported 500 nits ceiling, it’s a vibrant display, but not the sharpest at this size. It’s far from the look of something like an AMOLED, but it gets the job done. Just be wary of daytime viewing draining the battery to fight off the glare of the sun. Maybe stay under the parasol.

Colour shifting is also noticeable at off angles at an average indoor brightness setting, which can make watching content a tad uncomfortable.

Performance

• Older chipset
• Low 4GB memory
• Sluggish gaming chops

Under general use, the Oppo Pad SE is likely more than enough for the average web user. Scrolling through sites works well, and simple everyday tasks like panning through Google Maps, checking email, and scrolling social media typically feel smooth on the 90Hz display.

Attempt to do much else, though, and you will hit the limitations of its budget specs. An ageing Mediatek Helio G100 chipset struggles to cope with much 3D action, scoring just 15fps on the relatively entry-level GFXBench Car Chase test.

Visually simple but logic-heavy turn-based strategy games like Pokémon TCG Live were also sluggish whenever short visual flair kicked in. Fast-paced action titles are likely a no-go for anyone looking to stay competitive. Fortnite? Forget it. Stick to simple Roblox roleplay games and daily puzzles.

Even outside of gaming, running too many simple apps will slow things down thanks to the very low 4GB RAM allowance in our model. UFS 2.2 storage means opening apps and swiping through albums can feel sluggish, too.

It’s far from the worst-performing tablet out there, but there are more versatile options for less money. WiFi 5 means ultra-fast internet speeds might be a tad out of reach, too, which can hamper intensive streaming.

Cameras

• 5MP rear landscape lens
• 5MP front landscape lens
• No ultra-wide

Another area where you can’t expect a miracle is in photography. Twin 5MP cameras mean the Oppo Pad SE simply isn’t going to replace any phone on today’s market. But it isn’t meant to. Indeed, the best camera is always the one you have with you, but these sensors won’t paint an accurate picture of the memory you might try to capture in a pinch.

Instead, we need to examine the lenses in their intended purpose – video calls, note-taking, and planning. Of which they’re fine.

As long as you turn on the lights, you can use the rear camera to take a shot of a room to imagine a new colour on your bedroom wall. Without a wide-angle lens, though, you might struggle to see the big picture – literally. Outside, anything that isn’t moving will be captured relatively well. A planned photograph? Perfectly fine. A child or dog enjoying the outdoors? Maybe not.

Video calls are going to look a little washed out, but that’s par for the course with any front-facing tablet camera. The main point is that by being on the long side of the device, you’re not limited to the bust view. Set it down and you can easily fit multiple people into the frame for online family gatherings or more professional work calls.

And for digitising any documents before you stow them away, it’s suitable. Just stay near a window or lamp, as there’s no flash to help you out.

Software

• Google Suite included
• Limited bloat
• Clean and bright ColorOS skin

The Oppo Pad SE runs ColorOS 15–Oppo’s fork of Android 15. App bloat is kept to a minimum –
which isn’t always the case for tablets in this price range – but you’ll still find the occasional first-party inclusion trying to tempt you away from the typical Google suite. They’re all there.

ColorOS is barebones, but in a good way. It isn’t bogged down, setup is simple, and it isn’t always trying to pester you into trying a new app. It leaves you to your own devices, which is perfect given that’s exactly what your new purchase is.

But there’s also no real bells or whistles here. Multitasking is possible with swipe-down side-by-side apps. Not that the lacklustre memory could manage much more. It just means you can’t get fancy with your workflow. It’s not an issue, but there isn’t much to talk about, and certainly no reason for the Oppo Pad SE to stand out.

Battery

• 9340mAh battery
• 33W charging with first-party plug (not included)
• Good standby time

With a battery coming in at over 9,000mAh, it’s easy to get a full day of play out of the Oppo Pad SE. When it comes to juicing it back up, however, it’s a mixed bag.

With no charger included, you’ll have to rely on what you have around the house already. 33W fast charging is available via the SuperVOOC standard, but unless you’re already in the Oppo or OnePlus ecosystem, there’s a very good chance your everyday plug won’t quite cut it.

Hooked up to our 100W GaN charger, we measured a 7% recharge in around 15 minutes from empty, hitting just 15% at the 30-minute mark. Reaching 50% – generally enough to last a busy day –took just over 90 minutes, with a full trickle charge taking closer to 210 minutes. 

So while charging speeds are by no means the fastest around, standby time is solid, with the Oppo Pad SE dipping to 93% after a couple of days sat on the desk.

Should you buy it?

FAQs